Rec Sports

High school athletics facing sportsmanship crossroads

Published

7 months ago

May 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Elliot Hopkins has centered his career around a term he feels should embody high school sports.

For more than a quarter-century, he has worked on initiatives around the country to promote it at games. Go to your local one, though, and you might not see it.

“Sportsmanship is not sexy,” says Hopkins, director of student services for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

“Strangely enough,” he says, “this is why sportsmanship really matters: Some people just don’t get it because of what they see at other levels or schools in their state or conference. Some parents are bad actors. And then the kids get the same vibe, and then they carry it out into the field. And then you mix in some coaches who don’t understand that education-based sports is just that: Education-based.”

Witness a March basketball playoff game between two Pennsylvania schools – Meadville and Uniontown. A technical foul on the court led to a brawl in the stands among adults. It spilled onto the court. Arrests were made and fans were led off in handcuffs.

Ugly ending to the Meadville game with several fans taken off in cuffs. Game called with 3:12 left. Bulldogs win 63-55 pic.twitter.com/zHjDwLQ3EY

— Tom Reisenweber (@ETNreisenweber) March 8, 2025

As spring sports conclude their postseasons through the end of May and into June, state associations and administrators hold their breath. On-campus incidents like this not only occur with frightening regularity, but they sharply distort the deep-rooted message that is the backbone of high school sports.

“People immediately think our role is to get students effective for the next level, which is college or major league baseball,” Hopkins says. “It’s quite the opposite. We believe what we do makes a young person a better human being and a better contributor to society.”

Instead, emotion, aggression and me-first aggrandizement can interlock into an ugly mess with so much seemingly on the line: NIL money, next-level participation, pay-for-play opportunities on travel teams and social media reputations.

How can more kids and parents be better examples and better understand the core values of school-based sports? USA Sports shares perspective from Hopkins’ decades-long career and from coaches and leaders who spoke at March’s Project Play Summit in Berkeley, California, about the crossroads high school athletics faces.

‘One of the last free options’: High school sports connects communities and can save lives

The goal of Project Play, a national initiative from the Aspen Institute, is to build healthy communities for kids of all ages, races and economic backgrounds through sports. We can think of high school athletics in a similar fashion.

Studies have connected them with higher attendance and academic achievement. But prep sports also cuts to the core of our being and sense of belonging.

It’s a place where we band together to face our most intense rivals, but also one where we shake their hands afterward and where our parents cheerfully sell them and their supporters tickets and hot dogs.

Go to rural Virginia, though, and you find moms and dads selling cupcakes and donuts to pay for referees jerseys and lining materials for the field. For every team with million dollar donors to help build fields, there are many others who play at city or regional parks. They depend on the experience.

“School-based athletics is one of the last free options to participate,” says Franky Navarro, California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) commissioner of Oakland, California. It’s a city with a sharp divide in socioeconomic status between zip codes.

“It provides opportunity for students,” he says. “It builds community and depending on where you’re at, it can also serve as violence prevention.”

According to the most recent survey results from the NFHS, high school sports have more than 8 million participants, a rise from 444,248 since the coronavirus pandemic, an especially dark period for children. During the first 10 months of COVID, 5,568 youth between the ages of 5 and 24 died by suicide, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“We had kids taking their own lives because they can’t see their teammates,” Hopkins says. “We had kids not eating as well as they normally do because, in some cases, they get their best meals when they go to school (and) their best adult supervision is when they have coaches around them.

“Ninety-five percent of our kids, if not a higher number, when they hang up their high school jersey, they’re done. They’re not going on to the next level. They’re not going to play in college. They’re just gonna be regular people. How have we impacted them for four years?”

‘Where were the adults?’ High school sports are a chance for us to set better examples

We play in front of people we might run into at the grocery store, mall or post office. We see teachers and local Little Leaguers in the bleachers much more often than college coaches.

It can be an opportunity to show how much we have grown, but also how far we have to go.

“What’s going on in high school is a microcosm of what’s going on in society,” Hopkins says. “We see people cheating. There are fights at games (at the) college and professional level. That’s what our kids see, and that’s what they want to mirror. A prominent basketball player pushes somebody because of a hard foul, that gives credence. It’s like a dog whistle that tells some kids they can do the same thing – because he does it, it must be OK. And it’s not OK. We don’t do a good enough job to hone in on that.”

These games center around raw emotion that tests human sensibility. Taunts and gestures can begin on social media earlier in the week, heightening everyone’s awareness of what’s ahead, “so come Friday night football, there’s gonna be a fight in the stands,” Hopkins says.

He says in recent years, students in Indianapolis have shown up for baseball games against a Jewish school with swastikas on their cheeks, while others in New Mexico have thrown tortillas at a team comprised of predominantly Native American players. A mostly white team in Coronado, California, was stripped of a regional championship when spectators behaved similarly against Latino players.

“Where were the adults?” Hopkins say. “Who thought that’d be funny or would be a good idea? And you wonder why the first hard foul or that first pitch is up near the chin of somebody.”

A number of states, including Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii and Virginia, have adopted zero tolerance policies, resulting in immediate ejection and further discipline against hate speech directed at sex, race, religion, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or disability.

All 51 high school associations, including the District of Columbia, have policies for curbing poor spectator behavior in general.

In California, two former NBA players, Robert Horry and Matt Barnes, were ejected from their sons’ games for yelling at officials in the last two years. Video showed Horry shouting, “Hey ref … you suck!” while Barnes confronted a student broadcaster for the other team.

The CIF recently instituted two bylaws: adult spectators must stay away for three games if ejected; and if you assault a game official you’re done attending California high school sports.

“It’s sad that we had to put them in place,” says Ron Nocetti, the CIF’s executive director. “And we literally had people say, ‘Well, that’s not fair.’ I mean, wait, you’re telling me that you can go and physically assault someone in a parking lot, which we saw happen after a baseball game, and you think you have the right to then come back to our events?’

“It’s also why we talked about wanting to get more involved in sports at the younger ages. Just look at all the videos you see out there. There’s referees literally been chased around basketball courts after games. I mean, that’s how sad it has gotten.”

Coach Steve: Dan Hurley’s words could improve parent, coach behavior at games

‘Bigger than yourself’: High school sports can help us discover who we are

The CIF is only authorized to govern ninth through 12th grade athletics, but Nocetti wants to see sports played at every middle school in California. That way, affiliated high schools could partner with them and send their players in to mentor and coach.

“Then these students are looking up to those students,” he says.

Seated with him on stage at Project Play was former University of California soccer player Ari Manrique, who has coached girls at Berkeley High.

Manrique was a star who travelled as a member of the U.S. national team at the U-15, U-16 and U-17 levels. But at the end of her career at Cal, she had to medically retire and found herself using her psychology coursework to fully understand her younger athletes.

Some days, she says, she went in with a full practice plan but needed to lighten it up after her players were dragging from, say, a chemistry test.

“It’s not always gonna be ‘Go, go, go,’ ” she says. “It’s hard to be a teenager and I think teenagers are feeling that in the ever-changing world that we have – with social media and everything else. Students who already have so much in the education space, now you’re asked me to practice after class? Like, ‘No, no way.’ And they kind of can get lost in this.

“I was able to find my love for the sport again in a tough time and see the girls go from maybe deciding to quit after freshman year to seeing them at senior day, they’ve made it all the way through. And they have no plans of playing in college, but they have a nice group of friends. They got something out of it. They learned. They became a better person because of it.”

She also has perhaps realized that along her own elite path, taking online courses away form the traditional high school setting for three years, she had missed out.

“I think there’s something to be said about playing a high school sport, being a part of something bigger than yourself,” she says.

During an interview earlier this year, USA TODAY Sports asked Luis Robles, a former USMNT goalie and the technical director of MLS NEXT, if he encouraged teens within his youth soccer organization to play the sport in high school. MLS NEXT only recently added a tier that accommodates a prep schedule.

“I would stop short of encourage; it’s just allowed,” Robles said. “I think what we encourage is them to identify the best environment possible for them to develop. And what we’ve identified as what would be the best environment is where are the best coaches? And if you’re under that coach for as long as possible, and you’re competing with the best possible competition that aids your development.”

Hopkins would argue that travel coaches who ask players to skip high school sports for their team have an educational obligation, too.

“I’m not saying those opportunities aren’t good for children,” he says. “You’ve got to finish the sentence. They also have to mirror what we’re trying to teach because if they never get to play at the high school level, and they just run their career in youth sports and travel ball and things like that, they have to make sure those kids are ready for life as well.”

Coach Steve: Is it worth it? 10 questions teen athletes need to ask if they play travel sports

High school sports is now about NIL; what about sportsmanship?

It has all suddenly become much more of a business. Navarro, the CIF Oakland section commissioner, has found himself asking former collegiate athletes in his office to help students figure out the landscape of Name, Image and Likeness.

NIL has exploded into a money-making opportunity. High school athletes, depending on their state, can create their own brand and try to profit off of it.

The chances increase when they get to college, especially if they are top recruits.

“What happens if you get a deal, what do you do?” Navarro says. “I think for many of our students that never have had the opportunity to earn income, it becomes a challenge when they do arrive at a college level and are beginning to earn.”

Hopkins, 67, who played on the defensive line at Wake Forest from 1975 to 1979, doesn’t see the system as sustainable.

“You just can’t keep doing this long term, because what happens is you and I are teammates and you get a bigger deal than I am, but I’m blocking for you,” he says. “I’m like, ‘What the heck? You wouldn’t be getting any money if I didn’t block for you. I need more money so you can do your job,’ and the whole locker room becomes frazzled, and then no one trusts each other, no one wants to work for each other. They’re out for themselves.”

To him, NIL is another disruptive force to that magic “s” word he and NFHS are holding up these days like a placard.

GOOD fans are positive, supportive and encouraging.

BAD fans are the exact opposite … which means they aren’t really fans. They’re foes who might as well cheer for the other team 🤨

Which one are YOU?#BenchBadBehavior at high school athletic events! https://t.co/v8NSZDq3tU

— NFHS (@NFHS_Org) May 8, 2025

“Sportsmanship is a demonstration of fair play, respect and gracious behavior,” he says. “We have not seen a lot of stories of that. And it’s not a political thing. It’s just where we are right now as a country, and we need to get back to the middle, because if you raise a bunch of kids who don’t have fair play, respect or gracious behavior, we’re going to end up raising and allowing those kids to grow up having kids with little bit of a different attitude, and that’s gonna to kill the sport.

“And you can fill in the blank of whatever sport it is.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com

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Park Point 5-Miler and 2-Mile Walk 2026

Published

1 hour ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The 55th annual Park Point 5-Miler starts near the Park Point Pavilion. Participants run down Minnesota Avenue before finishing back near the pavilion. They have the choice of a 5-mile run or a 2-mile walk.

This is the last of three races in the annual KP Challenge, in which participants commit to three races throughout the spring and summer. The others are the Saint Fennessy 4K and Fitger’s 5K. The aim of the challenge is to help participants keep on a regular training schedule and consistently complete longer distance races. Net proceeds benefit the Young Athletes Foundation, a Grandma’s Marathon program focused on the promotion and development of youth athletics.

In celebration of its 50th year, Grandma’s Marathon is offering free entries for those ages 18 and under to each of the five Young Athletes Foundation races in 2026.

Adult Entry Fee Scale
Jan. 1 to May 15 – $20
May 16 to June 30 – $30
July 1 to race day – $40

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Girard welcomes new faces to council, board of education | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

GIRARD — New faces will be working for the community as new members of city council and the board of education were sworn into office this week.

Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeff Adler swore in new and reelected council members and new members to the board of education.

Starting terms on council this month are Tod Latell and Wes Steiner as councilmen-at-Large and James Clark as 3rd Ward councilman.

On the board of education, new members are Zak Steiner and Scott Strain and elected to a new term after being appointed previously to fill an opening on the board is Tammy King.

TOD LATELL

Latell, who was elected to two terms as Trumbull County recorder from January 2017 to December 2024, said he will work with city officials and council to promote growth.

“I have been attending council meetings since the beginning of last year, and I believe we have some great opportunities to improve our downtown area and other locations across the city,” he said.

He said council members need to have a clear understanding of the budget.

“Our auditor and city officials have done well as the city appears to be in good financial standing. Transparency on the budget is paramount, as taxpayer money and available funds in general should be handled with care,” Latell said.

He said as county recorder, he ran a tight budget and left the recorder’s office in great shape.

“I believe when we have a strong school system, provide great police / fire and safety services in general, and residents feel city leadership is engaged and working for the benefit of all, success will happen,” Latell said.

WES STEINER

Wes Steiner was a first-time candidate for public office. He said as a surveyor with knowledge in zoning, he plans to bring a valuable skill set to city council to help improve the community.

He said zoning is essential to make sure that growth is well planned and remains sustainable for the future.

Steiner said there is a need for better signage in the downtown, with residents and visitors becoming more aware of the available parking space behind Chase Bank, as well as behind and across the street from the U.S. Post Office.

“Better signage will help improve accessibility and convenience for everyone,” he said.

He said he will work with Lake to River Economic Development to help bring businesses to the area, which will help generate additional tax revenue for the city.

Steiner said as Girard continues to evolve into a more transient community, he believes it is important to focus on mentoring and youth engagement. He has served in many positions working with youth sports and activities.

Steiner said he is committed to advocating for programs and policies that empower young people in the community.

JAMES CLARK

Clark said he comes from a family of civil servants, with his mother serving as city treasurer in East Liverpool and his grandmother serving as a councilwoman in East Palestine.

Clark said accountability in leadership will be a top priority. He said recent events in Girard, especially the problems with the school district’s finances, have shown how costly a lack of oversight can be.

“My top priority is to make sure those in leadership positions are accountable for their decisions and for how public money is handled,” Clark said.

He said as a casino executive, he often had to stand his ground, protect the best interests of the business and still convince high-level clients to choose them over the competition.

“I will bring that same approach to city council to protect residents and ensure their voices and tax dollars are safeguarded,” Clark said.

He said he will bring improvements into Girard by securing outside funding.

Clark said he will look at completing community improvement projects, and will seek grant programs and connect the right people to get projects done. He said he will see that Girard competes for funding dollars and for resources that can make a real difference in the community.

BOARD OF EDUCATION

King said after she was named to fill the board vacancy when longtime board member Diane Alejars stepped down she decided to run in the November election for a new four-year term.

King was selected from seven applicants who sought to fill the seat. King is a retired professor from Youngstown State University and holds a doctoral degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She said previously she will use her experience in education and higher education to focus on the future of the Girard Local School District and ensure that the staff has the resources they need to educate the students.

Zak Steiner and Strain are both new to public office.

Steiner said he wants to start a “Listen and Learn” tour across the district, meeting directly with administrators, teachers, staff and students, and listening to what they need to be more successful.

He said he would also like to expand recognition and engagement at board meetings, and in addition to recognizing students each month, also recognize staff, alumni and school groups.

Steiner said he will stay in contact with and work with the Ohio House on any upcoming or proposed changes to property tax and school funding to ensure the district’s needs are represented.

Strain said he will focus on the safety and success of the students, and develop positive relationships with the teachers, administration and staff to foster growth and trust while maintaining transparency.

He said as a former Girard school resource officer and juvenile investigator for six years allowed for developing trusting relationships with students and staff.

Also sworn in for new terms were Reynald Paolone as Girard council president, Henry Sforza as treasurer, Lily Martuccio for council-at-large, and Keith Schubert, John Moliterno and Thomas Grumley as council ward members.

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Fuel the Drive Expands Youth Sports Access, Sets 2026 Growth Target

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

“Participation in golf and tennis programs contributes to the development of transferable life skills, including self-discipline, teamwork and problem-solving.”

DENVER, CO, January 02, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Fuel the Drive—the non-profit organization that expands access to golf and tennis for children from low-income families—seeks to substantially increase the number of kids it assists in the year ahead.

“We’ve made some ambitious New Year’s resolutions for our foundation,” states founder and president Terry Aikin. “Fuel the Drive has been able to help a lot of kids accelerate their personal growth and expand their opportunities, but we’re far from satisfied.

“This year,” Aikin continues, “we want to impact at least five times as many young people as we did in 2025.”

Giving kids access to more promising futures

Founded to remove financial barriers to youth sports participation, Fuel the Drive sponsors children’s introduction to golf and tennis by covering essential program costs.

Eligible participants receive funding for registration in local PGA Junior League and U.S. Tennis Association programs, along with training guidance and equipment.

“The kids’ involvement in these sports fuels their personal growth and helps them develop confidence, self-discipline and leadership,” says Aikin. “It’s so rewarding to watch these kids build their own personal strength and find out what it takes to succeed.

“As the kids develop their golf or tennis games and compete with other kids their age,” he adds, “they learn to lead, to believe in themselves and to create pathways to more successful futures.”

Equipping kids with the tools to succeed on and off the course and court

“Time and again,” notes Aikin, “we see that participation in golf and tennis programs contributes to the development of transferable life skills, including self-discipline, teamwork and problem-solving.

“Let me share just one of our many success stories,” he continues. “With Fuel the Drive’s assistance, Mavarro has played in the PGA Junior League program for the past three years. His father tells us that playing golf has helped Mavarro develop patience and confidence, and he’s earned an award for perseverance.

“What’s more,” adds Aikin, “Mavarro’s love for golf has translated into increased analytical skills that are helping him tackle challenges he faces in school and in life.”

Ambitious growth target aims to serve many more children

Fuel the Drive has introduced golf to more than 100 children during each of the past three years and has provided access to tennis programs for more than 500 children.

Building on this impact, the organization has set a goal to expand its golf programming to serve more than 500 young athletes in 2026.

“Cost remains one of the most significant barriers to participation in organized youth sports,” states Aikin. “By removing that obstacle, we enable children to engage in structured environments that promote self-confidence, perseverance and personal growth.”

Increasing outreach to enlist more donors

“Our donor base has been very generous, and their contributions have made our impact possible,” reports Aikin. “But we’re seeking to significantly grow that base in order to achieve our objectives for 2026. So we’ve just launched a new website and we’re expanding our digital outreach to engage partners and community stakeholders and bring more new donors into the fold.

“With the generous support of new and existing donors,” Aikin adds, “we can fuel the drive in a lot more kids so they can achieve a lot more.”

About Fuel the Drive

Fuel the Drive, headquartered in Denver, CO, was founded by Terry and Michelle Aikin as a way of paying forward the tremendous support and inspiration they received as they were growing up. The organization provides access to golf and tennis programs to children from underserved communities, using sport as a platform to build self-confidence, leadership and skills that support lifelong success. To learn more, visit Fuel the Drive.

# # #

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The internet is killing sports

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Happy New Year! 2026 is finally here!

I have to say that on many levels, the year in politics felt like a nightmarish fever dream. Donald Trump deciding to illegally rename the Kennedy Center after himself is not the worst thing that any president has ever done — it’s not even close — but on a level of sheer batshit insanity, it’s off the charts.

In a halfway functioning political system, I don’t even know what would happen if a president did that — because it just wouldn’t happen! Members of the president’s party would not put up with pure Mad King behavior. It’s not consequential, of course, in the way that cutting tons of people off from Medicaid is consequential. But then he also started a little war with Venezuela and launched some kind of Christmas bombing campaign in Nigeria, while also being so committed to world peace that he’s decided to just take Vladimir Putin’s word for it on Russian war aims. Also, FIFA believes that the president is seven years old, so they made up a fake peace prize to bestow on him, and he proudly accepted it.

Something I worry about a lot is that as Trump wears his ridiculousness and egomania on his sleeve, he invites people to believe that he is shallow and easily manipulated when he’s actually been ruthlessly successful across multiple fields of endeavor.

JD Vance seems a lot more put-together in a lot of ways, but he was also placed on the ticket specifically because Trump was disappointed that Mike Pence wouldn’t violate the constitution to help him steal an election, and Trump apparently feels that Vance is more reliable in this regard.

I try to maintain an action-oriented posture rather than indulging in dooming and stress and anxiety. But we succeeded in getting non-politics questions this week, so I just wanted to open by assuring everyone that I actually feel pretty stressed about the political situation and will continue to feel stressed as long as Republicans remain odds-on favorites to hold the Senate.

Now, your questions.

John E: If you could take any older show and update it with AI to make it look better (graphics/CGI/etc.), but keep everything else the same, what would it be?

My initial thought was Babylon 5 or something like that, but curious if you have any ideas that jump out at you?

The original Star Trek. It’s not even so much that the visual effects look bad (I believe they actually made a version with upgraded CGI that was released on Blu-ray), it’s that the makeup and costume stuff for the aliens is so crude and absurd. The Klingons as guys with Trump’s spray tan and weird beards is hard to watch. The Gorn as depicted in “The Arena” is absurd.

Andy: I’ll repeat my question about what changes you’d make to the NFL in terms of structure, rules, etc.

If football isn’t your thing, then as an alternative, expand the question to your thoughts about the general state of pro sports, whether you think pro sports are in a good or bad place, and what changes you might make if you were Ultimate Overlord of pro sports.

The NFL seems like they’re doing great, objectively, and don’t really need my advice. The main question facing the league is how aggressively to expand and whether to try really ambitious strategies like setting up a four-team division in Europe. From my personal standpoint, it was really exciting to watch the Commanders on their run last year and really disheartening to see things turn to shit this year — and it’s especially disheartening because the trajectory matches the RGIII boom and bust so closely.

Beyond football, though, my main observation about sports is that they are all being buffeted by the internet and the ubiquity of content in interesting ways.

When I first moved to DC, I made a clear choice to adopt the Wizards as my favorite basketball team. The Knicks were bad at the time and the Wizards, while not great, were decent and fun in the Gilbert Arenas Era. But beyond that, I just really liked basketball. A very large share of the games that were available to watch on television were Wizards games, so I watched a lot of Wizards games, and it’s more fun to watch a game if you have a rooting interest in it, so it’s fun to adopt your hometown team. Now, if we’d somehow had a Wizards-Knicks Eastern Conference Finals, would my loyalties have reverted? Maybe, but it didn’t come up.

Flash forward to 2025 and the Wizards are awful, the Knicks are good, and it’s also incredibly easy to watch Knicks games on streaming. So I’m following the Knicks very closely, which is great. And my son is also watching some Knicks games with me these past two seasons, which is delightful and a ton of fun. But this is a pattern that I see repeating in a lot of local families — dads maintaining their hometown sports allegiances and passing them on to their sons because it’s so easy to watch out of town games.

And this delocalization seems like a bit of a threat to the long-term model of sports.

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Wheeling Elks Announce 2025-26 Scholarship Winners | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

WHEELING — Grace Tamburin and Owen Dobrzynski Hines, both seniors at Wheeling Park High School, have won the Wheeling Elks Scholarships for 2025-26.

Each will receive $1,000 from Wheeling Lodge No. 28, according to Elks Youth Activities Chairman Joe Marchlenski. Both are eligible for further state and national Elks’ scholarships.

“We believe it is important to recognize outstanding leadership and scholarship qualities in the youth of our area,” said Elks Exalted Ruler Ruby Haynes. “We are proud that more than $4 million in scholarships is awarded nationally by the Elks each year.”

Tamburin currently carries a GPA of 4.32. She is the captain and four-year member of both the girls’ volleyball and softball teams, and was recently named to the OVAC All-Star Volleyball team for West Virginia.

She is a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. In her spare time, she volunteers with A Night to Shine, assisting adults with special needs. She plans to attend Shepherd University in Shepherdstown.

Dobrzynski Hines currently carries a GPA of 4.1. He is a captain and four-year member of both the football and track and field teams.

He volunteers dozens of hours each year with multiple Ohio Valley agencies, and describes his most influential community service project as volunteering with the flood relief efforts following the devastating flooding that occurred in this area in June.

He is a member of the Drug Free Club of America, the Freshmen Mentor Program, and the National Honor Society. He plans to attend Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and major in social work and social services.

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Third annual Dignity Drive | News, Sports, Jobs

Published

4 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

News file photo Representatives from area schools and the Foster Closet are seen picking up hygiene items for youth that were collected during the 2nd Annual Dignity Drive in 2025.

Laurel Nowak invites the community to participate in the third annual Dignity Drive from Monday to March 6.

Donations can be dropped off at Star Staffing located in Alpena from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Dignity Drive asks community members to donate personal hygiene products for the youth in Northeast Michigan. Nowak said last year, the drive collected $10,000 worth of hygiene products which were provided to the School Success Program at Thunder Bay Jr. High School and Alpena High School. Products were also donated to the Foster Care Closet of Northern Michigan.

Nowak said that all partners were “grateful for the commitment of our community to children in need.”

“We were also able to provide a box to all of the area elementary schools,” she added.

“Personal hygiene is a basic human need,” Nowak said. “Many homeless and low-income children do not have the hygiene products they need for self-care. This causes many problems such as social rejection, illnesses and missed days of school.”

Items for both boys and girls are accepted, though Nowak asks community members to avoid donations of razors.

Below are a list of accepted donations:

— Feminine hygiene products

— Deodorant

— Body spray

— String bags or ditty bags

— Body or hand lotion

— Lip balm

— Soap

— Shampoo and conditioner

— Toothpaste

— Toothbrushes