This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
Dive Brief:
Dick’s Sporting Goods is broadening its content ambitions with the launch of a new in-house studio centered on sports storytelling, according to a press release.
Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios will focus on telling inspiring athlete stories and examining the impact of sports on culture. The official announcement aligns with the unit’s latest release, a documentary chronicling the 2024 Little League World Series that was produced in partnership with Imagine Entertainment and MLB Studios.
Dick’s is expanding its internal content capabilities after building up a catalog over the last decade-plus that has included five feature-length films and two Sports Emmy wins. Meanwhile, consumer interest in sports continues to diversify, providing rich opportunities for marketers.
Dive Insight:
Dick’s is doubling down on its in-house content initiative with the formal unveiling of Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios. Marketers are betting on original programming to establish a foothold in important cultural spaces and develop a deeper connection to their core customers. Demand for sports content remains high, and approximately 40% of surveyed CMOs plan to hike their investments in the category this year despite ongoing challenges in assessing return-on-investment, according to Forrester data.
Dick’s has been pumping out original work in the sports arena since 2014, when it released its first feature-length documentary, titled “We Could Be King.” That film went on to win the Emmy for Outstanding Sports Documentary while Dick’s has continued to draw industry accolades since. “The Turnaround,” a documentary short from 2024 that examined how a Phillies superfan helped to turn around the team’s fortunes, recently led to Dick’s second Sports Emmy win.
The company is promoting Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios more heavily in the lead-up to its latest output, “Big Dreams: The Little League World Series 2024,” which premieres on ESPN on Aug. 12. The film is indicative of the type of content Dick’s is looking to produce more of through Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, said Rebecca Covington, senior director of creative production, in a statement.
Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios takes its name from a piece of Dick’s company lore, wherein founder Dick Stack borrowed $300 from his grandmother’s savings, which were kept in a cookie jar, to jump-start the business.
Dick’s has been on a winning streak in a tumultuous time for retail, delivering five straight quarters of comparable growth above 4%. The sporting goods retailer in May said it would acquire Foot Locker, a top rival, for $2.4 billion.
Other retailers are stepping up their efforts in the areas of film and TV as the worlds of content and marketing converge. Macy’s in March acquired the exclusive option to develop a best-selling nonfiction book about the women who shaped department stores into a scripted series.
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Athletics recognized two student-athletes as the Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for December. Men’s Basketball sophomore guard Luke Winkel (Ankeny, Iowa) was named Male Athlete of the Month while Volleyball junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) was named Female Athlete of the Month for their performances during the month.
Luke Winkel’s December Highlights
Averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 assists.
Shot 44.7% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 74.2% from the free throw line.
Tallied his first career double-double with 27 points and 11 assists against Wayne State.
Scored a then career-high 29 points against Concordia-St. Paul to go with six assists.
Totaled a new career-high of 30 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Sioux Falls.
Helped lead the Huskies to a 5-0 start in the NSIC for the first time since 2008-09.
SCSU went 4-2 in December and are tied for third in the NSIC with a 5-2 conference record.
Currently fourth in the NSIC in scoring and assists.
Produced 19 digs and seven kills in the Huskies 3-1 win over No. 17 Missouri Western in the NCAA Round of 64/Central Region Quarterfinals. Her 19 digs were tied for the second most in a single match this season and it was her sixth straight match with double digit digs.
Recorded 11 kills and eight digs in SCSU’s 3-1 win over No. 2 and Central Region Host, Nebraska Kearney in the NCAA Round of 32/Central Region Semifinals. It was her 21st match with 10+ kills.
Notched an 18-dig, 13-kill double-double with three block assists in the Huskies five-set loss to No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Sweet 16/Central Region Championship. It was her 17th double-double of the season. It was also her fifth match with 18+ digs and her 13th match with 13+ kills.
Named to the AVCA All-America Second Team, AVCA All-Central Region Second Team, D2CCA All-Central Region First Team and NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
Named to CSC Academic All-District® Team, NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and NSIC All-Academic Team.
Helped the Huskies earn a No. 5 ranking in the final AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Poll for the second consecutive season and third time in program history.
Helped SCSU tie its program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season with two and advance to the NCAA Round of 16/Central Region Championship for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four seasons.
2025-2026 Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month September
October
Austin Burnevik (Men’s Hockey)
Ellie Primerano (Women’s Soccer)
November
Dominic Ducato (Wrestling)
Jaylee Strickland (Women’s Soccer)
December
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the Huskies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Three incoming Nebraska volleyball student-athletes will compete in the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Match on New Year’s Day at The Venue on the campus of UCF in Orlando.
Gabby DiVita will play on Team Pearls, while Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams will be on Team Roses.
The Under Armour Next All-America Match will be streamed live on the SCNext YouTube Channel at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 1, with ESPNU re-airing the event at 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 4.
The Under Armour Next All-America match features some of the nation’s best high school seniors as they prepare to join some of the top college volleyball programs in the country. This elite class has committed to 16 different colleges.
Oakwood’s Isabelle Anderson sets the ball to a teammate during the Hawks’ 2025 season. Photo: Courtesy of Anna-Liza Anderson
Oakwood School emphasizes its strong academics. The Morgan Hill school is seeing its athletic teams excel too. On the girls side, coach Anna-Liza Anderson’s volleyball program just racked up another superb season.
In 2025, the Hawks reached new heights with its fourth straight strong year. Behind two-time unanimous league MVP Isabelle Anderson and a solid young group of teammates, the Hawks finished 20-6 overall and tied Notre Dame Salinas for the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Santa Lucia Division title with a 13-1 mark.
Since 2021, Oakwood has fielded a 70-25 record, 42-8 in league play. The 2025 season began with high hopes but with some rebuilding and construction to do.
“Half the team was new,” co-captain Isabelle Anderson said. “Only having four seniors, we performed very well. Our goal was to be league champion.”
Anderson, a 5-11 senior, directed the offense to the tune of 510 assists, 7.1 per set. She delivered 138 aces from the serving line, an amazing average of two per set, ranking first in both the Central Coast Section and the state of California, and No. 11 in national stats.
Major contributions also came from co-captain libero Nalani Goulart, whose on-the-mark passing was a crucial foundation to the Hawks’ success. The junior racked up 259 digs, which led the league.
Junior outside hitter Sophia Fieler paced the Hawks on the attack with 262 kills, a phenomenal 10.1 average per match, tops in league. Both Goulart and Fieler joined Anderson in receiving First Team All-League recognition.
Senior Gianna Garcia delivered 139 kills to supplement the offense and received Second Team plaudits. Contributions in the middle were key to diversifying the offense and providing blocking at the net. That effort was led by junior Olivia Wong and sophomore Sophia Wong.
Defensive help in the back row came from Camilla Mendoza and Jocelyn Velasco. Depth was provided by Gabriella Zelenyak, Arya Vaid and Georgia Alves.
“It’s also a very mental game,” coach Anderson said. “I engage all the players. I tell them in any given moment, they need to be ready. We’re doing this together.”
It all started with Isabelle Anderson, coach Anderson’s daughter. Goulart provided the crucial complement in the back row.
“Those two are my captains,” coach Anderson said. “Isabelle’s competitive level helps the whole team. She makes a play out of every single ball. She makes sure our hitters get the kills. She is also our strongest hitter. People can’t get her hits up.”
Isabelle Anderson looked to rip kills when opportunities provided themselves. She totaled 114, turning on second balls or as a right side option. The versatile Goulart helped by setting Anderson when feasible.
“Nalani is fearless,” coach Anderson said. “She has a great platform and that aids her in her passing. She is an amazing passer and can also set.”
The two co-captains recognized the synergy and cohesion.
“She (Nalani) makes setting easier,” Isabelle Anderson said. “She makes accurate passes. The last two seasons, we’ve had a great feng shui connection.”
Goulart has confidence that Isabelle Anderson will distribute to different hitters, even if the pass is not entirely on target.
“On any pass I make, she can do something out of it,” Goulart said. “She can always turn it into something the offense can use.”
Non-league matches provided strong competition and toughened the team. Highlights included sweeps of Mt. Madonna and Everett Alvarez, along with tournament victories over North Monterey County, North Salinas and Marina. The latter four were in a higher PCAL division and Mt. Madonna is a member of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, a league two levels higher.
The squad jelled quickly. In league play, the Hawks routed York and Trinity before colliding with powerful Monterey Bay Academy. In that home contest, Oakwood rallied past MBA 25-14, 22-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-12. Fieler shined with 15 kills and Garcia added nine.
Anderson smacked seven kills, served 10 aces and had five blocks. Mendoza and Zelenyak provided extensive contributions in the back row defense.
A big highlight came two weeks later with a Sept. 25 win over Notre Dame Salinas, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 25-16. Fieler was on fire with 21 kills. Olivia Wong had five blocks and Garcia had four blocks. Anderson served seven aces. Goulart had 24 digs and 15 serve receives.
Later in the year, Oakwood lost a rematch with Notre Dame Salinas but outlasted MBA on the road. The Oct. 7 road victory over MBA was crucial to avoiding dropping back in the league race. The Hawks prevailed via a reverse sweep, 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 30-28, 15-11.
The gym was roaring as MBA won the first two sets. Oakwood responded with a dominant third set.
“We had nothing to lose,” Goulart said. “We came together as a team. After the third set, we kept the energy going.”
That they did. Coach Anderson also made defensive adjustments. Fieler was ripping kills line and cross, on her way to a 17-kill night. Anderson served 10 aces and had five blocks.
“There was a lot of back and forth,” Isabelle Anderson said. “As a team we worked together and used the energy for us. Everyone played their part.”
The Hawks won a dramatic fourth set 30-28 and carried the momentum into a 15-11 fifth for the victory and a joyous ride back to Morgan Hill.
The end result was a co-championship with Notre Dame, with MBA back in third place. Further behind in the division were York, Trinity, Ceiba, Chartwell, Kirby Prep and Anzar.
Personal landmark efforts during the year were many. Fieler, who closed the season with nine or more kills in each of the last 12 matches, put down 22 kills against Soledad and 21 in the first match with Notre Dame.
Garcia smashed 15 kills in the second Notre Dame game and had nine or 10 on five other occasions. Anderson served 10 aces in six matches and hit her high mark of 11 against Everett Alvarez. Goulart had 31 digs and 30 digs in the two York matches. She also had 24 and 25 respectively against ND Salinas.
Both Isabelle Anderson and Goulart complimented coach Anderson’s approach.
“She’s a really good coach,” Goulart said. “She helps me play better. She pushes us all to do better. It’s fun yet she knows when it’s time to be serious.”
Goulart noted that coach Anderson’s even-keel demeanor on the sideline was very helpful. Isabelle Anderson commented that she and the team have learned resiliency.
They both noted that the volleyball program and coach Anderson’s leadership have helped them with perseverance and mental toughness, along with off-the-court benefits such as time management.
“It’s like a family,” coach Anderson said. “I want to build strong, confident, accountable girls. Push them a little outside their comfort zone. Oakwood is strong with academics. Yet one can balance the academics with athletics. I want to challenge them at a different level.”
Women’s college volleyball continues to be a solid growth property for ESPN.
The network announced earlier this week that this year’s NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament was the most-watched on record, averaging 666,000 viewers across 15 matches on the ESPN family of networks, up 13% year-over-year.
This year’s tournament was capped off with Texas A&M’s straight-set win over Kentucky in the championship, which averaged 1.4 million viewers on ABC opposite the Week 16 Sunday afternoon NFL slate. The championship was the second most-watched in history behind only the 2023 title match between Texas and Nebraska, which averaged 1.69 million viewers. Texas A&M’s win saw an 8% year-over-year viewership increase compared to the Penn State-Louisville matchup in 2024.
While the title game fell short of a viewership record, both the regional finals and regional semifinals were the most-watched in history. The semis averaged 402,000 viewers while the finals averaged 753,000 viewers. In addition to record-setting regional semifinal and final rounds, the women’s college volleyball regular season also set a new high on ESPN, averaging 190,000 viewers, up 36% from 2024.
Overall, it was the most-consumed NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament on record according to ESPN, with 1.3 billion minutes consumed across the entire competition. Four matches averaged over one million viewers: the championship, national semifinals, and a regional match between Texas A&M and Nebraska, which averaged 1.2 million viewers.
Networks are rightfully investing more into women’s college volleyball, and the audiences are following. Will the sport ever reach the same heights of women’s college basketball? Unlikely. But the sport is solidifying itself as quite a valuable property, similar to college softball, during its postseason run. And the more ESPN leans into promoting the event, the closer the gap could become between volleyball and other more popular sports.
LINCOLN, Neb — Three incoming Nebraska volleyball student-athletes are set to showcase their talents at the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Match on New Year’s Day. The event will take place at The Venue on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando. Gabby DiVita will join Team Pearls, while Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams will compete for Team Roses.
The match, featuring some of the nation’s top high school seniors, will be streamed live on the SCNext YouTube Channel at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 1. ESPNU will re-air the event at 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 4. This elite group of athletes has committed to 16 different colleges, preparing to join some of the top college volleyball programs in the country.
