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Kuna considers large youth sports complex

KUNA — A significant youth sports complex could be coming to Kuna — if all goes as planned. A public meeting to inform and educate residents and locals on the project was held Wednesday at Swan Falls High School. Around 30 people were in attendance, including the city’s Economic & Community Development Specialist Jessica Hall. […]

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KUNA — A significant youth sports complex could be coming to Kuna — if all goes as planned.

A public meeting to inform and educate residents and locals on the project was held Wednesday at Swan Falls High School. Around 30 people were in attendance, including the city’s Economic & Community Development Specialist Jessica Hall.

In April 2024, the city of Kuna was approached with an idea for a youth sports complex, presented by True Gritt Youth Sports Chairman David McMenomey, who moved to Meridian from Texas nine years ago. True Gritt is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing higher levels of athletic competition to the Treasure Valley.

The proposed complex would have both indoor and outdoor sports accommodations including 14 youth baseball/softball fields, eight full-sized indoor basketball courts, and a family entertainment center. The fields will be turf, which would give them around 10 months of use each year, McMenomey said. Development around the complex could also include two hotels, restaurants and a gas station.

The complex would be the first of its kind in the state and region, McMenomey said, and will be located near the intersection of Meadow View and Meridian roads.

“We’re anticipating from looking at other facilities that are similar size and the amount of tournaments that we’d be able to host, between all of the sports, about a million visitors a year coming into the facility,” McMenomey said.

Kuna’s planning and zoning and economic development teams were excited about the project because it would be an “incredible asset” to the city, Hall said to the Idaho Press. The city council will likely begin looking at the complex plans in July.

The city has donated 20 acres of land for a 114-acre sports complex, McMenomey said. The project will likely cost $120 million with the onus on McMenomey to raise the funds.

Not everyone at the meeting was thrilled about the complex coming to Kuna, a southern Ada County community that has seen large-scale growth and development in recent years.

“My home is directly behind this, and all I want to do is sit outside and read a book, and I don’t feel like I’m going to be able to do that,” Stacey Poiriar said during the meeting. “I feel like I’m not going to be able to sell my house now. I’ve been there for three years, and I don’t feel like this is fair.”

If built, the complex would be in Poiriar’s backyard. She’s concerned about traffic and noise that the complex could bring to her neighborhood.

“Nobody talked to our neighborhood. Nobody talked to anybody, letting us know that something of this magnitude was coming,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea — I just don’t think it should be right in the middle of a housing development.”

Andy Riley, president of the Kuna Youth Softball and Baseball Association, also expressed some concerns. Although he is excited at the prospect of having local fields for Kuna teams to play on, Riley is worried about prices. Sometimes, a developer will say that they’re building something for the local community, but they’re really just in it for the money, Riley said.

“Then all of a sudden it’s pay to play and I don’t want to see that happen,” Riley said.

As long as folks can afford to play there, Riley doesn’t see an issue with the complex and expressed excitement at the idea of Kuna teams winning games on their home turf.

Troy Croghan, chief executive officer at True Gritt Youth Sports, estimated that the facility would bring 100 jobs to Kuna.

“We’re all sports dads,” Croghan said. “We’re not some big corporation that’s trying to come and make a bunch of money on this project, in fact, we’re doing it as a nonprofit.”

Before the complex can begin the construction process, a number of steps need to be taken including a rezoning of the application in a public hearing process; a traffic impact study completed by the Idaho Transportation Department and Ada County Highway District; the submission of a subdivision application and infrastructure plans; installation of infrastructure; a design review application; and building permits.

McMenomey estimated that work could be completed by the end of the year, depending on what sponsorships and funds are collected.

According to Hall, if all goes well the sports complex could be built in two-to-three years. Once construction has started, McMenomey estimates the facility could be built in 18 months — a number he says he’s received from several local construction companies.

“Kuna has a large and growing youth population and this complex would allow for a positive outlet for our local youth, as well as for youth across the Treasure Valley,” Hall said. “The complex would provide a location for family fun, and would be a destination for tournaments; the increase of tourism to Kuna would bring new businesses and strengthen our local economy.”

All of this began for McMenomey in 2023, when he was at a Christian business mastermind event. One of the exercises was to pray and ask where God sees you in 20 years, McMenomey said.

“I reluctantly did, and I heard two words: youth sports,” he said. “That’s when I saw a youth sports complex and I was pretty shocked, because I hadn’t seen anything like that before.”

After doing some digging after the conference, McMenomey said he found similar facilities on the East coast. He then had a sports facilities company do a feasibility study, just to see if the Treasure Valley could support a youth sports facility. The study found that the valley could handle two facilities, he said. That’s when McMenomey began looking for land.

After meeting with several cities, McMenomey found a match with Kuna. He brought it to the city’s economic development team in 2024.

Now, McMenomey is fundraising and looking for big businesses that may be interested in sponsoring the facility and potentially getting naming rights with a sponsorship. Once 50% of the funds are raised — $60 million — McMenomey says he’ll be ready to break ground on the project.

The ultimate goal, McMenomey said, is to create a place for kids to come and play sports, whether it be for tournaments, competition or just fun.



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How teens are using sports to improve their mental health

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 […]

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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

 



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Updated Decision on Age Group Formation from US Youth Soccer, AYSO, and US Club Soccer

  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, […]

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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.





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La Pine youth sports get new life | La Pine / Sunriver News

LA PINE, Ore. — After the collapse of La Pine’s youth sports programs last fall, a Bend-based nonprofit is stepping up to help local kids get back in the game—offering financial aid and hope to families still recovering from the fallout. Every Kid Sports provides qualifying families with financial support to cover youth sports registration fees. “Sports […]

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LA PINE, Ore. — After the collapse of La Pine’s youth sports programs last fall, a Bend-based nonprofit is stepping up to help local kids get back in the game—offering financial aid and hope to families still recovering from the fallout. Every Kid Sports provides qualifying families with financial support to cover youth sports registration fees.

“Sports is more than just a game, as our mission states,” said Executive Director Eleana Ranaika. “It’s supporting life and part of life is community.”

When the non-profit heard about the struggles at the La Pine Park and Recreation District, the two organizations decided they could do more by working together as a team. 

“Every youth sport will need a body, and a body is $40,000 a year, and we just don’t have those types of funds with the situation we are left in. We’re slowly but surely recouping that and we’re going to get to where we can,” said LPRD Facilities Coordinator Wynn Malikowski.

In October 2024, the previous park and recreation board resigned and dismantled all youth recreation programs, citing financial issues. Since the recreation lacks the means to recreate youth sports, the LPRD Foundation provided a $4,000 donation to Every Kid Sports to help families make sports more affordable. 

“To provide scholarships for kids in the La Pine area to play sports,” said LPRD Foundation board member Brian Lusby. “Our goal is to, with the district losing the ability to, at least temporarily, provide those programs. We wanted to support all those kids and make sure everybody has an opportunity to play.”

Every Kid Sports will be at the La Pine Concert in the Park series this Thursday to accept the $4,000 donation.

“We support kids 4-to-18 years old who are currently receiving OHIP benefits and they can come and apply to every kid’s sports pass, and we will support up to $150 to pay their youth sports registration fee,” said Fanaika.

In addition, Every Kid Sports is planning to launch its “Born in Bend” campaign. That three-year initiative will support 2,500 kids throughout all of Central Oregon.

“This gracious donation by the foundation of $4,000, that’s probably close to 400 kids, this year that that will be able to play sports because the money that we’re funding is directly for our La Pine athletes,” said Malikowski.

Athletes will now have a better opportunity to get back on the field.



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KNEB-AM 960 AM – 100.3 FM

Former WNCC men’s head coach and former Northern Colorado assistant coach, Cory Fehringer, will be back in the area less than one month from now for a two day basketball camp that will be held at Bridgeport High School. The camp will feature help from Scottsbluff all-time great Dru Kuxhausen plus current WNCC […]

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Former WNCC men’s head coach and former Northern Colorado assistant coach, Cory Fehringer, will be back in the area less than one month from now for a two day basketball camp that will be held at Bridgeport High School.

The camp will feature help from Scottsbluff all-time great Dru Kuxhausen plus current WNCC men’s head coach Roybell Baez.

The dates for the two day camp will be June 30th and July 1st and is open to all girls and boys from grades 6th through 12th. The cost of the camp is $120.

There will be two sessions both days of the camp with session one each day running from 10 am to noon for boys 6th grade through 12th grade and session two will run from 2 pm to 4 pm for girls 6th through 12th grade.

Camp Focus – Fundamentals of Scoring: Hard to Guard

  • Footwork – Finishing – Shooting
  • 1v1, 2v2 triggers, 3v3 FIBA
  • Skills, Measurements, and Concepts

For more information or to get signed up you can email , or call Sean Sterkel at 308-279-1070 or Cory Fehringer at 970-580-7279.



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LaFollette Owls host youth basketball camp | Lafollette

The LaFollette Middle School boys basketball team hosted its annual youth basketball camp from June 9-11. “I look forward to camp every year. You know that,” head coach Ken Weaver said. “Same thing I tell you every year, numbers are down a little bit this year, as far as elementary. Normally with third- through fifth-graders, […]

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The LaFollette Middle School boys basketball team hosted its annual youth basketball camp from June 9-11.

“I look forward to camp every year. You know that,” head coach Ken Weaver said. “Same thing I tell you every year, numbers are down a little bit this year, as far as elementary. Normally with third- through fifth-graders, we have quite a few kids. We normally have it the first week of June, but the high school teams now are starting to have their team camps the first week school is out, so we had to push our camp to this week. I don’t know if that hurt the numbers where other camps have been going on or what. Anyway, we got a good turnout, good group of kids. We have some good talent coming up.”



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Stadium funding bill advances to House floor in special session | State News

JEFFERSON CITY — A bill including incentives to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri will move to the floor in the Missouri House of Representatives following committee approval Tuesday afternoon. The House Economic Development Committee passed the bill without making any changes. The Missouri Senate passed the legislation, along with two other […]

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JEFFERSON CITY — A bill including incentives to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri will move to the floor in the Missouri House of Representatives following committee approval Tuesday afternoon.

The House Economic Development Committee passed the bill without making any changes. The Missouri Senate passed the legislation, along with two other bills, last week in the first week of the special session.

The bill includes the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, which aims to help fund renovations to the Kansas City Chiefs’ stadium and building a new stadium for the Royals. The bill would allow up to 50% of stadium construction bond costs to be paid back with tax money generated at the stadiums.

Lawmakers are up against an end-of-June deadline to pass the legislation; Kansas passed a bill that would fund up to 70% of stadium costs and requires the teams to make a decision whether to stay in Missouri by the end of the month.

If the House votes to approve the legislation, it goes to Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk for his signature. By placing the bill in the special session agenda, Kehoe indicated his support for the legislation.

Supporters of the bill say keeping the sports teams in Missouri is important for the economy. A New Bloomfield Republican told KOMU 8 on Monday that he believes the bill will keep jobs in Missouri.

Kathy Nelson, the president and CO of both Visit KC and the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, agrees. She testified in favor of the bill before the Economic Development Committee on Tuesday.

“This bill was so critical to Kansas City, not only for the Royals and the Chiefs, and the stadiums, and keeping them in Missouri, but also selfishly the amateur sports tax credit,” Nelson said. “That’s a big, big deal to Kansas City and our region. So for us, to make sure that we’re able to continue to keep things like Big 12, NCAA, NAIA, Olympic type of things, and youth sports, that’s a huge deal and impact to our community.”

The bill is expected to pass the House; the chamber passed the stadium funding bill in the regular session before the Senate derailed the legislation.

However, the bill saw testimony against its passage on Tuesday, as well.

“It just spends an awful lot of money of the people of Missouri to give to wealthy team owners who don’t need it,” said Patrick Tuohey, a senior fellow at the Show-Me Institute. “And really, it won’t change their behavior. They will stay in Kansas City, and probably the Missouri side because it’s a good market. I think Missouri and Kansas City and Jackson County should be able to make the argument that we’re a great place to invest, but we’re not going to pay you to love us.”



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