A Virginia mom is defending her decision to enter the court during her son’s basketball game.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — A Loudoun County mother is defending her decision to step onto the court during a youth basketball game after her son was injured, an incident that was caught on video and has since gone viral online.
The video, viewed more than 2 million times on social media, shows a Northern Virginia youth basketball game escalating as players collide. Near the end of the game, the boy is hit again, shoved off the court and into the stands. Moments later, his mother, Natalie Gramblin, walks onto the court to intervene.
Gramblin said her son suffered a swollen jaw, a gash on his tongue and bruising from the game — injuries she believes could have been prevented if referees had intervened sooner.
“I think there were two hits to the head, face area that weren’t called,” Gramblin said. “The illegal screens that were set, I think they called one.”
Gramblin said referees missed repeated violations throughout the game, including dangerous screens that she believes put players at risk.
“He’s leaning forward and making contact — making sure that he hits them hard and blindsiding them instead of letting them turn and take a step, which is what the rule book says,” she said.
With seconds left on the clock, Gramblin said she feared her son could be hurt again and stepped onto the court.
“I played basketball my entire life and never have I felt the need to run on the court or interject in that way,” she said. “But it was like no one’s stopping this. He’s been doing this the entire game.”
The Farmwell Station Basketball League later ruled the game a double forfeit because of Gramblin’s actions. The player who shoved her son was suspended for two games.
League officials determined that Gramblin entering the court made the playing environment unsafe, a decision she disputes.
“They’re saying that decision for me to come on the court made the situation unsafe,” Gramblin said. “I don’t think I made it unsafe. I think the kid who was actually hurting people made it unsafe.”
Gramblin initially shared the video with friends and family to seek feedback, but it quickly spread beyond her circle. Many commenters have expressed support, while others criticized her actions, fueling a broader debate about safety, refereeing and parental involvement in youth sports.
“These are actual injuries that kids are facing, and it starts with the referees managing the games better,” Gramblin said. “That was my whole premise behind this.”
She said the response underscores what she sees as a lack of serious concern for player safety at young ages.
“They can actually hurt each other now,” she said. “The lack of serious concern at this age is inappropriate.”
Gramblin said she has requested a formal appeal with the league to clarify what the rules say about parental intervention when a child is injured during a game.
Despite the controversy, she said she does not regret stepping in.
Since the video was posted, the family of the other player involved pressed charges and requested a protective order. Those charges have since been dropped, and the case is expected to be in court on Jan. 29.
Loudoun County Public Schools said the game was not affiliated with the school district.
Loudoun County Parks and Recreation offered the following statement:
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) takes player safety and officiating seriously.
The Department conducted a formal review of the game (Harper Park Middle School vs. Farmwell Station Middle School on Sunday, December 7, 2025), including officiating concerns.
Our findings and the appropriate corrective action were consistent with National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules, our Middle School League Rules, and the PRCS Code of Conduct.
A new year always brings new moments. There will be some worth celebrating and even some worth forgetting.
In Sarasota, the sports scene of 2026 offers more than just highs and lows. There are lingering uncertainties that encourage discourse and debate.
Here are some big questions to consider in the year to come:
Might we see local athletes in the Winter Olympics?
An Olympic year never fails to pique the interest of sports lovers everywhere. The greatest athletes in the world go toe-to-toe on the grandest of stages.
It’s one heck of a spectacle to witness, even for Sarasota residents who will tune in on TV nearly 5,000 miles away from Milan, Italy.
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are set to run Feb. 6-22. That means less than one month until the opening ceremony, and with the lion’s share of trials completed, we have yet to see a local athlete book their ticket.
Historically, the Sarasota-Bradenton area has been well-represented at the Summer Games in swimming and rowing, but it rarely sends medal-chasers to the Winter Games.
There just aren’t enough nearby facilities — a product of our tropical climate — for this to become a breeding ground for winter Olympians. And those select few athletes who do spend time here end up seeking colder parts of the country for training.
That being said, Florida did send some of its best to Beijing in 2022. Seven members of Team USA hailed from the Sunshine State, including Ocala’s speedskating gold medalist Erin Jackson and bronze medalist Brittany Bowe.
Milano Cortina represents a major moment for men’s ice hockey. For the first time since 2014, teams will feature NHL players, and 18 names from the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are listed on Olympic rosters. Team USA will feature Jake Guentzel, Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones, in that regard.
Sarasota residents without any legitimate stake can be equally invested as those with a real reason to care. That’s the beauty of the Games.
Who will win big at USRowing Youth National Championships?
This area is an aquatic sports fan’s paradise. Ideal conditions and picturesque views are just part of what makes Sarasota perfect for competition in the water.
Premier young rowing talents from every corner of the country will, once again, join in on the fun when the summer rolls around.
The Sarasota Crew Women’s U16 Eight boat of Addison Wilson, Brooke Wilson, Gabrielle Davis, Maya Jewell, Lillian Teague, Megan Murdock, Isabella De Liz, Sydney Soboleski and Rose Ottaviano were crowned champions of their class at the 2025 USRowing Youth National Championships.
File photo
On June 11-14, the USRowing Youth National Championships return to Nathan Benderson Park after celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2025. The top youth rowers in the U.S. are slated to race here for the seventh straight year.
Sarasota Crew secured gold in last year’s Women’s U16 Eight with the boat of coxswain Lillian Teague, Rose Ottaviano, Sydney Soboleski, Isabella De Liz, Megan Murdock, Maya Jewell, Gabrielle Davis, Brooke Wilson and Addison Wilson. That crew clocked a 6:56.81 in the 2,000-meter race — over five seconds ahead of the pack.
Also in 2025, there were third-place and sixth-place finishes for Sarasota Crew in the Men’s U17 Eight and Women’s Youth Four races, respectively. The organization churns out elite rowers and, in 2026, will likely have even more boats recognized nationally.
These national championships have become one of the summer’s marquee local sporting events, and at a time of year when high school sports are dormant.
That’s all the more reason to go yourself and see who triumphs.
Is a dynasty possible for Cardinal Mooney football?
A state championship means greatness. Two in a row is all the more impressive.
Three in four years? Well, that’s a dynasty. It’s a special distinction no Sarasota-based high school football program has ever earned.
The Cougars are in pursuit of such a rarity as they enter 2026, having just claimed the FHSAA Class 2A state title in December 2025.
Running back Connail Jackson (center) finds a gap during the 2025 FHSAA Class 2A state championship between Cardinal Mooney and Bolles. The Cougars enter 2026 looking to reload for another title.
Photo by Jack Nelson
Major losses, though, loom for Cardinal Mooney football. Chief among them is defensive lineman Elijah Golden and wide receiver Kymistrii Young.
There were 25 seniors on the 56-man roster for this past season, so nearly half the team is set to graduate. Seven of them are early signees to Division I programs.
Coach Jared Clark and Co. have already begun assembling the puzzle for 2026. Quarterback Davin Davidson and running back Connail Jackson will both return as seniors, so much of the offensive firepower will be back.
Some big-time additions are on the way, too — Riverview running back Toryeon James, Parrish Community defensive lineman Kaleb Exume and Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver/defensive back Cedric King are all transferring to Cardinal Mooney.
Exume, a junior three-star recruit with 15 Division I offers, will have a considerable impact in the trenches. James’ move is especially intriguing following a junior season in which he racked up 1,941 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.
The Cougars are poised to have one of the state’s most lethal backfields with Jackson and James splitting carries, and the reloading process has only just begun.
Several months remain until spring football gets underway. Even more stand between now and the fall. Already, a dynasty is what Cardinal Mooney is building toward.
How could a new sports complex at 17th Street Park impact softball?
There is arguably no more significant project for local athletes than the youth and adult sports complex under construction at 17th Street Park.
Put simply, it has real potential to turn Sarasota into a genuine softball destination.
The 18-month first phase of the project began in spring 2025 and is on schedule for a December opening. It will add three adult softball fields to the park as well as several multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse, football and more.
Three adult softball fields will be included in Sarasota County’s 17th Street Park Phase 1.
Courtesy image
Already, there is an arrangement for Division I, Power Four softball to be played on these grounds. The Sarasota College Softball Classic will launch on Feb. 11, 2027, with Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, James Madison, Ohio State and Texas State in the mix.
Softball has a strong foothold locally at both the high school and club levels — look no further than Sarasota High reaching the 2025 FHSAA Class 7A state semifinals.
This facility can only boost interest by being a magnet for coaches, players and parents alike. After all, athletes dream of playing on the same surface as their collegiate idols.
The years to come will shift Sarasota’s standing on the statewide softball landscape.
Saturday, January 10 is “Bubba’s Day for Kids.” at Mitchell Fieldhouse.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) — This weekend, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will host a special event honoring the memory of a beloved child.
The women’s basketball team is organizing Bubba’s Day for Kids in memory of Charlie Lonning Weber, known as Bubba, the son of head coach Moran Lonning.
Coach Lonning shared the motivation behind the event, emphasizing the importance of making youth sports accessible.
“Financial reasons shouldn’t be a factor to keep kids out,” said Lonning. “So there’s already great programs in place like Rising Athletes. We’re not wanting to reinvent the wheel with Bubba’s Fund. We just want to help shine light and raise money for them.”
The event promises a joyful experience for all attendees.
“We are adding a kids fest in Mitchell Hall Field House,” said Lonning. “A couple of hours before the game, it’s gonna kick off around noon. UWL athletics and different athletes are gonna help make it fun for kids to involve sports and other activities.”
The goal is to fill the gym to capacity with more than 2,000 attendees. The event is free for everyone, not just youth, thanks to support from UWL.
“I’m really excited that we made it a free event for everybody,” said Lonning. “We’ll be selling our ‘Sixth Man’ t-shirts again, those white t-shirts that you see around town that I just love.”
The game is at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10 at UWL’s Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse. UWL will host WIAC rival UW Platteville.
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Vincent Robinson, one of Jackson County’s all-time greats in high school basketball, has died.
He was 58.
Robinson, a former Bridgeport High School star athlete and member of the Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame’s inaugural Class of 2014, died Jan. 1.
Robinson was the first Alabama Sports Writers Association Mr. Basketball in 1985 and is still the lone Jackson County player to win the award. Playing for fellow Jackson County Hall of Fame coaches at Bridgeport, head coach Ken Story and assistant coach Woody Hamilton, Robinson was also the Class 2A Player of the Year his senior year and was a two-time all-state selection.
The 6-foot-5 Robinson averaged 32 points and 18 rebounds per game during his 1984-85 senior season while helping Bridgeport go 26-3, win the school’s only Jackson County Tournament championship — Bridgeport and Stevenson high schools consolidated to form North Jackson High School in 1988 — and the Class 2A Area 16 Tournament championship before falling one game shy of the 2A state tournament after losing to West Morgan 44-43 in the second round of the sub-state playoffs.
Robinson was also a first-team ASWA Class 2A all-state football selection in 1984 and was all-state honorable mention in 1983. His older brother Tyrone played college football at Tennessee, and they were the first pair of siblings inducted into the JCSHOF (Vincent in 2014 and Tyrone in 2015).
Vincent Robinson signed with Memphis State University and played two seasons there before finishing his college basketball career at UTC, where he helped the Mocs make the NCAA Tournament during the 1987-88 season. Robinson served many seasons as a youth basketball coach after his playing career.
Freeport’s star junior Paityn London collapsed to the floor in the final second of the third quarter of Tuesday night’s NIC-10 girls basketball showdown, and on Wednesday, the Pretzels’ head coach John O’Bryan was worried that she may have torn the ACL in her knee.
The Pretzels pushed through and hung on for a key 51-47 win over Boylan on Tuesday night, and they are now getting ready to face one of the Rockford area’s other toughest teams, Byron, at Freeport on Saturday.
Skyhawks basketball teams play at home for first time in nearly a month
Jaxon Smith of Fort Lewis College drives to the basket while playing Adams State University on Dec. 13 at FLC. (Jerry McBride/Herald file)
Jerry McBride
After saying, “Happy New Year,” to everyone over the last week, it’s time to be happy that local sports are in full swing this upcoming week after a long holiday break.
Coaches, parents and most importantly, players, should be refreshed heading into 2026. Nagging injuries are hopefully gone after some rest over the holidays. College athletes don’t have finals looming over them anymore and can start fresh with a new semester.
The time off was also important because local sports teams have key games coming up. Fort Lewis College’s basketball teams return to play at home for the first time in a month as they dive headfirst into conference play. Durango High School’s basketball teams participate in their last non-league tournaments before returning home. Local high school wrestling teams will head to Pagosa Springs for a wrestling tournament.
Here’s the local sports schedule for the upcoming week:
FLC sports:
Thursday: Women’s basketball vs. Western Colorado at 5:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks women’s basketball team is off to its best start in six years at 9-3 overall and 2-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. FLC won its last two games on the road in Texas before the holiday break.
FLC has a strong defense and a balanced offensive attack, with five players averaging between eight and 12 points per game. Women’s basketball head coach Lauren Zuniga spreads out her minutes; no player averages more than 27 minutes per game, and 10 players average more than 13 minutes per game.
Western Colorado is 5-5 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC. The Mountaineers’ last game was a 70-67 overtime loss to No. 12 Pittsburg State University in Oklahoma on Dec. 20. After dropping its first RMAC game to Colorado Christian, Western Colorado has won its last three conference games. The last win was a 62-53 victory over Regis on Dec. 13.
The Mountaineers have the leading scorer in the RMAC in Ivey Schmidt. The senior guard is averaging 18.8 PPG and is shooting 42% from 3-point range.
Men’s basketball vs. Western Colorado at 7:30 p.m.
Notes: The Skyhawks men are undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and are coming off their biggest win of the season, an 81-68 victory over No. 13 St. Mary’s University on Dec. 17 in San Antonio, Texas. There was a somber undertone to the win because FLC starting point guard Yorgio Golesis tore his ACL and is out for the season.
FLC is 6-5 overall and will have to rely on its top three scorers, redshirt sophomore guard Stewart Erhart, fifth-year forward Chuol Deng and redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smith, to make up for the loss of Golesis. FLC’s top three scorers average between 14 and 16 PPG.
Western Colorado is 5-7 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC. The Mountaineers lost their game against UCCS on Friday, 98-89. Western Colorado has lost three of its last four games.
Just like the women’s team, the Western Colorado men have the top scorer in the conference. Guard Aidan McDowell is averaging 28.1 PPG, more than eight PPG better than any player in the conference. He’s also the top scorer in Division II.
Saturday: Women’s basketball vs. Westminster at 1 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Westminster at 3 p.m.
High school sports:
Thursday: Durango boys wrestling against Palisade
Durango girls wrestling at Montezuma-Cortez
Durango Alpine skiing at Loveland Ski Area
Durango boys basketball vs. Canon City at 6 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Del Norte at 7 p.m.
Durango girls basketball vs. Canon City at 7:30 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Friday: Bayfield boys, girls wrestling teams, Durango boys, girls wrestling teams and Ignacio boys, girls wrestling teams at Pagosa Springs tournaments
Durango girls basketball vs. Pueblo East on Friday at 3 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango boys basketball vs. Pueblo East on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango girls swimming and diving at Delta at 5:15 p.m.
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Aztec at 5:30 p.m.
Durango boys hockey at Aspen at 6 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Aztec at 7 p.m.
Saturday: Bayfield boys, girls wrestling teams, Durango boys, girls wrestling teams and Ignacio boys, girls wrestling teams at Pagosa Springs tournaments
Durango girls basketball vs. Falcon at 10 a.m. in Canon City tournament
Durango girls swimming and diving at Grand Junction Meet at 11:15 a.m.
Durango boys basketball vs. Cheyenne Mountain at 11:30 a.m. in Canon City tournament
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Dove Creek at 11:30 a.m.
Ignacio girls basketball vs. Dove Creek at noon
Bayfield girls basketball vs. Telluride at 12:30 p.m.
Bayfield boys basketball vs. Telluride at 1:30 p.m.
Durango boys hockey at Aspen at 3 p.m.
Tuesday: Ignacio girls basketball vs. Sargent at 4:30 p.m.
Durango girls basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 5:30 p.m.
Ignacio boys basketball vs. Sargent at 6 p.m.
Durango boys basketball vs. Pagosa Springs at 7 p.m.
