Rec Sports
Organized Games Changing Way Kids Play Basketball Today
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Are kids really playing enough basketball games today?
West Virginia coaches Ross Hodge and Mark Kellogg believe they probably are, but not the way many of us were accustomed to playing 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Back then, you couldn’t find a park anywhere that wasn’t full of players on a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
In the small town I grew up in West Virginia, games were played from noon until sunset. You picked the teams. You made up the rules and you settled disputes, sometimes with your fists if you had to.
Pickup basketball in the Mountain State really grew out of the successes West Virginia University had playing in the National Invitation Tournaments in the 1940s. Soon after coach Dyke Raese’s Mountaineers won the NIT in 1942, kids everywhere were nailing hoops to Sycamore trees in their backyards, to barns, or finding deserted streets and attaching baskets to telephone poles, as Bob Clousson once did when he was growing up in Clarksburg in the early 1950s.
“Somebody donated half of a ping-pong table for the backboard, and we hoisted that thing up on a telephone pole,” he once recalled. “Saturday morning was our big day, and we would be out there at 7 o’clock and made sure nobody was parked underneath it so we could play all day.
“If somebody did park there, we were mad, and we played anyway and just bounced the ball off their car hood,” he said.
It was said that Jerry West played so incessantly as a child growing up in southern West Virginia that he had to take vitamin shots for nutrition, and a basket that he practiced on near his house was next to a hill, and whenever a shot was missed, the ball rolled all the way down into a deep gully.
His solution to the predicament was to quit missing.
Guard Hot Rod Hundley said playing basketball games all day long at the Charleston YMCA in the late 1940s literally saved his life.
“I remember going to the Y and you couldn’t even get on the floor,” he said. “You played winners stay up, and there would be a line of guys waiting to play. If you lost, you wouldn’t play again for an hour or longer. We played to 20 points and then the game was over. You had to write your name on the board for your team. (Years later) you could shoot a cannon through there because there wasn’t a soul there.”
Today, kids play AAU games or games in managed settings, but Kellogg is not sure if many of them are capable of arranging their own games or picking their own teams.
“They play too much organized basketball,” he explains. “Back in our generation, we just went out and played pickup games. I don’t know if our kids even know how to organize a pickup game if somebody doesn’t help them and tell them what to do and how to get going when you used to go outside and just played.
“If you lost, you may sit for 30 minutes because there were that many people waiting to play, so I think we’ve lost some of that along the way,” he said.
Hodge agrees.
“When I was playing not that long ago, you played more,” he opined. “You didn’t work out as much. You played. If you were going back to the gym at night, you were going to play one-on-one, two-on-two or three-on-three and weren’t kind of working on a specific skill.
“I think the difference is now they play so much, but in a controlled environment,” West Virginia’s first-year coach explained. “If you are playing AAU, immediately that coach is going to try and win, so he’s going to try and figure out how to win with that team, and they are going to be very specific with what each player is doing to try and help that team win, as opposed to kind of organically getting together and learning how to play basketball going to like a park or a recreation center like we did.”
Kellogg says there is an exploration process that is lost on today’s players because the games they are playing are typically arranged for them.
“They need to play games, and organized is perfectly fine, but also just go out and explore and make up your rules and find your teams, ‘Okay, we’ve got three post players on our team, let’s figure out how to play with them.’ Or maybe another team doesn’t have size for this game and those are the things we used to do on our own because your first five that made (free throws or 3-point shots), that was your team,” he said. “You didn’t know who it was going to be, but other times, you might roll in with your complete group of five that you wanted to play with.”
There was a certain meritocracy to those old-school pickup games. If you made an open shot, you likely got the ball again. If you missed it, then you better go crash the boards and earn some respect.
Not everyone got to play, and if you wanted to keep playing, you better figure out how to win with the players you have.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson believes many of today’s players are being trained to “work basketball” instead of simply playing basketball.
“Sometimes you need to get somebody and go play against somebody and see if you can guard them,” he said in a video clip that went viral on social media this summer. “When you are playing one-on-zero who are you guarding? And who is guarding you? Can you handle pressure? Can you work on going left or right against pressure? The thing I would tell kids coming up is spend more time playing basketball than working on basketball.”
“Not that long ago, you were playing pickup games in the recs, parks or open gyms at the high school and you called next,” Hodge said. “When it was your time, you picked who you thought could win and you just didn’t get to play because you should get to play. You actually had to earn your right onto it. There’s a balance and a ying and a yang to everything; good and bad.
“More often than not, nowadays, when players get into the gym, they are getting into it to work on a specific skill as opposed to just playing the game itself.”
Kellogg says there is great value in individual skill development, as long as it applies to the team setting. He used the European model as an example.
“We practice very little now at the youth level, and then they go play five games on a weekend and maybe have a practice in between, instead of the European model, which is the complete opposite,” he said. “They practice three, four or five times a week to play one game. We wonder why the skill levels on the collegiate and the professional level are with the more international-type players, so I think we need to find a balance here.
“Because we play so many games, at times, the winning and losing doesn’t mean quite as much. ‘If we’re going to lose at 9 a.m., that’s okay because we’ve got another game at 4 o’clock.’ When you only play once a week, winning and losing seems to be a little bit different,” he added.
“As a coach, you want them to be in the gym and you want them to work on their skillsets and a lot of them have trainers, and there are great qualities to all of that, but you want them to make sure it carries over into live action,” Kellogg said. “Are we working on things that will help you when you come to play for us at West Virginia?”
In the final analysis, Hodge believes the games are when players and coaches really learn about themselves and their teams.
“Until you actually get out there and put your entire group together and play another group … you can get better, and you can learn what you’re trying to do, but you have to play other people before you really, really figure your team out,” he concluded.
Rec Sports
California orders Tahoe Truckee schools to leave Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute
The California Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to follow state law in another clash over transgender athletes in youth sports in the state.
Currently, student-athletes in Tahoe Truckee Unified play sports in Nevada because of how close they are. But Nevada now bans transgender athletes in girls’ sports, which is against California state law.
So after decades of playing in Nevada, California’s Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to compete in California to comply with state laws that allow student athletes to compete based on their gender identity.
David Mack is the co-founder of Tahoe Pride and describes the new youth sports divide in the Tahoe region.
“So no one’s happy, it’s really sad, it’s quite tragic in that way,” Mack said. “People feel really upset that the school moved so fast on this. They feel blindsided, they feel not listened to, and then other people, like the trans kids, are getting steamrolled over like they’re not recognized in this argument.”
Nevada state lawmakers passed a law in April requiring a mandatory physical signed by a doctor to deem the athlete male or female based on their birth sex.
“This is a politically manufactured issue to try to divide people,” Mack said.
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District is responding to the California Department of Education with a solution that the district legally join the California Interscholastic Federation in 2026, but continue to play in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association through 2028.
When asked if transgender athletes would be able to compete while operating in the NIAA, the district said it’s “still in the early stages of this transition, and many details are still being developed.”
In an October letter addressed to the California Department of Education, the school district’s attorney, Matthew Juhl-Darlington, said the Tahoe Truckee Unified is “not aware of any transgender youth who have expressed interest in participating in its 2025-2026 athletic programs.”
“While the NIAA recently updated its polices to define ‘male’ and ‘female’ based on sex assigned at birth and not as reflected in an individual’s gender identity, as required under California law, the District is interpreting and implementing this policy in a manner consistent with California’s legal requirements,” Juhl-Darlington said in the letter.
California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley is opposed to the state order, arguing the weather conditions in Tahoe need to be considered.
“So in order to compete in a California league, you have to deal with this snowy weather and the travel dangers and so forth,” Kiley said.
The school board was expected to explain its solution to both join California’s CIF while playing in the NIAA through 2028 to parents and students Wednesday night at a board meeting.
So far, the California Department of Education has not said if it will accept this as a solution.
Rec Sports
Quincy University on probation after allowing over 100 ineligible students to participate in sports
QUINCY (WGEM) – Quincy University has to pay a $5,000 fine and spend two years on probation after the NCAA issued sanctions tied to more than 120 ineligible student-athletes who were allowed to play for the school.
The problem first surfaced in August 2024 when staff preparing the men’s and women’s soccer roster lists discovered three players had not received the required amateurism certification. That same day, another school alerted QU’s athletics office that a transfer student from Quincy also lacked the certification. The athletic office then launched a broader review.
What began as a handful of missing documents quickly grew. The department found potential eligibility problems for 95 student-athletes during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. In November 2024, the department self-reported the findings to the NCAA and cooperated with an investigation.
The NCAA report names former Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Taylor Zerbe as central to the violations. Zerbe admitted to changing 74 student-athletes’ eligibility certifications and told investigators she felt overwhelmed by the workload. According to the report, she did not raise those concerns with her supervisor. Zerbe also admitted to knowing some athletes were ineligible when she altered their certification. She was not employed by QU when the problems were discovered.
QU’s internal review reached back to the 2021-22 school year, which coincided with Zerbe’s employment. That review uncovered additional violations. Overall, the NCAA says Zerbe falsified eligibility squad lists and that QU improperly certified 121 student-athletes across 17 sports.
The report details several consequences for those athletes: 93 practiced beyond the allowable 45-day period, 78 competed when they were not eligible, and 26 received financial aid while ineligible. The university also allowed 27 student-athletes to compete before their eligibility was formally reinstated, and two transfer student-athletes competed despite not meeting transfer eligibility rules.
QU and the NCAA agreed to a set of penalties intended to correct the system and increase transparency. In addition to the $5,000 fine and two-years probation, the school must tell prospective student-athletes in writing that the program is on probation and disclose the violations.
- Vacate any wins, records or participation that involved ineligible student-athletes from the time those athletes became ineligible until they were reinstated.
- Prevent head coaches from counting wins from games where ineligible athletes competed toward milestone totals (for example, a coach’s 100th win).
- Allow individuals who were eligible to keep any personal records or awards they earned.
- Undergo a comprehensive external review of certification and eligibility procedures during the probation period.
The NCAA report contains the full list of prescribed penalties.
Regarding Zerbe, the NCAA has barred her for two years from working at a member institution in any role that involves eligibility certification responsibilities.
QU declined on-camera interviews, but Athletic Director Josh Rabe told WGEM the university acted with integrity by self-reporting and taking steps to address the problem. Rabe said the department has tightened procedures and added what he called “a double-check to check the double-check.”
QU released the following statement:
Below is the full case summary:
Copyright 2025 WGEM. All rights reserved.
PRESS RELEASE
Minnesota Legislature
Rochester Delegation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
HOUSE CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
SENATE CONTACT: Jack Vinck
651-440-5056 or jack.vinck@mnsenate.gov
Rochester DFL Legislators to Take Action on Rochester Sports Complex
Rochester, Minn – On Monday, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton vetoed the city council’s plan for a $65 million sports complex that is not reflective of the ballot initiative that funded the project in 2023. The city council is expected to overturn the Mayor’s veto at their December 22nd meeting.
In response, the DFL Rochester delegation intends to introduce legislation to revoke authorization of the Local Option Sales Tax they previously passed into law to fund the project. The delegation released the following statement:
“Rochester residents deserve to get what they paid and voted for. The updated plan for the sports complex no longer serves the best interests of Rochester residents. Rather, it serves a narrow set of special interests and ignores the community’s need for indoor recreation space — the very reason voters approved the project in the first place.
“Both as legislators who passed the legislation that allows the complex to be funded by the Local Option Sales Tax, and as voters who were excited to support the community-oriented initiative, we feel deceived. The changes made to the project to eliminate the indoor portion of the complex also eliminates the reason that many Rochester residents supported the project.”
Not long after the ballot approval of the complex, a new cost assessment was completed. Updated estimates came back at $120 million, nearly twice the cost of the initial $65 million proposal approved by voters.
“It’s unclear to us how such an expensive oversight was made on cost — and it’s equally unclear why the city council has chosen to prioritize the outdoor complex over the part of the project that won community support in the first place. Whatever the reason, the city council should either find a way to deliver on what voters approved or bring these significant changes back to the ballot.
“As legislators, we urge the Rochester council to change course and return to the original goal of meeting residents’ needs for indoor recreational space. After many conversations with stakeholders and community members, it is clear to us that as proposed, the project now falls outside of the parameters outlined in the original use of funds request. If the city council does not change course, we plan to introduce legislation to revoke authorization to use Local Option Sales Tax funds for the project. We remain committed to meeting the needs of our community and seeing that the residents of Rochester get what they’ve voted for, and we remain willing to work with the city council toward that goal.
“We want to see this project fully realized in a form that serves the entire community, as we were all assured it would.”
The DFL Rochester Delegation includes Senator Liz Boldon (DFL—Rochester), Representative Kim Hicks (DFL—Rochester), Representative Tina Liebling (DFL—Rochester) and Representative Andy Smith (DFL—Rochester).
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TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/Gray News) – Two children in Idaho are critically injured after a tree fell on them while they were waiting for the school bus.
The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office said high winds caused rotten trees to fall on power lines before collapsing on the children.
The kids, both under the age of 10, and an older sibling were waiting outside for their bus when the tree collapsed. According to the sheriff’s office, the older sibling was not injured.
Aaron Hudson, the Twin Falls fire deputy chief, told KTVB first responders had to first get the kids out from the tree and downed power lines before they could prepare them for transport.
The sheriff’s office said one of the children was taken to the hospital by ambulance, while the other was airlifted.
According to Hudson, the weather conditions caused difficulties during transport. He said that it prevented the helicopter from going any further than the local hospital.
The family of the children has started a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses.
Copyright 2025 KMVT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Athletic Director Troy Dannen reflected on another year of Nebraska Athletics, sharing highlights and achievements of the men’s and women’s sports teams and hinting at what’s to come.
In competition, Huskers excelled in multiple sports:
- Nebraska volleyball team just completed a remarkable 33-1 season
- Wrestling finished as the national runner-up as a team and two Husker wrestlers won individual national championships
- Softball made an NCAA Super Regional appearance
- Football earned a second straight bowl berth
- Both basketball teams are undefeated and ranked in the AP Top 25.
This year, student-athletes set a school record with a 3.464 GPA, led the Big Ten Conference with 117 fall Academic All-Conference selections and once again posted a Graduation Success Rate over 90%, among the best in the nation. Dannen said they also made a positive impact in Lincoln and surrounding communities through their volunteer work.
Alcohol and food sales at Husker venues
The start of alcohol sales at all on-campus venues and the addition of new food options resulted in an increase of 75% in total concession revenue compared to last year, Dannen said.
“More than 313,000 alcoholic beverages were served and new food options were added to the menu, resulting in an increase of 75% in total concession revenue compared to last year,” Dannen said.
The introduction of alcohol sales came with concerns about the impact on fan behavior, but Dannen said it remained consistent with the previous five years.
John Cook Arena reseating
The John Cook Arena reseating process planned for 2026 has drawn criticism from longtime season ticket holders.
Dannen said the athletic staff has developed a plan that ensures that season-ticket holders in 2025 will be guaranteed season-tickets next year.
Dannen said 10% of current season-ticket holders did not use their tickets this year but rather sold those tickets through secondary markets. Those tickets, originally purchased for a total of $600,000 by those ticket holders, were then resold for a total of $3.2 million on the secondary market. Ticket use for this purpose is strictly prohibited.
The accounts that resold the entirety of their tickets will be excluded from the ability to purchase season-tickets in 2026, Dannen said.
1890 Nebraska winding down operations
With the implementation of the House settlement, 1890 Nebraska, Husker Athletics’ NIL collective, has begun winding down its operations.
“Hundreds of Husker fans donated millions of dollars over the past 24 months to support NIL for our student-athletes, as the rules at the time permitted,” Dannen said the in the letter.
The House settlement now prohibits much of what 1890 Nebraska provided, but in turn allows the university to share $20.5 million directly with student-athletes as they pay to license their NIL rights.
The five sports primarily supported by the collective include the Nebraska wrestling team, football team, two basketball teams and the volleyball team.
Facility upgrades
Several Nebraska athletic facilities saw enhancements including the completion of the track and field complex, along with new facilities for golf, rifle, swimming and diving and bowling.
In 2026, the athletics department is planning to renovate the softball and baseball clubhouses. Dannen said they are also looking forward to expanding the Devaney Center.
Entertainment
Three shows have been scheduled to take place inside Memorial Stadium next year. Zach Bryan will perform on April 25, the Savannah Bananas on June 13 and The Boys from Oklahoma on Aug. 22.
“Our plan is to continue to utilize our facilities for outside events to bring new events to our spaces and to help drive entertainment options in Lincoln,” Dannen said.
Due to anticipated construction, Nebraska Athletics will hold off on booking events for Memorial Stadium in 2027.
The athletics department is expecting to make two “big announcements on the Husker women’s sports front” early next year that will have a tremendous impact on its female student-athletes.
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Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — A Jefferson County Grand Jury has indicted a Birmingham man, who also served as president of a local youth sports organization, on multiple felony sex offenses in separate cases, according to newly filed court documents.
The records show Manuel Chaney III, 41, was indicted on first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse during the grand jury’s November 2025 session. A judge ordered no bond in that case. Chaney was also indicted in a second case on a separate charge of first-degree sexual abuse by forcible compulsion, with bail set at $15,000 under a different case number.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on November 24, 2025, and records show he was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on December 15. Chaney appeared before a judge on December 17, where he was advised of his rights. Bond was denied under Alabama’s Aniah’s Law, which allows judges to hold defendants without bail in certain violent crime cases. He remains in custody.
Court documents list the alleged offense date as March 8, 2024, and confirm that the charges stem from more than one case.
Following the indictment, ABC 33/40 News contacted youth sports officials in Irondale. Park Commissioner Robert Tripp said the allegations do not involve Irondale youth sports and are not connected to its football programs. Tripp said Chaney worked in an administrative, volunteer capacity, primarily assisting with fundraising efforts, and helped form the organization before serving as its president.
The City of Irondale also clarified that the Youth Mounties football league is an independent, volunteer-run group, not operated or overseen by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The city said none of the league’s officers, board members, or leaders are appointed or governed by the city, and it does not supervise the league’s operations.
A lawyer for Chaney, John Lentine, provided the following statement:
We are waiting on the judge to determine if bail will be set and the amount of bail so Mr. Chaney can be released. Mr. Chaney has equivocally denied the charges. The cases will move forward and we will resolve them in court not the media.
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