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Alessia Russo explains why she's ditched social media

Russo reflects on the mental toll of online abuse as she prepares for Euros campaign Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Alessia Russo has revealed she no longer uses social media during major tournaments after admitting she was previously “sucked into” reading abusive comments that affected her focus and wellbeing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Arsenal and […]

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Alessia Russo explains why she's ditched social media

Russo reflects on the mental toll of online abuse as she prepares for Euros campaign

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 26: Alessia Russo of Arsenal celebrates after scoring a goal which was later disallowed for offside during the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Finals Second Leg match between Arsenal FC and Real Madrid CF at Emirates Stadium on March 26, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Alessia Russo has revealed she no longer uses social media during major tournaments after admitting she was previously “sucked into” reading abusive comments that affected her focus and wellbeing.

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The Arsenal and England striker, who is preparing for next month’s UEFA Women’s European Championship in Switzerland, spoke candidly about the psychological cost of exposure to online criticism, calling it “really damaging” and urging fellow athletes to protect themselves from it.

“I think every player might have a different story about that side of the game, but it’s definitely one that can be really damaging,” Russo said. “I have faced it in the past and I think most players here have. When I was younger I probably got sucked into it more. I read it more than I should have and listened to it more than I should have. The only opinions that matter are my team-mates, my coaches and my family.”

Russo continued: “I think you have to remember that they are the people you need to lean on in tough times. As I’ve got older, I understand more what works for me. In my first Euros I was on social media and I would have a look, have a scroll, and I got caught in a trap sometimes.

DECINES-CHARPIEU, FRANCE - APRIL 27: Alessia Russo of Arsenal scores her team's third goal past Christiane Endler of Olympique Lyonnais during the UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal second leg match between Olympique Lyonnais and Arsenal WFC at OL Stadium on April 27, 2025 in Decines-Charpieu, France. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

“Going into the World Cup, I completely came off everything and I had people to run my Instagram. I just focused on the tournament. Staying away from it and staying focused as a team is what works for me.”

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Her comments came a day after Katie Boulter, Britain’s top-ranked female tennis player, revealed she and her family had received death threats following tournament defeats. Russo said she could “empathise completely” with that experience, stressing the need for athletes to prioritise their mental health.

The 26-year-old heads into the summer in arguably the best form of her career, having played a decisive role in Arsenal’s UEFA Women’s Champions League triumph. She scored seven goals in 11 matches in the competition, alongside 12 goals in the Women’s Super League.

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McCuskey urges NCAA to restore female athletes' records wrongfully erased by biological males

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WDTV) – Attorney General JB McCuskey has joined a letter urging the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) to restore female athletes’ records that he says were wrongfully erased by male competitors. McCuskey joins 20 other Attorney Generals in supporting the letter led by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. In the letter, the Coalition […]

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McCuskey urges NCAA to restore female athletes' records wrongfully erased by biological males

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WDTV) – Attorney General JB McCuskey has joined a letter urging the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) to restore female athletes’ records that he says were wrongfully erased by male competitors.

McCuskey joins 20 other Attorney Generals in supporting the letter led by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch.

In the letter, the Coalition urges the NCAA to restore to female athletes the records, titles, awards and recognitions that they rightfully deserve.

The Attorney General claims these accolades were denied because of policies that allow biological males to compete in female categories.

“Biological men should have never been allowed to compete against biological women in the first place,” Attorney General McCuskey said. “But thankfully, we are starting to see the country and our policies turn back to a place where women’s rights matter. Restoring these records to these women is the least schools can do to return what was stolen from them. This is the right thing to do.”

The announcement Tuesday is in line with McCuskey’s ongoing focus on women’s sports and transgender athletes.

McCuskey and the Coalition go on to say, “The NCAA should take this step for former athletes to preserve the integrity of Title IX and show your support for women harmed by years of bad policy.”

West Virginia has passed the ‘Save Women’s Sports Act,’ which provides that girls’ sports teams based on “competitive skill” should not be open to biological males.

Just last month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case against a transgender athlete from Bridgeport High School.

The case involves a challenge to the West Virginia’s ‘Save Women’s Sports Act,’ which McCuskey says protects biological female athletes by keeping sports competitive and safe for women and girls.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear that case during its October 2025 term.

If you would like to read the Coalition’s letter, you can find it here.

Prior coverage:

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Maryland Athletics Increases Support, Keeps Sights Set Toward Future Opportunities

Story Links Maryland Athletics raised more than $33 million through the Terrapin Club in the 2024-25 fiscal year, its highest mark since 2021-22. That figure includes more than $18 million in cash, the highest mark in recent history and a key metric as college athletics heads into the new revenue-share era.  More than 8,900 donors […]

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Maryland Athletics Increases Support, Keeps Sights Set Toward Future Opportunities

Maryland Athletics raised more than $33 million through the Terrapin Club in the 2024-25 fiscal year, its highest mark since 2021-22. That figure includes more than $18 million in cash, the highest mark in recent history and a key metric as college athletics heads into the new revenue-share era. 

More than 8,900 donors invested in Maryland Athletics through the Terrapin Club this year, the most since 2011, and a 26% increase from the previous year, the highest single-year jump in the past 25 years. This number also represents the fourth consecutive year of growth in this area. 

“These results are not only a testament to our community and their dedication to Maryland Athletics, but they also illustrate the collective impact Terps supporters can have on student-athletes, programs and the department,” said Kirby Mills, Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Development Officer. “However, this is only the start of our work. This coming year, and in years to come, we have lofty aspirations that can only be accomplished together.”

Areas of focus for the 2025-26 year and beyond include increasing unrestricted support that can provide flexibility toward revenue-share expenses and additional scholarships for student-athletes, continuing to upgrade facilities through Maryland Athletics’ Building Champions campaign, cultivating the future of Maryland Athletics support through the launch of a “next generation” program and growth of the Student Terrapin Club, building endowment support across all areas of the enterprise, including student-athlete scholarships, coaching positions and sport programs, and fostering a culture of volunteerism and advocacy across the University of Maryland community.

The Victory Circle, Maryland Athletics’ leadership giving society for those who invest $50,000 or more, added or renewed 61 members this year, the most since the society was formed in 2019 and a 27% year-over-year increase from last year. This year’s efforts pushed the total Victory Circle membership to more than 230. 

Nearly 30 endowments were established this year to fund student-athlete scholarships across numerous sports and provide consistent support for our student-athlete priorities, including mental health resources and international travel opportunities. 
A group of Maryland Football letterwinners who played during the Jerry Claiborne Era of 1972-81, led by Jonathan Claiborne, Kyle Lorton and Bob Schwartz, raised $300,000 to fund a football scholarship in memory of Coach Claiborne. 

The Building Champions campaign, a comprehensive effort to provide Maryland Athletics top-notch facilities across all its sports, reached a number of milestones this year, including the opening of the Stanley Bobb Baseball Performance Center and the Maryland Softball Performance Center. Progress continues on the Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center, which is slated to open before the start of the 2025-26 men’s and women’s basketball seasons. 

The community once again stepped up on Giving Day as nearly 700 individuals gave more than $600,000 toward supporting Maryland Athletics, which finished in the top three in total dollars and top four in total donors among all campus units in a record-breaking year for the annual campus-wide campaign. 

All gifts to Maryland Athletics through the University of Maryland College Park Foundation count toward Terrapin Club giving level and accrue Terpoints, including the recently introduced per seat model for football and men’s basketball season tickets. Click here to make a gift to Maryland Athletics through the Terrapin Club or go to umterps.com to learn more about how philanthropy can make a difference for Maryland’s 500-plus student-athletes and 20 varsity programs.

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Founder of group focused on men's mental health applauds Florida bill expanding access to …

NEWS On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is. Senate Bill 1620, which puts several key recommendations from a state behavioral health commission into action, […]

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Founder of group focused on men's mental health applauds Florida bill expanding access to ...

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On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is. Senate Bill 1620, which puts several key recommendations from a state behavioral health commission into action, sets stricter guidelines for treatment plans and increases access to mental health and substance use resources.

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Joliet West alum's basketball clinic focuses on mental health as well as physical performance

A college student running his own nonprofit is hosting his second basketball clinic this year in August. Justus League Hoop Inc. will tentatively host the Back-to-School Basketball Classic from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 10. The location has yet to be determined. Justus McNair, 19, founder of the nonprofit, will run the clinic. McNair is […]

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Joliet West alum's basketball clinic focuses on mental health as well as physical performance

A college student running his own nonprofit is hosting his second basketball clinic this year in August.

Justus League Hoop Inc. will tentatively host the Back-to-School Basketball Classic from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 10. The location has yet to be determined.

Justus McNair, 19, founder of the nonprofit, will run the clinic.

McNair is a Joliet West High School alumnus and a soon-to-be sophomore at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

He also plays basketball for Roger Powell, head coach of Valparaiso’s men’s basketball team, who attended Joliet Central High School.

The clinic will include giveaways of school supplies, and mental health professionals will be on-site to talk to parents about student-athlete mental health, said Andrea McNair, Justus’ mother.

Justus said his parents, Wayne and Andrea, came up with the idea for the nonprofit in December.

“They made it happen,” Justus said. “I was always thinking of ways to help kids in my area and didn’t know what to do.”

Justus said his parents suggested the basketball clinic, and he suggested the mental health component.

“There’s pressure to become great and play to the highest level,” Justus said. “I’ve been through it, and it can be very hectic.”

Justus said that after he broke his leg freshman year in high school, he felt depressed about not playing and wondered how well his leg might heal.

He wants athletes to reach out when they get stressed and “go into that deep hole,” he said.

Justus said kids need someone “to be in your corner” in order to play stress-free sports, and he wants to help them with their mental health so they can “achieve their dreams.”

“Being from Joliet, it’s somewhat hard to make it out,” Justus said. “And some do take the long routes – gangs, street violence. I just want to help youth stay on the right path.”

For Justus, that right path was basketball. His previous clinic on April 27 attracted 40 youth and children through middle school. He plans to host several a year.

He said his ultimate goal is to open facilities across the U.S. that are part mental health center and part recreational center.

“Kids could come to my gym for free and have it be like safe space for them – and a mental health center as well,” Justus said.

All three of Andrea’s children have played sports, and she said parents sometimes force their athletic expectations onto their children without considering their mental health.

That’s why a mental health specialist talks to parents at the clinic, she said.

“We want them to be the best. We want them to win. We want them to shine. We don’t want them to make mistakes,” Andrea said. “In doing that, we’re not intentional in making sure our children’s mental health is great.”

The purpose of Justus League Hoop Inc. is to empower student-athletes by developing their basketball skills, nurturing their mental wellness and preparing them for success in higher education.

“I just want the community to know we are here to support families and athletes,” Andrea said.

The deadline to donate book bags, pencils and pens, notebooks, colored pencils, index cards and sticky notes is July 25.

To donate and to register for the clinic, call Andrea McNair at 815-272-3736.

For more information, visit Justus League Hoop Inc. on Facebook.

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Founder of peer group focused on men's mental health applauds Florida bill expanding …

FLORIDA – On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is. RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs bills addressing mental health, substance abuse Recommended Videos Senate Bill 1620, […]

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Founder of peer group focused on men's mental health applauds Florida bill expanding ...

FLORIDA – On June 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills aiming to promote mental health and addiction recovery, and one Jacksonville man is applauding the legislation, saying he’s happy that Florida is realizing how important the issue is.

RELATED: Gov. DeSantis signs bills addressing mental health, substance abuse

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Senate Bill 1620, which puts several key recommendations from a state behavioral health commission into action, sets stricter guidelines for treatment plans and increases access to mental health and substance use resources.

For David Sallette, sobriety has been a hard-fought journey.

“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Sallette, who has been sober for four years. “I’ll never drink again, just because of the health factors and how much better my body feels. I get up in the morning and I’m ready to just kill the day.”

Sallette, a father and recovering alcoholic, founded Sober Dadz, a peer support group built on accountability and open conversation.

He said he hopes the new legislation will make it easier for others to access meaningful support, especially men struggling in silence.

“Honestly, mental health — especially for men — is something that often gets overlooked,” Sallette said. “Men don’t talk as much. They don’t have as many outlets because it can make you look weak. So those issues just build up, and eventually, they explode. That’s just how it happens.”

The new law comes with significant state funding, with more than $123.9 million going toward behavioral health services, including forensic bed capacity and operations at state-run mental health facilities.

Another $194.8 million from the national opioid settlement will fund training for addiction specialists, support prevention programs, and expand the Florida Office of Opioid Recovery, while an additional $31.8 million is earmarked for expanding the state’s Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network — a program that has already helped thousands of Floridians struggling with addiction.

“I’m just glad that Florida’s starting to realize how important it is,” Sallette said.

Now four years sober, Sallette hopes the new law gives more people the tools and support they need to begin their recovery journey.

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Sanford holding walk

WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) – Sanford Health is holding walk-in physicals for Williston area athletes later this season. These physicals are required yearly for all middle and high school athletes. The first clinic is on Tuesday July 29 at Williston High School from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Female fall athletes are scheduled from 9 a.m.-10:30. Male fall […]

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Sanford holding walk

WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) – Sanford Health is holding walk-in physicals for Williston area athletes later this season.

These physicals are required yearly for all middle and high school athletes.

The first clinic is on Tuesday July 29 at Williston High School from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Female fall athletes are scheduled from 9 a.m.-10:30.

Male fall athletes are scheduled from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Winter and spring athletes are from noon-2 p.m.

Another clinic is scheduled for August 5 from noon-2 p.m.

Doctor Jolynn Azure says physicals help make sure students are prepared and ready to go for the season.

“We want to know heart, lung, and muscle health and get them optimized so they can succeed through their athletic journey this year,” said Azure.

This is the second time Sanford is conducting this clinic in Williston.

It costs 35 dollars per person.

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