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‘Celebrating the kids for who they are’ | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo by Samantha Davis. Local area students participated in the first ever UnstoppABLE Games, created by the Minnesota River Valley Education District, at Southwest Minnesota State University on Wednesday. The games were a day-long athletic event for special education students and welcomed nine school districts. MARSHALL — The first ever UnstoppABLE Games took to the […]

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Photo by Samantha Davis. Local area students participated in the first ever UnstoppABLE Games, created by the Minnesota River Valley Education District, at Southwest Minnesota State University on Wednesday. The games were a day-long athletic event for special education students and welcomed nine school districts.

MARSHALL — The first ever UnstoppABLE Games took to the Southwest Minnesota State University football field on Wednesday for a successful debut of an inclusive athletic event for local special education students to engage in a full day of competition.

“They’re all in their element,” Lakeview special education teacher Wendy Best said. “They’re doing things that they don’t ever get to do … Everybody is on the same level.”

The Minnesota River Valley Education District (MRVED) created the event with the goal to provide special education students between third to 12th grade an opportunity to showcase skills, talents and abilities in a multitude of athletic competitions, who may typically have developmental delays that impact their ability to participate in general athletics.

The nine school districts included in MRVED’s consortium were all in attendance, including Benson, Dawson-Boyd, Lac qui Parle Valley, Lakeview, Minneota, Montevideo, Ortonville, Renville County West and Yellow Medicine East. Around 50 students participated in the inaugural event.

“We have 9 school districts … Our goal is to help them achieve their goals,” MRVED assistant director Brandon Raymo said. “We planned for the whole year, we got SMSU on board, and the special education department and phy-ed (physical education) kids, and they let us use their facilities.”

Students spent the day splitting time between activities on Mattke Field and in the R/A Facility inside.

There were various competitions including a batting challenge, a 50-yard race, a basketball free throw contest, a bean bag toss, a long jump event and other side activities like jenga and tug-of-war. All participants also left the day with an event t-shirt and an award like a ribbon, trophy or medal.

“I think what we kind of tried to think about, was what would be adaptive for all,” Angie Young, an event organizer said. “That was really the most thought that we put into it, was what are things that everybody can do.”

Young also said they planned some of the games in collaboration with adaptive physical education students at SMSU for suggestions.

The event started with an opening ceremony, where each of the nine schools made their way across the football field presenting a flag held by students with their school’s name shown.

All students ran the Lightning Dash race to get the day started and warmup, before breaking off with their respective schools to rotate between the games.

“We are hoping that maybe next year, when they [students] know what it is and see the kids come back with their medals, maybe that will motivate some other kids to come,” Best said.

The idea to create the UnstoppABLE Games originally came from Lakeview reaching out to MRVED, looking to create an athletic opportunity that operates similar to the Special Olympics for students with special needs.

“Lakeview contacted me at the beginning of the year wanting to do something. Since COVID, there’s been no events like this for our special needs kiddos,” Raymo said. “So, we put our brains together … And said, ‘Lets do something together.’”

“(It went) from it just being a Sunday afternoon at Lakeview, to like this (big event), which is amazing,” West added.

A handful of supporters also attended the event, including parents, school administrators, paraprofessionals, school board members, faculty and community volunteers.

“I hope it just continues to grow,” Young said.

The event was also made possible by community support through sponsorships.

“Everything was free for our schools,” Raymo said. “The only thing was they had to transport their kids and feed their kids. We raised a decent amount of money through sponsorships.”

The students continued to engage with their teams and fellow peers as they worked together throughout the competitions, filling the football field and gym with supportive cheers and laughter.

“It’s going well. It’s just nice to see some of the smiles on their faces, watching the races, and kids just having fun and competing against each other,” Raymo said. “Athletic competition takes a backseat. It’s just about everybody getting together and celebrating the kids for who they are.”



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Thornton Hosts Free Youth Basketball Camp After Record-Breaking Season

Story Links THE HILL | The D. Thornton Hoopz Camps and Clinic will host its fourth Annual 2.0 Experience girls and boys basketball camp on Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center, women’s basketball head coach Dawn Thornton announced. The camp is free and open to all […]

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THE HILL | The D. Thornton Hoopz Camps and Clinic will host its fourth Annual 2.0 Experience girls and boys basketball camp on Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the AAMU Event Center, women’s basketball head coach Dawn Thornton announced. The camp is free and open to all ages, and lunch will be provided.

The camp welcomes players of all levels to develop their basketball skills and knowledge of the game.

“We just made history with the most wins in program history, and that momentum comes straight from the support of this community”, Thornton said. “I’m excited to pour that same energy into the kids- giving them a fun, safe space to learn, grow and fall in love with the game,” she continued. “When I was young, opportunities like this did not always exist, so it means everything to me to be able to create that for them now.”

Participants will receive hands-on coaching, work through fundamental drills, and engage in team-building activities. The camp emphasizes skill development and basketball IQ and will include individual drill work, small sided competitions, as well as high quality instruction and skill development. 
 

“Through my foundation, we are making this camp open to everyone,” Coach Thornton said. “We will focus on skills, teamwork, and building confidence. Campers will also go home with a t-shirt, back-to-school supplies, giveaways, lunch, and a commemorative photo.”

Registration and more information can be found here.  

For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville’s only Division I program – check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Follow the women’s basketball team on Instagram and X.





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Niagara Falls Police seek info on woman attacked with stick

The incident began as an argument between a 55-year-old woman and a man at 19th Street and Walnut Avenue, then ended at 19th and Pine Avenue. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Niagara Falls Police are asking for help after a woman was beaten with a stick on Wednesday. The incident began as an argument between a […]

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The incident began as an argument between a 55-year-old woman and a man at 19th Street and Walnut Avenue, then ended at 19th and Pine Avenue.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Niagara Falls Police are asking for help after a woman was beaten with a stick on Wednesday.

The incident began as an argument between a 55-year-old woman and a man at 19th Street and Walnut Avenue, then ended at 19th and Pine Avenue, according to police, who responded around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday.

The man used a stick to assault the woman, who was responsive at the scene. She was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center to receive treatment for her injuries. Her condition was not immediately listed.

“Detectives in the Criminal Investigation Division are actively investigating this incident and are asking anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 716-286-4553,” police said.

The investigation is ongoing. Neither the victim, nor the suspect’s name will be released at this time.



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Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth 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 […]

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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.

“All of their equipment I’m sure comes from China,” said Karli Casamento, a second-grade teacher in suburban Philadelphia. “As they get bigger, they need new equipment. So that is definitely a concern.”

For families like the Casamentos and businesses in the marketplace, there is continued uncertainty surrounding the possible effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — the 10% baseline tariffs, along with a 30% rate on Chinese goods — on youth sports.

Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma were among 76 companies that signed an April 29 letter to Trump asking for a footwear exemption from reciprocal tariffs. The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America letter warned tariffs would “become a major impact at the cash register for every family.”

Amer Sports, the parent company of Wilson Sporting Goods and Louisville Slugger, downplayed the effect of tariffs when it announced its first-quarter earnings on May 20. But looking beyond this year, chief financial officer Andrew Page mentioned pricing as one way the company could offset higher import tariffs.

Dick’s Sporting Goods reaffirmed its earnings guidance for 2025 when it provided its first-quarter update on May 28. CEO Lauren Hobart said Dick’s had no plans to trim its product assortment in response to tariff costs, and that its guidance confirmation was based on its belief it can manage the situation.

“We are constantly assessing our pricing down to the item level, SKU level, and we do that based on consumer demand and the profitability of the business,” Hobart said in response to a question on possible price increases. “We have a very advanced pricing capability, much more advanced than we used to have, and much more enabled to make real time and quick decisions.”

Many of the US’s most popular sports rely on imported equipment

The U.S. has been the largest importer of sporting goods since 2010, accounting for 31% of the world’s imports in 2022, according to a 2024 World Trade Organization report. Boosted by racket sports, China is the most significant exporter of sporting goods at 43% in 2022.

Fueled by golf, badminton and tennis equipment, Vietnam and Taiwan experienced rapid expansion in exporting outdoor sports equipment to the U.S. from 2018 to 2024, according to data from the consulting firm, AlixPartners. Vietnam increased 340% to $705 million, and Taiwan was up 16% to $946 million.

Tariffs of 46% for Vietnam and 32% for Taiwan could go into effect next month after a 90-day pause.

Hockey skates, sticks and protective gear are often imported. Same for baseball gloves and composite and aluminum bats, which are often imported or use materials that are imported, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Soccer goals, lacrosse nets and cones are often sourced from low-cost labor markets.

“You can’t get around the fact that a lot the stuff that we use in youth sports is coming from abroad,” said Travis Dorsch, the founding director of the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University. “So surely if the tariffs go into effect and in any long-term or meaningful way, it’s going to affect youth sports.”

The Casamento family cheers for the Philadelphia Phillies, and that’s how Jax and Colt got into baseball. Karli Casamento called sports “a safe way to socialize, and it gets them active.”

But equipment has become a major expense for the family. Jax has a $400 bat and a $300 glove, Karli Casamento said, and his catching equipment is $700. There is an additional cost for registration for his travel team, in addition to what it costs to travel to tournaments.

“We’ve tried to say to Jax, ‘Well, you’re in ninth grade now, do you really need to play tournament ball? You’re not going to grow up and be, you know, the next Mike Schmidt,’ things like that,” Karli Casamento said, “because it’s just, it’s $5,000 a year and now we have two kids in sports.”

Tariffs may not impact all sports families equally

That effect most likely will be felt by middle- and low-income families, threatening recent gains in participation rates for youth sports.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which tracks youth participation by sport, found in 2023 there was a 6% increase in young people who regularly participated in a team sport, which it said was the highest rate (39.8%) since 2015. An Aspen Institute study released in October showed participation for girls was at its highest levels since at least 2012.

“I’m really concerned that we’re going to spike this great momentum because families, who are already saying that sports is getting increasingly more expensive, equipment’s getting more expensive and they’re continuing to stretch to make that work, like this might be the one that just kind of puts them over the sidelines,” said Todd Smith, the president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Smith was in China in April for a World Federation of Sporting Good Industries board meeting. He visited some manufacturing facilities while he was in the country.

“The ones that I went to are really, really impressive,” Smith said. “First class, high tech, like highly skilled. And the thought that tariffs are all of a sudden just going to allow a 10-plus million dollar facility to just pop up the next day in the U.S. is just, it’s not feasible.”

Low-income families were already feeling a financial strain with youth sports before Trump was elected to a second term. According to the Aspen Institute study, 25.1% of children ages 6-17 from households earning under $25,000 played a sport on a regular basis in 2023, down slightly from 25.8% in 2022. That’s compared to 43.5% of children from households earning at least $100,000, up slightly from 42.7% in 2022.

Youth sports participation has a wide range of ramifications for public health, said Tom Farrey, the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program.

“This incredibly virtuous cycle can be engaged if you can simply get kids off their phones and off their couches and into the game and they have a sustained experience into adolescence,” Farrey said. “And if you don’t, then you’re at risk for a range of health consequences, including obesity.”

Going along with playing on three baseball teams, Jax Casamento has workouts for his travel squad and also takes hitting lessons. The Casamentos turned a baseball trip to South Carolina into a family vacation last year.

Michael Casamento is a physical education teacher in an elementary school, so the family’s concerns about the effect of tariffs on the cost of youth sports go beyond their two boys.

“I work with a lot of kids that are a lower socio-economic status,” Karli Casamento said. “It really makes it harder for those types of families to be able to afford to play sports.”

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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Why are youth sports so expensive?

The U.S. has been the largest importer of sporting goods since 2010, accounting for 31% of the world’s imports in 2022. 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 […]

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2 hours ago

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June 26, 2025

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The U.S. has been the largest importer of sporting goods since 2010, accounting for 31% of the world’s imports in 2022.

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.

“All of their equipment I’m sure comes from China,” said Karli Casamento, a second-grade teacher in suburban Philadelphia. “As they get bigger, they need new equipment. So that is definitely a concern.”

For families like the Casamentos and businesses in the marketplace, there is continued uncertainty surrounding the possible effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — the 10% baseline tariffs, along with a 30% rate on Chinese goods — on youth sports.

Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma were among 76 companies that signed an April 29 letter to Trump asking for a footwear exemption from reciprocal tariffs. The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America letter warned tariffs would “become a major impact at the cash register for every family.”

Amer Sports, the parent company of Wilson Sporting Goods and Louisville Slugger, downplayed the effect of tariffs when it announced its first-quarter earnings on May 20. But looking beyond this year, chief financial officer Andrew Page mentioned pricing as one way the company could offset higher import tariffs.

Dick’s Sporting Goods reaffirmed its earnings guidance for 2025 when it provided its first-quarter update on May 28. CEO Lauren Hobart said Dick’s had no plans to trim its product assortment in response to tariff costs, and that its guidance confirmation was based on its belief it can manage the situation.

“We are constantly assessing our pricing down to the item level, SKU level, and we do that based on consumer demand and the profitability of the business,” Hobart said in response to a question on possible price increases. “We have a very advanced pricing capability, much more advanced than we used to have, and much more enabled to make real time and quick decisions.”

Many of the US’s most popular sports rely on imported equipment

The U.S. has been the largest importer of sporting goods since 2010, accounting for 31% of the world’s imports in 2022, according to a 2024 World Trade Organization report. Boosted by racket sports, China is the most significant exporter of sporting goods at 43% in 2022.

Fueled by golf, badminton and tennis equipment, Vietnam and Taiwan experienced rapid expansion in exporting outdoor sports equipment to the U.S. from 2018 to 2024, according to data from the consulting firm, AlixPartners. Vietnam increased 340% to $705 million, and Taiwan was up 16% to $946 million.

Tariffs of 46% for Vietnam and 32% for Taiwan could go into effect next month after a 90-day pause.

Hockey skates, sticks and protective gear are often imported. Same for baseball gloves and composite and aluminum bats, which are often imported or use materials that are imported, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Soccer goals, lacrosse nets and cones are often sourced from low-cost labor markets.

“You can’t get around the fact that a lot the stuff that we use in youth sports is coming from abroad,” said Travis Dorsch, the founding director of the Families in Sport Lab at Utah State University. “So surely if the tariffs go into effect and in any long-term or meaningful way, it’s going to affect youth sports.”

The Casamento family cheers for the Philadelphia Phillies, and that’s how Jax and Colt got into baseball. Karli Casamento called sports “a safe way to socialize, and it gets them active.”

But equipment has become a major expense for the family. Jax has a $400 bat and a $300 glove, Karli Casamento said, and his catching equipment is $700. There is an additional cost for registration for his travel team, in addition to what it costs to travel to tournaments.

“We’ve tried to say to Jax, ‘Well, you’re in ninth grade now, do you really need to play tournament ball? You’re not going to grow up and be, you know, the next Mike Schmidt,’ things like that,” Karli Casamento said, “because it’s just, it’s $5,000 a year and now we have two kids in sports.”

Tariffs may not impact all sports families equally

That effect most likely will be felt by middle- and low-income families, threatening recent gains in participation rates for youth sports.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which tracks youth participation by sport, found in 2023 there was a 6% increase in young people who regularly participated in a team sport, which it said was the highest rate (39.8%) since 2015. An Aspen Institute study released in October showed participation for girls was at its highest levels since at least 2012.

“I’m really concerned that we’re going to spike this great momentum because families, who are already saying that sports is getting increasingly more expensive, equipment’s getting more expensive and they’re continuing to stretch to make that work, like this might be the one that just kind of puts them over the sidelines,” said Todd Smith, the president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Smith was in China in April for a World Federation of Sporting Good Industries board meeting. He visited some manufacturing facilities while he was in the country.

“The ones that I went to are really, really impressive,” Smith said. “First class, high tech, like highly skilled. And the thought that tariffs are all of a sudden just going to allow a 10-plus million dollar facility to just pop up the next day in the U.S. is just, it’s not feasible.”

Low-income families were already feeling a financial strain with youth sports before Trump was elected to a second term. According to the Aspen Institute study, 25.1% of children ages 6-17 from households earning under $25,000 played a sport on a regular basis in 2023, down slightly from 25.8% in 2022. That’s compared to 43.5% of children from households earning at least $100,000, up slightly from 42.7% in 2022.

Youth sports participation has a wide range of ramifications for public health, said Tom Farrey, the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program.

“This incredibly virtuous cycle can be engaged if you can simply get kids off their phones and off their couches and into the game and they have a sustained experience into adolescence,” Farrey said. “And if you don’t, then you’re at risk for a range of health consequences, including obesity.”

Going along with playing on three baseball teams, Jax Casamento has workouts for his travel squad and also takes hitting lessons. The Casamentos turned a baseball trip to South Carolina into a family vacation last year.

Michael Casamento is a physical education teacher in an elementary school, so the family’s concerns about the effect of tariffs on the cost of youth sports go beyond their two boys.

“I work with a lot of kids that are a lower socio-economic status,” Karli Casamento said. “It really makes it harder for those types of families to be able to afford to play sports.”

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     



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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 […]

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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



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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 […]

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3 hours ago

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June 26, 2025

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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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