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Nebraska volleyball shows promise, excites fans in spring match

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Why AAU Works for SwimAtlanta—and Why It Can Work for Your Club Too

This is an editorial from Chris Davis, the founder, owner, and head coach of SwimAtlanta, one of the top swimming programs in the United States. He established the club in 1977 with just 28 swimmers and one location. Today, SwimAtlanta operates at seven locations with over 1,800 swimmers and has produced numerous national and international […]

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This is an editorial from Chris Davis, the founder, owner, and head coach of SwimAtlanta, one of the top swimming programs in the United States. He established the club in 1977 with just 28 swimmers and one location. Today, SwimAtlanta operates at seven locations with over 1,800 swimmers and has produced numerous national and international champions, including five Olympians

By Chris Davis, Founder & Head Coach, SwimAtlanta

There’s probably not a week that goes by without someone in the swimming community asking me, “How’s the AAU side of your team going?” And without fail, at every meet I attend, at least one coach pulls me aside to ask the same thing.

My answer is simple: It’s going great. And I follow that up by explaining why AAU works for SwimAtlanta—and why it could work for every swim club in America.

Here’s what I’ve learned after decades in the sport, both as a coach and as a business owner: at least 50% of our registered swimmers never attend USA Swimming sanctioned meets. They’re on the team for exercise, fitness, high school prep, summer league, or parks and rec—not for competition. And that’s okay. It gives us a chance to identify and guide athletes who could thrive in the sport toward a more competitive path.

But for the other half—the kids who won’t compete in USA Swimming meets—it never made sense to pay the full USA Swimming registration fee just for insurance coverage. I realized years ago that there had to be a more cost-effective solution. So we switched our non-competitive swimmers to a general umbrella insurance policy through Risk Management, which cost about $6–$7 per swimmer. That one change saved SwimAtlanta roughly $50,000 per year in unnecessary registration fees.

Enter AAU

Two years ago, we evolved the model again. We began dual-registering with AAU for a few key reasons.

  1. AAU meets are easy to sanction and host. We can get an AAU meet sanctioned in about an hour. Compare that to the lengthy process required through most LSCs. That means we can run fun, fast, insured novice meets for swimmers who aren’t ready for big-time competition. Everyone is covered under AAU’s insurance—swimmers, officials, and volunteers alike.
  2. The meets are efficient and inclusive. At our recent AAU Father’s Day meet, we hosted 200 swimmers and wrapped the event in two hours. Afterward, we rented out the water park for a team celebration. It was affordable, well-run, and a total blast.
  3. AAU provides a financial and structural alternative. While AAU registration costs a bit more than the Risk Management plan, we more than make up for that through meet revenue—especially because we’re not giving a required percentage to the LSC. This has allowed us to build a sustainable, engaging experience for developmental swimmers.

A Reminder To USA Swimming

My secondary motivation for registering with AAU is simple: to remind USA Swimming that they’re not the only game in town.

Competition, in any space, makes everyone better. SwimAtlanta thrives in Atlanta not because we’re the only option, but because other great teams push us to improve. We have to deliver for our families. We have to evolve. And we believe USA Swimming should be held to the same standard.

If USA Swimming starts losing market share, maybe that’s the wake-up call they need to rethink how they operate. Innovation doesn’t happen without pressure. And when there’s no competition, complacency creeps in.

If you’re interested in exploring AAU or just want to talk more about how we’re using this model at SwimAtlanta, I’m happy to share.

Chris Davis
SwimAtlanta Founder & Head Coach
📧 [email protected]

SEE: AAU Swimming 





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UFC Baku: Khalil Rountree’s Earnings After Hill Win Home » MMA » UFC Baku: How Much Money Did Khalil Rountree Earn Defeating Jamahal Hill? 0

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Week in review: Nebraska volleyball fills out 2027 recruiting class | Husker Red Zone

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All-Metro boys golfer of the year

By Greg Uptain | Special to the Post-Dispatch The 2025 Post-Dispatch All-Metro spring series continues with boys golf. This includes players from both the Illinois fall season and Missouri… A sudden change in some important equipment didn’t faze Harrison Zipfel. Just prior to the Class 5 boys golf state tournament in May, the St. Louis […]

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Meet the 2025 All-Metro boys golf team

The 2025 Post-Dispatch All-Metro spring series continues with boys golf. This includes players from both the Illinois fall season and Missouri…

A sudden change in some important equipment didn’t faze Harrison Zipfel.

Just prior to the Class 5 boys golf state tournament in May, the St. Louis University High junior decided to switch things up with his putter and the results were nothing short of spectacular.

“Yeah, at state my putting was phenomenal,” Zipfel said. “I was looking back on the first day, and on the last 16 holes, I don’t think I missed a putt inside of 20 feet. So, it’s hard not to go low when you’re doing that, especially on a course that was pretty forgivable to begin with.”

Zipfel went low indeed, firing a sizzling 8-under-par 64 in the first round and finishing with a two-day score of 12-under 132 to capture individual medalist honors at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.

It is believed to be the lowest state tournament score ever recorded in Missouri and put an emphatic cap on a sensational season that earned him All-Metro boys golfer of the year honors.

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“He won the first tournament of the season that we host at the Missouri Bluffs (the Bantle Memorial), where he shot 69 out of the block, so he was very consistent,” SLUH coach Jim Knoesel said. “He played well pretty much every time out, so I wasn’t surprised by anything that he did.”

Zipfel’s incredible two rounds of state golf was part of a larger standout effort by the entire Junior Billikens squad in capturing the program’s first state title in 73 years.

Also, Zipfel earned the first state medalist title for a SLUH player since Kevin Knapp won the Class 4A crown in 1998.

“I was just really proud of the way our guys continued to work throughout the spring,” Zipfel said. “When times got tough, we didn’t let that hold us down. It was a great reward for all our hard work.”

Normally, a first round of 8 under might net you a pretty comfortable lead, but the field nipped at Zipfel’s heels throughout the two days at state, allowing him to not get too complacent.

“Yeah, I think for sure,” he said. “If you know you’re 6 under, 7 under or whatever it may be, there is a different mentality than being out there with a one-shot lead over this guy or that guy. It allowed me to stay focused and not worry about the score I was at, but how far ahead I was of the other guys.”







Class 5 State Golf Championship

St. Louis University High junior Harrison Zipfel is the All-Metro boys golfer of the year. He won the Class 5 state medalist title while helping the Jr. Billikens capture the team championship. He was SLUH’s first state medalist since 1998 and helped the program to its first state title since 1952.




Zipfel’s first round of 64 was mighty eye-popping, but his coach was even more impressed by his standout’s second-round tally of 68.

“It’s very tough to follow up a really low round, and you know, in that second round, he showed me a lot of guts,” Knoesel said. “The first day, he got really hot on the back nine and made a bunch of birdies. The second day, he got out of position a few times, but he hung in there. He made a bogey from all those out of bounds and he made some really tough pars, which showed me a lot.”

Zipfel had solid top-six state finishes each of his first two years, but he left both tournaments wanting for more. That disappointment provided much of the fuel for this season’s performance.

“Yeah, for sure. I think both hurt not being able to walk away with the state title,” he said. “I think freshman year really stung, just with the position I was in with not many holes left, but I also think it kind of settled me into knowing that I’ve been in this position before and I can’t get too far ahead of myself. You’re thinking about what could happen when the final putt drops on 18, but I just gotta commit to the shot I have right in front of me.”

Zipfel has already given a verbal commitment to the University of Illinois. With that decision out of the way, he has given himself a clear chance to run it all back again next spring, not only individually but also with a SLUH squad that counted no seniors in the state tournament lineup.

“Yeah, it’s great to have the decision over with. For a lot of guys, it’s a big pressure of ‘Where am I gonna go to college?’ But for me, that’s just the beginning,” Zipfel said. “I have a lot of aspirations of things I want do at Illinois and I’ve got to remember that those guys are really good and I’m not there yet, so I have to keep working. I’m very excited (about next season). We have a lot of talented kids on our team, a lot of really hard workers. As long as we just stay within ourselves, I think next spring is gonna be a great spring for us.”


Meet the 2025 All-Metro boys golf team

The 2025 Post-Dispatch All-Metro spring series continues with boys golf. This includes players from both the Illinois fall season and Missouri…


Nick Zimmerman did a bit of everything for SLUH: All-Metro water polo player of the year


Riley Nelson takes charge for Edwardsville: All-Metro spring softball player of the year


Clayton’s Noah Gou made a strong impression: All-Metro boys tennis player of the year


De Smet’s Massey had championship pedigree: All-Metro boys volleyball player of the year


SLUH wins first boys golf team state title since 1952 behind medalist Harrison Zipfel


Sizzling opening round has Harrison Zipfel, SLUH in front of Class 5 boys golf state field



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How Olipop Uses Creator-Led Sports Content To Win New Fans On YouTube

YouTube Is the Most Valuable Sports Media Network Younger audiences don’t watch sports the way their parents did. They’re not sitting through full games or waiting for highlights on SportsCenter. They’re watching on YouTube, where athletes and creators are driving something more dynamic than traditional sports coverage ever allowed. According to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, […]

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YouTube Is the Most Valuable Sports Media Network

Younger audiences don’t watch sports the way their parents did. They’re not sitting through full games or waiting for highlights on SportsCenter. They’re watching on YouTube, where athletes and creators are driving something more dynamic than traditional sports coverage ever allowed.

According to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, sports content on YouTube grew 45% last year and topped 35 billion hours of viewership. Behind that growth is the rise of athlete-driven storytelling, creator-led formats, and fan communities that live far beyond the final score.

The Age Of The Producer Economy

For athletes and creators building IP, YouTube offers access to a massive global audience, creative control, and monetization tools to build entertainment properties without waiting for a green light.

Shot for Netflix, Built for YouTube: Shanked

It looks like it belongs on Netflix, but Shanked, a scripted golf comedy, launched on YouTube. Think The Office meets Caddyshack, set at a fictional country club with a cast of creators who double as writers, characters, and marketers.

The ensemble includes Mitsy Sanderson, Laura Clery, Blake Webber (Aristotle Georgeson), James Lynch, Patrick Farley, and Mikey Smith, alongside guest stars like Malosi Togisala (Big Moe of Good Good Golf) and even AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys. Together, the cast brings over 70 million followers and a built-in fandom.

The series was produced by London Alley, a production company founded by Luga Podesta. London Alley is one of the few entertainment companies building premium long-form series for YouTube. Vice Media recently acquired London Alley to deepen its platform-native storytelling capabilities and support creators launching new IP.

A Network Mindset, Not Just a YouTube Platform Strategy

Ryan Horrigan, President of London Alley, leads this initiative. A former studio executive who started his career at CAA, Horrigan treats YouTube like a network, not just another social channel. That network mindset shaped casting and production, as well as how Shanked was marketed.

“Selling to a streamer gives you a higher floor,” Horrigan says. “But YouTube gives you a higher ceiling.”

James Lynch, a co-creator and cast member, adds: “We wanted something that works for 22 minutes but also hooks you in 60 seconds. Our show has to live in both worlds.”

“We made this in six months for a fraction of what a streamer would spend,” says Horrigan. “But because we understand YouTube, the fan connection is stronger and more meaningful.”

Olipop: When a Sponsor Becomes a Character

Shanked launched with a sponsor written into the script. Gen Z–favorite soda brand Olipop appears in multiple episodes: in the clubhouse fridge, on the beverage cart, and in a fourth-wall moment where the characters joke about how visible the product is.

“We went way beyond product placement,” says Lynch. “Olipop is baked into the world, the jokes, and the show’s culture.”

A Smarter Play: Building Audience Through Precision Content

Olipop is ahead of the curve. While most brands buy ads, Olipop sees YouTube and creators as a precision engine for audience growth.

Golf has become a valuable entry point for the brand. “I talk to people in golf all the time, and they say all they serve is hot dogs, soda, and beer,” says Steven Vigilante, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Olipop. “Our product fits where the culture is going.”

“We sell soda,” Vigilante adds. “We don’t need to be in front of the 1 percent at the Masters. We need to be in front of the everyday golfer. And YouTube is where they spend time.”

Understanding their audience shapes Olipop’s social programming. “Our Instagram audience is 80 percent Gen Z and millennial women. The Shanked audience is mostly 18 to 44 men,” Vigilante explains. “So we’re not flooding our social channels with golf clips. Olipop has a strategy; we show up in the right places for the right reasons.”

For Ollipop, the value is clear. “I’d rather be in the content people choose to watch than the ad they’re trying to skip,” Vigilante says. “That’s how we’re building the next wave of brand relevance.”

No Trailers Needed: Momentum Comes From Athletes And Creators

“We knew we had to market this differently,” says Mikey Smith, co-creator and cast member of Shanked. “We can’t rely on trailers and tune-in ads. We leaned into thumbnails, creator collabs, TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. That’s how you build momentum.”

The timing for a golf comedy show couldn’t be better. According to the creator intelligence platform Traackr, more than 11,000 creators posted golf content between January and June 2025, a 17% year-over-year increase.

“Golf is more accessible than ever,” says Horrigan. “It’s not your grandfather’s sport anymore. Younger audiences are fans, and across YouTube and TikTok golf content, you can find everything from trick shots and comedy to fashion, fitness, and player stories.”

Shanked is bigger than one show. It’s a blueprint for fast, flexible, creator-led IP built around communities that don’t need cable to become fans.

The Next Chapter: Where Athletes And Creators Turn 1v1 Basketball Into Must-See TV

If Shanked is a sitcom disguised as sports content, The Next Chapter (TNC) flips the equation: non-league basketball reimagined as pay-per-view entertainment.

Founded by creators D’Vontay Friga, Scotty Weaver, and Grayson White, TNC started on YouTube and now distributes content through their own network. TNC’s latest event featured Michael Beasley vs. Lance Stephenson, with Kyrie Irving as guest commentator. Tens of thousands paid to stream it. Over one million visited TNCLeague.com. Instagram views hit 82 million in four days.

Stars and influencers packed the arena: Adin Ross, John Wall, Naz Reid, Andre Drummond, Victor Oladipo. Kevin Durant and Iman Shumpert joined the online conversation. It was a cultural moment.

Wasserman, TNC and the Rise of Sports Built for the YouTube Generation

TNC is built for modern fans: short games, meaningful financial stakes, and every player acts as both athlete and entertainer hyping games, creating content, and driving viewership.

Dan Levitt, SVP at Wasserman, is helping shape the model. “Creator-led sports content is the main event,” he says. “Younger fans follow the personalities. They care about the story and the stakes, not just the score.” A veteran in creator representation, Levitt joined Wasserman after its 2024 acquisition of his agency, Long Haul Management.

“Today’s athletes know they are full-blown media platforms,” Levitt adds. “They have distribution and influence. What they need now are systems to build something durable.”

Owned IP Is the Model. YouTube Is the Engine.

Shanked and The Next Chapter are strong signals that the next generation of sports media won’t live on cable; it’s built for platforms like YouTube.

Creators and athletes are building the future of sports content in real time. They own the audience, shape the story, and control the upside. YouTube gives them the tools to turn attention into revenue and fans into customers. The most innovative brands aren’t just watching. They’re in the game.



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Brandon Valenzuela gives Missions walk

SAN ANTONIO — The 2025 season has been a magical campaign for Missions catcher Brandon Valenzuela, as the 24-year-old has posted career-high power and run-production numbers with a .471 slugging percentage and a 140 wRC+. Saturday night, as the Missions hosted “Harry Potter Night” at Wolff Stadium, Valenzuela summoned a bit more magic to deliver […]

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Brandon Valenzuela gives Missions walk

SAN ANTONIO — The 2025 season has been a magical campaign for Missions catcher Brandon Valenzuela, as the 24-year-old has posted career-high power and run-production numbers with a .471 slugging percentage and a 140 wRC+.

Saturday night, as the Missions hosted “Harry Potter Night” at Wolff Stadium, Valenzuela summoned a bit more magic to deliver a walk-off single to lift the Missions to a 3-2 victory and sole possession of first place in the Texas League South standings.

“Isn’t that what the game is all about,” said Missions manager Luke Montz. “You look at growth; you look at development. You’re seeing a young kid progress.

“The next step for Brandon is to get into the big leagues and show what he can do. What they’re looking for is moments right there. It’s not always about the outcome, if it’s a hit or not a hit. It’s just the at-bat. There is just no giving in with him, and he is not an easy out right now in the box. I am super shocked they pitched to him there in that situation with first base open.”

While Valenzuela’s bat ultimately brought the Missions to victory, their pitching staff kept them alive for most of the night. Jagger Haynes delivered a stellar performance when his team needed it. The 22-year-old southpaw worked six innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, and struck out five. The lone run Haynes surrendered on the night was a lead-off homer to Cameron Cauley.

Jagger Haynes has been stellar over the last month. (Photo: Rey Holguin)

Haynes generated 10 total whiffs, resulting in an excellent 29.4% whiff rate on the night. His sinker sat 92-93 mph, getting anywhere from 11-14 inches of horizontal run. Haynes’s changeup was also effective running away from right-handed hitters. It sat at 82-83 and continued to flash an ample arm-side fade. He also showed a knack for getting whiffs with his gyro-slider, inducing three in the first inning alone, including two by Rangers top prospect Sebastian Walcott.

Over his last five starts, Haynes has a 1.98 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 14 walks in 27.1 innings of work. After showing he could shoulder starting pitching workloads last year, the lefty has already worked into the sixth inning six times this season.

“All of our starters have given us a chance to win every single game this week,” said Montz. “A solo home run to start the game can easily rattle somebody and shift momentum to their dugout. But then what Jagger goes and does is retire the next six in a row and give us six innings of one-run ball.”

“It just speaks volumes to where he’s at in his growth and development. Earlier in the year, I’m not sure we’re talking about that. We might get him in the second or third inning. But he’s starting to show that he can handle adversity and control what he can control.”

With Haynes locked in, the Missions offense quickly evened things up in the bottom of the second when Francisco Acuña lined a double to the left field gap to plate Wyatt Hoffman. Acuña finished the night with two hits and a pair of walks out of the leadoff spot. He has his average up to .344 this month.

Following Haynes’ departure, Montz turned the game over to Ethan Routzahn. The sidearming righty worked a clean inning in the seventh to keep the game tied.

The Missions briefly took the lead in the bottom of the seventh when, with two outs and the bases loaded, Moisés Gómez got plunked to push across a run.

That lead was short-lived as Routzahn allowed a leadoff home run of his own to Cauley before left-hander Jake Higginbotham came on to relieve him. The 29-year-old worked two scoreless innings while striking out three to put the club in a position to win on Valenzuela’s heroics.

Higginbotham allowed a lead-off double in the ninth, but rather than get rattled, the former Clemson Tiger bore down to strike out the next two batters before getting a ground ball to end the inning.

That is his third or fourth outing in a row where I have seen him as dialed in as ever,” noted Montz. “He had a good mix going tonight. I went out there in the ninth, and he thinks I might be taking him out when there is no chance I am taking him out.

“He tells me, skip, give me this one. An I told him you got this one and the next one. Just the way that he bears down, pitches with convection, and keeps hitters off balance, you’re going to see a lot of outings like tonight.”

NOTES: The Missions head into the final day of the first half having eliminated Frisco and holding a one-game lead over Midland. A win guarantees the club a playoff spot, but if they lose, they’ll need Midland, which has won the head-to-head series so far, to lose.

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