FARGO — Learning to swim often brings a mix of excitement and fear, from awkward doggy paddling and struggling to float to finally feeling comfortable in the water. Many can recall the early days of clinging to the pool’s edge or feeling overwhelmed without the help of a pair of arm floaties.

But on Sundays at the Hulbert Aquatic Center, traditional whistles and drills are replaced with laughter, patience and encouragement — thanks to AquaFun.

AquaFun is a free, weekly swim program designed to make swimming enjoyable and less intimidating for kids. It is a volunteer-run, youth-led initiative founded by Davies High School senior Justin Jiang, with fellow Davies swimmer Helen Wu serving as a head coach, alongside assistant coaches and sisters Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong.

As Jiang puts it, the goal is simple: “to make the water fun.”

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Inspired by their own memories of learning to swim, both Jiang and Wu are committed to encouraging kids of all skill levels to give swimming a try — especially those who are “scared to even put their feet in.”

Jiang has been swimming since he was 8 years old, participating in club swimming and now swimming competitively in high school. He started AquaFun about three and a half years ago after a family friend asked him to teach their children how to swim.

Word spread quickly, and what began as lessons for two kids soon grew into a community program helping dozens of children.

Using their years of experience in the pool, Jiang and Wu’s aim to create a welcoming experience — enjoyable for all newcomers and swimmers developing new skills.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

AquaFun typically works with up to 15 kids at a time, ranging from about 6 or 7 years old to 11 or 12, and split into groups by age and skill level with Jiang teaching the more advanced swimmers and Wu and the sisters assisting the younger or less experienced children.

“We take all levels,” Wu said, noting Jiang’s observation that “some kids show up and they don’t want to get in.”

Unlike traditional swim lessons, AquaFun instructors embrace a more relaxed atmosphere, focusing on the fundamentals like floating, kicking and comfort underwater before progressing to strokes and harder skills like flip turns and diving techniques.

‘There’s no like yelling or drills,” Jiang said.

“I don’t like yelling,” Wu added with a laugh.

Lessons typically begin with a name game to help the kids feel comfortable with their instructors and fellow swimmers, followed by a group demonstration and skill practice — and always a snack break provided by the coaching crew.

The two are quite the pair — the type of teenagers that are seemingly chill in nature and just looking to have a fun time — and both say that teaching their lessons has made them better swimmers themselves.

“Teaching the little kids like reminds me to do stuff that I don’t do, don’t usually do,” Jiang said.

“Yeah,” Wu agreed. “You think about it more and then you’re like ‘Oh wait, I should work on this too.’”

The program operates entirely on volunteer time and grant funding. Jiang has raised thousands of dollars through science competitions and company grants which cover the lane rentals and snacks and allow AquaFun to remain completely free for families.

Alongside their happiness to volunteer, the pair say the most rewarding part is seeing the swimmers grow and become more confident.

“I remember this one student … at the start she couldn’t like put her head in the water,” Jiang mentioned, “But now, she just went off the high wall.”

“I was so proud of her,” Wu added. “She started when we first started teaching.”

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Parents are encouraged to watch, especially if their children are new, but many grow comfortable enough to sit back — or run errands — as their kids gain confidence. Over time, the coaches often see swimmers “graduate” from AquaFun and move on to club teams.

“Most stick around for a while,” Jiang said. “Some of them, after taking AquaFun for a while, they try out a club, and that’s when the intensive training starts.”

The youth swimmers typically transition to club programs around ages 11 or 12, with Fargo-Moorhead being home to several clubs, including the F-M Gators Swim Team at the YMCA, West Fargo Flyers, Moorhead Marlins USS Swim Club and Red Dragon Swimming.

Wu,15, has been swimming since she was 7 years old. She swam in club and has been swimming competitively for the Davies High School girls team since seventh grade. A sophomore, she recently concluded her swimming season in November by claiming the individual 50-yard freestyle state title, as well as claiming third in the 100-yard freestyle.

Jiang, 17, has been swimming since he was 8 years old. He started competitively swimming in high school and has been a captain on the Davies boys swim team since his junior year. His senior season started at the beginning of December, but last season, he qualified for state in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.

Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong, both swimmers at Fargo Shanley High School, joined AquaFun through their connections with Jiang and Wu in club swimming and now serve as assistant coaches.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

With Jiang preparing for college next year — and hoping to attend someplace warmer than North Dakota — leadership of the program will largely transition to Wu, with Jiang returning to help during the summer.

“I am excited, but a little scared,” Wu said. “I haven’t done it by myself, but I feel like it’ll be good.”

Both coaches hope AquaFun continues to grow and welcome new volunteers. For both Jiang and Wu, fun is at the heart of the program.

“If you’re curious, just try it,” Jiang said. “It doesn’t cost anything. You can show up and see how it feels.”

To learn more about AquaFun, visit

aquafuns.org.

Dallas–Fort Worth is entering its biggest global sports moment in decades. FIFA has confirmed the region will host nine matches at AT&T Stadium (branded as “Dallas Stadium” during the tournament) as part of the expanded 48-team, 104-match 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the group-stage draw now public and local planning accelerating—from stadium upgrades to fan-festival logistics—this is the window when cities either turn momentum into legacy, or get overwhelmed by it. That urgency is amplified by the economics of modern sports tourism. A 2024 industry report pegged spectator sports tourism at $47.1B in direct spending and $114.4B in total economic impact in the U.S., supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs—exactly the kind of “heads in beds” impact a sports commission is built to chase.

So what does it actually take to land the world’s biggest sporting event—and how did Dallas become the place rights-holders trust to deliver?

That’s the core question explored in this episode of The DLC Drop Podcast, hosted by John Davidson, featuring Monica Paul, Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission. Together, they unpack how the Sports Commission recruits events that drive economic impact, why Dallas has been recognized as the No. 1 sports business city in the U.S., and what locals and businesses should expect as World Cup planning shifts from bid-mode to execution.

Key takeaways from the conversation…

• What a sports commission really does: Monica explains the “recruit-and-deliver” model—bidding for youth, collegiate, pro, and international events that fill hotels, restaurants, and attractions, while also building community programs and career pathways.

• Why Dallas wins bids: The region’s airport access, venue depth, hotel inventory, corporate base, volunteer culture, and a “can-do” host mindset create confidence for rights-holders—plus a track record of executing major events at scale.

• World Cup realities for locals and businesses: Expect a massive fan-festival footprint, international visitors (including many without match tickets), and a wave of activations—plus specific rules around public watch parties and FIFA-controlled branding.

Monica Paul is a senior sports industry executive with more than two decades of experience leading event strategy, bidding, and large-scale sports operations at the local, national, and international levels. As Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission, she has driven successful bids and organizing efforts for globally recognized events, including the FIFA World Cup, NBA All-Star, NCAA Final Fours, College Football Playoff Championship, and WWE WrestleMania. Her background spans leadership roles with Visit Dallas, USA Volleyball, USA Taekwondo, and Olympic delegations, complemented by board service, academic instruction in sports management, and deep expertise in sports marketing, event operations, and stakeholder engagement.

Article written by MarketScale.

The Grizzly Youth Academy on Friday celebrated the graduation of its largest class since the program began in 1998.

The ceremony was held at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, where nearly a thousand families gathered to honor the graduates of the National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program.

After completing the intensive five-and-a-half-month program, we caught up with two graduates who reflected on the changes they’ve made and their plans for the future.

“A lot of us came here because we were making mistakes back home,” explained graduate Howard Truong. “We weren’t very proud of ourselves, proud of the decisions we made, so we came here to make a change, and it’s been a long five-and-a-half months for everyone, and I’m sure everyone has put a lot of effort into changing themselves, and it’s going to be really nice to see our families again.”

“I personally plan to go to college after this. I plan to go to independent studies as a 16-year-old. I will graduate in March, and after, I will go to Cuesta College, get my master’s degree, and hopefully become an elementary school teacher,” said graduate Jahleeyah Amos.

The Grizzly Youth Academy is designed to provide military-style structure and support to 16-18-year-olds who have struggled in school due to academic and social problems.

It’s one of only three such academies in California.

RELATED: Grizzly Youth Academy donates over 400 pounds of food to SLO Food Bank

Grizzly Youth Academy donates over 400 pounds of food to SLO Food Bank

“Holly’s in the window, home is where the wind blows, can’t walk for runnin’ Christmas time’s a-comin’,” – Tex Logan

Past the dimmed and cracked corners of the memories in my mind’s eye, I can see those week-before-Christmas days of my very young boyhood.

Even in those early times, we were being indoctrinated and transformed from innocent and curious toddlers into ravenous post-war American consumers.

We were being raised up on Saturday morning cartoon television and big department store holiday catalogs. We were far too simple then to understand Madison Avenue concepts like cross promotion, product placement and motivational research.

Those now-classic Christmas television shows, like A Charlie Brown Christmas, which originally aired with Coca-Cola advertising included, and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” with embedded plugs from The Foundation for Full Service Banks, the presentation sponsor, were making their debuts.

Even though both these kids’ television programs showcased the virtues of Christmases based on kindness and love, rather than Christmas presents, abundance and commercialism, the crucial confluence of kids, advertising and Christmas gift-getting had already been galvanized. It was as though television producers and advertising slicks had been there since the beginning with us kids – in the crib and maybe even before that.

To kids, the idea of Santa Claus, in all his storied toy-giving altruism, was as vibrant and alive as a big, hard snowball smacking you right against the side of the head. In this, he was unlike the far-less convincing Easter Bunny. We were familiar with rabbits. We were used to seeing them almost daily in our backyards or on our walks to school. Supposedly, the Easter Bunny was hopping around outside, bringing us candy eggs, on beds of green, plastic grass inside woven baskets. There was no explanation as to how he got into and out of our homes, while we were asleep.

Santa Claus was a god-like figure. He was omniscient and omnipresent – even when it wasn’t Christmastime. He was also watching and keeping track of all the times we crossed against our parents. There were even songs that spelled it all out. “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake.”

Yeesh. If we wanted toys – and we most certainly did – kids had but to conform, straighten up and fly right.

We had questions, as we rightfully should have, but mostly, we swallowed the idea hook, line and sinker – probably because the bait looked so tempting. I can still hear kids my age arguing about Santa.

“Oh yeah, he’s real. He’s gonna bring me everything I want.”

“Oh yeah, what’s he gonna bring you?”

“Stuff. Why would I tell you? You don’t even believe in him.”

“As if.”

“As if what?”

“As if he will.”

“As if he won’t.”

Kids with older siblings usually tended to be the ones most likely to cast doubt.

It was usually about this time that any parent overhearing the conversation would chime in with something like, “Now, let’s not ruin anyone’s Christmas.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Our Christmas wish lists could be long, but best prioritized.

We could ask, wish and hope for anything we might possibly want – things we’d seen in those 2-inch-thick catalogs from Sears, J.C. Penney and Montgomery Wards or the latest gadgets and toys advertised on TV. I remember that sometimes we just wrote down catalog page numbers where we had circled things we wanted.

We only needed to send a letter to Santa at the North Pole, that our parents could help us write, and on Christmas Eve before bed, leave out a few Christmas cookies our mom baked with a glass of milk for Santa and his reindeer. When we awoke on Christmas Day, all would be revealed.

Parents and kids would all tumble down the stairs from bed to the living room to see what Santa brought. The thrill and happiness we felt separating, opening and receiving the gifts we got from Santa and parents and relatives almost always overshadowed any disappointments we might have had – especially since we got extra things we hadn’t even asked for.

Occasionally, there would be one kid who felt they were “ripped off” if they hadn’t got the doll or car or toy they wanted – even if cost about as much as a king’s ransom. Regarding Santa Claus, we all would have been shocked, doubters included, if we had any idea how complicit our own parents had been in perpetrating that fantastic fiction.

When they eventually pulled out the hook we had swallowed, it really hurt.

Still aghast at the idea that this all could have been some sort of lavish betrayal, it wasn’t long before we would hear something like, “Oh yeah, and about the Easter Bunny…”

Reactions on that disclosure were mixed in our house, ranging from “No, not the Easter Bunny too?” to “Well, I figured that. Now what?”

But before all those revelations, in those halcyon snow-globe wonderland days of youth, during the week or so before Christmas – the days I mentioned earlier – we would be so full of excitement and anticipation we could pop.

We were like Mexican jumping beans, probably fidgeting wildly and constantly bugging my mom with questions like “How many more days?” “Is he coming tonight?” and “When are you going to make the cookies for Santa?”

This is probably why my parents would send us outside to play.

They could get some peace and quiet while we could roll down snowbanks, run and jump in the snow, throw snowballs or walk around sucking on a freshly picked icicle.

There were also flying saucers to pull each other on and ride down hills and snowbanks with.

Looking back, one of my favorite activities was doing almost nothing.

When we kids got tired, we would just fall back into the snow and lay there silently in our winter snow suits, boots and knitted mittens, huffing and puffing – just looking up at the sky.

I enjoyed the intermittent silences as much as I did the conversations.

After a minute or so, one kid would say something, and another would chime in.

“Do you think Spiderman could beat up Superman?”

“I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“He just has those webs.”

“So? I think he could.”

“You don’t know.”

“YOU don’t know.”

“Hey, look at the moon.”

“Whoa, that’s cool.”

“When we were at my grandpa’s camp, we saw a meteor with a big, long tail.”

“That’s boss. When we went fishing, out by the basin, we saw a bear run across the road.”

“No way. How big was he?”

“Bigger than my grandma’s davenport.”

These conversations might continue for as long as a half hour or so, until one of us got cold from laying in the snow for that long.

“I’m going in.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.”

Then, even all alone, a kid might very well stay outside and continue to play.

I remember doing that.

It was often just doing things like trying to knock down house icicles with snowballs or digging paths with a shovel or maybe starting to try to build a fort.

I might also go inside the house, strip off all the winter clothing, some of which might now be wet, and put it on the floor by the furnace register to dry.

Then, after a snack and a chance to warm up, I remember trying to convince a previously reluctant sibling to go outside and play in the snow.

Many times, they would – especially if they had just been bored in the house doing nothing while my mom was in the kitchen and my dad was watching football or reading the newspaper.

Anyone allowed to stay in the house would have had to have mustered up a pretty good excuse. It was usually a strict order to get outside and play.

I wasn’t the kind of kid you had to tell twice to do that – everything else maybe, but not that. I was usually the first one out the front door.

Those December outings focused conversation on the upcoming excitement of Christmastime.

I liken it to the banter of bank robbers on the evening before the big heist.

“What are you gonna do with your share of the loot?”

“I don’t know, maybe go out west, where it’s warm. You know?”

“Yeah, I know. You got some big dreams, cowboy.”

Even once we had come into the house and got ready for bed, the anticipation and excitement often kept us from falling into restful sleep.

We just couldn’t stop thinking about Christmas. We told ourselves that if we fell asleep, we’d wake up and it would be one day closer to Christmas, but even that strategy couldn’t often dampen my holiday exuberance.

Life is so odd. Nowadays, I don’t really care if I get a single Christmas gift – a far cry from those kid days.

Instead, I most appreciate the quiet and wintry nights relaxing in a room lit only by Christmas tree lights – maybe enjoying a mug of eggnog and biting the head off a sugar cookie Santa or two.

Outdoors North is a weekly column produced by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on a wide range of topics important to those who enjoy and appreciate Michigan’s world-class natural resources of the Upper Peninsula.

Four host venues have been selected for Canada Soccer’s 2026 and 2027 Youth National Championships, with St. John’s (U-17 Cup) and Surrey (U-15 Cup) to welcome the nation in 2026 and then Montréal (U-17 Cup) and Cape Breton (U-15 Cup) to welcome the nation in 2027. The four host venues will help deliver Canada Soccer’s pinnacle event open to all provincial and territorial member associations from coast to coast to coast across the country.

As Canada’s most accessible sport, soccer welcomes more than 750,000 registered players across the nation. This past year alone, 580 youth teams took part in qualifying for the National Championships in the U-17 and U-15 age groups for both boys and girls. From that group, 12 youth teams qualified in each of the four divisions, with each venue hosting 24 qualified teams across the week-long event heading into the Canadian Finals on Thanksgiving Monday.

“Canada Soccer is proud to announce St. John’s, Surrey, Montréal, and Cape Breton as host communities for our 2026 and 2027 Youth National Championships,” said Peter Augruso, Canada Soccer President. “As part of Canada Soccer’s Youth Competitions Network, the National Championships showcase our commitment to delivering inclusive, high-quality national competitions from coast to coast to coast across the nation. With hundreds of youth teams participating in qualifying each year, the National Championships showcase the depth of talent in our game while creating lasting sport and community legacies in each host city. We look forward to welcoming players, coaches, officials, volunteers, and families to four outstanding destinations that will help make these events memorable for everyone involved.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Canada’s top youth soccer talent to St. John’s for the U-17 Cup in 2026,” said the Honourable Andrea Barbour, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation. “This is an incredible opportunity to showcase our province’s vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality to athletes, families, and fans from across the country. Supporting this event, through Celebrate NL, reflects our commitment to growing sport tourism and creating unforgettable experiences for visitors while contributing to the growth of soccer in Canada.”

“It’s a privilege for Surrey to host Canada Soccer’s 2026 U-15 Cup,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “This national event highlights our strong soccer community and our commitment to supporting young athletes as they grow and compete. We look forward to welcoming teams and families from across Canada and showcasing the energy, diversity, and hospitality that make Surrey a fantastic host city.”

“Montréal is proud to be selected as the host destination for the U-17 Cup at the 2027 National Championships,” said Vincent Dumas, Manager – Sports Market, Sports Events Montréal. “As the host destination, Montréal brings together a passionate sports community, world-class venues, and an unforgettable atmosphere to deliver an experience that goes far beyond the game of soccer.”

“We are thrilled to welcome players, coaches and families from across Canada to the Cape Breton Regional Municipality for the 2027 National Championships U-15 Cup,” said Cecil P. Clarke, Mayor for Cape Breton Regional Municipality. “Hosting this event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our beautiful communities, rich culture, and warm hospitality, while giving visitors an unforgettable Cape Breton experience.”

As part of the Youth Competitions Network, an enhanced schedule for the Youth National Championships was introduced in 2025 whereby each division now features 12 qualified teams. Group matches are played Wednesday through Friday followed by knockout and playoff matches from Saturday through Monday. Each host welcomes the qualified teams to their community with a unique Opening Ceremony, friendly volunteers at each of the competition venues, transportation to and from the team hotels, and a Finals Day atmosphere whereby all teams are in attendance for the Canadian Finals.

Canada Soccer’s National Championships are hosted each October across multiple divisions and venues, with other host cities to be announced in the coming months. As Canada Soccer’s largest national event featuring clubs from coast to coast to coast, the National Championships provide a meaningful week-long soccer experience for host cities and participating teams, as well as the players, coaches, support staff, officials, and volunteers.

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