Rec Sports
University of Tennessee at Martin Athletics
“We are thrilled to welcome Matas to the Skyhawk family,” Shulman said. “Matas is a tall, long, skilled, versatile forward who follows in a long line of productive forwards I’ve coached over the last few years. His skill and versatility make him a perfect fit in our system.”
Deniusas competed in the 2024 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup event held in Turkey, averaging 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds over the course of the seven-game tournament. He saved his best performance for last with 16 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting in the fifth-place game against Puerto Rico, helping Lithuania to victory. He previously added nine points and a tournament-best seven rebounds in the group phase against the same Puerto Rico squad while swatting away a pair of blocks to go with seven points and five rebounds in the tournament opener against the Philippines.
During the 2024-25 season, Deniusas suited up for the BC Rytas Vilnius II organization in the NKL National Basketball League and the Youth Basketball Champions League. Overall, he saw playing time in 41 contests, helping the team to a postseason berth after averaging 7.0 points per game. He scored in double figures eight times, tossing in a season-best 21 points against Alytaus Alytus on March 1. He also had 19 points and a season-high nine rebounds on Jan. 4 against Delikatesas while producing 17 points in his playoff finale at Suduva on March 10. For the season, he shot 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from three-point land and swished 84.6 percent (44-for-52) of his free throw tries.
Deniusas especially thrived in the Youth Basketball Champions play, averaging 19.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.2 blocks per game in the U18 league.
A 6-8, 220-pound forward, Deniusas spent the 2023-24 season with the same BC Rytas Vilnius II squad, averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor over five games at the age of 16.
Deniusas also boasts extensive experience at the club level, averaging 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in a pair of outings in the inaugural FIBA Next Gen Hoops Invitational earlier this month. He helped his team to a first-place finish, defeating The Grind Session program out of the United States over the two-day tournament held in Lithuania. He also played in the Youth Basketball Champions League event in each of the past two seasons, posting 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over four games in the 2025 event. He helped his squad to a first-place finish in April after securing a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the finals against BC Telenet Oostende. He tallied 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in five games at the 2024 tournament.
Deniusas is the eighth newcomer to the 2025-26 UT Martin roster, joining a class that includes freshman Ama Sow (Dakar, Senegal), freshman James Bass (Banjul, Gambia), freshman Ty Price (Morgantown, Ky.), freshman Damien King (Anderson, Ind.), redshirt sophomore Dragos Lungu (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), senior Luca Colceag (Bucharest, Romania) and freshman Filip Petkovski (Kranj, Slovenia).
Winter Season Starts January 17th!
Every kid deserves a league that believes in them.
At i9 Sports in The Woodlands, we build athletes for life through confidence, teamwork, and skills that last. Fun comes first and fundamentals always—because every kid plays, and every kid grows.
Serving families across The Woodlands, Spring, and Klein, our programs in soccer, basketball, flag football, volleyball, and baseball create a positive, safe, and fun environment for every child to thrive. With games and practices at top local venues like Bear Branch Sports Fields, Rob Fleming Park, and Church at Woodforest, we bring the best of youth sports right to your community.
Our coaches focus on sportsmanship, personal growth, and a lifelong love for the game. More than just a league, i9 Sports is a community where kids learn, grow, and build confidence both on and off the field.
Join us this Winter Season and experience why local families trust i9 Sports to deliver fun, family-friendly youth leagues that make a difference!
Learn more and register today at https://www.i9sports.com/Franchises/182?season=20261
Date: Winter Season Starts January 17th
Time: Start times vary by program. Saturday-Sunday leagues with weekday Clinics & Training Sessions.
Locations: Multiple locations, including Church at Woodforest, Falconwing Park, Alden Bridge Sports Park, Providence Classical School and more.
Advertisement
Chris Mazdzer is no stranger to goal setting. The now-retired luge athlete competed in four winter Olympic Games, winning the silver medal in 2018 and becoming the first non-European racer to ever medal in the men’s single luge. Since he retired from the sport two years ago, he’s only become clearer on the best ways to set goals that are actually achievable at any level of sport.
Growing up near Lake Placid in upstate New York gave Mazdzer a firsthand view of the work that went into actually achieving an athletic goal. Home to many Olympians, Lake Placid is a primary training ground for elite winter sports because an Olympic Training Center is located there. “If you walk down Main Street in Lake Placid, you’re probably going to run into an Olympian, and I was very fortunate that I learned at a young age that Olympians aren’t superheroes. There’s nothing super about us: We’re ordinary people, just living and training. What I learned was that Olympians set themselves apart because they set goals, and more importantly, they do the little things every single day in order to bring those goals closer. They just work relentlessly to achieve them.”
He often speaks to young athletes about the example of the Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole in 1911. There were two teams of explorers, led by Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen’s team took the approach of hiking 20 miles every day, regardless of weather. Scott’s team based their mileage on the weather conditions, with some days spent hiking much further than 20 miles, some days spent resting. Amundsen’s team won the race by five weeks. Scott’s team made it to the South Pole, but none survived the journey back.
To Mazdzer, this piece of expedition history perfectly encapsulates the idea of doing a little bit, a lot of the time. “Doing something every day is more important than doing a lot, some of the time,” he says. “For example, if you want to get strong, you’re not going to go to the gym for five hours one day a week. It’s obviously better to work out one hour five times a week. And that’s the part of goal setting that is often missed…the commitment to consistency.”
“Anyone can set goals, anyone can write things down, but once you’ve set the goal, what are the ongoing things you need to do to accomplish the big goal?” he adds. “Being able to break a goal down to the daily actions is the key.”
Consistency with daily actions doesn’t always mean doing the same thing every single day, though. Mazdzer gives the example of a skier trying to get prepared for the upcoming season in the summer months. “Step one shouldn’t be ‘wait for snow,'” he says. “If that’s what your goal setting looks like, you’re missing out on a lot of chances to get closer to your goal. Instead of waiting for snow to practice, what else can you do on a daily basis? You can get stronger in the gym. You can dial in your gear and figure out the best setup for your skis for different conditions. If you don’t go into the granular details of goal setting, then those aren’t goals, they’re just dreams.”
Keeping an eye on the big goal—making the team, winning the race—is still key, though. “You do need to have that big goal, that shiny thing that you are always aiming towards, because that helps you stay in alignment,” Mazdzer says. “The monotony of those small daily actions can get really boring, so to stay motivated, you do need that big goal to work towards.”
There’s also a side benefit of defining the smaller goals and daily actions you can take to achieve your big goal, Mazdzer adds. Not every goal is going to be achieved: Sport is ultimately defined by failure, even the greatest athletes of all time didn’t win every race or make every team. But the reason they were able to keep pushing towards their next goal was because they saw enough small successes and daily wins along the way to feel motivated even when the big goal didn’t work out.
Mazdzer himself has a great example of this: In his Olympic career, his goal was always to finish in a medal position. But he only medaled in one of the four Olympic Games he competed in. Did his goal or his approach look different in the year he finished in the silver medal position? No. And that’s the point.
“Even if you give 100%—doing those daily actions and accomplishing all of the things you need to in order to theoretically hit that goal—you don’t always get 100% back,” he says. “There were many years when I was giving 100% but getting 10% back, and I’d wonder if I was doing something wrong. But a lot of the time, nothing is actually wrong. There are circumstances out of your control, whether it’s equipment or weather conditions or other teams. Success in sport often depends on things that you can’t control, and it’s easy to give up in those moments. But through consistency, through dedication, you can keep trying. You just have to understand that your results don’t always reflect the input.”
Being able to come back from missing your goal and get back to the daily commitments is what Mazdzer defines as a strong, resilient athlete.
Takeaway
Get clear on your big goal, write it down, and then work backwards. Once you know what goal you are trying to accomplish, break it down into actionable, measurable pieces. Mazdzer suggests doing something every single day to achieve your goals, even after failure.
About TrueSport
TrueSport®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport. Backed by U.S. Congressional mandate, TrueSport inspires athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators to change the culture of youth sport through active engagement and thoughtful curriculum based on cornerstone lessons of sportsmanship, character-building, and clean and healthy performance, while also creating leaders across communities through sport.
For more expert-driven articles and materials, visit TrueSport’s comprehensive collection of resources.
This content was reproduced in partnership with TrueSport. Any content copied or reproduced without TrueSport and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s express written permission would be in violation of our copyright, and subject to legal recourse. To learn more or request permission to reproduce content, click here.
Steven A. Lent of Duluth, MN, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, December 15th, 2025 at the age of 75. He was born at St. Luke’s Hospital on August 11th,1950 to Sherman and Alice (Greseth) Lent. He grew up and raised his family in Kenwood. He was a member of First Lutheran Church. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1968. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 1969-1971, then transferred to the University of Minnesota to finish his degree, and graduated in 1973 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In the summer of 1973 he started working at Minnesota Power. During his time employed at Minnesota Power he worked in many departments, and obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He worked there his whole career until his retirement in April 2014, after 43 years.
On September 28th, 1974, he married his beloved wife, Joyce (Handy). Together they raised their two children, Bryan and Becky in Kenwood. He was passionate about and actively involved in youth sports, both as a player and coach. He participated in football and track & field in high school. He participated in track & field at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and held the shot put record there for many years. He was well known in Duluth and the surrounding area as being “The Home Run Hitter” through his many years of slow pitch softball. He coached many youth sports, making significant impacts on hundreds of children in Duluth. He continued to support youth sports through his adored grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and brother Thomas. He is survived by his loving wife Joyce; Children: Bryan (Ashley) Lent, and Becky Lent (Ty Lounsberry); Grandchildren: Callie Kleiman, Berklee Lent, Trent Lounsberry, and Georgia Lent; Brother-in-law Don Handy and many relatives, and dear friends.
A visitation to celebrate the life of Steve will be held on Friday, January 2nd at Ridgeview Country Club, 700 West Redwing Street, Duluth, MN, 55803; visitation from 1-4pm, light refreshments will be provided.
A private family service and burial will be held at a later date at Park Hill Cemetery in Duluth. Arrangements by Affordable Cremation and Burial.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Steve’s honor to The Dick Forbort Fund, Duluth Superior Community Foundation, 324 W Superior St, #700, Duluth, MN, 55802; or https://theranchteammatesforlife.org/donate/
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (VISIT EAU CLAIRE PRESS RELEASE) – Visit Eau Claire, in partnership with the Sonnentag Center, has secured a major national sporting event for 2026, bringing the Pylon 7on7 Flag Football Tournament to the Sonnentag Field House on March 14–15, 2026.
Pylon 7on7 is a premier traveling flag football tournament that attracts elite high school athletes from across the country. The Eau Claire stop is expected to welcome more than 30 teams and over 1,000 athletes, coaches, families, and spectators, generating direct economic impact for the community.
While Pylon 7on7 features high-level flag football competition, the event is widely recognized as a critical exposure platform for student-athletes pursuing collegiate opportunities. Over the past two decades, Pylon has helped produce over three thousand Division I college commits and over 300 NFL alumni, establishing itself as a proven pathway for athletic development, competition, and visibility.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Pylon 7on7 to Eau Claire,” said Lucas Connolly, Sports Relationship Manager for Visit Eau Claire. “This event brings elite competition to our community and provides young athletes with a platform to compete, be seen, and develop, while highlighting the Sonnentag Center as a top-tier venue for national sporting events.”
Scheduled between Pylon 7on7 events in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, Eau Claire’s inclusion reflects the growing reputation of the region as an attractive host for large-scale sporting events.
“This tournament is another example of how Eau Claire continues to grow as a destination for youth sports, and we are excited to partner with Visit Eau Claire to welcome Pylon 7on7 Football and the many athletes, families, and visitors who will experience our community,” said Steve Kirk, Interim General Manager of the Sonnentag Center.
The event was secured through a collaborative effort between Visit Eau Claire’s sales team and the Sonnentag Center. This partnership reinforces a shared commitment to attracting impactful sporting events that drive visitation, showcase local facilities, and elevate Eau Claire’s profile on a national stage.
Copyright 2025 WEAU. All rights reserved.
With Matthew Knight Arena packed with school kids for a midweek matinee, the viral “6-7” trend created a moment of joyous jubilation late in the third quarter when Jacobs completed a three-point play for the Ducks’ 67th point, on the way to an 85-59 win over Portland. After making the free throw, Jacobs backpedaled down the court making the ubiquitous hand gesture associated with “6-7,” as did hundreds of kids in the arena.
“I don’t know why it’s a thing but it is, and the kids love it,” said Jacobs, who passed up a three-pointer that would have gotten the Ducks to 67 points, instead driving to the hoop and scoring while absorbing contact. “I didn’t know that it was the point to get six-seven. And then they fouled me and I realized, you have to make a free throw. So it was kind of funny.”
Jacobs finished the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double, and Katie Fiso finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, tallying 10 points, 11 assists and nine boards. Amina Muhammad added 12 points, while Avary Cain and Sarah Rambus added 11 each.
And the Ducks teamed up to create a core memory for the kids in attendance, peaking with the free throw by Jacobs for the 67th point of the game. UO coach Kelly Graves immediately called timeout, allowing for an extended celebration by the young fans in the stands.
“I just think it’s important to have a game like this for the kids,” Graves said. “That’s a memory that they had today. It was a fun, fun atmosphere. They got to be around their friends, and they were exposed to our basketball team. And you never know what kind of impact it makes.”
The UO women mostly executed with aplomb in the atmosphere, shooting 44.9 percent for the game and committing just 14 turnovers while forcing 24.
“I feel like when we’re having fun, we’re playing the best type of basketball,” Fiso said. “I keep mentioning it — like, we compete in practice, and that’s where we get our sense of joy. We know there’s a fine line, when to be serious and then when to be goofy. I feel like that’s gonna take us far, because we know when to switch that.”
How It Happened: The Ducks took control early by scoring the first seven points of the game, though the start seemed a bit uneven given that the UO women only had three field goals over the first seven minutes of the day. Then Fiso hit a three-pointer and Cain followed with another, and Oregon took a 19-7 lead into the second quarter.
It was 22-9 in the second when the Ducks put together a 9-0 run, with all nine points scored by Muhammad and Cain. Muhammad ended up with 10 points in the period, helping the Ducks take a 44-19 lead into halftime.
“They’re great and they’re amazing,” Fiso said of Muhammad and Cain’s play off the bench. “They came out with a lot of energy, a lot of sense of urgency, too. Just creating the right plays, making the right shots.”
The opening minutes of the second half went back and forth. Portland cut Oregon’s 25-point halftime lead down to 19 a couple of times, the last at 56-37.
“We’re still a pretty young team, all things considered,” Graves said. “We’ve got to learn to come out in that second half and play with the same kind of intensity, and not just trade basket for basket.”
Jacobs, one of Oregon’s most veteran players, led the way out of that span. From the point Portland got within 56-37, Jacobs scored Oregon’s next 11 points, the capper the three-point play for a 67-39 lead.
By the fourth quarter, about the only remaining drama pertained to Fiso’s triple-double chase. She came up just short, but it seems only a matter of time before she notches one.
“I’m happy I can be that person for my team,” Fiso said. “And I know that in order to be great, yes, the assists are cool, but if I want to get to that next level, I gotta start filling up all the other stats. My coaches are on me in film, like, if you want to be great, you got to fill up all the other stuff as well. So that was kind of my initiative.”
Up Next: The Ducks face Stanford at the Women’s Bay Area Classic in San Francisco on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN).
Rec Sports
More Than 550 Boys Volleyball Teams Gather in Los Angeles for SoCal Cup ‘Winter Formal’ Event and College Combine
More Than 550 Boys Volleyball Teams Gather in Los Angeles for SoCal Cup ‘Winter Formal’ Event and College Combine
AIM Sports Group Further Demonstrates its Commitment to Boys Volleyball with Three Days of Unparalleled Competition, Plus a High School College Combine and Junior College Tournament
One of the nation’s leading tournament series for boys volleyball, SoCal Cup, hosted its latest ‘Winter Formal’ tournament at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) this past weekend.
Despite construction at LACC, the three-day event, owned and operated by AIM Sports Group, drew more than 550 club volleyball teams of various age groups (12U through 18U) from across the nation. The three-day Winter Formal event packed the Los Angeles Convention Center floor with volleyball courts and a unique fan experience, while drawing a crowd of more than 19,000 daily attendees including athletes, coaches, families, and spectators.
This year’s event also featured a high profile College Combine the day prior, drawing coaches and scouts from more than 25 universities from across the country. With more than 350 young athletes and about 50 coaches participating in the College Combine, the day leading up to the Winter Formal became a unique opportunity for players to get noticed and take their talents to the next level.
In addition, the Winter Formal event provided a venue for a Junior College tournament for 16 Jr. College programs. Many of the recruiting scouts and athletes from that tournament also participated in the Combine.
“The College Combine we had at this year’s SoCal Cup Winter Formal event was an added bonus to what was already an amazing event,” said AIM Sports Group Founder John Gallegos. “The Combine exceeded expectations and further demonstrated our commitment to the development of the sport at all levels. It all ties in with our overarching mission to advance sports performance and enjoyment for youth athletes. AIM Sports Group is all-in on the growth of boys volleyball for generations to come.”
Founded by AIM Sports Group to provide elite competition, developmental playing opportunities, and training for young athletes, the SoCal Cup has grown exponentially over the last five years and is now one of the largest and best-attended youth volleyball event series in the country. The next event, the SoCal Cup Open Championship, will take place January 17-19 in Salt Lake City.
Balboa Bay was the overall tournament-winning club this year, capturing titles in three divisions. The full list of boys volleyball clubs that achieved bragging rights this year by winning their divisions at the Winter Formal event included:
Open:
18 Open: MB Surf 18’s Asics
17 Open: Coast 17-1 Victor/Berkley
16 Open: Balboa Bay 16 Blue
15 Open: Indoor
14 Open: MB Surf 14’s Asics
13 Open: Bay to Bay 13-1
12 Open: Aspire 12 Thanos
Club:
18 Club: Bravo 18-X
17 Club: Balboa Bay 17 White
16 Club: Balboa Bay 16 White
15 Club: Liv 15’s Royal
14 Club: Bay to Bay 14-Club
AIM Sports Group is a premier youth sports enterprise that owns and operates a state-of-the-art facility, premier youth boys volleyball league, regional and national events, and tech & media platforms. AIM is focused on enhancing the journey of youth athletes through innovation and elite competition in sports. Learn more at aimsportsgroup.com.
Learn more about upcoming SoCal Cup events at SoCalCupVolleyball.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Paul Williams, paul@medialinecommunications.com, 310/569-0023
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218108284/en/
Report: Greg Biffle among those killed in North Carolina plane crash
i9 Sports – Hello Woodlands
Toledo Announces Signing of Three Transfers
Cale Phillips Returns to Nitro Motorsports for 2026 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Title Run After Strong 2025 Season
Gaming Computers Market to Reach USD 95 Billion by 2034, Growing
Matt Rhule Addresses Dylan Raiola, NIL Investment and the Portal Era
Kentucky volleyball vs. Wisconsin live updates: Score, highlights
NASCAR champion and Hurricane Helene hero
KWHS senior Emma Hager signs to Black Hills State for volleyball, track and field
No. 3 Volleyball Earns Spot in National Title Match with Sweep of No. 1 Pitt – Texas A&M Athletics
Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle dies in North Carolina plane crash
Olympian Chris Mazdzer on Goal Setting
Doris Lemngole Wins the 2025 Bowerman Award
Texas A&M sweeps Pittsburgh in NCAA volleyball semifinal
NASCAR world pays tribute to Greg Biffle after tragic plane crash
First Tee Winter Registration is open
Fargo girl, 13, dies after collapsing during school basketball game – Grand Forks Herald
CPG Brands Like Allegra Are Betting on F1 for the First Time
F1 Las Vegas: Verstappen win, Norris and Piastri DQ tighten 2025 title fight
Volleyball Recaps – November 18
Sycamores unveil 2026 track and field schedule
Two Pro Volleyball Leagues Serve Up Plans for Minnesota Teams
Utah State Announces 2025-26 Indoor Track & Field Schedule
Redemption Means First Pro Stock World Championship for Dallas Glenn
SoundGear Named Entitlement Sponsor of Spears CARS Tour Southwest Opener
Jo Shimoda Undergoes Back Surgery
Texas volleyball vs Kentucky game score: Live SEC tournament updates
Bowl Projections: ESPN predicts 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, full bowl slate after Week 14
How this startup (and a KC sports icon) turned young players into card-carrying legends overnight
Robert “Bobby” Lewis Hardin, 56
-
Motorsports1 week agoSoundGear Named Entitlement Sponsor of Spears CARS Tour Southwest Opener
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoJo Shimoda Undergoes Back Surgery
-
NIL3 weeks agoBowl Projections: ESPN predicts 12-team College Football Playoff bracket, full bowl slate after Week 14
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoHow this startup (and a KC sports icon) turned young players into card-carrying legends overnight
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoRobert “Bobby” Lewis Hardin, 56
-
Sports3 weeks ago
Wisconsin volleyball sweeps Minnesota with ease in ranked rivalry win
-
Motorsports1 week agoDonny Schatz finds new home for 2026, inks full-time deal with CJB Motorsports – InForum
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoIncreased Purses, 19 Different Tracks Highlight 2026 Great Lakes Super Sprints Schedule – Speedway Digest
-
Rec Sports2 weeks agoHow Donald Trump became FIFA’s ‘soccer president’ long before World Cup draw
-
Sports2 weeks agoMen’s and Women’s Track and Field Release 2026 Indoor Schedule with Opener Slated for December 6 at Home