Rec Sports

Youth sports cost rising, Cass Tech honors students & more

(WXYZ) — Here at 7 News Detroit, we want to make sure you start your day off on the right foot, informed about weather, traffic, the latest news and more. That’s why we have the 7 Morning Digest, where we’ll get you out the door informed and ready to go. What’s the weather for today? […]

Published

2 months ago

April 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

What’s the weather for today?

Metro Detroit Weather: Storms today could be severe

Temps will climb into the 80s on Tuesday. There is a chance for a passing shower early Tuesday morning, but the threat for more rain and potentially severe storms arrives Tuesday afternoon and evening. The main threats with severe weather will be large hail, damaging wind gusts and a slight chance for flooding and a tornado. More seasonable weather returns midweek and continues for the rest of the week.

Tuesday: Chance of showers and thunderstorms early Tuesday morning, then more storm and rain chances later in the day. Warm and moist air with temps in the 80s and dew points in the 60s. Breezy conditions with winds southwest winds of 15-30 mph.

Wednesday: North of M59 there may be some frost early. After a chilly start it will be partly sunny with a high around 60°. Winds: Variable 5-10 mph.

Any traffic issues?

So far, no major traffic issues this morning. Be sure to check our live traffic map here.

The top stories to know about

‘She was a loving child’: Candlelight vigil held where London Thomas’ body was found

‘She was a loving child’: Candlelight vigil held where London Thomas’ body was found

Cedric Salisbury walked toward the corner of Millard Street and Sherman Avenue on Monday night. He said the intersection had just gained any sort of significance the night before.

That’s when he got the news that the body of his 17-year-old daughter London Thomas had been found in the area.

The location is just four blocks from her home, and Salisbury met up with dozens of other loved ones for her candlelight vigil.

“Justice for London for me means everything right now. I’m so heartbroken. I just …,” he paused and sighed. “I need answers. I have no answers. I want answers.”

Dozens lit candles and released balloons.

“It shows she was a loving child… well-loved,” Connie Ford, one of Thomas’ aunts, told 7 News Detroit.

“She was just a happy, friendly kid. She’ll do your hair if your hair wasn’t done. She was just a good kid, and this is sad whoever did this. They could have beat her up, and let her go.”

Thomas’ aunts and her grandmother expressed gratitude that she was found, although not how they had hoped. They have so many questions like why she was killed and who the two people are that police have in custody.

Cass Tech celebrates 80 students who are heading to the University of Michigan

Cass Tech celebrates 80 students who are heading to the University of Michigan

Monday was a day of celebration at Cass Tech High School in Detroit. Eighty seniors are now heading to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The students are described as the cream of the crop and ready to tackle the world. I got the chance to visit Cass Tech to talk to the students and the principal and a U-M representative.

Those 80 seniors are all heading to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor on scholarship. Zuri Earth has been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl.

“Someone who really inspired me to go was my dad. He was actually a Spartan, but it was his lifelong dream to go to the University of Michigan,” Zuri said.

Her dad emphasized more than just her studies to excel.

“A lot of emphasis on me being a well-rounded student. Grades were very important, but also extracurriculars. I play instruments, I play tennis, I am a full IB student,” Zuri said.

Moses Mutua is only 16 years old. He’s heading to U-M and will major in computer engineering with a dual major in math.

“To be honest with my whole college admissions process, DEI was something I thought about, but not really too much because I wanted to be proud of myself and I wanted to be confident in myself that I didn’t need a program like that to get into these schools,” Moses said.

Cost of youth sports is creating challenges for parents; here’s how they’re adjusting

Cost of youth sports is creating challenges for parents; here’s how they’re adjusting

Families across the country are feeling the financial pressure of youth sports, with some considering pulling their children from activities due to mounting expenses.

Kristi Brokaw from Pontiac says her 13-year-old son Levi has played organized hockey since he was 6 or 7, and the expenses add up quickly.

Between equipment, ice fees and training opportunities, youth hockey can become a significant financial commitment for families.

“Ice fees can be, depending on your league, anywhere from $3,500 up, clinics 100 bucks a shot. If you go out of town for a weekend, that’s $1,000 easily,” Brokaw said.

According to a survey commissioned by Good Sports, 75% of families have considered removing their child from an activity because of costs, while 56% worry they won’t be able to enroll their child in a sport this year due to financial constraints.

Jackson Gertner, a youth coach and University of Michigan student, has witnessed these challenges firsthand.

“I think especially with transportation. Where I was from, I coached a team growing up and kids wouldn’t show up to practice or show up to a game. That was always a cost people couldn’t afford,” Gertner said.

Gertner is now with the Michigan Youth Sports Initiative, a nonprofit run by University of Michigan students that aims to remove financial barriers for sports families in Washtenaw County.

Lucas Solomon, the founder of the organization, was inspired to start the initiative while learning about sports in society.

“I’m a student from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. So, I’ve always played sports my whole life and I never had the issue of understanding where the money was going because my parents were paying for it. And I think that realization made me understand that there’s kids out there who don’t have those same opportunities,” Solomon said.

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Rec Sports

Former MLB player with PNW roots takes on unhealthy youth sports culture

A few years ago, when KUOW’s Kim Malcolm was a Little League baseball mom, she remembers seeing signs bolted to the wire fence in front of the bleachers. They said: “These are kids. This is a game. Umpires are human. Your child is not being scouted by a major league team today.” The signs were […]

Published

8 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A few years ago, when KUOW’s Kim Malcolm was a Little League baseball mom, she remembers seeing signs bolted to the wire fence in front of the bleachers.

They said: “These are kids. This is a game. Umpires are human. Your child is not being scouted by a major league team today.”

The signs were clearly meant to influence Kim’s behavior, and the people sitting around her who could get a little too wrapped up in the game, ratchet up the anxiety, and lower the fun factor for everyone.

Travis Snider knows about this from many angles. He was a standout for Mill Creek’s Little League baseball team in the late 90s who went on to play in the major leagues for eight years. Now, he’s a dad and a coach who runs 3A Athletics, an organization that aims to transform the culture of youth sports. He told Kim about his plans.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: A line on your company’s website struck me. It says, “It’s no longer a matter of if we should embrace a healthier culture, it’s a matter of when.” That strikes me as a major task. Tell me about how you’re trying to achieve that.

Travis Snider: One bite at a time. I think we understand that this is going to be an uphill battle, and not every parent is in the space of wanting to hear better ways to approach parenting your kids through sports. But we feel like sports is a great vehicle for us to dive into some of these deeper, nuanced topics, and help parents understand. A lot of the time, our intent is coming from the right place, but what we’re actually displaying, as far as behavior and how we handle these situations, is actually counterproductive. I think our ultimate goal as parents is to raise healthy and happy human beings who can go out and thrive in the world no matter what comes their way.

Let’s go back to when you were a Little League baseball player. Was there a moment when you realized that playing baseball wasn’t just about having fun?

I experienced a panic attack at 11 years old in the Western Regional tournament for Little League. We had won the state championship. Playing in front of 6,000 fans, and failing for the first time on a stage like that, was really difficult for me to process. At the time, we thought it was sports-induced asthma. What we came to understand was this was really an anxiety attack.

I was able to suppress it and continue on with my career and never really have to go back and address it. But as I started to transition out of playing professional baseball and making the decision to retire, I had to unpack that identity of who I was outside of the baseball player. It brought me back to that moment when I was 11 years old, and just the feeling of being on the mound and not being able to throw a strike, and understanding how much pressure I felt in that moment where it didn’t seem like it was as fun.

How did your parents handle your success, and also the days when it wasn’t as successful?

They were not parents who pushed me to work and get better at sports. They supported me and did a great job of building a community of parents around me who supported me and our family through the ups and downs. But at the end of the day, there was no information out there at the time. The internet didn’t even really exist. They were doing the best they could with what they had. I think that’s where we’re really trying to change the game for parents in youth sports now, to provide them with a lot of resources to help navigate the successes and the failures that you’re going to experience in youth sports.

For family members and kids who may be in the car right now listening to you, what’s your best advice if they’re on the way home from a game?

The car ride is probably the most overlooked opportunity for us as parents to build a connection. Instead, what we do from a place of instinct is correct mistakes. What our kids need in that moment is a safe space where they feel this connection and unconditional love. I think for parents, it’s really hard for us, whether it’s the anxiety, or the fear of missing out, or our kids falling behind, that we feel like we have to be the coach in that moment. Really, all they need is mom and dad just to create that warm energy to say, “It’s okay no matter what happens, whether it’s good or if it’s bad, you’re loved no matter what.”

Many is the time I’ve been in that car, and I was casting about for the right words and just feeling so inadequate, not sure what to say.

When you get done with work, the last thing you want is somebody to come tell you all the things that you did wrong. But that’s just our instinct as parents, and that’s something we’re really trying to help guide them through. What are these nuanced situations in which we really can build a stronger connection and trust, to open the door for communication? Instead, what we oftentimes do is correct those mistakes, and have our kids go through this experience of questioning, what really makes me valuable, and is the car ride a safe space for me to enter without feeling like mom or dad’s going to come down on me?

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.

Kim’s Full Conversation With Travis Snider

Link

Rec Sports

Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth sports | National Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her son, Jax, 15, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her youngest son, Colt, 7, plays baseball and basketball. The costs, especially for Jax, add up in a hurry. That’s why Casamento, 48, and her husband, Michael, 46, are watching closely […]

Published

29 minutes ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHICAGO (AP) — Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her son, Jax, 15, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her youngest son, Colt, 7, plays baseball and basketball.

The costs, especially for Jax, add up in a hurry. That’s why Casamento, 48, and her husband, Michael, 46, are watching closely for the ramifications of tariffs on their rising youth sports budget.

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Link

Rec Sports

Lincoln Youth Sports Sign-Up Fest Set For Saturday | KLIN

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is teaming up with Lincoln Community Learning Centers for a Youth Sports Sign-Up Fest on Saturday at Peter Pan Park at 32nd and “W” streets. This free event will run from noon to 4:00 p.m. and is designed to reduce barriers to physical activity and promote healthier lifestyles by connecting […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Attendees will enjoy live music, free food, sports games, a dunk tank and additional activities. “When kids participate in sports, their physical fitness increases, mental well-being improves, and social connections strengthen,” says Rachel Redepenning, LLCHD Public Health Educator. “This leads to lower risk of chronic diseases, avoidance of substance use and building of long-term social and emotional skills.”

Families who attend will be able to connect with sports programs for youth ages 3 through 16 and all skill levels that offer affordable options, financial aid, or scholarship opportunities for youth sports, learn about registration deadlines, cost, and expectations for various sports leagues and recreation programs.

For more information about the Youth Sports Sign-Up Fest event click here.

(Photo: Lincoln Parks and Recreation)

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Rec Sports

Why youth sports insurance is facing a critical reckoning

Mental health has become another area of focus. Sports organizations are investing in coach education, launching awareness campaigns, and adopting digital monitoring tools to stay ahead of potential issues. “We partner with MaxU, which offers daily three- to five-question assessments. It helps administrators, coaches, and parents spot early warning signs,” Burks said. Link 0

Published

1 hour ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

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Rec Sports

UVA Orthopedic chair warns of rising overuse injuries in youth sports

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) Dr. Bobby Chhabra, Chair of UVA Orthopedics, raised concerns over the increasing number of Achilles tendon injuries in the NBA and tied the trend to long-term overuse starting in youth sports. “Thirty years in the NBA I mean, just looking at the data, they averaged about one Achilles tendon rupture a year and now we have 3 in like 3 weeks during the playoffs,” he said, citing the cases of Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard. Chhabra pointed to the year-round nature of sports, saying even kids are playing through fatigue and skeletal development.

During an interview on WINA, Chhabra responded to commentary from UVA alum and former NBA player Olden Polynice, who suggested overtraining is draining players’ longevity. “Your body ain’t got but that many jumps in it,” Polynice said during a national radio appearance. Chhabra echoed the sentiment, urging parents to reconsider the current sports culture. “They should be playing three sports a year. They should have plenty of time to rest, particularly during adolescence when they’re skeletally mature and they’re still developing. But that’s not the culture in this country,” he noted.

As youth athletes face increasing pressure from scholarships and NIL deals, Chhabra warned that both physical and mental health risks are growing. “There’s too much pressure on these kids now,” he said. He advised that early specialization can lead to devastating injuries and long recovery periods, which are becoming more common at younger ages.

Listen to the full conversation here:

Link

Rec Sports

Steelers Player Had Classy Move After George Pickens Bailed on Youth Football Camp

George Pickens’s rocky tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t end on the worst of terms, but his latest scrutinized actions may have further soured the Steelers fanbase’s opinions of him. Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May and has since revealed he “forced” his way out of Pittsburgh following his up-and-down 2024–25 campaign […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

George Pickens’s rocky tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t end on the worst of terms, but his latest scrutinized actions may have further soured the Steelers fanbase’s opinions of him.

Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May and has since revealed he “forced” his way out of Pittsburgh following his up-and-down 2024–25 campaign with the Steelers. The 24-year-old wideout now gets a fresh start in the NFC East, where he’ll be catching balls from quarterback Dak Prescott as well as trying to win Cowboys fans over.

A recent account about Pickens’s inconsiderate behavior won’t help with the latter: the ex-Steelers star apparently bailed on his summer football camp at Highmark Stadium at the last minute, according to TruEdge Sports, a company that specializes in youth sports camps.

It’s important to note that the company checked with Pickens after the Cowboys trade to see if he was still committed and would still show up to the event, scheduled for June 28. Pickens said he would, but allegedly backed out last week.

“Unfortunately, as of last week, TruEdge was notified by George’s team that he has decided to walk back on his word and is no longer interested in attending the camp,” the company wrote.

Thankfully, Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth volunteered his services and offered to help run the camp in Pickens’s absence. A few other Steelers players may be joining as well.

George Pickens backed out of his Pittsburgh football camp last minute. Pat Freiermuth stepping in as one guest. Possibly other Steelers players as well. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/zTnaDzNhuW

— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) June 25, 2025

Nothing but class from the Steelers’ young star.

The Steelers will no doubt be happy to put the drama-filled days of the George Pickens era behind them and are now jumping into a boat with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the upcoming season. What could possibly go wrong?