COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — People living near Maybury School Park on the southeast side are frustrated with a neglected property they say just keeps getting worse.

A section of land next to Maybury School Park has not been mowed or maintained all season, as there’s ongoing debate over who is responsible for its upkeep. The city ordinance prohibits weeds, noxious weeds, and rank growth from exceeding 12 inches in height. The plot of land in question is not a part of the park, but rather a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt property.

The Ohio Auditor’s Office confirmed with ABC 6 that a group by the name of Walnut Heights Youth Athletic Association is responsible for maintaining the property. However, the Ohio Secretary of State reported the group has since disbanded. Neighbors tell ABC 6 the ones who used to run the non-profit “dropped off” last summer.

“Nobody is on record for that property,” Doug Hatcher said of Moundcrest Street. “So, to put somebody on, there’s an entire court system that has to be worked through. We learned it could take up to four years for someone to take over that property.”

This has left the community in a bind, as the City of Columbus is not maintaining the plot due to its tax-exempt status.

“All the city has to do is step up and say, ‘Let’s take care of this,’ and it’s a simple process,” Hatcher said. “The city maintains the city park section, but they don’t touch the 501(c)(3) because it is not considered their responsibility.”

The city’s code enforcement confirmed with ABC 6 that they have dozens of complaints filed about the property. Despite the complaints, city leaders have yet to clarify who is responsible for the land’s maintenance.

“Since nobody is responsible for paying for it, and it being a tax-exempt property, the city won’t take care of it,” Hatcher said. “So, it really just breaks down to nickels and dimes. They’re out there anyway, taking care of the rest of Maybury School Park. Why not spend 20 more minutes on the plot for the sake of he neighborhood and city ordinance?”

Residents have even reached out to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which confirmed that the association no longer exists, leaving the question of who will take care of the property unanswered.

ABC 6 contacted the Columbus Building and Zoning Department, the Franklin County Treasurer, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on where the problem goes from here.

Worth $37.5B in 2022, Youth Sports are Projected to Hit $69.4B by 2030 According to Profluence.com, with Sports Tourism’s Total Economic Impact $91.8B in 2021

Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Dublin, Ireland; Naples, Italy; and Toronto, Canada, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brera Holdings PLC (“Brera Holdings” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BREA), an Ireland-based international holding company focused on expanding its global portfolio of men’s and women’s sports clubs through a multi-club ownership (“MCO”) strategy, commented on its advisory agreement with the owner of Canada’s premier soccer scholarship program, Toronto Blizzard Corp., designed to tap into the $69 billion youth sports market as reported by Profluence.com.

The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents, targeting the $37 billion sports tourism market as also reported by Profluence.com. Brera looks forward to going beyond Blizzard’s preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys and eventually girls to rapidly progress into the professional ranks.

The partnership aims to provide young soccer players aged 3 to 7 (Little Blizzard Kickers) and 8 to 18 the opportunity to learn and develop as players from exposure to talent at Brera’s clubs, including “the Second Team of Naples,” SS Juve Stabia in Italy’s Serie B; North Macedonian first-division men’s team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC; its related women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, and other clubs in the Brera network from Mongolia and Mozambique.

This goal will be achieved through sharing Brera clubs’ coaching methodologies with the Blizzard programs and together creating pathways for young players, modeled after Blizzard’s 2022 initiative developed with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. President and Owner, and Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini commented, “Brera Holdings is the perfect partner to help bring new coaching philosophies to talented youth in Ontario. When I took over the ownership of the Blizzard in 1999, ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development was very important to me. Through this partnership I believe we can identify talent, develop and create pathways to other opportunities such as Juve Stabia in Naples where I was born, Brera Strumica and Tiverjia in North Macedonia, the World Squad, and more.” 

Talent identification camps in metro Toronto, and European on-site experiences planned to bring Blizzard players to Brera’s club academies are intended to begin in the summer of 2026 or sooner.  Toronto Blizzard will promote and coordinate the camps and European academies, which will be delivered by Brera clubs’ coaches and players in collaboration with Blizzard technical staff.  Friendly matches between Brera clubs and Canadian professional teams are also in the planning stages for 2026 and beyond, subject to financial sustainability.

According to Profluence.com some 88% of women’s college soccer athletes have played first at the youth club level, with 77% of men coming from the same feeder system.  With private college tuition and fees rising from $11,000 in 1981 to $33,000 in 2021, as public college costs went from $2,500 to $9,500 in the same period, the value of an athletic scholarship has never been greater.

“We’ve seen the incredible soccer talent coming from Canada, as well as at the NCAA programs of U.S. universities where Blizzard alumni have distinguished themselves,” commented Brera Holdings Executive Chairman Daniel J. McClory.  “Our partnership with Toronto Blizzard will allow us to share our clubs’ coaching philosophies as well as identify and help develop young talent in Toronto. We look forward to introducing this partnership to the Province of Ontario with the Blizzard, and bringing players to train at the academies of our clubs in Italy and North Macedonia, as these countries enjoy longstanding and particularly strong cross-cultural ties with the Toronto metro area,” he added.

ABOUT TORONTO BLIZZARD CORP. AND BLIZZARD DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY CORP.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. is a premier youth soccer organization under the continuous ownership, coaching and management of Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini since 1999. Along with its affiliated entity Blizzard Development Academy Corp. (collectively “Toronto Blizzard”), they serve girls and boys playing soccer from age 8 to 18. Focused initially on ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development available to boys, Blizzard is now going beyond its historical preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys to rapidly progress into the professional ranks. Noted for its competitive youth teams, talent identification clinics, and alumni match tours featuring college players developed by Blizzard competing against NCAA squads, among other innovations pioneered by Joe Parolini and his staff. Blizzard in 2022 developed a youth initiative with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich. In 2025 Joe Parolini was named an advisor to Nasdaq-listed Brera Holdings PLC, the first multi-club owner of soccer teams to IPO on a stock exchange. He is developing a strategic Brera-Blizzard plan to establish a comprehensive grassroots program for boys and girls in North America and beyond. The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents.

ABOUT BRERA HOLDINGS PLC

Brera Holdings PLC(Nasdaq: BREA) is dedicated to expanding its social impact football business by developing a global portfolio of emerging football and sports clubs. Building on the legacy of Brera FC, which it acquired in 2022, the Company aims to create opportunities for tournament prizes, sponsorships, and professional consulting services. Brera FC, recognized as “The Third Team of Milan,” has been crafting an alternative football legacy since its founding in 2000. The club also organizes the FENIX Trophy, a nonprofessional pan-European tournament acknowledged by UEFA. This tournament, which has been referred to as “the Champions League for Amateurs” by BBC Sport, has garnered significant media coverage, including from ESPN.

In its efforts to broaden its reach, Brera expanded into Africa in March 2023 by establishing Brera Tchumene FC in Mozambique, which quickly rose to the First Division after winning its post-season tournament. In April 2023, the Company acquired a 90% stake in the North Macedonian first-division team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC. Additionally, in June 2023, Brera made a strategic investment in Manchester United PLC, realizing a 74% gain. The Company has further diversified its portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in UYBA Volley, an Italian women’s professional volleyball team, in July 2023, assuming control of Bayanzurkh Sporting Ilch FC, a Mongolian National Premier League team, which became Brera Ilch FC, in September 2023, and establishing a joint stock company for the North Macedonian women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brera Strumica FC, in June 2024.

On December 31, 2024, Brera executed an agreement to acquire majority stake of the corporate capital of Juve Stabia srl, the company which manages the Italian Serie B football club Juve Stabia, also known as “The Second Team of Naples”. The acquisition will be conducted in a multi-step process and marks a significant expansion of the Company’s MCO model. As of February 12, 2025, Brera holds a 38.46% equity ownership interest in Juve Stabia.  With a strategic emphasis on bottom-up value creation, innovation-driven growth, and socially impactful outcomes, Brera Holdings has established itself as a forward-thinking leader in the global sports industry. For more information, visit www.breraholdings.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, the popularity and/or competitive success of the Company’s acquired football and other sports teams, the Company’s ability to attract players and staff for acquired clubs, unsuccessful acquisitions or other strategic transactions, the possibility of a decline in the popularity of football or other sports, the Company’s ability to expand its fanbase, sponsors and commercial partners, general economic conditions, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update such forward-looking statements except in accordance with applicable law.

Company Contact Information:

Dan McClory, Executive Chairman, Brera Holdings PLC

Email: [email protected] 

Joe Parolini, President, Toronto Blizzard Corp.

Email: [email protected] 

Attachment

• Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

The Spokane Youth Sports Awards, held annually at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, is the culmination of the high school sports season. It’s an opportunity to celebrate some of the most accomplished student-athletes in the city and region – from schools big and small.

For more than a decade, the awards ceremony has been a beacon of recognition for the remarkable dedication and unwavering determination of our local standout athletes and coaches.

The 11th youth sports awards were preceded by a red carpet entrance, earning the ceremony the nickname “Spokane ESPYs,” after the cable network’s annual award show. Even though everyone was dressed in their finest, no one seemed to mind the afternoon’s sweltering temperatures.

The awards are broken into two categories: “Region” awards were presented to schools from Class 1A, 2B and 1B; “Metro” awards went to Class 4A, 3A and 2A, encompassing the Greater Spokane League.

The “Against All Odds” award was renamed last year in honor of Dan Fitzgerald, the former Gonzaga basketball coach who helped put the Zags on the national map.

The awards will continue to be supported by a scholarship established at the Innovia Foundation. In honor of the legendary basketball coach, the “Fitz Committee” established this fund in May 2024. The designated endowment will distribute annually to Spokane Sports Commission for scholarships to graduating high school student-athletes from qualifying local high schools in Eastern Washington counties with demonstrated financial need and academic success, who have overcome social, economic and/or physical obstacles to achieve successful athletic performance.

Rogers all-league basketball player Treshon Green, who was diagnosed with autism as age 5, was one of the recipients of this year’s AAO awards.

“I honestly never thought people would be making this big of a deal about me,” Green said. “It feels great. When I first heard about it, I was on top of the world.”

University senior wrestler Libby Roberts, who won last year in the “Specialized Athlete of the Year” category, won Metro girls Athlete of the Year after capping her spectacular high school career with her fourth consecutive state championship – becoming just the fifth girls wrester in the state to accomplish the feat.

“I feel like that fourth state title, it’s really helped promote the sport over here for girls, which is really awesome,” Roberts said. “That’s my goal – to just grow the sport. And I feel like by winning that fourth state title this year, I really helped kind of break through with that.”

Central Valley senior football/soccer player Beau Butner was named Metro boys Athlete of the Year. He set the Greater Spokane League single-game rushing record of 366 yards this season and was all-league in soccer each of his four years.

“The collection of people that were here, it’s pretty insane. There’s so much going on around Spokane,” Butner said. “It’s such a cool experience with everyone dressed up and everything.”

Matty McIntyre, the Gonzaga Prep boys basketball coach who won his fourth state championship in 15 seasons, was named Metro Coach of the Year.

“I think we definitely surpassed expectations going into the season and to culminate it the way we did, it was pretty incredible,” McIntyre said. “This team wrote its own page in G-Prep basketball history.”

A replay of the broadcast will be available on June 28 and 29 on SWX.

Finalists

Winner in bold.

Region Coach of the Year: TJ Moulton, St. George’s track and field; Dave Ellis, Freeman girls soccer; Darin Reppe, Wilbur-Creston-Keller football.

Metro Coach of the Year: Whitney Abell, Ridgeline volleyball; Michael Lee, Lewis and Clark boys cross country; Matty McIntyre, Gonzaga Prep boys basketball.

Region girls Team of the Year: Freeman girls soccer; Northwest Christian girls basketball; St. George’s girls track and field.

Region boys Team of the Year: Almira/Coulee-Hartline boys basketball; St. George’s boys track and field; Wilbur-Creston-Keller football.

Metro girls Team of the Year: Central Valley girls basketball; Mt. Spokane slowpitch softball; Ridgeline volleyball.

Metro boys Team of the Year: Gonzaga Prep boys basketball; Lewis and Clark boys cross country; Mead boys wrestling.

Region girls Athlete of the Year: Kaidyn Maioho, Wilbur-Creston-Keller volleyball/basketball/track and field; Josie McLaughlin, St. George’s cross country/track and field; Rylee Russell, Freeman girls soccer/basketball/track and field.

Region boys Athlete of the Year: Shawn Jones, St. George’s cross country/basketball/track and field; Kallen Maioho, Wilbur-Creston-Keller football/basketball/golf; Preston Michel, Wilbur-Creston-Keller football/wrestling/baseball.

Metro girls Athlete of the Year: Dezlyn Lundquist, Mead gymnastics/track and field; Brynn McGaughy, Central Valley basketball; Libby Roberts, University wrestling.

Metro boys Athlete of the Year: Brayden Allen, Ridgeline football/basketball; Beau Butner, Central Valley football/soccer; Simon Rosselli, Mead track and field.

Specialized Athlete of the Year: Tianmei Dwyer, Dynamics Gymnastics Academy; Juliette Nau, Parasport Spokane.

Dan Fitzgerald Against All Odds: Cameron Frenk, Cheney cross county/track and field; Alaina Gott, Parasport Spokane; Treshon Green, Rogers boys basketball.

Worth $37.5B in 2022, Youth Sports are Projected to Hit $69.4B by 2030 According to Profluence.com, with Sports Tourism’s Total Economic Impact $91.8B in 2021

Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Joe Parolini is the Owner and Coach of Toronto Blizzard

Dublin, Ireland; Naples, Italy; and Toronto, Canada, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brera Holdings PLC (“Brera Holdings” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BREA), an Ireland-based international holding company focused on expanding its global portfolio of men’s and women’s sports clubs through a multi-club ownership (“MCO”) strategy, commented on its advisory agreement with the owner of Canada’s premier soccer scholarship program, Toronto Blizzard Corp., designed to tap into the $69 billion youth sports market as reported by Profluence.com.

The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents, targeting the $37 billion sports tourism market as also reported by Profluence.com. Brera looks forward to going beyond Blizzard’s preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys and eventually girls to rapidly progress into the professional ranks.

The partnership aims to provide young soccer players aged 3 to 7 (Little Blizzard Kickers) and 8 to 18 the opportunity to learn and develop as players from exposure to talent at Brera’s clubs, including “the Second Team of Naples,” SS Juve Stabia in Italy’s Serie B; North Macedonian first-division men’s team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC; its related women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, and other clubs in the Brera network from Mongolia and Mozambique.

This goal will be achieved through sharing Brera clubs’ coaching methodologies with the Blizzard programs and together creating pathways for young players, modeled after Blizzard’s 2022 initiative developed with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. President and Owner, and Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini commented, “Brera Holdings is the perfect partner to help bring new coaching philosophies to talented youth in Ontario. When I took over the ownership of the Blizzard in 1999, ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development was very important to me. Through this partnership I believe we can identify talent, develop and create pathways to other opportunities such as Juve Stabia in Naples where I was born, Brera Strumica and Tiverjia in North Macedonia, the World Squad, and more.”

Talent identification camps in metro Toronto, and European on-site experiences planned to bring Blizzard players to Brera’s club academies are intended to begin in the summer of 2026 or sooner.  Toronto Blizzard will promote and coordinate the camps and European academies, which will be delivered by Brera clubs’ coaches and players in collaboration with Blizzard technical staff.  Friendly matches between Brera clubs and Canadian professional teams are also in the planning stages for 2026 and beyond, subject to financial sustainability.

According to Profluence.com some 88% of women’s college soccer athletes have played first at the youth club level, with 77% of men coming from the same feeder system.  With private college tuition and fees rising from $11,000 in 1981 to $33,000 in 2021, as public college costs went from $2,500 to $9,500 in the same period, the value of an athletic scholarship has never been greater.

“We’ve seen the incredible soccer talent coming from Canada, as well as at the NCAA programs of U.S. universities where Blizzard alumni have distinguished themselves,” commented Brera Holdings Executive Chairman Daniel J. McClory.  “Our partnership with Toronto Blizzard will allow us to share our clubs’ coaching philosophies as well as identify and help develop young talent in Toronto. We look forward to introducing this partnership to the Province of Ontario with the Blizzard, and bringing players to train at the academies of our clubs in Italy and North Macedonia, as these countries enjoy longstanding and particularly strong cross-cultural ties with the Toronto metro area,” he added.

ABOUT TORONTO BLIZZARD CORP. AND BLIZZARD DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY CORP.

Toronto Blizzard Corp. is a premier youth soccer organization under the continuous ownership, coaching and management of Soccer Hall of Famer Giuseppe “Joe” Parolini since 1999. Along with its affiliated entity Blizzard Development Academy Corp. (collectively “Toronto Blizzard”), they serve girls and boys playing soccer from age 8 to 18. Focused initially on ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls to play and receive the same quality of training and development available to boys, Blizzard is now going beyond its historical preeminence in girls soccer to also provide a clear pathway for boys to rapidly progress into the professional ranks. Noted for its competitive youth teams, talent identification clinics, and alumni match tours featuring college players developed by Blizzard competing against NCAA squads, among other innovations pioneered by Joe Parolini and his staff. Blizzard in 2022 developed a youth initiative with the record-breaking Bundesliga (Germany) champions FC Bayern Munich. In 2025 Joe Parolini was named an advisor to Nasdaq-listed Brera Holdings PLC, the first multi-club owner of soccer teams to IPO on a stock exchange. He is developing a strategic Brera-Blizzard plan to establish a comprehensive grassroots program for boys and girls in North America and beyond. The initiative intends to leverage the Blizzard Development Academy and Brera’s network of pro football clubs and youth academies across three continents.

ABOUT BRERA HOLDINGS PLC

Brera Holdings PLC(Nasdaq: BREA) is dedicated to expanding its social impact football business by developing a global portfolio of emerging football and sports clubs. Building on the legacy of Brera FC, which it acquired in 2022, the Company aims to create opportunities for tournament prizes, sponsorships, and professional consulting services. Brera FC, recognized as “The Third Team of Milan,” has been crafting an alternative football legacy since its founding in 2000. The club also organizes the FENIX Trophy, a nonprofessional pan-European tournament acknowledged by UEFA. This tournament, which has been referred to as “the Champions League for Amateurs” by BBC Sport, has garnered significant media coverage, including from ESPN.

In its efforts to broaden its reach, Brera expanded into Africa in March 2023 by establishing Brera Tchumene FC in Mozambique, which quickly rose to the First Division after winning its post-season tournament. In April 2023, the Company acquired a 90% stake in the North Macedonian first-division team Fudbalski Klub Akademija Pandev, now known as Brera Strumica FC. Additionally, in June 2023, Brera made a strategic investment in Manchester United PLC, realizing a 74% gain. The Company has further diversified its portfolio by acquiring a majority stake in UYBA Volley, an Italian women’s professional volleyball team, in July 2023, assuming control of Bayanzurkh Sporting Ilch FC, a Mongolian National Premier League team, which became Brera Ilch FC, in September 2023, and establishing a joint stock company for the North Macedonian women’s football club Tiverija Strumica, now known as Brera Tiverija FC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brera Strumica FC, in June 2024.

On December 31, 2024, Brera executed an agreement to acquire majority stake of the corporate capital of Juve Stabia srl, the company which manages the Italian Serie B football club Juve Stabia, also known as “The Second Team of Naples”. The acquisition will be conducted in a multi-step process and marks a significant expansion of the Company’s MCO model. As of February 12, 2025, Brera holds a 38.46% equity ownership interest in Juve Stabia.  With a strategic emphasis on bottom-up value creation, innovation-driven growth, and socially impactful outcomes, Brera Holdings has established itself as a forward-thinking leader in the global sports industry. For more information, visit www.breraholdings.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, the popularity and/or competitive success of the Company’s acquired football and other sports teams, the Company’s ability to attract players and staff for acquired clubs, unsuccessful acquisitions or other strategic transactions, the possibility of a decline in the popularity of football or other sports, the Company’s ability to expand its fanbase, sponsors and commercial partners, general economic conditions, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update such forward-looking statements except in accordance with applicable law.

Company Contact Information:

Dan McClory, Executive Chairman, Brera Holdings PLC
Email: dan@breraholdings.com

Joe Parolini, President, Toronto Blizzard Corp.
Email: joeparolini@torontoblizzard.com

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WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — As concerns over youth mental health continue to grow, communities are turning to an outlet to help young people cope: sports. From physical activity to social support, studies show playing sports can have long-lasting mental health benefits. 

        What You Need To Know

• North Carolina FC Youth knows youth sports can serve as an outlet to alleviate stress

• From physical activity to social support, studies show playing sports can have long-lasting mental health benefits

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study in 2023 that found 40% of these teens said that they’ve dealt with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year

• Some programs also offer financial aid for families, making it easier to access youth leagues regardless of income

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, a study found that among high school students across the nation, in the past year many teens face mental health issues. According to the study, 40% of these teens said that they’ve dealt with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year. Nationwide, 20% of teens reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year.

In 2023, the CDC reported how teen’s mental health is taking a decline. (Spectrum News)

North Carolina FC Youth is the largest club in North Carolina, offering soccer to children from the ages of 5 to 18 across the Triangle. Lucia Namey, an NCFC Youth soccer player, said the game means everything to her.

“It was genuinely life-changing for me,” Namey said. “I don’t know where I’d be without soccer.”

Namey recently injured a ligament in her knee. 

“With injuries, they’re just very isolating, and you feel very lonely, because no one knows exactly what you are going through,” Namey said.

She said that if it weren’t for the support of her teammates, she wouldn’t have been able to get through her injury.

“Everyone showed up for me when I need their support the most,” Namey said. “I think that in moments like that, when you’re at your lowest, having a big circle around you, showing you love, helps get you through because you know that you’re not alone, even when you do feel alone.”

Her favorite part of being on the team is the strong support system that sports teams like these can bring.

“Being here definitely just boosts your mood. I leave feeling much happier,” Namey said. “I can be having the worst day, and I know that I’ll leave here feeling so much better.”

For her, it’s not only about the support of her teammates, but also being able to let off some steam and be physically active after school.

Lucia Namey, NCFC Youth soccer player, is out with an ACL injury, but she still comes to practices to support her teammates. (Spectrum News 1/Ashley Van Havere)

“You get that anger out, you get to express yourself in a different way that’s not screaming or yelling at someone,” Namey said.

It’s not just about the exercise, NCFC Youth Chief Marketing and Development Officer Katharine Eberhardt said the social side of sports plays a huge role in mental well-being.

“Mental health is such an important topic, it always has been, and especially now, it’s a part of the conversation,” Eberhardt said. “We want parents to be talking with their kids, we want coaches to be talking with their their players.”

With a world full of screen time, Eberhardt said it’s becoming even more important for activities like these to exist.

“It’s great to have an outlet where we can create this environment that allows kids some freedom to become friends,” Eberhardt said.

For NCFC Youth Coach Tom Misuraca, it’s all about watching the teens grow as people and have fun on the field.

“You just got to keep them up and keep them going, get their confidence back, let them know they’re doing a good job and just be there for them and talk to them when they when they get down,” Misuraca said.

For these kids, the real win isn’t just what’s on the scoreboard, but it’s in feeling supported. Sports doesn’t fix everything, but it might just be part of the solution. 

Some programs also offer financial aid for families, making it easier to access youth leagues regardless of income. If you’re interested in joining a youth sports team, here are some helpful resources:

NCFC Youth sign-ups

City of Raleigh’s youth athletics

YMCA of the Triangle’s youth sports

Town of Cary’s youth sports

Town of Wake Forest’s youth sports

Related Stories

FRISCO, Texas (June 10, 2025) – Following extensive review and discussion, US Youth Soccer, AYSO, and US Club Soccer have collectively decided to move to an age group player formation cycle that runs from August 1 to July 31, starting with the 2026-27 season/registration year. This change was made based on additional critical feedback, data, and expert input to better align players with their school-grade peers. Our associations feel that this age group player formation will be the most inclusive and help increase participation.

The August 1 to July 31 age group player formation cycle will be used for all USYS league and Cup competitions for the 2026-27 season/registration year including: National Championships, Presidents Cup, and National League.

US Youth Soccer CEO Tom Condone addressed the adjustment to the registration process: “At US Youth Soccer, our mission is to support the development of every player. After careful collaboration with our partners and listening to our membership, we believe this shift to an August 1 player formation cycle better aligns with school calendars, supports social and individual needs, and ultimately enhances the youth soccer experience for families across the country.”

As a reminder, under U.S. Soccer’s new policy, each Federation member can determine age group registration rules for the leagues and competitions they operate or sanction. To support this transition, U.S. Soccer has introduced a tool to help parents and guardians easily understand the age groupings based on their child’s birthdate.

Again, please note that this decision is effective beginning with each Organization Member’s 2026-27 season/registration year.

READ MORE: Updates included in this article are pertaining to – US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and AYSO Returning to Seasonal-Year Age Group Formation in 2026

About US Youth Soccer

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide worldclass support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers 2.68 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.

About US Club Soccer

A National Association member of the U.S. Soccer Federation, US Club Soccer fosters the growth and development of soccer clubs in order to create the best possible development environment for players of all ages.

Anchored by Players First and its pillars of Club Development, Coaching Development, Player Development, Referee Development, Parent Engagement & Education and Player Health & Safety, US Club Soccer offers registration, league- and cup-based competition platforms, player identification and a variety of other programming, resources and services.

US Club Soccer is sponsored by Nike, DICK’S Sporting Goods and Gatorade.

About AYSO

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is a national nonprofit organization committed to delivering quality youth soccer programs in a fun, family-friendly environment. AYSO is rooted in Six Philosophies: Everyone Plays®, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development. Now celebrating its 60th year since inception in 1964, AYSO programs span over 640 communities across the United States.

As a member organization of the U.S. Soccer Federation, all AYSO programs, including AYSO PLAY!, conform to U.S. Soccer standards for safety and player development curricula. Learn more about AYSO at www.ayso.org.