Rec Sports

Greg Olsen, Tom Brady find common ground through youth sports

Published

5 months ago

August 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Greg Olsen and Tom Brady have developed a friendship despite professional competition.
Olsen launched Youth Inc., a platform offering resources for youth sports families.
Olsen continues to work as a broadcaster and aims to return to calling Super Bowls.

Greg Olsen says we can look at his relationship with Tom Brady like two young players on a football field.

The association begins as they clash with one another, but it develops into a friendship.

“It’s very similar to how we were with so many guys in the locker room, right?” Olsen tells USA TODAY Sports, “whether they’re guys at your position group that you’re competing with for time or guys on the offensive side of the ball that you’re competing with for opportunities and targets and catches and plays in the game plan.

“Competition is at the center of everything at a high level. And anything that is competitive and anything that’s worth doing is going to come with that level of competitive spirit.”

When he retired after a 14-year NFL career as a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, Olsen, 40, quickly rose to Fox’s No. 1 color commentator during games and worked Super Bowl 57 with Kevin Burkhardt between the Chiefs and Eagles on Feb. 12, 2023.

He was replaced by Brady as the network’s top analyst to start the 2024 season. It stung but, Olsen says, the demotion didn’t get in the way of the two learning more about each other when Brady arrived at the network.

“No different than some of my best friends that were teammates,” Olsen says. “Yes, we were on the same team, but the better I do, I’m going to take more balls away from you and I’m going to get more playing time from you and you’re trying to do the same thing to me, but that doesn’t mean I want you to drop every pass and run the wrong route. That’s a complete opposite of the nature of team that everyone’s trying to build in this profession.

“Tom and I have had a really good both professional and now a personal relationship and prior to the last year, we didn’t have a real deep personal (one) – we obviously, had played against each other a lot and had a ton of respect – but just getting to know him as a person, as a dad, as just a friend, we both have young teenage daughters, and we kind of share and laugh over stories about that, and then we’re also both raising teenage sons, which is a whole different world.”

When he retired, Olsen found himself like many of us with kids who play sports: Confused and even overwhelmed. He created the Youth Inc. podcast. He brought in famous athletes and coaches as well as medical experts and noted commentators in the youth sports space.

On Aug. 12, Olsen and his partners launched Youth Inc., as a digital content and commerce platform built for youth sports families, coaches, and teams.

It debuts with a Brady interview, in which the two directly address their relationship publicly for the first time.

“As long as I’m cool with you, I know that’s all that matters,” Brady tells Olsen in the interview. “I’ll be here for you for anything because you’ve been available to me.”

USA TODAY Sports spoke with Olsen and co-founder Ryan Baise about Youth Inc.’s launch.

What is Youth Inc.?

Youth Inc. started in 2022 as a series of podcasts to which Olsen has brought his easygoing style and analytic football mind that breaks down complex schemes into simpler terms.

“I’ve been the first to say this podcast is not for us to tell everybody else how much we know and you need to do things the way we do it,” Olsen says. “Listen, I’m along this journey and this learning process right alongside our listeners. I don’t pretend to have all the answers.”

With the help of $4.5 million in seed funding, the platform has expanded offerings, marketing itself as a one-stop shop for media content, merchandise and business services.

“The focus for us has not really been X’s and O’s content or coaching drills or things like that. We felt like there’s good resources out there if you’re going to look for that type of content,” says Baise, who leads the organization’s e-commerce initiative. “There’s pros and cons in this youth sports world and the way that it’s evolving, but fundamentally, at its core, we believe that there’s nothing better than youth’s sports for a child, as a parent, for society when done right.”

COACH STEVE: ‘Work of the devil’? Two noted authors, dads, test limits of travel sports

How has Youth Inc. changed?

While Youth Inc. will still offer podcasts – Malcolm Gladwell, Ryan Day, Bryce Young and Clayton Kershaw are part of the new season – it now offers an array of digital content. This author contributed to it earlier this year in an interview with Coach RAC, of Savannah Bananas fame, and his parents.

Coach RAC, who distills complicated baseball drills into friendly bite-sized social media nuggets for kids, is part of the spirit of the new movement.

“We have three pillars of the content: Information, inspiration, and then entertainment,” Baise says.

Tim Murphy, a third founder who has worked at Audacy and The New York Times, has helped acquire content and expertise for the website. You can search by sport and topic (training and nutrition, mental health, parenting, coaching, tryouts etc.) to find written, audio and visual content.

“I spend a lot of time coaching and parenting and in the world of youth sports, running practices and games and managing teams and all that, and I still get a lot of the things wrong,” Olsen says. “I still do things where I look back at the end of the day, of the week and I say I probably should have done that better or different or whatever the case may be. So I’m right along with our viewers and there’s a curiosity that I have.”

Baise, who worked for Fanatics, has brought in a fanwear space primarily for high schools and travel clubs.

COACH STEVE: How can kids, parents get the most out of youth sports? 10 tips from Coach RAC

What did Tom Brady tell Greg Olsen’s middle school team?

When Brady was starting out as a broadcaster, Olsen offered him advice on the profession. Brady provided an inspirational message for Olsen’s team this season.

Olsen coaches his two sons – Tate, 14, and T.J., 12 – for a Charlotte, North Carolina middle school. He also has a daughter, Talbot, who is T.J.’s twin.

“His message was that this is the highlight of your life,” Olsen says. “Like these are the moments that you’re gonna always remember playing football with your buddies for your school, with your parents and the town and your friends in the stands, playing the team from across town that you grew up playing. Playing for your school is the best. It is so much more special than all the other travel ball and super teams and showcases where everybody’s just a rent-a- player. Like, this is sports at its purest form.”

What is Olsen’s message to youth athletes and their parents?

We know from his chat with Brady that the future Hall of Famer was a backup quarterback early in high school who didn’t know how to put his pads on correctly. Little came easy, but he was always prepared because he says he knew how to compete.

It was an area of common ground the two found they shared.

“Continue to take a long-term approach,” Olsen says. “And I think in today’s day and age, it’s so easy to be creatures of the moment and get caught up in the moment in time. And it’s a snapshot of a really long journey. And I think for young kids, mine being in this group, they all view themselves where they are right now. Like, everyone is so worried about comparing to your peers in this moment in time, and especially for the young kids, what they don’t realize is it’s not a level playing field. Maturity and development and all of that stuff happens at very different paces for different kids, boys, girls, and then obviously within all of those divisions and age. So if everyone can just (know) the idea is to get better.

“Everyone’s doing whatever they can to make that given all-star (team), that showcase, that Instagram reel, whatever that moment in time of success or failure becomes almost an indictment of labeling these kids of who they’re going to be the rest of their life. And what we know is it’s not a race to 12. It’s not a race to who’s the best sixth grader. It’s just not the way sports works, even though at times it feels like it does.”

What are Olsen’s future broadcasting plans?

Olsen will work games for Fox this season with the goal of getting back to a Super Bowl.

“I’m sure that’s not unique to me,” he says. “I’m sure every guy who gets a microphone at Fox, CBS, NBC, everybody wants to elevate to that next level.

“In Year 1, I made a lot of mistakes and I didn’t know a lot of things that I know now, and that was no different than when I was a player. And I’m sure Tom would say the same thing. His first year as a quarterback, he probably wasn’t nearly as good as he was in year 20.

“Him being good doesn’t make me bad. Me being good doesn’t make him bad. It doesn’t work like that. It’s independent. We can both pursue excellence at our given career.”

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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Rec Sports

Panther alums show up against varsity

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

ANAHUAC— Dusting off old sneakers, Anahuac High School alums joined in a friendly game of basketball against the new generation of Panthers, taking a couple of wins while raising funds for a worthy cause.

The Anahuac High School Gym was packed on Saturday, Dec. 20, for the 2025 Anahuac Panther Alumni Basketball Game, hosted by the Anahuac Youth Sports Organization in partnership with the Anahuac Independent School District.

“We are so proud of how this event turned out,” AYSO Communications Officer Samantha Humphrey said. “There was so much joy in the Panther Den, and it was incredible to see multiple generations come together for such a special night.”

Generations of Panther basketball players and fans enjoyed a day of basketball, with nearly 300 in attendance, all gathered for some lighthearted competition that served as a fundraiser supporting local youth sports.

With graduating classes dating back to 1998, a total of 28 men and 10 women returned to the court to see if they still had their skills.

Two men’s alum teams, coached by Tristan Lewis and Deray Williams, played in the opening game, followed by the women’s alum team, coached by Samantha Humphrey and Tori Lewis.

As for the game results, the 4 p.m. game saw Williams Alumni defeat Lewis Alumni.

At 5 p.m., Women’s Alumni faced Girls Varsity, with the alum team taking the win. At 6 p.m., the Men’s Alumni took the victory over the Boys Varsity.

Fans also competed during some three-point contests throughout the evening.

Winners included Meagan Perry, Women’s Three-Point Contest; Zachary Childress, Men’s Three-Point Contest; and Cullen Cotton, Open Three-Point Contest.

Perry received a prize of $110, Childress earned $170, and Cotton was awarded $250.

The evening was full of energy and Panther pride as alumni, current students, families and friends came together to support a sport they hold dear.

AYSO wishes to share a special thanks to AISD, the alum players, coaches, volunteers, referees and the community for making the evening a great success.

For more information about upcoming events or to find out how to get involved with AYSO, contact AYSO, follow the organization on social media, or join the group on Facebook at Facebook.com/groups/AnahuacYouthSportsOrg.

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Rec Sports

A Look Inside: Canton Citizen’s January 8 edition

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

By Canton Citizen

Check out this week’s issue of the Citizen for the latest in Canton news, sports, events, and more. Highlights from the January 8 edition include:

* The Citizen’s annual Year in Review, featuring a look back at the top news and sports stories of 2025

* Notable deaths and retirements from the past year

* Highlights from the January 6 Select Board meeting

* Meet Canton’s new police chief (click here for excerpt)

* Canton High seniors organize bike giveaway

* Ponky Rink public skating photos

* Good News: “The Nose Knows” by Jane Eagles

* Beantown Buckaroos to perform at Open Book Coffeehouse

* Details on town of Canton’s Annual Census and more News Notes by Mike Berger

* Athlete of the Week and more winter sports coverage

Also, don’t forget to check out our many weekly features, including:

* Police & Fire News Notes

* Senior Corner and letters to the editor

* Cable Guide, Citizen Around Town, and much more

* House of the Week and more local real estate resources

Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today, or check out our new digital edition, the e-Citizen.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=133147

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Rec Sports

Watsonville boys’ soccer extends win streak to three

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

PAJ2602 WHS boys' soccer - weeklys roundup - WEB-1 — Watsonville High senior forward Anthony Guido, left, and junior Alan Alonso currently have the Wildcatz boys’ soccer team on a three game win streak following a 4-1 victory over Salinas High on Jan. 6. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian)

Watsonville junior Justin Alfaro recorded a hat trick to help lift the boys’ soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Salinas in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division opener Jan. 6.

Alfaro finished with a game-best three goals, while teammate junior Jesus Contreras-Barboza notched one goal for the Wildcatz, who are currently riding a three game win streak.

Damien Mora, Anthony Guido, Diego Guillen and Contreras-Baroboza each had one assist, while goalkeeper Adrian Fernandez tallied six saves in front of the net.

Watsonville (6-1-1, 1-0-0) plays at Seaside (2-6) in league play on Jan. 12 at 5:45pm.

At Monte Vista Christian 2, Pacific Collegiate 0: Enzo Owens and Ryan Noyes each notched one goal in the Mustangs’ shutout victory over the Pumas in PCAL Cypress Division action Tuesday afternoon.

Teammate Patrick Tracey finished with a pair of assists, while Sai Patel and Owens each had one assist for MVC (5-3-1, 1-0), which hosts Rancho San Juan in league play on Jan. 12 at 5:45pm.

Girls’ soccer

St. Ignatius 4, Aptos 3: Isabella Hartnett, Emilie Santigao and Aubrie Ford each notched one goal in the Mariners’ narrow loss to the Wildcats at the SoCal High School Classic in Oceanside on Dec. 31.

Teammate Maddie Redding and Hartnett each recorded one assist, while goalkeeper Tayanna Bonilla came up big with a pair of key saves to keep the Mariners within reach.

Aptos (4-4-1) will begin Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play at Santa Cruz on Jan. 13 at 7pm.

At Pacific Collegiate 3, MVC 2: Ashley Drago and Tea Knowles-Osmeni each had one goal in the Mustangs’ loss to the Pumas in PCAL Mission Division play Tuesday.

Goalkeepers Charlotte Groves and Cloe Morrow had two and one saves, respectively, for MVC (3-4-2, 0-1-0), which plays at Watsonville in league play on Jan. 12 at 6:45pm.

Alvarez 2, at Pajaro Valley 1: Scarlet Gomez recorded the lone goal for the Grizzlies in Tuesday afternoon’s loss to the Eagles in PCAL Gabilan Division action.

Teammate goalkeeper Aniah Federico tallied six saves for Pajar Valley (2-3-1, 0-1-0), which plays hosts Soledad in league play on Jan. 14 at 3:30pm.

Boys’ basketball

At Watsonville 60, Aptos 36: Gabe Castillo had a team-best seven points in the Mariners’ loss to the Wildcatz in non-league play Jan. 2. Teammate Madoxx Diaz added six points, one rebound and one assist.

Levi Race, Diego Mejia and Sam Penera each contributed five points for Aptos (4-10), which begins SCCAL play at Santa Cruz on Jan. 9 at 7:30pm.

At MVC 60, King City 49: Matteo Vidal finished with a team-best 18 points in the Mustangs’ win over King City in PCAL Cypress Division play on Tuesday evening.

Vidal added eight rebounds and four assists, while teammate Jeremy Silver added 17 points, three rebounds and four assists. Go Kamishita contributed 10 points and six assists for MVC (7-3, 1-0), which plays at Harbor in non-league play on Jan. 10 at 2pm.

Alvarez 68, at St. Francis 62: Robert Gomez Jr. finished with a team-best 24 points in the Sharks’ loss to the Eagles in PCAL Mission Division play Tuesday evening.

Teammate Jacob Jimenez tallied 20 points, while Isiah Villalobos contributed 11 points for St. Francis (5-7, 0-1), which plays at Marina on Jan. 12 at 7pm.

At Watsonville 64, Salinas 53: Senior Max Aceves recorded a team-best 20 points in the ‘Catz’s victory over the Cowboys in PCAL Gabilan Division action Monday evening.

Teammate senior Yahir Cisneros contributed 15 points for Watsonville (5-6, 1-1), which hosts Carmel on Jan. 9 at 7pm.

Girls’ basketball

At Salinas 55, Watsonville 33: Stephanie Martinez finished with eight points five assists and three steals in the ‘Catz’s loss to the Cowboys in PCAL Gabilan Division play on Tuesday evening.

Teammate Leilani Yasin had seven points, four rebounds and six steals for Watsonville (5-6, 0-1), which plays at Hollister on Jan. 12 at 7pm.

Editor’s note: Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to submit results and highlights to jr****@*****ys.com. Follow sports editor Juan Reyes (@jmreyes831) on X/Twitter for scores and news updates.

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Rec Sports

Roundup of news from Hull’s wide world of sports — The Hull Times

Published

7 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

• The Hull High Boys Varsity Basketball team also split its last two matchups, losing a close game, 48-47, to Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School in Boston on Friday, January 2, and defeating Falmouth Academy at home, 60-20, on Monday. Up next for the 3-2 team are a rematch with Academy of the Pacific Rim at home on Thursday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. and a road game against Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School on Friday, January 9 at 6:30 p.m. The JV squad defeated the Academy of the Pacific Rim team, 54-35, on January 2 and will play the Dragons again on Thursday at 5 p.m. before the varsity game.

• The Girls Varsity Basketball team is 0-6 on the season after losses to Ursuline Academy in the Scituate Holiday Tournament, 40-19, on December 31, and a 44-37 loss on the road to New Heights Charter School in Brockton on Monday. Next up for the Pirates are a road game against Boston Latin Academy on Friday, January 9 at 6 p.m. and then home matchups against Excel Academy Charter School on Monday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Abington High School on Wednesday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m.

• The Hingham-Hull Cooperative Gymnastics squad’s next competition will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 6 p.m. against Scituate High School at the South Shore YMCA Gymnastics Training Center.

• The next meet for the Boys and Girls Indoor Track teams will be against Mashpee on Monday, January 26 at 4 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

• For the full schedule for each Hull High team, visit www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10611.

• Hull Pirates In-Town Youth Basketball begins this weekend. Programs include a skills and drills co-ed session for grades 1 and 2 from 8-9 a.m., a co-ed program for grades 3 and 4 from 9-10 a.m., as well as an open gym program (also co-ed) for grades 5-8 from 10-11:30 a.m., all at the Jacobs School gym. Some travel teams are on the road this weekend, but there are home games as well:

Saturday, January 10 at the Jacobs School: Girls Grade 6 vs. Hingham at 2 p.m.; Girls Grade 7 vs. Marshfield at 3 p.m.; Girls Grade 8 vs. Cohasset at 4 p.m.

Sunday, January 11 at the Jacobs School: Girls Grade 7 vs. Halifax at 12 p.m.

Sunday, January 11 at the Hull High: Boys Grade 8 vs. Hanover at 1 p.m.; Boys Grade 4 vs. Scituate at 2:15 p.m.; Boys Grade 3 vs. Norwell at 3:30 p.m.

For more information, visit http://hullbasketball.leagueapps.com/camps.

• A combined Girls 3/4 travel basketball team competes at the fourth-grade level and has a record of 1-3. Next games are against Kingston on Saturday, January 10 at 6 p.m. and against Sandwich on Sunday, January 11 at 2 p.m. All games are played at Indian Head Elementary School in Hanson, so fans have to travel to take in a game. The full schedule of game times and weekly opponents is at this link: www.oldcolonybasketball.org/team/hull/4/1.

• Registration is open for Hull Youth Lacrosse – two travel teams and the in-town programs – through January 22. For more information, visit www.hulllax.com or email hullyouthlax@gmail.com if you have any questions.

• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

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Rec Sports

Century standout travels through Europe with Northern Lights Volleyball club team – Post Bulletin

Published

8 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The Northern Lights Volleyball 16-1 club team spent the holidays traveling through Europe and competing in two tournaments abroad Dec. 25-Jan. 5.

The team won the 18U Youth Alpen Tournament in Innsbruck, Austria and took third place in the 19U SV Dynamo International Youth Tournament in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

The 16-1 team out of Burnsville, Minn., is made up of players from high schools around the state, including Rochester Century’s sophomore Laney Stellmaker. Other players on the roster attend Eagan, Prior Lake, St. Paul Academy, Lakeville North, East Ridge, Thomas Jefferson (Bloomington), Waconia and Chanhassen.

According to its website, the SV Dynamo tournament “guarantees three days of top-level volleyball with the best youth teams from the Netherlands and beyond. For many clubs, the youth tournament has been the ideal preparation for the Open Club (national championships for club teams). Foreign top youth teams see the tournament as a unique opportunity to measure their strength against European opponents.”

The NLV 16-2 team also traveled and competed in the tournaments, finishing third in Apeldoorn and sixth in Innsbruck.

Players from both teams documented their travels with

journals and videos.

Stellmaker, an All-Big Nine selection, recorded 493 set assists, 200 kills, 313 digs, 61 ace serves and 20 blocks during her sophomore campaign with the Panthers. She also reached 1,000 career set assists during the 2025 season.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Rec Sports

Introducing Community Coach | USA Ultimate

Published

9 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 8, 2026) – USA Ultimate has recently made available a new, free resource for adults teaching young, beginning ultimate players. This new program, titled Community Coach, offers a learning experience targeted to individuals who have an interest in coaching but limited experience with the sport of ultimate.

The effort — led by USA Ultimate’s Youth and Education Program Manager Sam Callan — was developed in collaboration with Youth Programs Director Dan Raabe and Grant Boyd of USA Ultimate Affiliate, California Ultimate, with input from others in the ultimate coaching community.

The program went live with a soft launch near the end of last year and is currently available through the USA Ultimate’s Mobile Coach website and app.

The course is aimed at those looking to start middle school programs and includes:

An introduction to coaching, including advice from elite ultimate coach Matty Tsang.
A module covering the basics of the game and how to facilitate a learning environment with videos covering how to teach skills, including throwing and catching.
Videos featuring longtime ultimate coach Libby Cravens explaining how to teach offensive and defensive plays.
Four introductory practice plans with equipment lists and advice for how to change things up to fit different groups and spaces.
A kid-friendly rules introduction and additional resources.

“We are excited to introduce this new coaching program for adults who are newcomers to ultimate,” shared Callan. “Making ultimate accessible is an ongoing goal of USAU and getting parents and teachers involved is a great way to extend the availability of ultimate programming to youth who are exploring new sports.”

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