Rec Sports

Boys coach Linda Martindale has secret to being a college player

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2025

Updated Dec. 20, 2025, 7:45 a.m. ET

I am brave.

Linda Martindale wasn’t brave, at least she didn’t think she was after she had been hired as a varsity boys basketball coach.

“Once the game started, I was fine,” says Martindale, now in her sixth season leading Lincoln-Sudbury (MA), “but walking into the gym and people thinking I’m the scorekeeper or whatever, I had to sort of overcome this feeling of, ‘Do I belong in the gym?’ ”

She made the three words her mantra, and she convinced herself she was brave. You need to be as an athlete, or a coach, in today’s world of youth sports.

“I have fond memories of my athletic career, but I also know there was a lot of heartache and it was very difficult,” says Martindale, who played Division II basketball at Alaska-Anchorage and in the old Pac-10 at Arizona in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “But nowadays, it’s totally different. Your whole career is splashed all over social media.”

Martindale’s father devoted his life to coaching baseball and football, driving her and her three siblings to be punctual and polite. He was hard on them, she says, but led with love.

“If I had a bad game, the people in the stands knew and my parents knew, and that was it,” Martindale tells USA TODAY Sports. “You’d come home and your parents would say, ‘How did the game go?’ You could self-report that. Easy to deal with.

“My oldest son would literally get DMs from strangers that say horrible things if he missed a free throw in the clutch. The landscape is very different. And it obviously trickles down to youth.”

Martindale got certified as a mental fitness coach to help ease the pressure on her three sons and one daughter (all of them have played college sports) but also other young athletes.

She works with sports teams at Division I Holy Cross and D-III Curry College, as well as individual athletes. She says there’s a secret beyond the physical component to playing sports in college.

We offer 10 ways, through consultation with Martindale, for parents to help athletes get there.

YOUTH SPORTS SURVIVAL GUIDE: Pre-order Coach Steve’s upcoming book for young athletes and their parents

1. Develop the coach in your head: It’s the best one you’ll ever have

When Martindale walked into the gym feeling the male eyes on her, she felt she needed an inner coach.

Your coach on the court or field will tell you what to do but, Martindale says, the one in your head will kick you in the butt to help get you where you need to go.

Jenny Levy, who has won four national titles as North Carolina’s women’s lacrosse coach, believes so strongly in an inner coach she likes when her players form their own mantras.

“Confidence looks good on you,” she heard her players say to each other in 2013, the year they broke through.

“A lot of coaches will say, ‘This is our saying,’ ” Levy told Martindale on Martindale’s ‘Game Changers’ podcast. “And I think that’s fine – to each his own – but I actually let our team organically come up with their own little things. This is the team having a good time together.”

The inner voice tells you it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, only what you do.

Go for it.

This is my time.

This is where I belong.

To come up with your own mantra, Martindale says, ask yourself why you play a sport? Look for performance cues to grind that thought into you.

“It’s not fun to lose, but it’s still really fun to compete and to play,” Martindale says. “OK, good, let’s start with that. So at least you can say it’s not fun to lose, but it’s really fun to prepare for the game. We’ve now established that the majority of the time is fun. Now we can get through the parts that aren’t fun.”

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2. We can learn how to handle the hard

Kids respond to the truth. We don’t need to always sugarcoat it.

Instead of saying, “It’s not so hard,” acknowledge that something is.

Maybe you’re afraid that you might lose or you’re going to make a fool of yourself in front of everybody.

“I’m happy that you can articulate a fear,” Martindale might tell an athlete. “Now, let’s squash it. What are you really afraid of? Is it really embarrassing to lose, or is it embarrassing not to play at all?

“It would be embarrassing if you threw yourself on the floor and screamed and cried in the middle of the game. But nobody thinks it’s embarrassing that you sat on the bench, cheered on your team, and then fought another day to try to get some minutes.”

3. Teach your kid how to build resilience to meet challenges head on

A current role doesn’t mean an ultimate role. Martindale goes back to Tom Brady.

He was once buried deep on Michigan’s depth chart. But he focused on nailing reps he got in practice. He was at game speed when he found himself starting.

“As parents, we say, ‘I don’t think you should have to be the backup quarterback,’ ” Martindale says. “ ‘I think you should be the quarterback.’ This is not helping. What you need to do is crush being the backup. And then your time comes and you’re ready instead of spending so much time worrying that you don’t have the role that you want (and) you’re not ready for it.”

Another of her podcast guests, Luke Avdalovic, a former walk-on basketball player at Northern Arizona University, told her: “I had a teammate named JoJo Anderson and he told me, ‘If you want to find a role into this team, find one thing that you’re really good at. Make sure you’re head and shoulders better than every single other person on the team. Then they can’t take you off the floor.’ ”

Avdalovic became a top sharpshooter who rose to the NBA G-League.

4. ‘You can’t be a shooter if you can’t miss’

Avdalovic has shot so much over the years he feels he’s never really in a slump. Some days he shoots better than others, but that is just the law of averages.

“You can’t be a pitcher if you can’t pitch poorly,” Martindale says. “You can’t be a shooter if you can’t miss. It’s just not possible (to) be perfect. So what do you do when you’re imperfect?”

The next time your son or daughter has a bad game, ask them, “Did you compete hard?”

You don’t want them to lose or fail but they need to know how to do both. As parents, and as coaches, our best support can come out of struggles.

5. We can only get the ‘yips’ if we vocalize them

You know the term if you’re a baseball fan. Suddenly, Steve Sax or Chuck Knoblauch can’t make a routine throw from second to first base, or Rick Ankiel can’t throw a strike.

“Yips is not a real thing,” Martindale says.

Struggles come alive, she says, when we say them out loud. Instead, if you’re a parent or a coach, tell your athlete: “I really believe in you. Just keep throwing, you’ll get it back, you’ll find a rhythm.”

When kids feel deep-rooted support, they have more confidence in themselves.

6. We don’t have to be good at everything

Martindale says today’s world for young athletes is like taking the SATs while your score is being put on a scoreboard.

Sometimes, it seems, we expect our kids to be good at everything. Martindale asks the ones with whom she works, “What class are you good at?”

She doesn’t necessarily mean classes in which they have an “A,” but the ones they enjoy most.

Sometimes it takes looking at things through a less critical lens. We have an “A” in science, but we enjoy the challenge of English Lit, in which we have a B-, which energizes us to try and bring up the grade.

7. ‘It’s not your family’: Parents are the ultimate artery of support

Eugene Glisky, Martindale’s father, had his ashes buried on the field where he coached near Toronto. She suspects he changed the lives of many young men.

But she stops short of calling a team a family.

“When a coach says to a parent, ‘I’m gonna treat your son or daughter like my own,’ I want to say, ‘No, thank you. I don’t need you to treat my son like he’s your own,’ ” Martindale says. “He has a great father. What I really want you to do is treat him like a player and a human being.

“It’s a team, which is amazing and I love my kid being part of a team. But it’s not a family. Why? Because what happens when your family cuts you?”

There are times when we need to be Coach, and times when we need to be Mom or Dad. Martindale had to be Coach when Judson, her oldest who now plays basketball for Manchester Basketball Club in the United Kingdom, came out of a game when he was younger and looked at her like, “Why are you pulling me?

He threw his water bottle, and she turned and said: “You can take your sneakers off. You’re done.”

The same coach, though, drove him home from a different game, criticizing him for what he didn’t do while failing to realize he was sick.

“So many examples of total failure by me,” she says. “What kind of mother would be talking to their kid about some offensive set when clearly they needed a mother?”

8. ‘Your influence is not neutral, parents’; don’t disrupt a happy kid

Levy, North Carolina’s women’s lacrosse coach, does parent Zoom calls. Before the first one, she asked her players what they wanted her to tell them.

“They said, ‘We don’t want to talk about the game at the tailgate after,’ ” Levy told Martindale. “ ‘We don’t want any parent to have this sad conversation after the wins because their kid didn’t play. We want the parents to sit together. We want them to be positive on the sideline.’ ”

Levy says the players gave her a Letterman top 10 of parent no-no’s, which she shared on the Zoom.

“I think they were pretty shocked,” says Levy, who coaches her daughter, Kate, on the team. “Our kids were like, ‘Last year was not OK. This is what we want and this is what we need this year.’

“And then if we saw it, I had permission from our players to call the parent and say, ‘Hey, you’re at the tailgate and your behavior was below the line for our program.’

“What if I acted like that as a parent? What if I did that in the middle of a tailgate?”

Levy’s point: A kid could be completely happy but if the parent is unhappy with their role, then the kid’s unhappy. And if the parent isn’t feeling like their kid is getting a fair shake, or they’re being really negative toward coaches or teammates, the kid internalizes the feeling.

“Your influence is not neutral, parents,” Levy says.

9. We can use even a little bit of winning to fuel us

During a clip Martindale shared of her speaking to athletes, she says, “There has to be wins in there. Otherwise, you can’t go an entire season and be like, ‘If we don’t win a game, this whole season is a waste.’ ”

She is not necessarily talking about checks in the “W” column as much as what we perceive as personal wins. Maybe you tell a teammate you loved the way he blocked a punt or moved into position on defense. If we don’t have wins, even within losses, you don’t learn how to win.

Youth sports ‘crisis’: Congress addresses big business in youth sports. Can we fix it?

10. So what’s the secret sauce?

Martindale believes there are five pillars of mental fitness: 1. Staying in the moment; 2. Controlling the controllables; 3. Seeing mistakes as opportunities; 4. Not judging yourself (or others) too harshly and 5. Comparison (positively).

She says she was once a failure at all of them. Has she since learned a special ingredient we need to have to play college sports?

Martindale thinks Angela Duckworth, director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative, said it best.

“It’s grit,” Martindale has said. “I’m obsessed with grit, because we know it’s a single defining characteristic of successful people.

“Can you get up after you get knocked down? The athletes who are successful at every level of college, I think, have this kind of dog mentality that is about grit. And of course, you have to be skilled and you have to be athletic but when we really look at who performs best when it counts, it’s people who have failed. Over and over and over. And then now they succeed.”

We can’t beat our kids up over mistakes. Let them hear the voice in their head that gives them the grace to move forward from them.

Then, as Martindale says: “Watch them fail and then watch what they do after they fail.”

Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His Coach Steve column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com

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Rec Sports

One family, two superstars: Inside the Luna household

Published

20 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

United's Jorge Luna, second from left, and Victoria Luna, right, with their parents Jorge and Valerie after a football game. — United’s Jorge Luna, second from left, and Victoria Luna, right, with their parents Jorge and Valerie after a football game.

Courtesy/For the Laredo Morning Times

When they look back on their own high school athletic careers, Jorge Luna Jr. and Valerie Luna remember being average athletes.

Luna Jr., a 1992 United graduate, played basketball while Valerie Luna played volleyball at Nixon until graduating in 1997.

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But it’s a different experience when the two watch their son, Jorge Luna III, throw touchdown passes for the Longhorns on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and their daughter, Victoria Luna, rise high for thunderous kills on the volleyball court.

The brother-sister duo are superstars. They were arguably the two best players in their respective sports this past fall and live under the same roof and eat at the same dinner table.

It’s created a surreal experience for the family.

“What is amazing to me is that we were never even close to the level these two kids are,” Luna Jr. said. “It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable to me.”

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Valerie Luna added, “We always try to stay grounded. Yes, we do think they’ve done a lot and it’s great to see that, but we try to stay humble. We don’t want to say they’re the best, but they’re good because they’re hard workers, disciplined and have a schedule. They’re normal kids. They’re still brats.”

Siblings Victoria and Jorge Luna after a football game. The two were superstars during this fall. Victoria was the All-City Hitter of the Year in volleyball, while Jorge was the All-City Most Valuable Player in football.

Courtesy/For the Laredo Morning Times

Luna III wrapped up a senior season to remember on the gridiron not only by United’s standards, but for Laredo as a whole. His 3,908 passing yards this season were 321 yards short of the single-season Laredo record, while his 43 touchdown passes were one shy of the single-season mark for gunslingers to play in the Gateway City. He ended his prep career with 6,256 yards and 69 touchdowns as one of eight Laredo quarterbacks to surpass 6,000 career yards and eighth all time in passing touchdowns.

Following his impressive senior campaign at quarterback, Luna III was named District 30-6A and All-City Most Valuable Player. He quarterbacked a Longhorns team that averaged 35 points per game and reached the third round.

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Victoria Luna, meanwhile, shined on Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The do-everything volleyball star compiled 364 kills, 197 digs and 63 blocks as a junior this fall to lead United to the playoffs. She earned Hitter of the Year honors in the District 30-6A and All-City awards and will arguably be Laredo’s top returning volleyball talent as a senior next year.

Siblings Victoria and Jorge Luna, who were both superstars during this fall. Victoria was the All-City Hitter of the Year in volleyball, while Jorge was the All-City Most Valuable Player in football.

Lex Saenz Photography/For the Laredo Morning Times

When people ask the Luna parents about the secret to their kids’ success, it’s pretty simple: They work for it.

“Other than being big kids, they’re not natural athletes,” Luna Jr. said. “It’s the work they put in, the fact they’ve been able to train with the coaches they’ve trained with and the year-round training. They don’t have a break. As soon as they get out of season, they’re back to training.”

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Sports have been the identity of the Luna family. The kids were destined to succeed as athletes. As products of Borchers Elementary School and Elias Herrera Middle School, there’s hardly a sport the two didn’t play. Luna III played basketball and football and even had a short stint with baseball, while Victoria Luna started gymnastics when she was 3 years old and, because of her height at such a young age, excelled in basketball and volleyball and even tried soccer.

The years in youth sports immediately paid off for Victoria Luna. Because of her height and the strength she built in her arms and legs from years of gymnastics, she had an advantage over her brother when they were kids.

“Ever since they were babies, we have so many videos where she’s like ‘Jorgie stop right now,’ and bop, she’s beating up on Jorge,” Luna Jr. said. “She was always the bully since she was bigger. Jorgie, she’d grab him and throw him on the ground.”

The Lunas had these sumo suits, and the kids would wrestle around in them. Luna III would have his friends over, but Victoria Luna, bigger than the boys, would throw everyone around with her gymnast strength.

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Despite early jokes that he got his mom’s height and not his dad’s 6-foot-5 stature, Luna III eventually grew into his body and now stands about 6-foot-2.

The Luna family cheers on Victoria Luna during a northside Laredo rivalry game this past fall.

Billy Woods/Laredo Morning Times

“He’s always saying it’s your fault, Mom. I could’ve been taller,” Valerie Luna said while laughing.

It was always a competition between the siblings. Whether it was racing in the pool or playing basketball in the driveway or at the park, competition was in their genetic makeup.

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There are almost too many childhood stories to tell, but the intense back-and-forth basketball games were the first to come to mind.

“We would 1 v 1, and every time I’d win she’d get mad, and when she’d win I’d get mad and upset,” Luna III said. “As we grew up playing sports with different people, it made us more competitive. Being in that environment (against each other) made us better.”

For Victoria Luna, the constant competition against her older brother would serve a purpose that wouldn’t come to fruition until years later. As a girl, it helped mold her into a more physically and mentally strong athlete. Because of the environment she grew up in, she feels she thrives under pressure on the court.

“I can handle it more since I had a brother,” Victoria Luna said. “I get irritated bad with him, but if it’s a girl or someone I don’t know, I’m good. I can handle pressure because being young and arguing with him and competing with him … it’s not as much pressure in volleyball.”

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United's Victoria Luna with a kill during a district match against Alexander on Oct. 25, 2025, at United. — United’s Victoria Luna with a kill during a district match against Alexander on Oct. 25, 2025, at United.

Billy Woods/Laredo Morning Times

Eventually, the two had to narrow down their sports. Once he got to middle school and especially when he got to United for high school, football just clicked for Luna III. During his freshman year, United coach David Sanchez reached out to the Lunas to tell them he was taking an interested look at Luna III. Sanchez set them up with a quarterback coach in San Antonio to work year-round, and from that point on, it was all football for the oldest of the two siblings.

Between traveling to San Antonio and Austin for extra training, Luna III’s improvement over the years came down to simply putting in the hard work and reps to get better. It also helped that he was playing for the Sanchez-led Longhorns, who have a history of producing excellent quarterbacks.

All of that served as motivation.

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“It’s the culture there. It’s different there than any other school,” Luna III said. “I knew I had to be my absolute best to do great there.”

United's Jorge Luna shakes loose from a tackle during the 6A first round against Converse Judson on Nov. 14, 2025, at the Bill Johnson Student Activity Center. — United’s Jorge Luna shakes loose from a tackle during the 6A first round against Converse Judson on Nov. 14, 2025, at the Bill Johnson Student Activity Center.

Billy Woods/Laredo Morning Times

After he sat and watched Atzel Chavez Jr. for two years, Luna III got his shot early in his junior year when the starter went down with an injury. Luna III never looked back. Once he became the full-time starter, he exploded. Of his 2,256 yards his junior year, 2,195 came from Week 3 to Week 10. All 25 of his touchdowns came in those eight games.

As a senior, he erupted for one of the most memorable seasons by a Laredo quarterback.

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After games, he’d be swarmed by kids wanting autographs, pictures and accessories he wore in games.

But to Victoria Luna, he’ll always be little Jorgie to her and she’ll always be little Vicky to him.

The Luna family when current United standouts Victoria Luna and Jorge Luna were young children. Jorge and Valerie Luna have watched their kids become superstars in volleyball and football.

Courtesy/For the Laredo Morning Times

“It’s super fun being able to watch him,” Victoria Luna said. “We’ve grown up together and are only one year apart, so I’ve watched him grow up and become this amazing football player. It’s fun being able to cheer him from the stands. Everybody knows he’s my brother.”

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Victoria Luna’s journey was a bit different. Her chance came much earlier.

When she entered high school, she thought she’d be showing up for junior varsity volleyball tryouts. But the night before tryouts, she was told to report to varsity tryouts. Once she made varsity as a freshman, it became easy for volleyball to be her one year-round sport and to give up basketball.

“Volleyball became natural to me,” she said. “I feel like I picked it up quickly.”

Similar to her brother being motivated by Sanchez and the notorious Longhorns football team, Victoria Luna felt the pressure to get better playing for Lety Longoria’s Longhorns. Over the past two years, Longoria has built United into one of the top volleyball programs in South Texas.

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While she can be a bit reserved off the court, on the court she is very expressive and her explosive kills give her plenty of reasons to smile and yell with her teammates. So far in her United career, she’s recorded 601 kills.

She’s another name to add to the impressive list of United hitters who have come up through the ranks under Longoria’s watch. By the time her prep career is over, Victoria Luna’s name will sit among names like Lauren Arzuaga and Mia Molina, who each surpassed 1,000 kills for the Longhorns and went on to play in college.

United's Victoria Luna (14) is fired up after a kill during a district match against Alexander on Oct. 25, 2025, at United. — United’s Victoria Luna (14) is fired up after a kill during a district match against Alexander on Oct. 25, 2025, at United.

Billy Woods/Laredo Morning Times

The rise for both siblings has come with plenty of support from each other.

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“Our life really revolved around sports. It was a family thing,” Luna Jr. said. “If she played basketball or volleyball, we’d all go. He would support her and scream. When it was his time to play, we’d all go and Vicky would be there screaming and supporting Jorge. It’s been back and forth since (they were little) to now.”

The rise also featured lots of travel around Texas. After a 32-year career in law enforcement, Luna Jr. was able to retire in late 2024 and really dedicate his full time to helping the kids improve. He mentioned he and Luna III would travel so much that they’d be sleeping in their cars before quarterback camps, while Valerie would run Victoria around to camps and tournaments.

“It’s very hectic and nonstop,” Valerie Luna said. “But we’re so used to it that we need it. It’s just our daily lives now. It’s just a lot of traveling and running around, discipline and learning from both of them. We’re happy doing it.”

United quarterback Jorge Luna in the pocket during a district game against United South on Oct. 3, 2025, at the Bill Johnson Student Activity Center.

Billy Woods/Laredo Morning Times

The memories from the trips are something both siblings can eventually look back on with fondness. Luna III joked about getting some time away from his parents, but ultimately said he’ll miss traveling Texas with his dad and family.

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“I’m going to miss them a lot,” Luna III said. “Being around them all the time, I obviously have a great relationship with them. They’ll always be there for me and have my back.”

The mom and daughter, meanwhile, have the same demeanor, and sometimes that leads to bickering, but there’s still tons of laughing and shopping on the volleyball trips that both will miss one day.

“Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not,” Valerie Luna said with a laugh. “The biggest thing with her is waking her up in the morning. It’s really a job to wake her up. She likes to sleep.”

While they’re proud of their accomplishments on the field and court, the Luna parents are just as proud, if not more so, of their kids’ attitude and the way they carry themselves.

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“Everyone gravitates to them because they’re good kids. They don’t think they’re the best,” Luna Jr. said. “They get along with the other kids.”

There’s only one more fall of the Luna family at United. Luna III will graduate this spring, leaving Victoria Luna by herself at United next fall. When it’s all said and done, the Luna family will miss the camaraderie of the United community.

“We’ve become friends with everyone,” Luna Jr. said. “The coaches, the parents, it becomes a family deal. When we go to the games, we eat before the games and after the games. During the week, we’re doing pasta nights and all the parents get together to do it. It’s always been a tight-knit family, but with everyone—not just with our family, but with the whole community of football and volleyball.”

Victoria Luna, center, with her parents Valerie and Jorge after a volleyball game. Victoria has become one of the best volleyball talents in Laredo.

Courtesy/For the Laredo Morning Times

It’s all but guaranteed both Luna III and Victoria Luna will continue their athletic careers in college. Division II offers have started to roll in for Luna III, while Victoria has already gained interest from mid-major Division I programs and plenty of Division II schools.

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The married couple of nearly 20 years, Luna Jr. and Valerie Luna, are already making plans to get an RV to travel around and watch their kids play in college. Given how much time they’ve dedicated to being sports parents, it’ll be strange not having the United Longhorns in their everyday lives a year from now—and it’ll be strange for the siblings not to be at each other’s games, screaming in the crowd.

“Our biggest worry is what’s going to happen when sports are over. We’re praying that we’ll get another couple of years to watch them (in college),” Luna Jr. said. “Then we’re worried when that ends, what’s life going to be like? That’s what we know in this family. We’ve traveled together and it’s just been our lives.

“I’m afraid for what the future is going to be like without them. It’s become such a part of our lives. We’re going to have to find actual hobbies.”

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Rec Sports

Wizards and Under Armour to Provide Athletic Shoes to 6,500 DC Students Through 2026

Published

28 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Key Takeaways

Nearly 6,500 DCPS students will receive Under Armour athletic footwear through the year-long District Kicks initiative launching in 2026.
All high school athletes across approximately 22 DCPS schools will receive sport-specific shoes distributed by season starting March 2026.
More than 1,200 sixth graders will receive athletic sneakers during a March 3 celebration event at CareFirst Arena.
The program builds on District Dribble’s success, which distributed 30,000 basketballs to elementary students in 2024.
District of Play reached over 200,000 DC residents in its inaugural year as part of MSE’s community investment platform.

Building on District of Play’s First Year

Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced District Kicks on December 21, the second major initiative under its District of Play platform. The Washington Wizards are leading the effort in partnership with Under Armour and DC Public Schools.

District of Play launched in 2024 as part of the Capital One Arena reimagination. The platform focuses on expanding youth sports access and wellness across Washington, DC through infrastructure investment and programming.

In its first year, the initiative distributed nearly 30,000 basketballs to every DCPS student in pre-K through fifth grade through the District Dribble program. District of Play reached more than 200,000 residents and earned recognition from Fight for Children, along with a nomination for a 2025 ESPY Sports Humanitarian Award.

District Kicks shifts focus from basketball equipment to athletic footwear, targeting older students who participate in organized sports programs.

Multi-Phase Distribution Across DC Public Schools

The initiative will unfold throughout 2026 with separate tracks for high school athletes and sixth grade students.

Approximately 5,200 high school student-athletes across roughly 22 DCPS schools will receive sport-specific Under Armour footwear. Shoes will be delivered directly to school campuses and distributed according to athletic seasons. Spring sports athletes receive shoes in March 2026, followed by fall sports in August and winter sports in November.

Each seasonal distribution will include a pep rally at a featured high school to create visibility for student athletes.

More than 1,200 sixth graders enrolled in DCPS 6th Grade Academies across 11 campuses will receive Under Armour athletic sneakers in multiple styles and colorways. MSE will distribute the footwear during a March 3, 2026 event at CareFirst Arena. The celebration will include interactive sports experiences and career-based learning opportunities, with MSE covering transportation and logistics for all participating schools.

“When I got my first basketball as a kid in Brooklyn, that single piece of equipment unlocked everything that followed: confidence, belonging, and the belief that sports could shape my future,” said Ted Leonsis, founder, chairman, managing partner and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “District Kicks is built on that same idea: when you give young people the right tools, you give them the ability to dream bigger.”

Connecting to Under Armour’s Project Rampart

District Kicks operates within Under Armour’s Project Rampart framework, which aims to improve student-athlete experiences and academic outcomes through sports access.

Project Rampart launched in Baltimore in 2017 and has since expanded to Oakland and Washington, DC. The initiative provides student-athletes with upgraded facilities, apparel, leadership development, and specialized coach training.

DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee noted the alignment with the district’s 6th Grade Academy model. “In our 6th Grade Academies, students are given the tools to excel inside and outside of the classroom,” Ferebee said. “DCPS is grateful to partner with Monumental Sports and Under Armour to provide resources to young people so they can thrive in programming that deepens their connection to school.”

Strategic Implications for Youth Sports Access

District Kicks represents a scaling approach to equipment access programs in large urban school districts. By targeting specific student populations (high school athletes and transitioning middle schoolers) rather than universal distribution, the initiative directs resources toward students most likely to engage in organized sports programming.

The multi-year commitment from MSE and Under Armour creates predictability for DCPS athletic departments planning seasonal equipment needs. Sport-specific footwear addresses a recurring cost barrier for families supporting student-athletes across multiple sports seasons.

The sixth grade focus aligns with research showing middle school transition years as critical for sustained sports participation. Providing footwear during this window may support retention in school-based athletics programs.

MSE’s integration of the initiative with the Capital One Arena project and District of Play platform suggests continued expansion of corporate-funded youth sports infrastructure in Washington, DC through 2026 and beyond.

via: Wizards

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About Youth Sports Business Report

Youth Sports Business Report is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis covering the $54 billion youth sports market. Trusted by over 50,000 followers including industry executives, investors, youth sports parents and sports business professionals, we are the premier destination for comprehensive youth sports business intelligence.

Our core mission: Make Youth Sports Better. As the leading authority in youth sports business reporting, we deliver unparalleled coverage of sports business trends, youth athletics, and emerging opportunities across the youth sports ecosystem.

Our expert editorial team provides authoritative, in-depth reporting on key youth sports industry verticals including:

Sports sponsorship and institutional capital (Private Equity, Venture Capital)
Youth Sports events and tournament management
NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) developments and compliance
Youth sports coaching and sports recruitment strategies
Sports technology and data analytics innovation
Youth sports facilities development and management
Sports content creation and digital media monetization

Whether you’re a sports industry executive, institutional investor, youth sports parent, coach, or sports business enthusiast, Youth Sports Business Report is your most reliable source for the actionable sports business insights you need to stay ahead of youth athletics trends and make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving youth sports landscape.

Join our growing community of 50,000+ industry leaders who depend on our trusted youth sports business analysis to drive success in the youth sports industry.

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Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?

Introducing Play Up Partners, a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.

About Play Up Partners

Play Up Partners is a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.

Why Sponsor Youth Sports?

Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty.

What Does Play Up Partners Do?

We’ve done the heavy lifting to untangle the complex youth sports landscape so our brand partners can engage with clarity, confidence, and impact. Our vetted network of accredited youth sports organizations (from local leagues to national tournaments and operators) allows us to create flexible, scalable programs that evolve with the market.

Our Approach

Every partnership we build is rooted in authenticity and value creation. We don’t just broker deals. We craft youth sports marketing strategies that:

Deliver measurable ROI for brand partners
Create meaningful experiences for athletes and families
Elevate the youth sports ecosystem

Our Vision

We’re positioning youth sports as the most desirable and effective platform in sports marketing. Our mission is simple: MAKE YOUTH SPORTS BETTER for athletes, families, organizations, and brand partners.

Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing

Where can I sponsor youth sports? How do I activate in youth sports? What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?

We have answers. Reach out to info@playuppartners.com to learn how Play Up Partners can help your brand navigate the youth sports landscape.

Youth sports organizations: Interested in partnership opportunities? Reach out to learn about our accreditation process.

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Rec Sports

Bill Castner, Sr., fabled Toms River baseball leader, dies at 73

Published

36 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

William J. Castner, Sr., a legendary community leader in Toms River, where he helped lead a nationally recognized youth baseball powerhouse that produced several major and league players, died on December 19 after an illness. He was 73.

Castner spent nearly three decades coaching baseball and served on the board of trustees of the onetime international championship Toms River East Little League. He played an integral role in the founding of a fall baseball program and the Toms River Black Sox that extended baseball into the summer.

The senior league field at the Toms River East Little League Complex was named “Castner Field” in 2009 to honor Castner and his wife of over fifty years, Diane, a longtime volunteer. Ten future major league players played on Castner Field.

He served on the governing board of the Atlantic Baseball Conference Collegiate League, the Youth Sports Safety Advisory Board, and the Play for James Foundation board.

“The only thing Bill would ask for Christmas each year were Wawa gift cards for gas money so he and Diane could drive tens of thousands of miles each year watching games all throughout the Garden State in their lawn chairs – often followed by a family meal at a Jersey diner or restaurant,” his family said in a statement.

In addition to coaching for over forty years, Castner was an executive for a global aluminum manufacturing and distribution company.

He is survived by his wife, three children, including Rutgers University Executive Vice President and General Counsel William J. Castner, Jr., and seven grandchildren.

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, December 27, from noon to 4 PM at the Quinn Hopping Funeral Home in Toms River. A celebration of life service will be held from 3:15 to 4 PM. Donations can be made to the Play for James Foundation.

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Rec Sports

Free Christmas tree recycling begins in Allen County Friday

Published

44 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – A free Christmas tree recycling program is returning to Allen County on Friday.

The Allen County Department of Environmental Management program works together with local organizations for drop-off locations throughout the county. Those locations include:

Fort Wayne City Utilities Biosolids Handling Facility
- 6202 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne
- Open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Closed Jan. 1)
North Highway Department Building
- 2234 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne
- Open daily from dawn to dusk
Metea County Park
- 8401 Union Chapel Road, Fort Wayne
- Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
South Lot (near Fort Wayne International Airport)
- 10100 Smith Road, Fort Wayne
- Open daily from dawn to dusk
New Haven Utility Shop
- 2201 Summit Street, New Haven
- Open daily from dawn to dusk
Monroeville Water Works Department
- 200 Utility Drive, Monroeville
- Open daily from dawn to dusk

The program runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 16.

Before dropping off a tree, residents must remove all ornaments, tinsel and plastic bags. Wreaths, garlands and artificial trees are not accepted.

Trees will not be collected as part of regular trash pickup.

To be the first to get the latest breaking news alerts, download the 21Alive News App here.

You can also catch the latest news from 21Alive anytime on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Just search “21Alive” in the app store and download the app to your device.

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Rec Sports

A celebration of success | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

5 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Photo courtesy Bay College
The Center for Youth Health & Wellness staff outside the new Center on the Escanaba campus in 2024.

ESCANABA – The Center for Youth Health and Wellness opened its doors on the Bay College Escanaba Campus in Fall 2024. The Center has quickly become a vital resource for students and local youth ages 10-21, providing accessible, high-quality medical and mental health services in a welcoming, youth-focused environment.

The Center has demonstrated strong community engagement and meaningful impact. Since opening in 2024, The Center has served 1,045 unduplicated clients. These individuals visited The Center for a wide range of health and wellness needs, including medical visits, mental health visits, and annual wellness exams.

“We are thrilled by the positive response and the number of young people who are choosing to access care right here on campus through The Center,” said Cindy Gallagher, Bay College Vice President of Workforce Innovation and Strategic Partnerships. “This partnership with Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties ensures that students and community youth have the support they need to thrive academically, personally, and socially.”

Since the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2025, The Center’s momentum has remained strong. In the first quarter alone, The Center has provided 99 medical visits and 147 mental health visits.

Since its opening, The Center has become a critical provider for the required high school sports physicals that allow youth to participate in high school sports. Kayla Coltson, Family Nurse Practitioner at The Center, shared that they have provided 755 sports physicals to area youth since August 2024.

These numbers reflect the continued and growing demand for accessible youth-focused health services in the region. The Center’s integrated approach–combining medical care, mental health support, prevention services, and wellness education–helps empower young people to make informed decisions and build healthier futures.

“It’s clear that this collaboration is filling a critical gap in our community,” said Michael Snyder, Health Officer at Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties. “We are committed to providing quality services, reducing barriers, and meeting the evolving needs of youth across Delta and Menominee counties.”

The Center for Youth Health and Wellness remains open to individuals ages 10-21, offering walk-in and scheduled appointments. Services include primary medical care, behavioral health counseling, vaccines, wellness visits, and health education–all provided in a confidential, inclusive, and supportive setting.

The Center employs four staff, including a receptionist, a licensed mental health counselor, a registered nurse, and a nurse practitioner. The Center also has an active Advisory Board consisting of representatives from local K-12 partners, Delta-Schoolcraft ISD, Public Health, Bay College, and local parents.

Funding for The Center is provided through a grant awarded to Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, along with reimbursement from billing public and private insurance plans. No client between the ages of 10-21 will be denied care due to an inability to pay.

Bay College and Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties look forward to building on this strong foundation for years to come as we continue to serve the youth of our community.

For more information, visit the Center’s page at baycollege.edu, contact The Center for Youth Health and Wellness at 906-786-1672 or visit The Center’s Facebook page.

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Rec Sports

Advocacy Groups Warn Against Kalshi’s Gambling Push

Published

5 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Hayley Fowler ( December 22, 2025, 3:36 PM EST) — A trio of nonprofits that advocate against gambling are fighting betting company Kalshi’s efforts to curb Maryland gaming regulators’ oversight, telling the Fourth Circuit that health consequences and threats to elections and youth sports would be significant if Kalshi succeeds….

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