Chair Erin Murphy convened a Dec. 1 hearing of the Boston City Council Committee on Strong Women, Families and Community to review the mayor’s youth sports initiative, “Let’s Play Boston.” Jose Maso, chief of human services, and Tyrique Wilson, the city’s youth sports initiatives manager, described the program’s structure, goals and early investments.
Maso presented 2023 Boston Public Schools survey results that show 43% of high school students and 53% of middle-school students participated in at least one sport, and described pronounced racial and gender gaps: “69% of white students play sports, yet only 55% of Black students and 41% of Latino students play sports. Asian students have the lowest participation rate at 37% and only 39% of girls play sports,” he said. Maso said the initiative aligns with the federal Healthy People 2030 target of 63% participation and that the city plans to pursue that by increasing participation 2 percentage points a year, with a priority on girls and youth of color.
The city framed the work around three strategies: lowering barriers to participation (through affordability and sign-up supports), investing in human capital and facilities (coaching, referees and facility repairs), and leveraging sports for community building and economic opportunities. Maso described a suite of tools already active under the initiative: a public “Let’s Play Boston” sports directory intended as a one-stop listing of neighborhood programs, a small grants program that offers up to $5,000 to community sports providers, and pilots to expand free BCYF programming. “We have at least 4 city departments working shoulder to shoulder,” Maso said, describing quarterly interdepartmental “huddles” that include BCYF, BPS and Parks.
On funding and scale, Maso said two grant cycles have awarded funding to over 75 grantees totaling “almost $1,000,000,” that BCYF launched a three-season recreation league engaging roughly 300 youth per league, and that the administration has invested more than $50,000,000 in pool renovations to upgrade 12 of 22 pools citywide. Maso also cited Swim Safe Boston’s free lessons, saying the program has provided about 12,000 lessons to date.
Councilors asked for specificity about where grants and capital dollars are going and how the city prioritizes neighborhoods. Maso said the facilities mapping effort catalogs city-, state- and privately-owned spaces to provide a line of sight for equitable investment, and that monthly and quarterly interagency meetings inform prioritization. Staff also said a limited set of emergency rolling funds is available for grantees facing unexpected expenses between annual grant cycles.
The presentation closed with staff inviting council participation in outreach, promotion and continued coordination; Maso asked councilors to help publicize sign-ups and recognition opportunities for student athletes. The hearing then moved to a community panel to surface implementation challenges from neighborhood organizations.
Mudsock Youth Athletics has named Tim McCoy as its 2025 Volunteer of the Year, honoring his more than 10 years of service to the Knights football program and his dedication to the organization’s mission to foster character, leadership and community through youth sports.
“Tim’s work with the Knights goes far beyond the field,” Executive Director of Mudsock Youth Athletics Scott Spillman stated. “He has built a program where young athletes not only develop their skills but also learn the importance of responsibility, teamwork and service. His leadership elevates the entire Mudsock community.”
McCoy joined the Knights as an assistant coach in 2015 and became head coach in 2021, according to a news release. Through that volunteer work, he has mentored athletes, supported fellow coaches and strengthened the program’s culture.
“Tim’s dedication sets the tone for the program,” Spillman stated. “The environment he creates encourages young people to strive for their best and fosters connections that last well beyond the season.”
McCoy was honored during the Mudsock Youth Athletics’ annual volunteer appreciation event, which celebrates individuals whose time and commitment make youth sports possible.
“Congratulations to Tim McCoy on this well-earned honor,” the news release stated. “His leadership and service continue to leave a lasting impact on young athletes and the broader Mudsock Youth Athletics community.”
For more about Mudsock Youth Athletics, visit myathletics.com.
Rochester, N.Y. — A new youth basketball team is taking the court in Rochester with talented students showcasing more than just their jump shots.
Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School No.19’s new basketball team is combining the students’ physical abilities with their musical prowess.
Many of the athletes are a part of the school’s music program.
To encourage growth in both areas, the team holds special performances before their games.
Their coaches and teachers say it helps the students learn valuable skills in different fields.
“As well as being amazing athletes, they are also excellent musicians,” said Hannah Garfield, co-director of the Strings for Success Program. “So, Coach Duffy really wanted to highlight this. He wanted to show that our basketball players can do it all.”
“The students need it. So, they’re working super hard in the classroom and we tell them that basketball comes second to we want to academics and we also want to highlight their musicianship too,” said Matt Duffy, head basketball coach at School No. 19.
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The new basketball team is the first one at School No. 19 in about ten years.
TYLER, TEXAS – Season passes for the 2026 UT Tyler baseball and softball seasons are now available for purchase through Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Operations Jackie Reilly at jreilly@uttyler.edu, in partnership with Sideline Tix via Ticket Return.
Season passes are priced at $80 for either baseball or softball. Fans are encouraged to download the Sideline Tix app, available on the App Store and Google Play, for convenient access to tickets throughout the season.
Each season pass grants admission to all regular-season home UT Tyler baseball or softball games during the 2026 season. Postseason events hosted at the UT Tyler Ballpark are not included.
Due to limited seating at each facility, priority seating will be reserved for fans renewing season passes from the 2025 season. All remaining seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
UT Tyler baseball opens its home schedule from January 30–February 1 against Lubbock Christian, while UT Tyler softball begins home play on February 6 in the UT Tyler Classic against Hillsdale College.
For additional information or assistance with purchasing season passes, fans are asked to contact Jackie Reilly at jreilly@uttyler.edu.
The UT Tyler Ticket Page can be found HERE.
The full UT Tyler baseball schedule can be found HERE. The full UT Tyler softball schedule can be found HERE.
Lincoln Park was not going to let Marquis Clark beat them on Thursday. The Lions were extremely physical with Young’s senior star guard. Clark took a shot to the face and headed to the locker room with 2:29 left to play. The Dolphins were clinging to a one-point lead.
Clark remerged with a crisscross of bandages on his face and cotton stuffed in his nose. He ripped off the bandages before he checked back in to the game.
“I was coming back in, even with a broken nose,” Clark said. “That didn’t matter. We had to see this home.”
The Tennessee recruit toughed it out, and junior guard Ed Williams stepped up in the final minute as No. 25 Young won 65-62.
Clark, talking after the game with his nose swelling and blood seeping out of the cotton in his nostrils, said he actually enjoyed the rough 32 minutes.
“This is the type of environment I like to play in,” Clark said. “We fought. Both teams played as hard as possible until the last second of the game. We finished strong. That’s what we do.”
Lincoln Park’s tiny gym was as loud and hectic as always. Late in the game, the Lions’ cheerleaders ran to the opposite side of the court, trying to influence Young’s free throws. That’s against the rules and the cheerleaders were waved away by the officials. But they hid in the corner, chanted and the Dolphins (13-6, 3-0 Red North) missed two free throws.
Every possession on Lincoln Park’s court, with some of the crowd and the coaches standing on the playing court, is a battle.
“That was the craziest game I’ve ever been in,” Young freshman Travis Jamison II said.
Jamison drained three three-pointers in the first three minutes of the game and finished with 18 points. He was 6-for-9 from three-point range.
“I played in the JV game before the varsity game, so I had a chance to get used to how wild it is in here,” Jamison said. “When I came in, I was already warmed up and used to it. When I saw the first shot go in I knew I was going to have a good day.”
Lincoln Park’s Larry Harris (24) defends as Young’s Zaire Green (2) goes to the net.
Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Clark finished with 12 points and Caden Crudup added 13 points and five rebounds. Williams had seven points, five rebounds and 10 assists. He scored all seven in the final two minutes.
“[Williams] carried us home,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “We’ve kinda been on him. He came in today and we had a long talk. He said he understood and today he performed. That’s the way we expect him to play all the time.”
Ahmad Lee, who limped off the floor at halftime with a sprained ankle but managed to play in the second half, led Lincoln Park (11-4, 3-1) with 16 points and senior Ashton Flowers added 15. Senior Larry Hughes, the best dunker in the city, appeared to hang on the rim, grab a rebound and slam it home late in the game. The refs waved off the powerful basket.
“That was an incredibly hostile environment,” Jamison said. “Those are the games you want to play in.”
The Dolphins have the best player in the Public League in Clark, but he’s surrounded by a very inexperienced group. The team is steadily improving.
“Historically we have always gotten better in the second half,” Slaughter said. “We played 13 games in 16 days in December and we got beat up a little and were tired. But that’s over now and I’m excited. It is always good when you have the best player, and we have the best player. We will see how it all shakes out.”
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed Minnesota resident Renee Nicole Good, 37, as she was driving Wednesday, some Southwest Michigan communities are planning to gather Thursday evening in protest of the federal agency.
The organization, Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo, said there will be a “pop-up” protest happening outside of the 8th District Courthouse on the corner of North Park Street and West Kalamazoo Avenue beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo will be joined by the Kalamazoo County Democratic Party, the Southwest Michigan Coalition, and the Southwest Michigan chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
In Battle Creek, the Calhoun County Democratic Party said they are organizing what they call an “emergency protest” at Sojourner Truth Monument Park from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Following the protest, the organization is inviting attendees to gather at First Congregational Church on Capital Avenue NE where Oakland County Prosecutor and democratic candidate for Michigan attorney general Karen McDonald will be a guest speaker.
A bullet hole and blood stains are seen in a crashed vehicle on at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
Trump administration officials painted Good as a domestic terrorist who had attempted to ram federal agents with her car, according to the Associated Press.
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Good was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and appears to have never been charged with anything beyond a traffic ticket, the AP reported, and described herself in social media posts as a “poet and writer and wife and mom.”
SAN DIEGO — University of San Diego Women’s Soccer rang in the New Year announcing its full slate of camps and events for 2026, offering players of all ages and ability levels the opportunity to train, compete, and connect on America’s Most Beautiful campus.
From college identification camps to youth camps, a goalkeeper clinic, and a community 5v5 tournament, the 2026 calendar provides multiple entry points for players looking to grow their game in a high-energy, supportive environment. All camps and events are hosted on the University of San Diego campus and are led by the USD Women’s Soccer coaching staff, along with current student-athletes and experienced coaches.
College ID Camps
USD will host multiple College ID Camps throughout the spring, designed for prospective student-athletes who are interested in competing at the collegiate level. These camps provide a high-level training environment while allowing players to be evaluated by the USD coaching staff.
College ID Camp Dates:
Each ID Camp includes technical training, small-sided games, and full-field play, while also giving participants insight into the college soccer experience at USD.
Goalkeeper Clinic
USD will also host a dedicated Goalkeeper Clinic for players looking to refine their position-specific skills in a focused setting.
The clinic will emphasize technical development, game understanding, and position-specific training led by experienced coaches.
Ultimate 5v5 Tournament
As part of its community outreach and fundraising efforts, USD Women’s Soccer will host an Ultimate 5v5 Soccer Tournament on campus.
The event features fast-paced small-sided games, music, food, and a fun atmosphere for players, families, and fans, all while supporting the USD Women’s Soccer program.
Nike Kids Summer Soccer Camps
USD will host two Nike Kids Soccer Camps during the summer, offering young players a fun and educational introduction to the game. These camps focus on skill development, confidence, teamwork, and a love for soccer in a positive learning environment.
Kids Camp Dates:
Registration for all camps and events is now open, and spots are limited. Participants are encouraged to register early to secure their place.
For more information on USD Women’s Soccer camps and events, please visit the registration links above.
