Honed on Bryant Lake in Eden Prairie, the Twin Cities Youth Rowing Club’s women’s crew clinched a national championship bid.

The Twin Cities Youth Rowing Club (TCYRC) and its U19 Women’s 4+ boat have clinched a coveted spot in the USRowing Youth National Championships. The tournament is June 10-15 in Sarasota, Florida.

The USRowing Youth National Championships ranks as high school women’s rowing’s second most prestigious event. Thirty-nine teams competed across the Midwest region. Yet, only four crews, from Minnesota to St. Louis to Pittsburgh, secured national spots. Selection committees chose just 31 teams from regions across the country, most from the Southwest, Atlantic, and Southeastern divisions.

The region’s colder climate drives the disparity in competitive rowing. TCYRC only gets six months of water time. Nevertheless, teams from other regions row year-round. Still, despite these disparities, TCYRC proudly notes that 100% of graduating seniors have signed college letters of intent or are walking on to college programs.

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Unprecedented talent shining bright

This year’s crew, a mix of a sophomore, two juniors, and two seniors, includes Division I-bound stars. Katherine Bixby and Tessa Johnson will row at the University of Minnesota and the University of Rhode Island, respectively, next year.

Indeed, it’s unprecedented for a volunteer, parent-run organization from Minnesota to produce such accomplished rowers. Accordingly, TCYRC will compete against teams from Newport Beach, California, to Stony Brook, New York.

The magic behind this crew’s success lies in their training. “Winter training indoors is a meat grinder,” head coach Justin Richardson said. “There’s no sun. They’re training 12.5 to 20 hours a week. They’re practicing technique.”

Richardson teaches the athletes to maximize every stroke. “We can’t overpower them, yet we can out row them,” he said.

During practice, you’ll often hear Richardson urging the crew to glide lightly through the water. Meanwhile, he scrutinizes every stroke for “puddling” and ensures each one propels the boat a full boat length.

At Saturday’s practice, Richardson had the crew of the John “JD” Davis working on their starts out of the block. The coxswain shouts, “Three-quarters, half, half,” as the boat picks up speed. It knifes through the water.

“Death by a thousand paper cuts,” Richardson says quietly. “We are consistently closing. We make our move at the last second – blindside crews who didn’t see us coming.”

Erg’s don’t float: Rowing as one

The appeal of women’s rowing is often steeped in the Ivy League tradition and pop culture. Films like “The Boys in the Boat,” “The Novice,” and picturesque backdrops in “Good Will Hunting” create an image of exclusivity tied to social class. However, women’s rowing is frequently used to help schools meet Title IX requirements and balance out men’s football rosters. If your child wants to row in college, they can.

This crew proudly calls rowing the ultimate team sport, even though they’ve collectively excelled in other varsity athletics. When asked what it takes to succeed in rowing, Sadie Nistler, a star crew member and the boat’s engine, said, “How much is it worth to you?” Nistler fought her way back from a devastating knee injury. During her recovery, she beat out athletes from across the Twin Cities to earn a spot on the top team.

“In November, I tried and worked so hard to get back after my knee surgery,” Nistler said. “I learned what delayed gratification means. You put in the work now so it will pay off later.”

The warmth reflected off the lake as the sun shone through the crystal clear water. “I want to see more kids get involved in rowing,” Richardson said as the U19 Women’s 4+ boat docked. “Thinking that you’re not good enough? Thinking you’re not athletic enough? Don’t worry, we’ll get you there.”

The U19 women’s 4+ boat – coxswain Katherine Bixby, a senior at Wayzata; bow Kaitlyn Anderson, a sophomore at Southwest Christian Academy; Sadie Nistler, a junior at Eden Prairie; Phoebe Chin, a junior at Edina; and stroke Tessa Johnson, a senior at Hopkins – leaves for Florida on Tuesday.

SEATTLE (AP) — Elly Garcia-Dudek can’t help but gaze out toward the ice during hockey practices at the Kraken Community Iceplex.

The 12-year-old Garcia-Dudek is a big fan of women’s national team stars like Hilary Knight, who starred for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women’s Hockey League last season. Pretty soon, Garcia-Dudek – who started playing through the Seattle Kraken’s Learn to Play program — won’t have to look across the country for role models like Knight.

The PWHL is expanding to Vancouver and to Seattle next season, which was music to Garcia-Dudek’s ears. She and her family are Kraken fans and have already put down deposits for PWHL Seattle season tickets. Luckily for Garcia-Dudek, Knight has agreed to play in Seattle.

“It’s really inspiring and cool to watch them play because it’s different from the men’s game because women aren’t used to playing with contact, but they get to with the PWHL, which is really cool to watch,” Garcia-Dudek said. “It inspires me personally like, ‘Oh, I can be one of them when I grow up.’”

Seattle’s lineup should feature plenty of offense from the outset, especially with Knight — a four-time Olympian and PWHL MVP finalist last season — on the scene.

“Hillary is a superstar in every way, right?” Seattle GM Meghan Turner said of Knight after the PWHL expansion draft. “Like she plays the way she plays, the way she carries herself in the locker room, the way that she carries herself outside the rink. She’s just really got at all.”

The Pacific Northwest expansion will give the PWHL eight teams and its first two west of Minnesota. The moves are expected to spur even more interest across the region in hockey, which has steadily grown especially in Seattle since the arrival of the Kraken in 2021.

Pacific Northwest hockey

When Martin Hlinka began his tenure as director of the Kraken Youth Hockey Association in April 2021, they had just 72 players across six teams. The KYHA now has 39 boys and girls teams, including a 14U Jr Kraken team that Garcia-Dudek will play on this year. Hlinka credits this growth in large part to the Kraken’s presence.

“The growth was great because more kids watch games on TV or in-person,” Hlinka said, “and they have a better interest and they’re excited to be part of it.”

The expectation on Hlinka’s end is that the addition of PWHL Seattle will only further increase Seattle’s intrigue in hockey at the youth level. The sport has already taken sizable steps forward, though, over the last few decades.

Since 2014-15, there’s been an increase of 1,744 more youth hockey players in Washington. And since 2021-22, when the Kraken began play, an additional 268 kids have started playing in the state.

The growth has been observed by Julia Takatsuka, a goalie coordinator for the Jr Kraken who grew up playing hockey in the Seattle suburb of Lynnwood. When she was a kid, Takatsuka said, she had to travel to Canada every weekend for tournaments, and that practice rinks were relatively spartan compared to the Iceplex, which boasts three rinks and was built in September 2021.

“I would have loved to train at a place like (KCI) where we have all of the actual things we need,” Takatsuka said. “I was a goalie, so we need pegs to hold the nets down. I didn’t have that. We have that now. We have ice that has real creases for the goalies. Didn’t have that growing up, either.”

The Seattle area requires more work and time to become a women’s hockey hotbed, though. As Hlinka pointed out, there is only so much ice time to go around, and there aren’t nearly as many rinks in Seattle as there are in cities like Vancouver or Toronto.

Seeds for growth

Still, there’s clear evidence women’s hockey has already grown in Seattle.

The women’s club hockey team at the University of Washington played its inaugural season in 2021. This has allowed Regan Thomas, a West Seattle native and student at Washington, to continue playing the sport she adores. It wasn’t until she went to boarding school in New Hampshire that Thomas even became aware she could play hockey.

Soccer was Thomas’s spot of choice as a kid, and she had quite the role model in Megan Rapinoe, the national team standout who starred for Seattle Reign FC for a decade. Though Thomas wishes Seattle could have had a pro women’s hockey team when she was a kid, such won’t be the case for countless young girls in the Pacific Northwest moving forward.

“I think having those role models is incredibly important,” Thomas said. “I find myself even now like ‘Ugh, I wish this was around 10 years ago.’ Because not that I would have ever made it, but just kind of the dream of making it – you figure out how to push yourself harder.”

Lindsay Skogmo’s son, Otto, already has plenty of role models whenever he shows up to KCI for practice with the 8-and-under Jr Kraken team. When Skogmo was recently at her son’s school, she heard rumblings from girls about how hockey wasn’t for them.

Skogmo hopes pro women’s hockey in Seattle will inspire young girls like Garcia-Dudek to keep dreaming big.

“I feel like in this world right now, in our country, a lot of females feel like it’s not going good for us, or it’s going against us,” Skogmo said. “So, for us to be able to get a professional female team here really gives a lot of girl power.”

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

The Cattaraugus County Youth Bureau announces this week’s featured Youth Citizenship Award recipient is Zya DeGolier, a senior at Portville Central School and the daughter of Ross DeGolier and granddaughter of Mary DeGolier.

DeGolier’s nomination highlights her generous spirit and deep commitment to her community, reflecting qualities of empathy and leadership. Her school counselor’s praise emphasizes her role as an exemplary figure, inspiring those around her to embody similar values of kindness and service.

Upon graduation, DeGolier intends to further her education and pursue a career in criminal justice.

DeGolier has demonstrated a strong commitment to her community and equestrian pursuits by volunteering as secretary and historian for the McKean County Horse 4-H, competing in sanctioned local and district livestock events, and actively participating in the Ally Cat Pony Club through team competitions and service projects.

Her dedication is further evidenced through impactful initiatives such as collecting clothing and bedding for the Genesis House and providing meals to those in need at the Warming House, showcasing her commitment to alleviating hardship and fostering support for vulnerable populations.

DeGolier’s four years of volunteering with the Red Cross highlight her commitment to community service, especially as she also actively donates blood. Her dedication contributes to saving lives and encourages others to participate in this vital cause.

In school, DeGolier is a member of several extracurricular activities, including soccer for four years, defensive player; basketball for four years, forward; track for four years, shot put and discus; Student Council for six years, President; Class of 2025 leader for one year, President; Physics Club for three years; and Study Center for one year, peer tutor.

DeGolier’s impressive academic achievements include her induction into the National Honor Society during her junior year, where she upholds high standards by maintaining exceptional grades and engaging in community service. Additionally, her recognition with the George Eastman Young Leadership Award from the University of Rochester highlights her leadership qualities and commitment to excellence.

In her spare time, DeGolier loves to read, play soccer, volunteer and hang out with her friends. Congratulations, Zya!

Nominations for the 2025 graduating class are closed. For more information, visit cattcoyouth.org or contact Christina O’Brien, Youth Bureau program coordinator, at (716) 701-3360.

Another Iowa college alum turned NBA player is returning to the Hawkeye state to host a basketball camp.

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PHOENIX – If you have school-aged children, there’s a good chance their school photo has been snapped by local photographer Gail Roser.

For decades, she’s been capturing smiling faces in American classrooms in the East Valley and documenting memorable moments for youth sports teams. Roser also takes seasonal photos for families, and it was during one of these sessions she was introduced to the Great Shape Inc. organization.

What they’re saying:

“How I got involved is a gentleman and his wife, he played Santa in my studio when I had it, and he’s always saying, ‘Gail, we’ve never had a photographer go to Jamaica and you really should go,'” she said. “But I couldn’t at the time because it’s when we do school pictures in the fall. So when I sold my business five years ago, I said I have time to go.”

The organization has many branches, including dental, medical, and the super kids division Gail is involved in. This branch focuses on literacy in schools. At first, Gail filled in where needed, but soon after, she did what she does best: She pulled out her camera, hoping to give the students something they’d never had before – a simple, professional school portrait.

“The second week, I was able to photograph three schools and take their pictures, and I forgot my tripod, so I had my camera in my hand and we kind of just run them through like we do here in the United States,” Roser said. “Thirty seconds per kid taking the pictures, and then I would go back to the resort and print a picture for each kid.” 

From that first click of the shutter, Gail knew she’d been changed. For many of the students, they had never sat for a professional photo before or seen themselves printed clearly on glossy paper, eyes bright, posture proud, a wide smile frozen in a moment.

“The kids aren’t used to seeing a camera, and it’s digital, so they can see their picture right after I take it,” Roser explained. “They are just all over you, and they’re so excited. Their schools are in jungles… things we take for granted they appreciate.” 

Gail had come to Jamaica with her camera and a willingness to help, but it’s the people who give her something lasting.

“One recorded the P.E. teacher with his photo, and his reaction was magical,” Roser said. “He was like, ‘It’s so much appreciated, it’s love.’ And he just loved his photo, so it was pretty special, even to see an adult react like that, and the children, they just love it.”

“There was one little girl. She was super, super tiny, and the shyest one of all. So the first year, I got to do her school pictures,so those three years I get to see her grow up now. The hugs you get and the tears they give you when you’re leaving, is pretty memorable. They just really just appreciate so much of what you do.”

And every year, Gail thinks of ways to improve the students’ and staff’s experience.

“The first year, they’re running around with the pictures, and they’re so excited, and I’m like, ‘They’re never going to make it home,’ so the second year I bought packages so they’re protected.” 

“My first year it was like 2,000 kids and plus the staff,” she said. “This year, we’re going to three new schools and they’re a little smaller. There’s like 200 kids and the other is 500 kids. We also try to do pictures for the teachers too I give the USB to the principal to put them on the walls.”  

Gail gives back here in the states as well. She takes photos of shelter pets in hopes of getting them adopted. As for her Jamaica trips, she pays out-of-pocket for most of the media and photography supplies. Her next trip is in the fall.

Great Shape! Inc.
https://greatshapeinc.org/

Gail Roser Photography
https://www.facebook.com/gailroserphotography/?_r

Fastbreak brings pro-level schedule creation engine to youth sports tournament operations

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Fastbreak AI, the leading AI-powered sports operations software company, today announced the launch of the AI Schedule Engine for amateur sports tournament operators in the Fastbreak Compete product. Designed for the demands of complex, high-volume sports events, this new engine enables tournament directors to generate complete, competition-ready schedules in minutes, even for events with hundreds of teams across dozens of venues.

Currently used to handle the most complex scheduling problems in professional sports, Fastbreak’s engine powers schedules for more than 50 of the top professional sports leagues around the world, including the NBA, NHL, NWSL and MLS. Fastbreak’s engineering team is comprised of multiple experts  in optimization and AI. These PhDs designed the technology to solve one of the biggest challenges in sports: generating a fair, travel-efficient schedule that accounts for hundreds of complex constraints – all in minutes.

“This is a watershed moment for us, and marks a significant milestone in Fastbreak’s mission to bring professional-grade tools to every level of sport,” Fastbreak AI CEO John Stewart said. “With thousands of amateur tournaments taking place every weekend across the country, the need for a scalable, intelligent solution has never been greater. This engine has been validated at the highest levels of sport, and it will now be the backbone of youth and amateur athletics. This launch brings us one step closer to making operations simpler, more efficient and more fair, for everyone in sports.”

Fastbreak’s engine handles every major scheduling format – including bracket play, multi-venue and multi-day tournaments – automatically accounting for team preferences, time requests, coaching requests, blackout windows, rest periods, venue constraints and more. Once the schedule is generated, organizers can make manual edits using a drag-and-drop interface, with the platform providing real-time feedback showing the impact of changes to help prevent conflicts.

“We’re using Fastbreak right now for all of our scheduling,” CEO and Founder of Attitude of Gratitude Events Ryan Silver said. “They just came out with a new version of the scheduling app, an AI-powered way to schedule tournaments. I think this AI technology is incredible, and it’s the future. Once again, Fastbreak is ahead of the curve in what they’re doing.”

“Until now, scheduling has been a bottleneck for tournament organizers across every sport,” said Ray Glassmann, General Manager of Fastbreak Compete. “Organizers had two options: spend days manually moving teams around spreadsheets while trying to appease individual preferences, or outsource the task to someone else. The AI Schedule Engine removes that pain, and gives you access to the same technology used by the biggest leagues in the world to build the most complex schedules.”

This launch marks a new milestone in Fastbreak’s mission to bring professional-grade operations management to every level of sport. With thousands of tournaments happening every weekend across the country, the need for scalable, intelligent solutions has never been greater. The Fastbreak Compete team is offering onboarding support for first-time users, helping tournament directors configure rules, apply preferences and get up and running in hours.

Visit www.fastbreak.ai/compete/ to learn more.

About Fastbreak AI
Fastbreak AI is the ultimate AI-powered sports operations engine. From professional leagues to amateur and youth tournaments, Fastbreak products streamline logistics, increase revenue, and improve the experience for everyone involved in sport. Learn more at www.fastbreak.ai.

SOURCE Fastbreak.ai