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LakePoint Sports Takes Bold, Inspired Approach to NIL With Launch of LakePoint Athlete Program

Groundbreaking Initiative Pairs Top-Ranked Athletes with National Brands in Media-Driven Content Platform ATLANTA, June 25, 2025 (Newswire.com) – LakePoint Sports, the premier travel and youth sports destination in the country, is once again setting the standard for innovation in the industry with the launch of its LakePoint Athlete Program – a first-of-its-kind name, image, and […]

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Groundbreaking Initiative Pairs Top-Ranked Athletes with National Brands in Media-Driven Content Platform


ATLANTA, June 25, 2025 (Newswire.com)
–
LakePoint Sports, the premier travel and youth sports destination in the country, is once again setting the standard for innovation in the industry with the launch of its LakePoint Athlete Program – a first-of-its-kind name, image, and likeness (NIL) inspired content-centric initiative that pairs elite youth athletes at the center of branded storytelling and media partnerships.

Through this creative approach, the LakePoint Athlete Program provides access to national brands through curated partnerships within LakePoint’s robust portfolio of over 60 brand partners. When paired with LakePoint’s expansive multi-media offerings, athletes gain unprecedented exposure across the country. LakePoint’s ecosystem creates a unique opportunity for young athletes to elevate their personal brands, build connections with national industry-leading brands, and share their stories through LakePoint’s professionally produced network designed to spotlight their talent at every turn.

At the heart of the LakePoint Athlete Program is a deep commitment to protecting the interests of each athlete involved. As the youth sports landscape continues to evolve with greater access to exposure and brand collaboration, LakePoint is focused on ensuring that these opportunities are delivered responsibly. From clear communication and consent around content usage to aligning athletes with brands that reflect their values, LakePoint is taking a thoughtful, athlete-first approach. The program is designed not only to elevate talent but also to educate and empower these young players and their families-ensuring that every step forward in the spotlight comes with a strong foundation of trust, integrity, and support.

In a bold move that further cements LakePoint’s reputation as the country’s leading platform for travel and youth sports innovation, LakePoint is proud to announce the first class of LakePoint Athletes:

● Geno Goralski (2026, OF)
● Austin Tamborra (2027, OF)
● Dominic Rossy (2028, C/RHP)

Each athlete is nationally ranked by Prep Baseball and recognized as a standout both on and off the field, excelling in athletic performance, academic achievement, and community impact.

“This initiative represents the next evolution of our media strategy – where athletes, brands, and content come together to create a win for everyone involved,” said Cory McCartney, LakePoint Sports Vice President of Media. “We couldn’t be more excited about the caliber of athletes we’re working with and the partnerships already in place.”

By pairing athletes with iconic baseball brands like Rawlings Sporting Goods and cutting-edge innovators like Curve Test Center, the LakePoint Athlete Program offers a unique opportunity for these partners to authentically connect with the next generation of elite players. The content created through this program puts brand stories directly into the hands – and feeds – of highly engaged sports audiences, parents, coaches, and scouts.

LakePoint’s platform acts as the bridge between athlete and brand, enabling meaningful engagement and maximum exposure. With high-quality content and a built-in distribution strategy that spans digital, social, and on-site activations, partners can leverage the credibility and visibility that comes with being associated with LakePoint and its top-tier athletes. It’s not just about product placement-it’s about building brand loyalty at the grassroots level of the sport.

The LakePoint Athlete Program kicks off with collaborations between these standout players and Rawlings Sporting Goods and Curve Test Center, two industry leaders in sports equipment and performance testing. Content will be crafted by the LakePoint media team, showcasing the athletes through compelling social and digital storytelling – elevating not only the brands but also the personal platforms of each athlete.

With an unmatched digital footprint and media production infrastructure, LakePoint Sports continues to drive the future of content and brand partnerships in youth sports. The Athlete Program is just the latest in a string of industry-leading innovations that positions LakePoint as the definitive home for high-level athletes and forward-thinking partners.

“This is bigger than just baseball,” said Greg Barckhoff, EVP, Partnerships & Marketing. “We’re building a platform that can scale across sports, creating authentic engagement between athletes, brands, and fans in a way that’s never been done at this level in the travel and youth sports space.”

Athlete Highlights

● Geno Goralski (Georgia Jackets): No. 8 ranked 2026 OF in Georgia. 6.88 60-yard dash, 98.9 mph exit velocity, 2024 Future Games selection.
“It’s really exciting to be part of something this big. I’m pumped to represent the program and make the most of it,” said Goralski.

● Austin Tamborra (6-4-3 DP Baseball): No. 3 ranked 2027 OF in Georgia, No. 44 nationally at position. 6.77 60-yard dash, 99.2 mph exit velocity, 92 mph from OF.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the first class of LakePoint Athletes,” Tamborra said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to represent a brand that supports athletes like me both on and off the field. I’m excited to grow and learn through this opportunity.”

● Dominic Rossy (Aviators): No. 4 ranked 2028 catcher in Georgia, No. 15 nationally at position. 2.00 pop time, 98.9 mph bat speed, 86 mph fastball.
“I will do the best I can to represent the LakePoint Athletes Program with the utmost respect,” said Rossy.

All content will be generated by LakePoint’s media team and shared across its powerful distribution channels, as well as by the athletes and partners themselves. This integrated approach ensures each piece of content drives brand visibility, enhances athlete profiles, and contributes to the continued growth of LakePoint’s national platform.

With plans to expand into additional sports, the LakePoint Athlete Program marks a new era for how youth athletes are positioned, supported, and celebrated in a digital-first world.

Source: LakePoint Sports



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NBA star Derrick White, Hillside Connection partner for camp | Sports

Campers at Sierra High School locked in on Derrick White as he explained his method for playing defense in the NBA. Nearly 100 kids focused as White held a microphone in his left hand while demonstrating with his right how to disrupt an opposing player from making a basket. It’s one of many lessons White […]

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Campers at Sierra High School locked in on Derrick White as he explained his method for playing defense in the NBA.

Nearly 100 kids focused as White held a microphone in his left hand while demonstrating with his right how to disrupt an opposing player from making a basket.

It’s one of many lessons White hoped to infuse in the first through eighth graders who attended the Derrick White Basketball Academy camp Saturday in conjunction with Hillside Connection.

As kids ventured from various drills that included defense, foot work, dribbling, shooting and passing, each had the chance to interact with the Boston Celtics star. The camp is vital for improving kids in the Southeast, but White said he enjoys moments like Saturday more than the children in attendance.

“Coming back to the Springs where it all started for me is special,” White said. “… Camps like this are a great way to play basketball and have fun or meet a new friend. You might learn a new technique you can take home and show your friends. It’s a great way to get out here and meet new people and have fun while doing it.”

White attended Legend High School in Parker before heading to the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs from 2012-15. He then transferred to the University of Colorado Boulder where he averaged 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a senior.

Now, the eight-year NBA veteran boasts an Olympic gold medal and an NBA championship. That’s not just a résumé White is proud to have, he believes his success allows others to recognize their capabilities.

“I’m from Colorado and they can see a kid from Colorado made it and say, ‘Why not me?’” White said. “I saw Chauncey (Billups) do it and I know it’s possible. Hopefully one of these kids sees me and what I’ve managed to accomplish and they’ll think it’s possible to reach their dreams, whatever that might be.”

Terrell Brown, Hillside Connection founder and president, said he’s grateful White offered time from his schedule to assist with the endeavor.







080325-s-white 3.jpg

Terrell Brown, founder and president of Hillside Connection, speaks to the young basketball players during the Derrick White Youth Basketball Camp with the local nonprofit Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, at Sierra High School in Colorado Springs. About 100 kids attended the camp. Hillside Connection is a nonprofit founded by Terrell Brown that serves more than 1,000 kids every year teaching them basketball and life skills. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)




Throughout the years, Brown and Hillside Connection have hosted various camps for Southeast Colorado Springs kids and, in 2024, saw the culmination of the repaving of courts at Memorial Park. Brown said this camp, featuring White, is more than just basketball.

“It’s about instilling hope in the youth, families and the community we serve,” Brown said. “I have the utmost respect for Derrick White and Marcus Mason for following through with their word. The NBA accolades are impressive, but it’s Derrick’s character, humility and resilience that make him a true icon for future generations to look up to.”



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Former Norwin standouts Gianni Rizzo, Luke Levendosky bring youth, energy to Knights coaching staff

By: Bill Beckner Jr. Saturday, August 2, 2025 | 11:06 AM Brandon Reed | Duquesne Athletics Gianni Rizzo is a former linebacker at Duquesne. Luke Levendosky is a former Norwin quarterback. Previous Next As players, Gianni Rizzo and Luke Levendosky left different marks on the Norwin football program. Rizzo was a run-smothering linebacker and fleet-footed […]

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By: Bill Beckner Jr.


Saturday, August 2, 2025 | 11:06 AM

As players, Gianni Rizzo and Luke Levendosky left different marks on the Norwin football program.

Rizzo was a run-smothering linebacker and fleet-footed wide receiver, while Levendosky powered the offense as a pinpoint quarterback.

As coaches, they could have a lot to offer their alma mater.

Both were added to Mike Brown’s staff this season as offensive assistants.

Rizzo, who has been spotted at junior varsity basketball games around the WPIAL as a PIAA-certified referee, played college football at Duquesne and is about to embark on a pro career in Italy.

Levendosky played three years at Saint Vincent College but will not be on the Bearcats’ roster in 2025.

A speedster, Rizzo ran a leg of the Knights’ PIAA Class AAA winning 1,600-meter relay team in 2017. He went on to be a disruptive Division I linebacker after beginning his college career at Youngstown State.

In 34 career games at Duquesne, he made 141 tackles, 21.5 for loss. He was an All-Northeast Conference second team selection last season.

“I’m looking to bring fresh college experience to the team,” Rizzo said. “A young guy they can look up to and relate to. It’s good to have coaches like that. I’ll bring the kids to the field Saturdays and run 1-on-1s against them and stuff like that so they get good extra work, too.”

Rizzo, a production manager at JP Roofing, pursued professional playing opportunities and signed with the Lazio Marines of the Italian Football League and will head to training camp in January.

“What excites me most about coaching is being able to give back to the kids in Norwin,” Rizzo said. “It’s something I have always wanted to do and something that I had in high school when Alex Dennison came and coached us.

“At the time it was a youthful coach that I was able to look up to. Especially for the potential we have this year returning so many starters, getting the kids the best coaching is our main focus.”

Levendosky, a PAC Sportsmanship Team selection last year, played in 18 career games at the Division III level. He returned kicks and punts before seeing limited time at quarterback in 2024.

“I’m looking forward to bringing energy and helping to create a competitive atmosphere for our players,” he said. “It was evident in my first day that coach Mike (Broan) and our staff have a strong foundation already built into the program, and I’m really excited to help contribute to that environment in any way I can.”

Levendosky will graduate from Saint Vincent in December. He is a student teacher at Hempfield’s Wendover Middle School.

“I try to emphasize process and all the small things that result in bigger events, goals (etc.),” Levendosky said. “That is a big reason why I found a passion in education. In general, though, it is just cool to coach where I once played.”

Levendosky has two years of eligibility remaining but is not sure if he will use at least one. He endured a concussion last season, which played a part in his decision not to play this year.

“I am also interested in playing overseas because an old teammate of mine is playing in Poland and he loves it there so maybe down the line I’d look into it,” he said.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin





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Kelly Pierce left behind a legacy of championships but friendships and memories stay with her

Share Tweet Share Share Email (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson) (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson) Kelly Pierce passed away on the night of August 1. No services have been mentioned yet. I met Kelly Pierce sometime in the summer of 2013. I knew she had won two state championships playing soccer […]

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(Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)
(Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)

Kelly Pierce passed away on the night of August 1. No services have been mentioned yet.

I met Kelly Pierce sometime in the summer of 2013. I knew she had won two state championships playing soccer for Salpointe before playing for Pima and then the Sonoran Thunder of the WPSL. She stepped away from the game to raise her children but she kept in shape by playing indoor soccer.

At 32, Kelly was the best player on what was the inaugural Tucson Soccer Academy FC WPSL team in 2013. A few of the younger players, just beginning adulthood with all the physical abilities that go with that, were overtly jealous of Kelly. Had Kelly played now, she would have went to a Division I program for sure.

The All-Southern Arizona selection as a defender for the Lancers, Kelly was also an All-ACCAC selection for the Aztecs. Tyler, Brady and Camden came along and she earned All-American honors as a mother, what she would tell me was her most important “defensive role of her career.”

Kelly as a player. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)

Kelly was named to the All-WPSL team as a defender at the age of 32. That summer, I convinced her to go into high school coaching because her position as a player-coach with head coach Amy Garelick Speder was evident.

“Kelly was the heart and soul of our Tucson youth soccer scene,” Speder told me. “She was a huge player and coach who carried on the Salpointe legacy. She left her mark on so many players and families. It’s a huge loss for our youth soccer community.”

Amy began our phone conversation this morning telling me she was hoping it was somehow untrue but the greatness we all witnessed on the pitch, and later, from the bench, was almost equally unbelievable. Kelly’s life and passing have meaning and the tears tell us it’s true. Oh, how I wish to be not true,

Kelly led Mountain View from 2013 to 2017 when she left to take over the Salpointe program after Becky Freeman brought stability and a championship to the program before retiring. Kelly went on to lead the program to six state championships as a coach including this past season.

KELLY PIERCE FILE
1998: State Champion (Salpointe)
1999: State Champion (Salpointe)
2000: All-ACCAC (Pima)
2002: Sonoran Thunder (WPSL)
2014: All-WPSL (TSA-FC Tucson)
2014: All-West Team (TSA-FC Tucson)
2014: Pacific South All-Star (TSA-FC Tucson)
2018: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)
2019: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)
2019: Desert Division Coach of the Year (FC Tucson)
2021: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)
2021: Desert Conference Championship (FC Tucson)
2021: Desert Conference Coach of the Year (FC Tucson)
2022: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)
2023: Director of Coaching of BVB International Academy
2023: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)
2024: CDO Soccer Club Director of Coaching
2025: Salpointe State Championship (Coach)

“She was a great competitor,” Salpointe athletic director Phil Gruensfelder told me. “She wanted the best for her athletes and she will be greatly missed. I was amazed at how much of a student of the game she was as a coach. I remember her playing for every ball and competing as a player and she brought that with her as a coach. She watched endless game film and was always looking for that edge, that advantage.”

Kelly would often text me before a match and after to see how I felt about her team. My response to her was always the same, she knew a million times more than me about soccer and I trusted her to always pull through because I’ve seen her coach and I knew her as a person. I knew she would win. I often told her to stop worrying. Rest.

Kelly didn’t like being filmed or interviewed and I mostly went with her wish but she offered this gem when she coached her 100th high school victory in 2022”

“It’s humbling. It’s exciting, but it’s a good start to the season, obviously. I don’t want to get emotional but it’s been a long journey. I’m happy to still be here and still be a part of it and to be successful. If it wasn’t for obviously the support of my family and always having great coaches from my Mountain View days to the beginning here and all the way through, and players that believed in what I was selling and families gave me just a ton of support. It’s a process and I’m really happy.”

(Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)

Her family, led by her grandmother Lucy and mother Donna, came to every match. They took up a great portion of the stands. Her father, Keith, passed away at the young age of 58 in 2016 and I could see a change in Kelly. We became closer as if she was searching for something and I gladly answered every text and every phone call because I am still in that state since the loss of my own father.

Not only would she text me about strategy or how well she was doing on the pitch, she asked me to tell the other media members that her last name was “Pierce,” not “Kearns.” I think they slowly caught on. She asked me to help her in her role with FC Tucson Women and I gladly sponsored her players for a few years. She asked me a lot of private things that will forever remain private.

As much as I already miss Kelly, I know there are others much closer to her that will be reminded daily, if not hourly, of the pain of her loss. The weakness of our humanity makes it impossible for me to relieve that pain. The strength of our humanity gives me the ability to try.

Kelly Pierce coaching FC Tucson Women. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)
Kelly at Mountain View. (Andy Morales/AllSportsTucson)










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Red flags in youth sports programs, how to spot and respond to them

Texas parents speak out on Dallas Stars’ control over youth ice hockey Youth hockey parents in Texas say the Dallas Stars threatened and retaliated against them and their kids. Now they’re speaking out. USA Hockey didn’t invent the line, but Ken Martel has used it when he talks about succeeding in sports. “As many as […]

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USA Hockey didn’t invent the line, but Ken Martel has used it when he talks about succeeding in sports.

“As many as possible for as long as possible with the best environment possible,” the organization’s senior director of player and coach development told USA TODAY Sports in an interview last year.

He was referring to the American Development Model program he helped install more than a decade and a half ago, when the sport was losing young players in our country.

The ADM, which has become the cornerstone of USA Hockey’s message, has helped bring them back to the ice in droves and, in Martel’s thinking, continues to help generate world junior championship titles.

 “When you have more kids playing, certainly a few more of them will turn out to be good and you’ll see ’em on TV, right?” he says.

USA Hockey created the ADM to help keep kids, parents and coaches engaged while, at least in theory, giving everyone a chance to organically develop to his or her full athletic potential.

It starts with getting boys and girls enthused from an early age, infusing a love of competition (without a laser focus on winning) and engaging them into adulthood.

USA Hockey reports 577,864 registered players (kids and adults) for 2024-25, up from 465,975 in 2008-09.

“Geography is no longer a predetermining factor in who can be good in our sport,” Martel says.

USA TODAY reported Aug. 1, however, about how one NHL club has a monopoly over North Texas ice. It effectively controls the pathways by which the region’s young players advance, Kenny Jacoby writes, and has reminded (and even threatened) parents they can block it at any time.

“You get so beaten down, and you see your kid get screwed over for opportunities, and you decide, ‘You know what? Maybe I do have to play by their rules to get where I want to be,’ ” says Kat Pierce, a hockey mom whom a Dallas Stars employee attempted to reprimand when she criticized them in a social media post.

The power to decide to play a sport, and to stick with it, is ultimately the choice of our kids. As parents we have a right to speak up to a coach or organization without fear of them being penalized.

We know from this story and others about the so-called “professionalism of youth sports” that the system isn’t always that simple. Here are eight red flags to watch with youth sports programs:

You don’t feel like you have a say with anything

USA Hockey delegates much of its authority to regional affiliates. The Texas Amateur Hockey Association oversees Texas and Oklahoma.

Member associations’ votes are weighted by the number of players they register and, as USA TODAY reports, tilt heavily in the interests of those in Stars leagues or with teams that rent Stars ice.

It’s an issue with which many of us can relate, at least to some degree. Running a youth team or league is entrusted in the hands of a few – club owners or the board. All too often, it seems, they prioritize their own interests: Making a steep profit or giving their own kids All-Star slots.

You should never feel you don’t have power, though. Volunteer for the board, file a complaint with the league about a nepotistic coach or speak to other parents if something doesn’t feel right. It probably isn’t.

Band together in your opposition. A board or coach can brush aside one complaint but collective one isn’t as easily ignored, and it isn’t good for business.

Coach Steve: How do I deal with a bad coach? Here are three steps

You fear if you speak up, your kid will be penalized

OK, maybe it’s not that simple. When Jacoby, my USA TODAY colleague, reported about the Stars’ heavy influence in North Texas, he came across a number of parents hesitant to raise concerns out of fear of retaliation against their kids.

One dad who coached at a Stars complex inquired about coaching at a competing rink after he felt the Stars had failed to address a safety concern. The Stars fired him when he did so, according to emails he provided, and allegedly banned his 5- and 7-year-old daughters. (A Stars employee denied banning his daughters.)

No one wants to risk putting their kids’ dreams, or even their playing time, in jeopardy. But think about the concern for a moment. Is being on a team where you’re afraid to rock the boat really a situation you want your child to have to endure?

Before you do anything, talk to your son or daughter about their experience. They might not want to be there anyway. You always have a voice in their sports journey.

You fear if you leave, there will be no ‘better’ options

Think of yourself as an investor in your team or league. Its leaders should be open to your constructive criticism on how to make it better.

Don’t take to social media to complain, where you risk making someone feel public embarrassment. Instead, schedule a private meeting where you can mention your concerns diplomatically. The reaction you get will give you a good indication of where you stand.

If they aren’t willing to consider spreading out rink fees over a larger group of teams, or giving every kid equal playing time when you’re paying for a college showcase experience, for example, this might not be worth your time.

No single team will make or break whether your child reaches an elite level of a sport, but a single experience might determine whether they keep playing at all.

We can help. Submit your feedback here about how the corporatization of youth sports has affected you and your kids. We wrote in a line specifically for those of you who’ve faced retaliation or threats.

You feel pressured (or are outright told) not to play other sports

An internal study the NHL and NHL Players’ Association conducted in 2018 found that out of the 700-plus players on rosters, 98% of them were multisport athletes as kids.

“Get out, play multiple sports,” says USA Hockey’s Martel. “Look, if your passion’s not ice hockey, you’re never gonna really turn out to be a great player if you don’t truly love it. And if you find a passion that happens to be another sport, wonderful.”

The American Development Model recommends multisport play until at least age 12. Arguments can be made to take it longer.

“I am dead set against single-sport athletes (while kids are growing up),” former football coach Urban Meyer has said. “When my son was playing baseball I had many people tell me that he should just stop playing other sports and focus on baseball. I got in big arguments with people, and a lot of those kids that (at) nine, 10 years old were great – they blew out. They burned out, and they’re not playing anymore.”

Meyer said he looked at kids who played football and another sport at a high level. Brenda Frese, another national championship-winning coach, also loves recruiting basketball players who play multiple sports.

“We just see the benefits of it – you know, mentally, physical, socially, you name it,” Frese’s husband, Mark Thomas, told me in an interview for a 2023 profile of the Maryland women’s coach and her family.

“At an early age, teams try to take over your calendar. A key little tool I learned is that as long as you’re playing multiple sports, you give yourself some leverage that they can’t take over your schedule completely because you have commitments to multiple teams. Eventually, you may have some hard-line coaches.”

When one of the couple’s twin sons played club soccer in seventh grade, Thomas recalled the coach telling parents and players: We expect you to only play soccer now and if you’re not just playing soccer, then we don’t want you.

“From the soccer club’s end, why wouldn’t you keep more kids involved?” Thomas said. “I mean, he was never a kid who was gonna be a professional or anything like that. I didn’t understand the point.”

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommends playing for one team at a time, playing a sport for less than eight months per year and at no more hours per week than your age.

You can always specialize the year before high school if you are concerned about making a specific team, but playing other sports recreationally on the side will make you a better athlete.

You’re on a team with a primary focus of winning titles

As Martel looked to reinvent American hockey, he discontinued a 12-and-under national championship.

“The only pushback we got was from a few adults that run programs; it was more about them than it was about the kids,” he says. “Why do we need to run across the country at 12 for a championship? If you’re gonna run a 12U national championship, the 10U coach starts aggregating players because we need to get them all together so that they’re ready by the time they’re 12. And it just starts the race to the bottom sooner.”

Project Play, a national initiative of the Aspen Institute to build healthy communities through sports, surveys children. When it asks them what they like most about playing sports, having fun and playing with friends always ranks at the top and by a lot, according to Aspen Sports & Society community impact director Jon Solomon.

Solomon says winning games and chasing scholarships rank lower, such as in the Washington, D.C. State of Play report.

Yes, kids thrive off game situations. But instead of loading up on age-specific travel tournaments, play the 8- through 12-year-olds together, as USA Hockey suggests. Prioritize small-sided games in practice over “boring” drills, as Martel calls them.

“We do different things in that to get them to work on different technical abilities and different tactical situations,” Martel says. “But kids have fun. They get to problem solve. There’s autonomy to that. And you see that in our play.”

It costs a lot less, too.

A team – or a tournament – requires you to stay at specific hotels with no flexibility

We love the adventure of traveling with our kids through their sports. Hitting the road can give them exposure to top competition. It’s also a prime intersection for collusion.

For years, according to USA TODAY reporting, three Stars executives organized tournaments that required out-of-town participants to book minimum three-night stays at select hotels. At the same time, they ran their own for-profit company that took a cut of the revenue.

After our investigation, the Stars say they will be “loosening” the policies.

Although stay-to-play arrangements remain common across youth sports, I have never encountered one over about eight years of traveling with my sons for their baseball teams.

The hotels our team or a tournament recommends are always suggestions. I book at a better rate through my rewards program if I find one.

We sometimes run into tournaments that are a couple of hours from home. Once the game times are announced, we might choose to return for one of the nights.

Having that choice improves our quality of life, and our satisfaction with the team.

The coach has a chummy relationship with a few of the other players’ parents

The most effective coaches maintain a cordial yet arm’s length rapport with parents.

They lay out the ground rules in a meeting before the season – no parent coaching from the bleachers, perhaps? – and say something to parents who violate them.

Playing for close friends is inevitable when kids are younger. When they are preparing to play high school ball or competing in front of college coaches, though, there are enough distractions without having to worry about your coach favoring someone over you.

You can’t answer affirmatively: ‘Is it worth it?’

Brent Tully was a former defenseman who helped Team Canada win two world junior championships in the 1990s. He later became general manager for an elite junior hockey team in Ontario and has coached younger players. He’s also a father of two athletes.

He has seen first hand the long hours and travel, the tens of thousands of dollars spent, the living “hand-to-mouth,” as Pierce, the Texas hockey mom, described in my colleague’s story.

All for what?

“I can’t imagine parents at the end of that last year (when) their child isn’t drafted,” Tully said in 2024. “And that’s the end. The disappointment of the ending, it’s all too frequent.

“My oldest son, back when he was playing, they were an average to below average team. And they stayed that way, even beyond the years he had stopped playing. I knew some of the fathers pretty well. And one father, at the end of nine years of minor hockey – and he complained all the time, complained about his son’s ice time, about the coaching –  I remember saying to him, ‘So was that all worth it?’ Was that fun? All the money you spent. Your son’s now gone to college, and he’s working a job and you could have had him play house league, probably left with a lot less frustration. And he can still play the game his whole life at the level he’s playing. …

“Regardless of where a boy or girl plays, that should be a great experience.”

Coach Steve: 10 questions athletes should consider if they play on a travel team

With the right experience, his sport can be ingrained in someone from “cradle to grave,” as USA Hockey’s Martel describes.

“Hockey is played with no contact in a lot of places,” he says. “We have 70-and-over national championships. It’s really low impact and it’s a lot of fun. There’s people that play when they’re 100. So hopefully you come back to the sport and you’re involved over a life.

“You don’t see that in American football. No one wants to go out and get tackled and have to go to work the next day.”

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



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Hughes takes 604 Late Model Title last Saturday at FPMS | Sports

This past Saturday at Fort Payne Motor Speedway in Fyffe was an action-packed night of racing with a full racing schedule that included the 604 Crate Late Model Championship. Local fans packed the grandstands at the track to see their favorite drivers compete last Saturday night.  Results from Saturday night’s races are as follows: Pony […]

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August 3, 2025

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This past Saturday at Fort Payne Motor Speedway in Fyffe was an action-packed night of racing with a full racing schedule that included the 604 Crate Late Model Championship. Local fans packed the grandstands at the track to see their favorite drivers compete last Saturday night. 

Results from Saturday night’s races are as follows:

Pony Stock: 1. Brannon Knight 2. Drew Phillips 3. Chris Hipp 4. Brenna Knight 5. Robert Knight 6. Ciera Lewis 7. Calvin Rousseau. 

Bomber Street Stock: 1. Sam Jones 2. Johnny Ball 3. Morgan Laney 4. Gerald Wally 5. Gilbert Laney. 

Limited Late Model: 1. Ray Walker 2. Casey Turman 3. Cole Jones 4. Jacey Jones 5. Blake Benefield. 

B-Hobby Stock: 1. Jeff Crane 2. Brandon Whitmore 3. Chris East 4. Eric Browne 5. Cord Miller 6. Levi Smith. 

602 Sportsman Late Model: 1. Ryan Bozarth 2. Blake Benefield 3. Joseph Conner 4. Justin Owens 5. Stanley Horton 6. Gambriel Carden 7. Roger Morgan 8. Chris Brooks. 

Open Wheel Late Model: 1. Ray Clemons 2. Sonia Newton 3. David Newton 4. Chris Hipp. 

604 Crate Late Model: 1. Tyler Hughes 2. Kenny Hall 3. Jessie Hughes 4. Kasey Hall 5. Robert Mitcham. 

ECONO: 1. Jamey Landers 2. Don Templeton 3. Dylan Templeton 4. Derek Young 5. Cornbread 6. Bubba Jones 7. T.J. House. 

Front Wheel Drive: 1. Tanner Jones 2. Tommy Darwin 3. Shane Cash 4. Shannon Segler. 

Tonight, racing returns to Fort Payne Motor Speedway with another action-packed night of racing. Also, tonight there will be a bicycle race for the kids. Gates open at 4 p.m., with access to the pits is $30, and the grandstand is $15. Kids 10 and under get in FREE. Come out and support your local short track and see the excitement. 

 



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Team Genesis, a local girls basketball club, wins East Coast National Championship

Team Genesis, a girls travel basketball club that’s based in the area and was founded by The First Academy girls hoops coach Kevin Hall, claimed the 16U East Coast National Championship of Motion 32, a national youth basketball circuit powered by basketball lifestyle brand Hoop Culture. “It was a great opportunity for our young girls […]

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7 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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Team Genesis, a girls travel basketball club that’s based in the area and was founded by The First Academy girls hoops coach Kevin Hall, claimed the 16U East Coast National Championship of Motion 32, a national youth basketball circuit powered by basketball lifestyle brand Hoop Culture.

“It was a great opportunity for our young girls to represent at the high school level and win the Motion 32 tournament without our best players involved,” Hall said. “Our performance had some peaks and valleys, with the young girls forced to take on more responsibilities in ball-handling and scoring. We feel like it’s vital for the growth.”

A pair of underclassmen were the stars for Team Genesis during this tournament win.

“Sophia Silva, a rising ninth grader from TFA and Jaslyn Easley a rising sophomore from Bell Creek in Tampa were instrumental in leading the team both offensively and defensively,” Hall said. 

For more information about the club, which has two 16U girls teams — a regional competition squad and a highly-competitive Puma NXTPRO circuit team — a 10U girls team and a 12U boys team, visit teamgenesis.org or reach out via email at [email protected]. 

 



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