Bettors in North Carolina wagered more than $7 billion through legal online sportsbooks in 2025, the first complete calendar year since sports betting launched in the state.

In December, the state had more than $651 million in paid wagers, the fourth consecutive month that wagering activity in the state exceeded $650 million, according to information released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

The state collected more than $14.6 million in taxes from the licensed operators, who pay an 18% tax on their gross wagering revenue as calculated by the commission. In 2025, North Carolina collected more than $132 million in taxes from the operators.

Some of the tax revenue goes to the state health department for gambling addiction education and treatment programs, two statewide youth sports organizations which distribute grants, a major events funds and the athletics departments at UNC System schools, though not NC State or UNC-Chapel Hill. The rest goes to the state’s general fund.

Paid wagers in December were up more than 6% over December 2024, continuing a trend. The commission doesn’t release more detailed data on betting, such as which sport attracts the most wagers or which operator has the most customers or bets each month.

Lawmakers approved legal sports betting in North Carolina in 2023 and it went live in mid-March 2024. The state now has seven legal operators.

Young Tar Heel fans are invited to join the North Carolina women’s sports teams for 2026 UNC National Girls & Women in Sports Day, an annual event to highlight women’s athletics at Carolina, brought to you by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and Carolina Athletics. The NGWSD celebration is set for Jan. 25 from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Bill Koman Practice Complex on the UNC campus.

The day’s event is intended for girls and boys pre-K through eighth grade. There is no charge to participate, and everyone (including parents/guardians) who registers in advance will receive a complimentary ticket to the UNC women’s basketball game against Syracuse that day at 2 p.m. at nearby Carmichael Arena.

https://goheels.com/form/90

Building on its commitment to support youth mental health, connectivity and resiliency, Blue Cross NC encourages participation in sports and an active lifestyle that supports physical and mental well-being. By partnering with youth, parents and community leaders like Carolina Athletics, Blue Cross NC believes there is opportunity to help reduce stigmas associated with mental health for young people in sports.

The NGWSD event includes mini-clinics with each sport, giving kids the opportunity to try out a variety of skills in a fun environment that’s appropriate for youths of all ages. The majority of the 15 UNC women’s varsity teams – cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, track & field and volleyball – will be represented at the event.

For more information, you can email uncngwsd@gmail.com or visit www.goheels.com

Information about check-in and parking will be emailed to registrants in advance of the event.

contributed photo
Kevin Goodman was an elected member of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.

Kevin Goodman, a first-term Marshall County Supervisor, Haverhill area farmer, Marshalltown High School (MHS) alum and baseball enthusiast who played for the now-defunct Iowa State University (ISU) squad in the 1980s, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 63.

The news was confirmed in an email sent from fellow Supervisors Jarret Heil and Carol Hibbs to county employees, and a cause of death has not been publicly shared.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Marshall County Supervisor Kevin Goodman. Kevin lived a remarkable life filled with family, adventure, and service to his community. We will remember his passion for serving his community. Everyone at Marshall County shares our deepest condolences to Dana and the entire Goodman family,” they wrote.

Heil, the current board chairman, also shared reflections on working with Goodman, who narrowly won the 2024 Republican primary over Bill Schendel before coasting to victory in the general election that November.

“Kevin really enjoyed serving the people of Marshall County. He loved learning all aspects of county government. Today is a very sad day. I’m really going to miss Kevin as he was a great friend to me and to many. God bless him and his family,” he said.

In his own statement, Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney expressed a similar sentiment.

“Kevin had a heart for helping others, and his time as a Supervisor reflects that he was committed to doing so. I’m thankful for Kevin’s service to our community, to have had the opportunity to get to know him, and to have talked baseball with him,” Gaffney said. “Kevin’s passing is a major loss for our community, and my heart hurts for his family and loved ones, for whom this loss is experienced most. Kevin is missed. And his family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers.”

Marshall County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson recalled Goodman’s warm nature and eagerness to learn as a relative newcomer to the job.

“As County Supervisor, Kevin was known for his passion for learning and his willingness to take on his new roles and responsibilities to better serve residents. Kevin’s work reflected a genuine desire to make a positive difference, and his contributions will have a lasting impact on Marshall County. Kevin will be remembered for his dedication, integrity, and for me his smile and cheerful ‘hello’ as he came into our meetings,” she said. “I still have the photo of Kevin, (Sheriff) Joel Phillips, and myself when we were sworn into office on Dec. 20, 2024, by Judge Jennifer Miller. He was a great co-worker, eager to learn, and he served his community with dedication, humility, and a deep commitment to public service.”

Despite his passions for agriculture, history and baseball, Goodman’s greatest joy came from raising his three children alongside his wife Dana, his oldest son Christian said.

“He loved people. He loved his family. He’s got a very strong group of buddies, and they stay in contact every year. He’s always been the connector in getting the guys together,” Dana said. “He loved teaching young kids baseball and softball. He always said he thought maybe he should’ve been a history teacher. He loved history, and he never met a stranger he didn’t know. He’s a good guy. He trusted people, loved farming (and was) very passionate about feeding cattle.”

Christian, a Class of 2010 MHS graduate, added that his father took pride in doing things “the right way,” was always working to improve and was never afraid to think outside the box.

“Whether it was feeding cattle or baseball, he was a very analytical and creative individual. I just know (that) there was just no quit in the guy. It didn’t matter what the situation was. He wasn’t gonna back down from it,” he said. “We had people come and work for us (on the farm), and they’ve all reached out and said how much they enjoyed working with him because he treated everybody like they were his family. And he was a really genuine person. I’ve been told that by a lot of people that there was just something about him that made you feel comfortable, and I know a lot of people have told me in the last few days that they would lean on him for support at times — stuff I didn’t even know about. He was never afraid to stop and help somebody in need.”

Even recently, Christian said, Kevin had assisted a woman with a flat tire just down the road, called deputies to ensure that she was safe and offered to pay for a new one before McAtee Tire owner Tom Wahl stepped up to donate it himself.

“That was not uncommon for him to do those kinds of things. From the time we were little, he coached our sports teams, and in talking to my teammates from those youth league sports, that was a time in their life that they remember because he made it memorable because of how he taught baseball and the things that he told them and the values that he (instilled),” Christian said. “It wasn’t just about winning, obviously. He taught a lot of life lessons to young kids, and I know that he helped out a lot of kids that didn’t have the funds to play in those kinds of leagues. And he made sure they had a fair opportunity. It’s just the kind of guy he was, and he really loved to see people succeed and get better. And he didn’t care who you were or what you were doing.”

In addition to youth coaching, he coached softball at MHS and served as an umpire. Christian felt that his father approached the county supervisor role with a similar vigor and cared deeply about doing a good job.

“He always gives it everything he’s got. He’s always trying to be better, and that was just who he was. Of course, he brought whatever he could to try to do the best job that he could, and watching everything else go on and the other stressors in his life, he gave it everything he had to perform in that role,” he said. “He lived life to the fullest, and I don’t think he ever cheated himself. He got the full life experience… I was really looking forward to watching him continue to sit in that county supervisor’s position, and looking back on it, I wish that he could have gotten into that kind of a position sooner because he’s a servant to the people.”

Goodman, a Republican, had recently started his second year in the role — attending the regular meeting on Dec. 31 and the organizational meeting on Jan. 2 — and was slated to serve a four-year term through the end of 2028. According to Benson, a vacancy will be declared at the regular Jan. 14 meeting, and within 40 days, the county’s appointment committee will work to choose a new supervisor who would then likely run to serve out the remainder of Goodman’s term in the November election.

——

Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.

On a typical day at KidsUnited Frisco | Plano, the sound of small sneakers on the indoor turf fills the air as children dart between brightly colored cones, guided by coaches offering encouragement, one drill at a time.

Toddlers carefully tap soccer balls with growing coordination, while older children practice focused footwork. Classes move seamlessly from one age group to the next, stretching from morning sessions to evening play, seven days a week. Each one is designed to help children grow not just as athletes, but as confident, capable individuals.

That steady hum of activity reflects the heart of KidsUnited Frisco | Plano: a year-round, indoor early childhood development program that uses soccer as a tool to help children ages one and a half to nine reach critical developmental milestones.

What makes KidsUnited Frisco | Plano unique?

Unlike traditional youth sports programs built around competition and seasonal schedules, KidsUnited Frisco | Plano takes a fundamentally different approach. The program focuses on individual skills development, with small class sizes and personalized coaching that allows each child to progress at their own pace.

“We focus on age-appropriate developmental milestones as the child progresses through our program, and we use soccer as the main tool for reaching those milestones and inspiring a lifelong love for the game,” head coach Bella Lopez said.

For the youngest age groups, there are no more than 10 children in each class, with two coaches on the field to ensure individualized attention. For older kids, class sizes do not exceed 12 children, and the coach to student ratio does not surpass 1:6. This structure allows athletes to get more touches on the ball, more repetition and more feedback, creating an environment where learning feels both supportive and fun.

Additionally, all coaches are certified and bring extensive soccer experience. Many have competed at the collegiate, semi-professional or professional level, equipping them to teach proper technique, refine form and build strong fundamentals in every player.

Beyond their expertise, the coaches are the heart of each session, dedicated to helping children grow both on and off the field. They focus on creating classes that are engaging, safe and filled with meaningful moments, encouraging a lasting passion for the game.

A curriculum built for growth

At the core of KidsUnited Frisco | Plano is a structured, 52-week curriculum developed by national KidsUnited head coaches. The curriculum is refreshed continuously throughout the year. While the focus areas remain consistent—body and ball mastery, and life skills—the drills change weekly to keep children engaged and challenged.

Life skills become a more intentional part of the curriculum starting around age three and a half, when children begin working on concepts such as perseverance, teamwork, leadership and decision-making. These lessons are woven directly into drills, as well as one-on-one or two-on-one scrimmages. This helps children learn how to navigate challenges in a low-pressure environment.

“The lesson that’s built into [this program] is that … you’re not going to get [the skill] on day one, … but you can do hard things little by little in a safe, comfortable, smaller type of environment,” Lopez said.

Building confidence early

For many families, one of the most noticeable outcomes of the program is confidence. Younger classes include parent-assisted instruction, helping toddlers feel comfortable as they bond with both caregivers and coaches. As children grow, the emphasis shifts toward independence and problem-solving, without the pressure of winning or losing. Families can also take advantage of a trial option to experience the program firsthand and see if it is a good fit for their family.

Coaches provide individualized feedback after every class, reinforcing progress and helping children recognize their own growth.

Families are incredibly happy with their experience.

“This soccer school has been an amazing experience for our family. The coaches are encouraging, organized and truly care about each player,” one family member said. “My child has grown not only in soccer skills, but also in confidence, teamwork and sportsmanship. Communication with parents is clear, the environment feels safe and welcoming, and practices are always fun and engaging. We’re so glad we signed up.”

Expanding access across North Texas

KidsUnited Frisco | Plano was the first KidsUnited location in Texas. It brought the nationally recognized program from the Northeast to one of the region’s most active youth sports communities, located at the border of Frisco and Plano.

That success is now fueling expansion.

The organization plans to open at least two additional locations in North Texas by early to mid-2025, including clubs in Celina and McKinney. The expansion aims to make the program more accessible for families who currently travel from surrounding cities such as Prosper, Aubrey and Melissa.

As the footprint grows, the mission remains the same: offering consistent, year-round development during the most formative years of childhood.

Frisco | Plano location: 4568 SH 121, Plano. Click here to learn more and try a class today.

Celina | Northwest McKinney location (coming soon): 8176 FM 2478, Bldg. 13, McKinney. Click here to contact the team now and take advantage of Founding Member Rates.

Follow the action @kidsunited_frisco.plano on Instagram and Facebook.

The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact’s Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their “sponsored content” purchase through our advertising team.

There was a time when signing your kid up for soccer or softball didn’t take a big investment. But in recent years, the financial commitment required for some youth sports has grown dramatically.

Parents now regularly spend thousands of dollars each season on registration, travel, equipment and other costs. And the entrance of private equity firms into the industry has helped accelerate the growth in expense.

Todd Frankel, a reporter for the Washington Post, recently wrote about the growing costs of kids’ sports. He spoke to Texas Standard about some of the factors that are driving the trend. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.

This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:

Texas Standard: Give us a sense of how much money some parents are actually paying for their kids to participate in sports. I mean, it’s easy to sort of talk in these broad terms and it might sound like hyperbole, but I was kind of shocked by what you reported here.

Todd Frankel: Yeah, they are eye-popping numbers, but I think any parent who has a kid playing sports these days, they’re sort of the rules of the road. And they are shocking. I mean, folks are being charged just to try out for these teams.

And these, again, as you pointed out, the Pop Warner/Little League stuff that most folks grew up with a generation ago, that’s still around, but it’s been sort of supplanted and also competing against these like travel clubs and these club sport teams that are year-round. You know, they cost $3,000, $4,000 a year easy – $50 to try out, and then there’s fees all along the way.

And, you know, it’s really turning youth sports into a luxury good.

Is this across the board? I mean, are there certain sports or certain leagues that are more affordable? You mentioned the Pop Warner thing’s still out there, but where’s all this money going?

It’s sort of tricky. So those other cheaper options are still out there, but what happens is – and I was speaking to some academics and folks who study this – is starting around second grade, which is pretty young, folks start getting sort of lured into this club sports world, and by fifth grade, there’s fewer and fewer players around to play the lower-end sports. And so everyone sort of feels compelled, “oh well, maybe Johnny down the street’s doing it, my kid should follow him.”

And some sports definitely cost more, like ice skating is a famous example of just incredible investment – ice hockey as well. Soccer’s cheaper, baseball’s a little bit cheaper.

But again, the costs are so much higher than they were a generation ago. And you’re getting more. You’re around practices, three practices a week.

Another big thing that I was sort of even surprised by was this sort of growth in what’s called youth sports tourism, right?

So on the weekend, mom and dad and the family are loading up and driving three, four hours or even hopping on a plane to go play in a weekend youth sports tournament at these new facilities that are just for youths, right? They’re not for adults.

So it’s an entirely different world than what most folks are aware of.

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It seems like much bigger business, and I say that with intent because you report that private equity firms have taken notice of what’s happening here. What role have they actually played in driving this trend?

Yeah, so, you know, I think they took notice that folks are willing to spend a lot of money.

As someone told me, families will cut back on a lot things before they cut back on spending for their kids. And these private equity and venture capital investors have started getting into this – buying up some of these facilities, wrapping up a bunch of these leagues… Like one group bought up/owns almost 100 different flag football leagues across the country. And they see the profit opportunity there.

And the concern is, what’s driving which? I think this was sort of happening and private equity got into it. But as they are going to do, they’re probably going to push this a little bit further.

But I wonder if they can only push so far, because surely there’s gotta be some sort of backlash. Is there any, as far as you can tell? Are parents looking for alternatives?

Well, yes, there’s definitely backlash. And it’s mostly like that, you know, any parent I talk to about this were just sort of a knowing laugh when I brought this up. Because everyone goes through this at different levels, you know?

Some folks have much worse times. Some of it’s just a little bit of a financial strain. But there was surveys showing that parents are getting second jobs to afford their kids sports. And I was kind of like, that can’t be true. But then, secondhand, I heard from friends that I know of who they’ve done that same thing for their kids.

And so we are probably reaching a tipping point where how much more can you possibly get folks to pay? But even if it just sort of stays where it is, it’s still a really big strain for a lot of families. But no one wants to be the first one to pull out.

And as I said earlier, the problem is, these earlier, cheaper options, they don’t seem as attractive. And they’re, quite frankly, not – especially if you can somehow squeeze out and do the fancy stuff, it’s kind of hard to say no.