HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Pete Carroll has made it clear since his introductory news conference in January that he intends to win now, and he and the Raiders have taken steps to be more competitive, such as trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith.

But Carroll also has been forthright that rookies will get the opportunity to play, pointing to his own history with first-year players at Southern California and with the Seahawks.

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And, so far, Carroll has been a man of his word, with rookies and other young players getting the chance to make a big impact in training camp and in Thursday’s preseason opener at Seattle.

The latest depth chart that was released Tuesday underscored that commitment.

Seven rookies are on the two-deep, including running back Ashton Jeanty, wide receiver Dont’e Thornton and cornerback Darien Porter on the first team. All three were drafted this year in the first four rounds. Eight second-year players — four on each the first and second team — also populate the depth chart.

“I’m not hesitant to play young guys,” Carroll said. “We’ve almost forced them into it and forced to feed them until they show us who they are, what they’re all about and how much they can handle. It isn’t all on them. It’s on us to make sure that we ask them to do things that they’re capable of doing at this time.”

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Carroll used this plan at USC and Seattle.

He took over a Trojans program coming off a 5-7 season and by the second year had USC back on track. USC went from 6-6 in Carroll’s first season in 2001 to a run of seven consecutive years of at least 11 victories, winning a pair of national titles.

The Seahawks won nine games over two seasons when Carroll was hired in 2010. He needed three years to get moving in the right direction, but then the Seahawks won double-digit games eight of nine seasons with two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.

He faces a similarly heavy build in Las Vegas. The Raiders not only come off a 4-13 season, they haven’t won a playoff game since appearing in the Super Bowl in the 2002 season.

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“We’re moving in a good direction now,” Carroll said. “I can feel it. This is how it’s supposed to feel, according to what I’ve experienced. I couldn’t tell you what’s going to happen, but I do know they’re going to be together, and I do know they’re going to play for one another.”

Most of the youth movement was expected on offense. Brock Bowers put together perhaps the greatest season for a rookie tight end, and linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze started as first-year players. Plus, Jeanty as the sixth overall draft pick arrived in Las Vegas this year knowing he would be a major focus of the offense.

“We want to run the ball, so I’m going to try my best to make this offense run,” Jeanty said. “We’ve got great receivers, great tight ends, a great quarterback, and it’ll start with the run game.”

Not as expected were the emergence of Thornton, Porter and defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. All three are listed on the first team.

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Laulu has the burden of stepping in at the spot expected to be filled by Christian Wilkins before the Raiders released him over a dispute about his recovery plan for a broken foot. Thornton wasn’t even the first receiver Las Vegas drafted this year — Jack Bech, who is running second team, went in the second round. Porter took advantage of a cornerbacks room with more questions than answers and hasn’t let go of the spot.

“It was a bit intimidating at first,” Porter said, “but now I embrace it every single day.”

Personnel updates

Powers-Johnson returned to practice Tuesday after sitting out Sunday with a rib injury. Defensive tackle Adam Butler also was back after going home to tend to a family matter.

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Guard Alex Cappa remained out with a rib injury.

Waiting on the NFL

There hasn’t been an announcement on whether Smith and defensive end Maxx Crosby will be fined for making obscene gestures to Seahawks fans before Thursday’s game. One fan held a sign that read: “Bigger Bust — Geno Or JaMarcus Russell?”

Carroll defended his quarterback’s actions.

“Did you see what the sign said?” Carroll asked a reporter. “Next question.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Leadership Greater Rochester and its community partners introduced the Youth Connections Sports Trailer, a new mobile resource aimed at expanding access to sports equipment and play opportunities for youth across the city. The launch event took place Tuesday at Franklin Elementary School.

The trailer, filled with free sports equipment, will make recreational activities more accessible by visiting parks, neighborhoods, and schools. It aims to reduce barriers often faced by young people due to the high costs of sports equipment and limited access to recreational resources. Kayla Betzold, City of Rochester Sustainability Coordinator and project lead, emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “This trailer helps bring opportunity directly to them — in parks, neighborhoods, and schools — with no cost and no strings attached.”

Rochester Parks & Recreation will manage the trailer, allowing local organizations to reserve it for events and programming through the city’s rental system. The trailer’s development was supported by over 20 local businesses and organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, Minnwest Bank, Scheels, and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund.

Kristin Roertvet, Executive Director of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, highlighted the broader impact of the initiative. “For so many young people, they don’t have access to sports equipment. It’s expensive. It’s hard to come by,” Roertvet said. “This trailer makes that happen by making it easy for kids.”

The launch event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an equipment unboxing led by the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and Island Impact. It also offered youth engagement opportunities during the Safe City Nights event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information or to reserve the trailer for a community event, visit the website here. 

INGHAM COUNTY, Mich. — A former treasurer is now under investigation for allegedly stealing from a kids’ sports program in Webberville, while local law enforcement plans a fundraiser to help the organization recover.

• The former treasurer of the Webberville Junior Athletic Association is accused of embezzling over $20,000.
• The alleged embezzlement occurred over a six-year period, according to the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office.
• Local law enforcement is organizing a fundraiser on August 23 to help the nonprofit recover.

I spoke with local law enforcement about the investigation and their efforts to help the program.

WATCH: Former treasurer accused of embezzling from Webberville youth sports organization

Former treasurer accused of stealing over $20,000 from Webberville youth sports program

According to Captain Andrew Daenzer at the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, the former treasurer of the nonprofit, Webberville Junior Athletic Association, is accused of stealing thousands from them and using it for herself.

“The former treasurer actually came to the other members of the board and admitted to embezzling some of the funds,” Daenzer said.

This admission led to the Sheriff’s Office launching an investigation.

“Our sheriff’s office, deputy, and detective bureau are looking into exactly how much money was taken,” Daenzer said.

He tells me the woman is accused of embezzling more than $20,000 over a six-year period. He says the money was supposed to be used for concession stand items for youth sports events in the community.

“The organization is very low on funds,” Daenzer said.

With that being said, Daenzer tells me local law enforcement took it upon themselves to help raise money for the nonprofit.

“We have a deputy with a huge heart that happens to be assigned to the Webberville area,” Daenzer said.

The fundraiser is at Magic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on August 23, and he says everything that is raised will go to the association.

“He feels bad for these kids, like I think we all do,” Daenzer said.

I reached out to the Webberville Junior Athletic Association for a comment, and they said the board members don’t want to comment at this time because it’s an active investigation.

In the meantime, Daenzer tells me the detectives will soon submit the case to the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office for review, but if anyone has information, they’re asked to contact Detective Kelly Bowden at 517-676-8253.

Here is more information regarding the fundraiser:

August 23 from 1–3 p.m. at Magic BJJ, located at 2824 East Grand River Avenue, Suite E, in Lansing.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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THOUSAND OAKS, California  — Jaime Jaquez Jr., who is preparing for his third season in the NBA with the Miami Heat, and his sister Gabriela Jaquez, a standout player for the UCLA Bruins and the Mexican national basketball team, set aside their own workouts to lead others through some familiar drills.

The siblings recently hosted a summer camp for about 180 participants ages 6 to 16 at the Sports Academy facilities in Thousand Oaks. The three-hour camp aimed to promote basketball skills, discipline and a passion for the sport among children and teens. Some participants traveled from other states to attend the camp.

“It’s good to come back and give something back to the community, especially in a place where we grew up. Being able to do this is special,” said Jaime, who grew up in Camarillo, shone for four years at UCLA and has represented Mexico in international tournaments.

Gabriela Jaquez teaches camp participants how to shoot a basket.

(Nash Boorman, Courtesy of Electrolit)

During the event, Jaime recalled his childhood playing basketball “from dawn to dusk” on the local courts in his hometown.

The camp was also a source of inspiration for families.

“It’s exciting to see Latino players succeed, one in the NBA and another possibly in the WNBA,” said Armando Castillas of Oxnard, who attended the camp with his children, Logan, 6, and Emma, 10.

In addition to leading the camp, the Jaquez siblings are focused on their upcoming professional challenges.

Jaime is looking for a season of redemption after a difficult year with the Heat, having been named to the all-rookie team 2023–24.

“It has always been my goal to win championships,” said Jaime, who noted that he preferred to focus entirely on improving with the Heat before making any commitments to the Mexican national team.

For her part, Gabriela recently returned from competing in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Chile with the Mexican national team. In the tournament, Mexico faced the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Chile, and the Dominican Republic. Gabriela averaged 12 points per game, ranking as the 10th-best scorer in the tournament, and was recognized as the Rising Star of the competition. She had previously played for Mexico, which also helped her adapt to FIBA’s physical style of play and perform better with UCLA.

“It was an excellent opportunity. Playing at that level helped me a lot, especially physically,” said the 6-foot guard, who looks forward to her third season with the Bruins.

“I’m extremely proud to see her play for Mexico. I hope she can continue on that path and keep growing,” Jaime said of his sister.

Both players are now preparing for their respective seasons with clear goals: Jaime is looking to take the Heat further in the playoffs, while Gabriela has her sights set on a national championship with UCLA.

A group of children with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Gabriela Jaquez during the UCLA siblings’ camp.

(Nash Boorman, Courtesy of Electrolit)

“The goal is to win championships with UCLA,” Gabriela said. “We’ve already made it to the Final Four, and I think we have the talent to go even further.”

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

If you ask a room full of youth sport coaches why they do this work, they’ll almost always talk about the kids — their growth, their development, the lessons they learn through sport. But while these goals are widely shared, the systems we’ve built around coaches are fragmented and inadequate. We know that sport can help young people grow into capable, confident and caring adults, but we need to be much more intentional about how we support coaches in fostering athlete development.

That’s where positive youth development (PYD) comes in. PYD emphasizes creating environments that are supportive, welcoming and strengths-based, where young people can build meaningful relationships, feel a sense of belonging and develop the skills they need to thrive. As Lerner, Lerner, Bowers and Geldhof make clear in their framing piece — “Positive youth development and relational developmental systems” — the core idea is that all young people, regardless of background, have the potential to grow and succeed when they are in the right settings, surrounded by the right people.

Sport is one of those settings. At its best, sport can offer a uniquely powerful environment for young people to learn about teamwork, perseverance, leadership and goal setting. Research has shown that participation in sports can be linked to a wide range of positive outcomes, including better physical and mental health and stronger social skills. In their study “Staff practices and social skill outcomes in a sport-based youth program,” Allison Riley and colleagues found that their program led to improvements in youth self-control, for example. And Tarkington Newman, in the study, “Life skill development and transfer: They’re not just meant for playing sports,” found that youth athletes developed and transferred a variety of intra- and interpersonal life skills like effort, personal responsibility, teamwork, respect and social responsibility.

Courtesy of Jessy Newman

Jessy Newman

But these outcomes aren’t guaranteed. What matters most, according to Albert Petitpas and colleagues’ “Framework for planning youth sport programs that foster psychosocial development,” is how sport is coached and experienced. With the right approach, any sport can help young people build skills and character. Without thoughtful planning and intentional practices, however, sport can just as easily reinforce harmful behaviors like hyper-competitiveness, exclusion and the win-at-all-costs mindset that many families, coaches and even young athletes themselves have come to expect.

Too often, sport falls short of its potential not because coaches don’t care, but because they don’t have the tools, support or guidance to do things differently. In their study, “Volunteer youth sport coaches’ perspectives of coaching education/certification and parental codes of conduct,” Lenny Wiersma and Clay Sherman found that many youth sport coaches are volunteers, often parents, who may not have formal training in youth development or even in coaching. Findings from the first-ever National Coach Survey led by Dawn Anderson-Butcher and Samantha Bates reveal that coaches may lack the confidence and support needed to move beyond the X’s and O’s of sport. Coaches may bring heart and commitment, but they often operate within a system that doesn’t always prioritize developmental outcomes much less provide the training and education that supports PYD practice.

Changing that mindset means focusing on what high-quality, developmentally enriching sport actually looks like. It means ensuring that young people feel seen and heard. That their coaches know how to build trusting relationships. That practice is a space for dialogue, reflection and growth, as much as it is for drills and competition.

Importantly, PYD in sport also emphasizes access and inclusion. Critical scholars like Jill Kochanek and Karl Erickson, for example, have called for youth sport to be more welcoming and responsive, especially for young people who have historically been left out or faced barriers to participation. Taking an approach that is mindful of these barriers isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s essential for making sport truly developmental for all youth, not just some.

[Related: In learning ECOsystems OST must be a champion of positive youth development]

This work isn’t easy. It requires investment in systems-level alignment across the sport ecosystem, program design and coach training. It means shifting mindsets from a narrow focus on performance to a broader view of what success looks like. And it means building organizational and community capacity to support this shift — because coaches alone can’t carry the weight of system change. These ideas have been the driving force behind the work of the Million Coaches Challenge, a coalition of 18 organizations committed to training one million coaches in PYD and related areas by the end of 2025. The partner organizations of the MCC offer coach education and training in these areas for coaches who want to engage in or deepen their PYD practice, and a practice guide synthesizing lessons learned from the MCC is forthcoming later this year (stay connected to receive updates).

Youth sport holds enormous promise — but only if we’re willing to do the work to realize it. When sport is grounded in the principles of PYD, it becomes more than just a game. It becomes a space where young people feel safe, supported and challenged to grow. A place where they can take risks, bounce back from failure and discover who they are. And that’s something every child deserves. By centering youth development, investing in people and building systems that support youth athletes and their coaches, we can ensure that sport lives up to its potential as a powerful force for good in young people’s lives.

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Jessy Newman is a senior researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she leads applied studies focused on youth development in out-of-school time settings, including afterschool, summer, and youth sport. Her work bridges research and practice to help programs create the conditions where young people can develop the skills, relationships and opportunities they need to succeed.

[Related Grant Opportunity: Grants to create/renovate youth sports spaces in underserved communities]