Vero High’s sparkling new sports complex on right track
By the time Vero Beach High students return from summer vacation, contractors will be putting the finishing touches on the first phase of the Jimmy Graves Sports & Community Complex. For the first time, track and field meets will be held across the street from the high school, thanks to the new eight-lane Florida High […]
By the time Vero Beach High students return from summer vacation, contractors will be putting the finishing touches on the first phase of the Jimmy Graves Sports & Community Complex.
For the first time, track and field meets will be held across the street from the high school, thanks to the new eight-lane Florida High School Athletic Association regulation size track and field event stations. Inside the track is a new regulation soccer field that does double duty as a lacrosse field.
Students are excited because “they’re able to hold home track meets there now, instead of traveling all over the state,” said Bruce Green, the school district’s chief financial officer. “It’s kind of a big deal for this school and the community.”
“It’s a proud moment for us all,” said Nick Westenberger, director of facilities and support services for the county school district.
This major new athletic facility is an impressive example of how the public and private sectors can partner to accomplish a project neither was able to successfully undertake alone.
Also a first, at least in Indian River County, it will include a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art inclusive playground with ramps, sensory elements and adaptive swings designed to welcome all children, regardless of their abilities, built to Americans with Disabilities Act specifications.
The fields and track will be lit up with the latest LED sports lighting, and a new LED scoreboard will keep athletes and audiences informed. This summer workers with Remnant Construction of Fort Pierce will finish erecting the combination concession stand, locker room, and bathrooms building, bleachers and a press box.
Local attorney Joe Graves bought the 11-acre parcel across the street from the high school in 2017 with a plan to build a youth sports complex in memory of his son Jimmy, who died in a boating accident the year before. After struggling unsuccessfully to raise the needed funding, Graves donated the parcel to the school board with the stipulation that the sports facility planned for the property bear his son’s name.
From design to construction, the total cost of this phase of the complex rings up at $7,648,010. About $4 million was raised through public and private donations, including $1 million from the City of Vero Beach, $1 million from the now-defunct Education Foundation of Indian River County, and another $2 million from other private and corporate donors.
The rest, approximately $3.4 million, is money from the state’s 2024 Special Appropriations funding, said Green.
Potential future additions to the complex include a Student Entrepreneurial Center, a student-run coffee shop, a student art gallery, office space for community partnerships, an amphitheater and concert and event venue, and a walking trail around the site.
The funding for the project is being managed by the Indian River Education Fund, a nonprofit that works with the school district to raise money for its strategic priorities.
The Indian River Education Fund “represents a new, complementary model for community investment in our public schools,” said IREF Executive Director Janet Knupp. “Built in partnership with business and civic leaders, the IREF is designed to bring fresh energy, innovation and private-sector engagement to meet the evolving needs of our students and educators.”
“It’s nice to see this project finally coming together,” said Westenberger. “This track and field represents more than just a place to run and play, it’s a symbol of progress and a shared vision.”
Lincoln nonprofit hosts basketball tournament to raise awareness for youth mentorship
A Lincoln nonprofit is hosting a basketball tournament Friday in an effort to connect at-risk youth to mentoring, training and community engagement. The Honesty Project works to empower kids considered at-risk to make smart decisions and reach success through these resources. “This event isn’t a tool to help them get out of the mindset,” said […]
A Lincoln nonprofit is hosting a basketball tournament Friday in an effort to connect at-risk youth to mentoring, training and community engagement. The Honesty Project works to empower kids considered at-risk to make smart decisions and reach success through these resources.
“This event isn’t a tool to help them get out of the mindset,” said Clay Anders, Honesty Project founder and executive director. “It’s the aftercare that’s going to help them get out of that mindset. This is just the tool to reel them in so they can see what it is we offer, and then that’s where we continue the aftercare and the mentorship.”
The games and dunk contest will feature Lincoln and Omaha teams, big-name Husker players and social media influencer Cam Wilder.
“They won’t show up for a lecture, but they’ll show up for a social media influencer. And when that social media influencer is somebody I’m able to talk with and be cool with and organize something with, then it gives validity to what I’m doing and what I’m saying,” Anders said.
The tournament is at the Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln and is free to attend. Anders will choose two crowd members to play against the social media celebrity Wilder.
According to the Kids Count in Nebraska 2024 report, nearly 8,000 youths were arrested last year.
This is the second time Anders has invited Wilder to an event. Last summer, a “park takeover” basketball game in Lincoln drew more than 1,000 people and forced Lincoln Police to ask crowd members to leave. The Honest Project organized the setup this year to turn the event center into a basketball court with the help of some of its students and trustees from the Lancaster County Detention Center.
MLS ecosystem gives youth soccer players lots of opportunities
Tyler Adams urges growth after USMNT’s loss to Mexico in Gold Cup Final USMNT Captain Tyler Adams breaks down what went wrong in their Gold Cup Final loss to Mexico. Sports Seriously Alfonso Mondelo was 13 years old when he arrived in the United States from Spain in 1971. “Soccer was almost nonexistent,” he tells […]
Tyler Adams urges growth after USMNT’s loss to Mexico in Gold Cup Final
USMNT Captain Tyler Adams breaks down what went wrong in their Gold Cup Final loss to Mexico.
Sports Seriously
Alfonso Mondelo was 13 years old when he arrived in the United States from Spain in 1971.
“Soccer was almost nonexistent,” he tells USA TODAY Sports. “You had to go chase it.”
Your desire to see the sport might take you to New York’s Felt Forum, the then-named auditorium at Madison Square Garden where Mondelo watched the 1974 World Cup on a closed-circuit television, or to movie theaters.
Even by 1990, Major League Soccer’s longtime technical director says, when the U.S. men qualified for the tournament in Italy, you went to a bar with a satellite dish to watch them.
“If there was a baseball game, you had to fight with the baseball people to keep the soccer game on,” Mondelo says. “So this has gone to where this is the country that consumes probably the most soccer in the world. Right now, you can turn on a TV on Saturday morning at 7 o’clock, begin to watch European games and continuously watch live soccer until probably 12:30, 1 o’clock in the morning, when MLS finishes.
“It’s a sport that you can play forever. Every day, there are more American-born fans, and I would say under the age of 40 in this country, most players have played it at one level or the other.”
Mondelo, 66, spent time on the pitch in Spain’s second division while he was in the U.S. Air Force and later became a coach. He got his start as a coach in MLS with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in the late 1990s. He moved to his position in the league’s front office in 2004, when teams had no youth programming.
Today, there are 40,000 kids participating in its MLS GO recreational program and almost 18,000 enrolled in its elite MLS NEXT platform (raising to 40,000-plus with a new competition tier), which runs from the U13 to U19 levels.
As of June 15, according to MLS, 93% of the players on U.S. youth national teams are coming from MLS NEXT. This year alone, the league also has invested more than $125 million in player development, according to Mondelo.
“It’s the greatest sport in the world,” says Mondelo, whom we interviewed upon the 30th anniversary of MLS. “Once you start playing it, you get hooked on it. If you speak soccer, you can engage conversations in any country in the world. I think the Americans are catching onto it. …
“A young player who begins to play the game and has a passion for it can see a direct pathway from youth all the way to a professional team. Now, in a lot of the markets, they have a professional team that they can go see and they can aspire to be part of.”
The league realizes, of course, the overall percentages of becoming a professional player are very small. It’s constantly seeking ways to get more kids access to the game, hoping to create fans at the grassroots levels who will attend MLS matches.
Where might your son or daughter fit into MLS’ youth ecosystem? Here are the opportunities it provides:
MLS GO: Finding a lifelong love of the game
When we place our kid in a sport at a young age, a goal is they enjoy it and want to come back for another season.
“We’re not trying to create world-class players from the time of 5 or 6 years old,” says Kyle Albrecht, the general manager of MLS GO and MLS NEXT.
MLS GO is designed to teach fundamentals to boys and girls from 4 to 14 – sometimes playing in games together – in a community setting. It’s in 47 states and Washington D.C., and, if you’re in an MLS market, tickets to a pro game might be included with your entry fee.
Albrecht says the median age of an MLS GO player is 7 or 8 but it’s open to beginners throughout its age groups.
“It also gives that opportunity at the higher end of the spectrum,” Albrecht says. “Let’s say that individual player is not ready to go into the youth travel environment (with) more competitive aspects that we know have a tendency to drive kids and families out of the game.”
MLS GO, Albrecht says, was born in 2023 out of data that registered soccer participation wasn’t really growing over the past 20-plus years.
“There was a real intentionality about the push to travel too early, (the) cost growing so high at young ages. How do we build a program to combat that negativity with the game becoming too intense for that recreational audience?” Albrecht says.
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MLS NEXT: Seeking your highest potential
Kids with more ambitious sports aspirations can try out for clubs within MLS NEXT starting at the U13 level. There are 29 MLS academies and 238 elite academies within the 267 clubs (including the second tier of competition) that make up MLS NEXT.
MLS NEXT academy teams compete in high-level events such as Generation Adidas Cup. The GA Cup began almost two decades ago as a gauge to evaluate how MLS academy teams were developing across the country and then started to bring in international competition.
“When we first started there, it was hard to compete,” Mondelo says. “The foreign teams were beating us; we got a draw, we felt that that was a positive result. And over the last 10, 15, years, we’re seeing that the MLS teams in some age groups are dominating the competition, so we are getting to be close to a world-level par in player development.
“Also, the interest of international clubs on the players that are being developed domestically has risen tremendously. So they’ve seen the American player as a viable option to bring into top-level clubs worldwide.”
MLS NEXT came about in 2020, taking over when the U.S. Soccer Development Academy ended operations. There are 130 NEXT players who have matriculated to MLS. They include Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC) and Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union).
MLS NEXT top-tier players agree to forgo participating simultaneously in both MLS NEXT and high school soccer, according to an MLS spokesperson, though clubs can submit a high school waiver and play. Players in the other tier will be allowed to play it.
“Our objective from a player development strategy is to develop the next generation of talent that will affect the pro game, and the pro game includes Major League Soccer, it includes national teams,” Luis Robles, MLS NEXT’s technical director, told USA TODAY Sports in January, when laying out the parameters of the second tier. “But within that object is another sub tier of, ‘How does that play itself out?’ We saw an opportunity to deepen the player pool, to give more families that experience. … So it is the aspirational athlete, but it’s also just the athlete that wants to continue to play soccer with their friends. So it is a combination of everyone.”
The 29 lead academies offer scholarships, housing and schooling, but players at the non-MLS academies, which MLS refers to as elite academies, are given looks and opportunities to move up within the organization. These chances include trials at MLS academies, talent ID camps or sometimes guest appearances for the clubs at competitions like the GA Cup.
There are coaching and travel costs associated with elite academies, though Albrecht says MLS NEXT clubs try and look at providing financial aid where it might be needed.
“We try and get every player in MLS NEXT to reach their highest potential,” Albrecht says. “That may mean it’s Division 1 or Division III college. We’re hosting our MLS NEXT Fest event in December and that’s going to be the biggest college recruiting event in youth soccer.”
COACH STEVE: New MLS NEXT youth soccer rankings emphasize development over wins
MLS NEXT Pro: Completing the path
MLS determined as it began to build its youth programs that it lacked qualified coaching compared to other parts of the world. It started working with the French Federation to develop courses.
In addition, all 30 MLS clubs have state-of-the-art training facilities where their MLS NEXT academy teams train. (San Diego FC academy is just getting off the ground and not competing in MLS NEXT yet.)
“Without a doubt, I think in the next few years, we’re going to see a world-class player emerge here that will be comparable to what’s coming out of any other country in the world,” Mondelo says.
MLS NEXT players who advance along the path toward MLS might also get the chance to participate in MLS NEXT Pro, a men’s league in the USA and Canada. MLS NEXT Pro might also include international players, older collegiate graduates and others who may not have played in MLS NEXT.
Since the launch in 2022, MLS teams have signed more than 160 players from this polishing stage.
More opportunities for girls
MLS NEXT is a boys competition but member clubs can invite girls to play on their teams. USWNT players Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, for example, played on an U19 MLS NEXT team.
MLS NEXT announced in December it had formed an alliance with the Girls Academy. According to MLS, the Girls Academy has 114 clubs and more than 16,000 players (including 48 clubs that have a boys team in MLS NEXT) from the U13 to U19 age groups.
“We’re in very regular contact with the leadership team at Girls Academy, just in terms of what are those touch points that we can add value – whether it be through events, through different coaching education initiatives, things we can do to really align that development,” Albrecht says.
The GA Cup, which Mondelo spearheaded for MLS, had a girls division for the first time in 2025. Girls Academy Red beat Girls Academy Blue in the U16 final. Their division also included FC Bayern (Germany) and Manchester City FC (England).
Initial plans, Albrecht says, have looked at expanding the girls division to allow for additional Girls Academy teams as well as international teams.
“I would not be surprised if we start seeing some of our (professional) clubs begin to develop the youth academies on the women’s side,” Mondelo says of MLS.
The future: ‘Best is yet to come’
According to MLS, MLS NEXT players have represented 32 different youth national teams around the globe in 2025. Players from 56 MLS NEXT clubs (277 players in all) have been called up to youth national teams this year.
Albrecht predicts a half-million-plus players participating in MLS GO in the years following the 2026 World Cup next summer.
Five decades ago, Mondelo says, it was strictly immigrants who would go out and watch soccer. During the most recent men’s World Cup (held in Qatar in 2022), he noticed in New York City the bars were not only full, but people were outside on the street looking inside to try to see the game.
“Americans want to be winners and want to have a team that wins,” Mondelo says. “So as our national team goes, I think we’re very nationalistic. That will also continue in this constant growth of the sport. …
“I think a lot of credit has to be given to the ownership groups in MLS, the investment that has been made in these facilities, not only for the first team, for the pro team, but for these academies, has really brought us to the next level.
“The reward will be when we start seeing these American players becoming the mainstay of MLS clubs. So ideally, the mid-level players and above will be domestically grown players, and then the influx of the internationals will be truly the superstars that will elevate this league. Major steps have been taken in 30 years, but the best is yet to come.”
Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.
Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com
Burbank Boys & Girls Club Of Burbank Offers Basketball For Members And Non-Members
By Rick Assad Better together is a motto for the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley and it also applies to the sport of basketball. It’s always fun and special when playing with people you know, and it is for youngsters ages six through 18. “We try to create an environment […]
Better together is a motto for the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley and it also applies to the sport of basketball.
It’s always fun and special when playing with people you know, and it is for youngsters ages six through 18.
“We try to create an environment per Boys and Girls Club values, where we promote and encourage belonging, integrity, respect, inclusion, empowerment in an environment where they feel less pressure and a place to naturally grow without pressure,” said Mike Graceffo, a longtime coach of numerous sports in Burbank.
The youngsters don’t have to be members of the Boys & Girls Club or live in Burbank to play the game of basketball because it’s open to anyone and everyone.
There are three levels of play offered by the Boys & Girls Club and the first is the Most Valuable Player Youth Basketball which meets every Tuesday. There is a $10 fee that can be paid at the door.
The time for this session is 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. and is available for first graders through the 12th grade.
Graceffo will oversee this level and if parents are interested, they can contact him at mikegraceffo@bgcburbank.org.
The next level is Her Hoops which is for girls exquisitely and is offered every Wednesday.
Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley flyer for its basketball sessions. (Photo courtesy Mike Graceffo)
It runs from 4:30 p.m. through 6 p.m. and is for young ladies that are in the sixth grade through 12th grade.
For those interested in having their child play hoops they can contact Justin Waters at justin.waters@bgcburbank.org.
And lastly, the Next Level Academy is available every Friday and the time is 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is for sixth graders through 12th grade. Waters is also in charge of this level.
There are numerous coaches, staff and volunteers that will make the players’ time fun playing basketball and include Rashawn Morris, Brandon Baker, Sayahn Mudd, Keonte Terrell, Levi Johnson, Fred Orr and Jeffrey Dumas.
“The one thing all these guys have in common is their passion, commitment, love of kids and basketball, and wanting to instill life lessons and core values,” Graceffo said.
Knowing how to shoot, pass, dribble, rebound and play defense are key elements in playing basketball.
But it takes time to perfect these skills. Plus, it’s vital to enjoy what you’re doing.
“I don’t want to speak for the other coaches but I would think we all have the same goals in mind,” said Graceffo, “and that is to make it fun for the kids, teach them the proper way to play the game, introduce them to the proper fundamentals, get them ready for higher levels of basketball if they choose that route, and also incorporate life lessons.”
Graceffo then added: “And we all emphasize the importance of being a great student-athlete and being a good person,” he continued.
Playing the game well and enjoying yourself makes basketball even more fun.
“I feel the best and most fun part is seeing the enthusiasm when the players see that they are improving,” Graceffo noted. “Also, the interaction between the players when they get to bond and become somewhat of a team. And the most rewarding part is when a player comes up to us and tells us that they made a particular team or did something well in a game.”
When Graceffo is in charge of a bunch of eager athletes, he knows what he wants to accomplish.
“Again, every coach is different, but my philosophy has always been to make it a fun and enjoyable experience, encourage them to participate and play, teach them the proper fundamentals, encourage good sportsmanship, and that they can achieve any dream or goal in life if they work hard,” he stressed.
Factoring in skills and the player’s age is important for Graceffo.
“Obviously if I’m coaching highly skilled, older, or highly advanced players, I am going to be more intense, work them harder, teach them more advanced drills, techniques, whereas, if the kids are younger and or just beginning, then I would be more inclined to tailor the practice, drills, to their level,” he acknowledged.
Getting better isn’t easy, and it takes time and patience but with hard work and determination, playing basketball well is possible.
“The biggest thing I try to do is get the kids to understand that if they want to succeed and be a top-tier player, they have to work harder than the next person,” Graceffo said. “And that they cannot just rely on their practices. They need to apply what they are learning and work on their game on their own. I also give them and show them what I call self-help drills that they can do on their own to get better.”
Most importantly, the player has to want to get better. It’s not going to just happen because they like basketball.
“It’s all about motivation and getting these young athletes to understand that the hard work that they are putting in now will pay off later,” Graceffo said.
Little League® International Launches Text to Give Campaign to Help Support its Tournament Experience and Disaster Relief Efforts
With the start of approximately 340 games on ESPN Platforms kicking off on July 19, Little League® International is excited to announce the launch of its new Text to Give Campaign, giving supporters of the Little League program the chance to step up to the plate to provide the necessary funding to enhance future opportunities […]
With the start of approximately 340 games on ESPN Platforms kicking off on July 19, Little League® International is excited to announce the launch of its new Text to Give Campaign, giving supporters of the Little League program the chance to step up to the plate to provide the necessary funding to enhance future opportunities and experiences at the Little League World Series as well as Little League International’s Disaster Relief efforts for its local leagues and communities.
“For nearly a century, we have been trusted to positively impact communities all around the world, but we still have so much work to do in order to bring the benefits of participating in youth sports to more children and families,” said Pat Wilson, Little LeaguePresident and CEO. “Through our centralized philanthropic efforts, we can help tackle the diverse challenges and seek new opportunities in an effort to expand our reach and support programs that provide direct resources to local leagues, participants and families, and local communities. While we have terrific partners, including ESPN, and we are extremely grateful for their support, our philanthropic efforts like this new Text to Give campaign will allow us to complement the support we receive from our corporate partners and bring the added level of enhanced support that our local leagues, volunteers, and communities deserve.”
Running through September 15, 2025, the Text to Give campaign is focused on two key strategic initiatives of the organization’s Philanthropic efforts:
Little League World Series Tournament Experience (Text LLWS to 345345)
Funds raised through this campaign are dedicated to enhancing all resources in the Little League program and creating new opportunities for participants and their families, from supporting local leagues to enhancing the tournament experience all the way through our seven World Series events. Each year, Little League International pays for the housing, travel for international and domestic teams, meals, and accommodations for all teams who compete at all seven World Series tournaments. The cost of operating all of Little League’s Region Tournaments and the seven World Series Tournaments totals more than $12.5 million annually, with the Little League Baseball® World Series in Williamsport costing approximately $7.5 million alone, as part of Little League’s overall annual operating budget. Ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000, the average cost to travel teams to the LLBWS each year is approximately $30,000 per team while the average cost to run a U.S. Region Tournament (both Baseball and Softball) each year, is approximately $450,000. In Williamsport alone, there have been a total of 11,025 players across 811 teams competing in the 77 years of the Little League Baseball World Series. The organization continues to look for ways to enhance the overall experience for not only the players, coaches, and umpires, but for all fans and families who make the bucket-list trip to the birthplace of Little League each summer.
Disaster Relief Support (Text RALLY to 345345)
Year over year, Little League continues to see local leagues experience devasting effects from natural disasters. Funds raised through this campaign are focused on helping programs impacted by disaster to receive the support they need to rebuild, recover, and continue providing children with the life lessons learned through youth baseball and softball. Whether it’s repairing fields or replacing equipment, the Disaster Relief Fund allows Little League to provide support to local communities during times of greatest need. Unfortunately, disasters occur every year in communities all around the world, and the Little League fields are many times the first place that families and neighborhoods turn to.
Throughout the course of the Region and World Series tournaments in 2025, the Text to Give campaign will showcase a variety of informational assets, including on-site signage, digital advertisements, social media efforts, and a PSA that will air across ESPN Platforms.
As a mission-driven nonprofit, Little League’s revenues are used to not only fund the service-driven operations to nearly 5,500 leagues and 1 million volunteers worldwide, but to also extend benefits like grant funding, volunteer training and experiences for kids to experience the Little League baseball and softball program.
Little League Baseball, Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and every donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. To learn more about Little League’s overall philanthropic efforts, including what has been already done to date and what you can do to support, visit LittleLeague.org/Impact.
Nominations open for WNY’s top youth sports coaches
Nominations have officially opened Project Play WNY’s Coaches Honor Roll Awards and Dick Gallagher Lifetime Service Award. BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nominations are now open for Project Play WNY’s Coaches Honor Roll Awards and Dick Gallagher Lifetime Service Award. Individuals and organizations from WNY are invited to nominate their favorite youth sports coaches from non-scholastic programs. Nominations […]
Nominations have officially opened Project Play WNY’s Coaches Honor Roll Awards and Dick Gallagher Lifetime Service Award.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nominations are now open for Project Play WNY’s Coaches Honor Roll Awards and Dick Gallagher Lifetime Service Award.
Individuals and organizations from WNY are invited to nominate their favorite youth sports coaches from non-scholastic programs. Nominations should be submitted on Project Play WNY’s website by Aug. 31. Winners will be announced in the fall and celebrated at the annual Thank You Coach event in October in partnership with the Buffalo Bills.
All coaches must receive at least two separate nominations to be considered for a Coaches Honor Roll Award. Each submission should describe how the nominee demonstrates the qualities of a great coach who is focused on youth development, sportsmanship, leadership, integrity. Submissions should also explain how the nominee represents the values of Project Play WNY, which aims to provide a more inclusive and supportive environment for children.
The Dick Gallagher Lifetime Service Award recognizes an individual who used their position, either as a youth sports coach or youth sports organization leader to support and advocate for youth athletes both on and off the field, for at least a decade. The award honors Dick Gallagher, a youth sports advocate and Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Gallagher also dedicated his professional life to help young people that were struggling with addiction.
Little League® Alumni Take Home Awards at the 2025 ESPYs
Highlighting the greatest athletes and sports moments of the year, the ESPYs honor and celebrate those who have made a tremendous impact on the sports world. Every year, a number of Little League® alumni are celebrated for their achievements, and this year is no different. Below are the winners from this year’s award show who […]
Highlighting the greatest athletes and sports moments of the year, the ESPYs honor and celebrate those who have made a tremendous impact on the sports world. Every year, a number of Little League® alumni are celebrated for their achievements, and this year is no different. Below are the winners from this year’s award show who began their careers on a Little League field:
Ilona Maher
Best Breakthrough Athlete North Burlington LL (Burlington, Vt.)
Taking her talents to not only the rugby field, but the dance floor as well, Ilona Maher had a year to remember. The rugby star earned the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in the 7-on-7 women’s rugby tournament, before placing second in the same year’s season of the ABC hit show,Dancing with the Stars. Off the field, Maher has been an incredible advocate foraccessibility and growth in women’s sports and female confidence,living by the slogan “Beast, Beauty, Brains.”
Cooper Flagg
Best Men’s College Athlete Sebasticook Valley LL (Newport, Maine)
After an incredible season at Duke University and becoming the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the former Little Leaguer® asserted his dominance in the NCAA. Flagg, in his only season at Duke, added a significant amount of hardware, earning himself the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale award for being the national player of the year and freshman of the year. These awards highlight Flagg’s talent and contributions to basketball, solidifying his status as a top player in college basketball.
The three-time MLB MVP added another award to the trophy case, taking home Best MLB player for the fourth time in five seasons to cap off his historic 50/50 season in 2024. This marks the sixth-straight ESPY for the Mizusawa Little League grad, as well as the fifth time Ohtani has received the award of Best MLB Player.
When the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians played in Williamsport in the fourth-ever MLB Little League Classic, Ohtani spent his time leading up to the game with some of the teams that competed in the Little League Baseball® World Series.
Cameron Boozer
National Gatorade Player of the Year Kendall LL (Miami, Fla.)
Growing up, Cameron Boozer played for Kendall Little League in Miami, Florida, before becoming a basketball star at Christopher Columbus High School. Boozer was previously named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023, recognized for his exceptional performance and leadership that contributed to his success on the basketball court.
While only one Little Leaguer was recognized as one of the two Gatorade National Players of the Year at the ESPYs, several state winners in baseball and softball got their start in the Little League community:
Vermont – Anastase Bourgois – Connecticut Valley LL (Bradford, Vt.)
Virginia – Mason Pike – Tuckahoe LL (Henrico, Va.) and Tuckahoe National LL (Henrico, Va.)
Virginia – Kaylee Hodges – Central Chesterfield (Va.) LL
Washington – Weston Smith – South Hill LL (Pullyallp, Wash.)
West Virginia – Sawyer Deering – Hurricane (W.V.) LL
West Virginia – Audrea Watts – Salt Rock (W.V.) Youth Sports LL
While the 2025 ESPY Awards have come to a close, the love for the sport will continue to come to life over the coming weeks as more than 340 Little League® Baseball and Softball games will be broadcast across ESPN Platforms starting on Saturday, July 19, with the Little League Softball Region Tournaments as the Summer of Softball continues to shine.
NOTE: If you know of a notable Little League graduate that would fit into any of these categories listed above, please complete the Little League Alumni Submission form. Feel free to also share your Little League alumni story on social media by tagging @LittleLeague and by using #LLAlumni in your posts.