Finance major Campbell, who is interning at ConnectOne Bank, excels in the office and on the soccer field.
As the U.S. hosts global soccer events like the FIFA Club World Cup and prepares for the 2026 World Cup, Conor Campbell ’27 is focused on making sure the beautiful game is accessible right in his own backyard.
Campbell, a Bonner Community Scholar at TCNJ, is working to break down the cost barriers that can often keep kids in Trenton from playing organized soccer. This past spring, he helped launch a league for students from the city’s six intermediate schools in partnership with Academic Sports Academy, an afterschool program that offers tutoring, recreational sports, and enrichment programs for low-income students.
“‘Pay-to-play’ has made soccer inaccessible for many lower-income families,” Campbell says. “We’re trying to change that.”
Through partnerships with MLS GO (Major League Soccer’s recreational youth program), Campbell secured replica uniforms, soccer balls, and help with coaching and logistics. Adidas stepped in with cleats and shin guards. Even Arby’s joined the effort, providing food for the league’s kickoff event in late April.
Games were held in June at Trenton Central High School, and now Campbell’s thinking even bigger. With New Jersey set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands next summer, he’s hoping to give the Trenton youth players a chance to be part of the action.
“My dream is to get tickets for the kids and their families, and for them to escort players onto the pitch during the national anthem,” says the economics major, who is currently interning at ConnectOne Bank. “It would shine a light on a real issue: making sure soccer is accessible for everyone.”
His efforts reflect the spirit of #WeAre26, FIFA’s campaign to highlight the inclusivity and diversity of the upcoming international tournament, and align with MLS GO’s mission to expand access to the sport through community-based leagues like the one in Trenton.
And Campbell’s commitment to youth sports in the community hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last summer, he received the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award at the ESPYs for his work with the Academic Sports Academy, founded by former NBA player and college alum Greg Grant ’89. TCNJ Bonner Scholars like Campbell staff the academy, helping to keep costs low.
Some of the ESPY award funding has already been funneled back into the Trenton soccer program. Campbell hopes the rest can help launch other extracurricular sports opportunities across the capital city.
“My goal is to create opportunities for these kids,” he says. “You just need one person to say ‘yes’ to make a big difference.”
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It was an emotional day inside Mitchell Hall as UW-La Crosse played host to UW-Platteville for a WIAC matchup on Saturday.
Festivities began at noon with “Charlie’s Kids fest” where kids could come play games and do other activities in the Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse.
Admission was free for everyone with donations being accepted for “Bubba’s Fund” after head coach Moran Lonning’s son Charlie died at just three months old in 2024.
Special jerseys were worn by Eagle players honoring 19 infants who have passed away raising awareness for pregnancy and infant loss.
In the game, UW-La Crosse came out of the gates on fire with a 9-2 run to begin the game forcing a timeout by the Pioneers.
From that point, UW-Platteville settled in and would grab the lead 32-31 at halftime.
The visitors would outscore the hosts in the second half 34-32 and go on to win the game 66-63.
With the loss the Eagles fall to 8-6 and they’ll look to get back in the win column next Wednesday at UW-Whitewater.
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Seven members of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’s Scholastic League are participating as a tournament partner for the 2026 event. Those teams will play several games counting in its Scholastic league standings and a few will also take on local teams.
Coming with them to play in those games are many of the top four- and five-star prospects of the sophomore, junior and senior classes in the country.
“Each year we try to ‘out-do’ outselves from the year before with regards to the level of talent participating and I think we have achieved that again,” FTTH found and president Eric Horstman said. “With 10 5-star and 20-plus 4-star players on one court over the weekend, our fans will get to see some high-level talent that will eventually be playing professionally.
“As of last week, we will have 5 of the top 20 teams in the nation in Dayton over the MLK weekend.”
Three players ranked in the top-25 of the 247Sports Composite as of Wednesday and listed as five stars are participating at this year’s event.
The top rated player of the group is Arafan Diane of Iowa United (Utah). The 7-foot, 1-inch, 290-pound center is the top ranked player at his position and 14th overall ranked recruit in the country. He is signed to play at Houston.
Alex Constanza of SPIRE Academy is the 20th ranked recruit in the country and No. 2 player in Ohio. He is signed to play at Georgetown. Jaxon Richardson with Southeastern Prep out of Orlando, Fla., is the 22nd ranked prospect and fifth overall small forward in his class. He holds several power conference offers but has yet to commit.
Other top-ranked recruits that have been rated as four stars include:
No. 32 Ikenna Alozie of Dream City Christian (Ariz.), committed to Houston
No. 55 Tarris Bouie of SPIRE Academy (Alabama)
No. 56 Jacob Webber of La Lumiere (Ind.) (Purdue)
No. 62 Anthony Felesi of Utah Prep (Pittsburgh)
No. 67 Katrelle Harmon of Wasatch Academy, Utah (Creighton)
No. 68 Jonathan Sanderson of La Lumiere (Notre Dame)
Four-star recruits include:
No. 75 Aiden Derkack, the brother of Dayton’s Jordan Derkack, from SPIRE Academy (Providence)
No. 81 Chidi Nwigwe of Wasatch Academy
No. 90 Collin Ross of SPIRE Academy (VCU)
No. 99 Jackson Kiss of Utah Prep (Iowa State)
No. 122 Gan-Erdene Solongo of La Lumiere (Notre Dame)
Margaretta features three-star Dayton signee Julian Washington and local fans can see the senior play on Jan. 19 at the event.
More five-stars that are 2027 recruits also will be present. Southeastern Prep features the top-two ranked juniors in the country, 6-foot-10 C. J. Rosser and 7-foot-0 Obinna Ekezie Jr., and also has No. 23 Beckham Black on the roster.
SPIRE has No. 11 King Gibson, and Dream City Christian has No. 13 Malachi Jordan.
Four-star juniors include No. 28 Tyran Frazier and No. 55 Godson Okokoh of Iowa United, No. 32 Devin Cleveland of La Lumiere, No. 70 Joshua Tyson and No. 143 Bryce Curry of Lakota West, No. 78 Keaundre Morris and No. 85 Chris Brown of Dream City Christian, No. 81 Darrell Davis of SPIRE, No. 87 Marri Wesley and No. 122 Griffin Starks of Southeastern Prep, and No. 90 Trevor Manhertz of Christ School (N. C.)
Top ranked sophomores include four stars Mateen Cleaves Jr. of Dream City Christian, Stra Zelic of Wasatch Academy, and Keonte Smith of Northridge.
More than 100 players have competed at past FTTH events and have gone on to play in the NBA.
2026 Beacon Orthopaedics Flyin’ to the Hoop Schedule
Friday, Jan. 16
6:30 p.m. — Dream City Christian (Ariz.) vs. Wasatch Academy (Utah)
8:15 p.m. — SPIRE Academy vs. Reynoldsburg
Saturday, Jan. 17
11:30 a.m. — CATS Academy (Mass.) vs. Dream City Christian (Ariz.)
1:15 p.m. — Cincinnati Wyoming vs. Huber Heights Wayne
3 p.m. — Lima Senior vs. Brunswick
4:45 p.m. — Wasatch Academy (Utah) vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius
6:30 p.m. — Southeastern Prep (Fla.) vs. Lutheran East
8:15 p.m. — Fishers (Ind.) vs. Centerville
Sunday, Jan. 18
11:30 a.m. — Utah Prep (Utah) vs. CATS Academy (Mass.)
1:15 p.m. — Iowa United (Iowa) vs. Dream City Christian (Ariz.)
3 p.m. — Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Cincinnati Moeller
4:45 p.m. — La Lumiere (Ind.) vs. Lakota West
6:30 p.m. — Upper Arlington vs. Kettering Alter
Monday, Jan. 19
11:30 a.m. — Christ School (N. C.) vs. Iowa United (Iowa)
1:15 p.m. — Margaretta vs. Northridge
3 p.m. — La Lumiere (Ind.) vs. Utah Prep (Utah)
4:45 p.m. — Warrensville Heights vs. Kettering Fairmont
6:30 p.m. — Indian Hill vs. Tri-Village
When: Jan. 16-19, 2026
Where: Trent Arena, Kettering
Tickets: www.flyintothehoop.com/tickets.asp. $11 general admission per day, $21 reserved seating per day, $68 general admission three-day pass, $123 reserved seating three-day pass
For more information: 937-704-9670 ext. 112, www.flyintothehoop.com
Israel’s embassy in Poland claimed that an Israeli children’s judo team was attacked verbally and physically during a competition in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, on Saturday.
Israel’s embassy in Poland said it was “deeply concerned by the violent incident” and that “there is no place for violence or antisemitic slurs of any kind, particularly in sport, which should promote respect, fairness, and cooperation among nations.”
The embassy called on the Polish authorities to act promptly, investigate the incident, and ensure the team’s safety.
The Israeli team comprised around 90 athletes aged 7 to 16 from three clubs in Israel. According to some Polish media reports, antisemitic slurs such as “Free Palestine” and “Look, the Jews are coming” were chanted at the team and their coaches throughout the day.
“It was shocking: The children, some very young, were trying to concentrate on their matches, but the insults and jeers were relentless,” said one witness to 247 Sports.
Two of the Israeli team’s coaches approached the referees to ask for intervention, at which point the situation reportedly deteriorated. A group of about 12 Polish men allegedly approached the coaches, raised their hands, and physically assaulted them in front of the young athletes and other participants.
Instead of punishing the attackers, the tournament’s organizers decided to expel the entire Israeli delegation.
The Israeli delegation had to retreat to the hotel and remain there due to safety concerns.
Polish reports contradict, claim Israel’s coach was aggressive
However, other Polish reports were contradictory. Bielsko-Biała’s website said Israel’s coach was aggressive with the referee because he was dissatisfied with the referee’s decision. The coach allegedly shouted insults, broke into the ring, and “violated the physical integrity of the referee.”
This report said organizers were forced to call the police, who officially disqualified the team.
Tomasz Chmielniak, president of the Janosik club in Bielsko, told TVN24 that “young Israeli players were certainly not attacked.”
“If someone was attacked, it was the person refereeing (…) by a coach from Israel,” he said.
The Bielsko police spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Sławomir Kocur, told Polish media that the Israeli coach made physical contact.
“We asked the parties (…) and informed them about the possibility of filing a report. None of them did. (…) The parties calmed down, and no one had any complaints against anyone,” he said.
Police are looking for suspects after a shooting Sunday night, Jan. 11 in downtown Elmira that sent one person to the hospital.
Around 9:20 p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to the Centertown Parking Garage for a report of a possible shooting, according to the Elmira Police Department.
Arriving officers discovered one person at the scene who had been shot. The victim was transported from the parking garage to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
Police are not releasing the victim’s name or status at this time.
Investigators do not believe the shooting was a random act and that the victim was likely targeted.
The Elmira Police Department Detective Bureau is actively investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Elmira police at 607-737-5626, or leave a message on the anonymous tip line at 607-271-HALT.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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St. Cloud celebrated an exciting milestone for youth sports and community recreation on Saturday with a ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening the new St. Cloud Little League fields ahead of the February season kickoff.
The morning event brought together city leadership, state officials, Little League families, and community members to celebrate the upgraded facilities just in time for the upcoming spring season. The improvements include new fields, enhanced lighting, fencing, updated dugouts, and expanded parking—investments aimed at supporting local athletes and families for years to come.
Among those on hand for the ceremony were St. Cloud Mayor Chris Robertson, members of the St. Cloud City Council, City Manager Veronica Miller, and St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke. The event also drew support from the state level, with Florida State Representatives Erika Booth and Paula Stark attending to show their backing for youth recreation and community-focused infrastructure.
The US Supreme Court will hear two challenges to state laws restricting transgender participation in youth sports, marking the justices’ first return to transgender rights since last year’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti.
The court in Skrmetti upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, but declined to answer whether transgender individuals constitute a quasi-suspect class deserving of higher judicial scrutiny.
Transgender Rights Under Trump: Policy Battles and Legal Fights
The youth sports cases could give the court’s conservative majority an opportunity to answer that question and grant states wider discretion in imposing transgender-related regulations.
At issue in the cases being argued Tuesday is whether states may categorically bar transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams based on biological sex — and whether such policies should be reviewed deferentially, as the court held in Skrmetti, or subjected to heightened judicial review.
“What’s happening in Skrmetti, and what might happen here, is just saying, no, this isn’t sex discrimination at all even if the government is using sex,” said Yale Law School professor Douglas NeJaime. “And that is a real narrowing of decades of sex equality law.”
Skrmetti represented a setback for transgender rights, five years after the landmark victory in Bostock v. Clayton County for nationwide workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Prior to Skrmetti, lower courts had been able to interpret Bostock broadly, Nejaime said. But last year’s decision limited Bostock’s reach, and the cases now before the court could result in further retrenchment on sex discrimination issues by the court.
“I hope that the court will see the stakes are really about sex equality,” said Kate Redburn, professor and director of Columbia Law School’s Center for Gender and Sexuality Law.
Joshua Block, senior counsel with the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project who will argue on behalf of one of the transgender respondents, acknowledged the loss in Skrmetti made the job of defending transgender rights harder.
“Look, we’re not hiding the ball in acknowledging that we have an uphill battle here,” Block said.
But, he said, critics misunderstood why that case got to the high court in the first place.
“There is, I think, this false narrative that people only defending the rights of trans folks have been trying to propel the issue both in the courts and in the court of public opinion, and I think the opposite is true,” Block said. “Why were these laws passed in the first place? They were passed to roll back the rights of transgender people. And I think it’s been a wildly successful strategy.”
Wider Stakes
Block said it was a “surprise” the justices moved so quickly to take up the transgender girls sports cases just weeks after resolving Skrmetti on narrow grounds.
“Five of the justices in Skrmetti were unwilling to sign on to a broader decision,” Block said. “I think the question is, are they going to take the same approach here or not?”
NeJaime said there’s reason to think the court might not.
“You had three justices on the record in Skrmetti saying no suspect class for trans people,” he said. “You might have some justices like Chief Justice Roberts or Justice Kavanaugh that maybe aren’t ready to completely go there.”
Redburn said the conservative justices seemed eager for a second shot at the constitutional questions they dodged in Skrmetti. But, Redburn said, even a narrow ruling could encourage legislatures to justify discriminatory laws as grounded in biology rather than stereotypes.
“The fear here is that the court is going to authorize states to legislate in discriminatory ways against trans people, but also against women in general, based on biological differences,” Redburn said.
The cases being argued Tuesday arise from challenges to laws in West Virginia and Idaho. In West Virginia, the Fourth Circuit ruled the state’s “Save Women’s Sports Act” likely violates Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination. In Idaho, the Ninth Circuit blocked enforcement of the nation’s first categorical ban on transgender women and girls in female sports, a law that also allows sex-verification challenges.
The Trump administration has urged the court to side with West Virginia and Idaho, as has the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which is assisting the states.
John Bursch, senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy at ADF, said the ACLU’s attempt to moot the Idaho case shows they fear the majority may take a broader approach than it did in Skrmetti.
“Just based on their briefing, I expect the primary approach will be duck-and-cover,” Bursch said.
The cases fit within a wider slate of litigation in which ADF has argued for expanded state authority and limits on the reach of transgender rights, including in disputes involving religious employers and parental objections.
Bursch said the court’s June decision signals growing judicial support for those arguments.
“I think the Skrmetti case really puts a lot of wind in our sails,” Bursch said.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey said victory would be a holding that the legislature acted constitutionally — a decision, he said, that would allow other states to pass similar legislation modeled on West Virginia’s. The state’s arguments don’t seek to move any of the court’s analyses “beyond the athletic playing fields of this country,” he said.
A decision upholding the laws would immediately be felt in the more than two dozen states that already restrict transgender participation in youth sports. But it could also encourage the Trump administration to pursue litigation against other, largely Democrat-led states in an attempt to enforce the president’s February executive order on restricting transgender participation in women’s sports, according to Tres Cleveland, co-chair of the higher education practice group at Thompson Coburn.
“Other than immigration enforcement, this issue is the cornerstone of what the president ran on,” Cleveland said. “What he will do with this decision and how far the administration will go in feeling vindicated is yet to be seen.”
The cases are Little v. Hecox, U.S., No. 24-38 and West Virginia v. B.P.J., U.S., No. 24-43, set for argument on 1/13/26.
