SALT LAKE CITY — It appeared that nothing could erase the pure exuberance from the few dozen children as they ran out onto the new Utah Jazz-themed basketball court at the Northwest Recreation Center to secure a ball.

Soon after, the rambunctious bunch — clad in purple shirts — eagerly dribbled around the court before taking in some instructions during a Junior Jazz hoops clinic. It was a fun way to break in the new surface at the recreation center in Salt Lake City’s Fairpark neighborhood.

This is now the 26th “community court” that the Utah Jazz have sponsored across northern Utah, but the first of eight renovations planned through an initiative partnership with Delta Air Lines to refurbish eight courts over the next seven years, said Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy at Smith Entertainment Group.

“These community courts matter. They create access, remove barriers and give kids a safe, high-quality place to play, learn and grow through sports,” he said, adding that the project will ultimately improve the “landscape” of youth basketball in the region.

The newly designed court isn’t quite like the Delta Center, but the children took to it as if it were the next best thing. It features a purple baseline with Utah Jazz logos, topped with a J-Note similar to the home court at the Delta Center. A pair of Jazz-themed murals with the “mountain basketball” motif is plastered by the entrance of the gym, adding to the experience.

Jazz Bear made a special appearance to cap the NBA feel, blasting the crowd with confetti after cutting the ribbon to celebrate the new court.

The new design might help kids connect with the county-run recreation center and with their community, said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, who attended the ceremony. The county has partnered with the Junior Jazz program for decades, accounting for some of the 2 million youth who have participated since it was established in 1983, while over 50,000 volunteer coaches have come from the county since the program started.

In addition to helping finance the new court, Delta covered the costs for a few hundred Junior Jazz players, which helps families manage spending, she said.

“Basketball … builds identity, of who we are as individuals and what we’re capable of,” added Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, later pointing out the importance Junior Jazz had in her family after her father’s death.

“Our story is actually part of hundreds of thousands of stories, of families who would otherwise couldn’t have afforded or wouldn’t have known how to access a competitive team that cost a lot of money, and was hard to get onto,” she said.

From the frozen ponds and lakes to the packed indoor rinks serving as community hubs, hockey is uniquely celebrated and cherished in Minnesota like no other state in the country.

“It’s something that we play all year round both in the city community organization, but then all the way through AAA hockey as well,” said hockey dad Jimmy Mullen.

Kids often learn to skate not long after learning to walk, fueling a potential passion for the winter sport. 

“My youngest is in mites and my oldest is a squirt,” said hockey mom Kristina Hill of Andover. 

Hockey is the sport Hill grew up in, something many Minnesotans can relate. 

“It’s just kind of woven into the fabric,” said Jeremy Reed, executive director of Minnesota Hockey, the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in the state.

How many kids in Minnesota play hockey? Reed said the latest numbers show 54,921 as of Dec. 17, 2025. The numbers he shared for this year include adults ages 19 and up, of which there are about 8,000. 

For the previous 2024-2025 season, Minnesota Hockey had 50,597 participants ages 18 and under playing for local associations and recreation leagues. 

That’s most of any state in the country by a longshot. Massachusetts comes in second at around 40,120 kids ages 18 and under. New York was third with 36,180, followed by Michigan with 24,391. In Wisconsin, there were 17,986 kids last season.

What’s led to such high participation in Minnesota? 

“Part of that is because the way hockey is delivered in the communities with the community support and the support for the rinks and the public-owned rinks,” said Reed.

There are over 230 indoor ice rinks in Minnesota, according to Rinkside Advertising Network. Come winter, hundreds more form outdoors so long as Mother Nature allows.

“We live just two minutes from our rink, and we’ve got a handful of outdoor rinks in Andover,” said Hill.

“We get a chance to skate with people from Florida, people that come up from Chicago. They always tell us real quick about how close the rinks are [in Minnesota],” said Mullen.

What’s the time commitment parents new to hockey can expect?

“It’s a lot, it’s definitely a labor of love getting the kid to the rink early on the weekends,” said Hill.

“We skate, you know, probably two hours a day at some points, during the weekends we’re twice a day,” said Mullen, admitting his family is on the high side of the spectrum in terms of time commitment.

Reed said how much time a family spends going to rinks for practice and games will depend on the level of competition they’re seeking. The state’s rec league program, which has just one night of practice and one day of games per week, offers an easy entry for families new to the competitive side of the sport.

“The nice part is it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. You can certainly tailor it to how you want,” said Mullen.

More than 14,000 girls under 18 played local association hockey in Minnesota last year. That ranked number one in the nation.

Minnesota Hockey created a guide for parents new to the sport on what to expect, including budgeting. Click here to learn more.

GREENVILLE — Funeral services for John Wesley Brewer, Sr., 95, of Greenville, who passed Saturday, Jan. 3, at Bolivar Medical Center, Cleveland, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Greenville. The family will receive friends from 9 a.m. until the start of the service.

Rev. Chris Vowell will be officiating. Serving as pallbearers are Bogan Anderson Brewer, James Burland Young III, John Brewer Young, Jeffrey Blair Young, Jarrod Brock Young, and Daniel Thomas Morgan and serving as honorary pallbearers are John Austin Brewer and Lee Ellis Brewer, Jr.

A graveside service will be held at 3 p.m. at Stonefield Church of God Cemetery in Cascilla.

John Wesley, as he was known, was born to the late Rev. Luther Harrison and Allie Beatrice Scallion Brewer in Cascilla Dec. 5, 1930. He was raised in a loving and faith-filled home and made his profession of faith in Christ as a boy. John Wesley was educated in the Drew public schools and later at Mississippi Delta Junior College and Delta State University.

He served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Rendova (CVE-114) during the Korean War and later during Operation Ivy before being honorably discharged for his service. He was a 32nd Degree Master Mason and a proud member of the American Legion and the VFW. He has a long service record to Washington County with participation in the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Exchange Club, and the Salvation Army. He dearly loved youth sports in the Delta where he coached YMCA football and officiated high school football for 21 years.

John Wesley was a business man who started his career at D. Canale & Co. out of Memphis, and later operated Delta Electronics. He was materials manager for Cleaver Brooks Boiler Manufacturing before buying Dixie Fire Equipment Co. In 1995, he co-founded Advanced Welding and Industrial Supply with his son before retiring in 2022.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Frances Lucille Jefcoat Brewer; four brothers, Davis Brewer, Oliver Brewer, Lee Ellis Brewer, and L.H. Brewer, Jr.; and three sisters, Velma Brewer Goss, Rebecca Jo Brewer Cooksey and Betty Sue Brewer Willard; and his son-in-law, Ben Sayle.

He is survived by three children, Jeffrey Sayle of Greenville, John (Terri) Brewer, Jr. of Greenville, and Susan (Jimmy) Young of Cascilla; as well as six siblings, Thelma Staton, Herbert (Margaret) Brewer, Faye Ridgeway, Jim Brewer, Sharon (Richard) Brown, and Bobby (Carol) Brewer; ten grandchildren, Kelly (Dan) Morgan, Liz Sayle, Allie Sayle, John Austin Brewer, Bogan Brewer, Kaylynn Brewer, Burland Young, Brewer Young, Blair Young, and Brock Young; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.

Donations in his memory can be made to Navy Safe Harbor Foundation and Sacred Space of Greenville.

Register online and express condolences at www.mortimerfh.com

Seeger Youth Basketball is offered to any student in kindergarten to second grade currently attending Williamsport, Warren Central, and Pine Village Elementary Schools.

According to information provided, each grade will have it’s own co-ed teams, and it will allow every player to get a chance to learn the game! We will emphasize skill development, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. This league will be held on each Sunday in February at the PAC Feb. 1 to Feb. 22. Thirty minutes of practice followed by a 30 minute game will be included. Registration cost is $30 per child helps cover the cost of their jersey and supplies. $15 per child covers participation fee (if you decide to use their jersey from last year) Cash or check labeled and sent in to your school office will be accpeted. There are volunteer options if payment is a concern so organizers say don’t let that stop you from signing up.

Please Click the Google Form for more info and to register a player at https://forms.gle/2aPBgXpgAsXvM1fbA

Follow the Facebook Group Seeger K-2 Basketball for more information. Any questions please contact Bobbie Schmid (765)585-3574 or reach out on the Facebook page.

The Fredonia Recreation Department is hosting its annual Youth Basketball Program for any student(s) who live in the Fredonia Central School District.

The program runs each Saturday from noon-2 p.m. and is free of charge.

This year the program begins Saturday, Jan. 10 and concludes on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Participants do not need to be present each week to be part of the program. Grades 1-4 will take place at Wheelock Elementary School and grades 5-8 will be at the high school gym.

Instruction and games this year will be provided by the Fredonia High School basketball coaching staff and players.

A Maple Grove woman is accused of stealing more than $110,000 from the Plymouth Wayzata Youth Softball Association while she served as treasurer, according to a recently filed criminal complaint.

Kristin Williams, 52, is charged with one count of felony theft by swindle.

If convicted, the crime is punishable of up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The Plymouth Wayzata Youth Softball Association is led by parent volunteers and funds youth softball operations. That includes paying for umpires, equipment and tournaments. 

According to the criminal complaint:

Williams served as treasurer from June 2020 to February 2025.

The complaint noted that Williams was the sole individual who had access to the association’s online bank account, and also possessed a debit card linked to that account.

There was evidence of theft two months after Williams assumed the role, the complaint said.

Suspicions were raised in September 2024 when the association received notice from the Internal Revenue Service that the nonprofit had lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file taxes for three years. Issues also arose with vendors and coaches not receiving payments.

A review of account statements by the board’s president discovered numerous withdrawals at casinos such as Mystic Lake Casino and Little Six Casino. Further review also determined that Williams had not been truthful in accounting reports presented to the board.

“It appeared that defendant concealed her thefts by fraudulently reducing deposit accounts or hiding the stolen money within other payment classifications such as ‘clinic expenses’ or ‘equipment’ in the reports,” the complaint said.

Williams is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Jan. 21.

Maple Grove | Plymouth