Rec Sports

Annapolis can be a lousy place to play. The next mayor needs to fix it.

No one schools you like a seventh grader. Three spoke to the Annapolis City Council on Monday, testifying to an uncomfortable truth: The affluent capital of Maryland can be a horrible place to play. “The fields in Annapolis are either a dust field, mud pit or uneven ground instead of well-kept Bermuda fields,” said Nola […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

Your Sports Nation

No one schools you like a seventh grader.

Three spoke to the Annapolis City Council on Monday, testifying to an uncomfortable truth: The affluent capital of Maryland can be a horrible place to play.

“The fields in Annapolis are either a dust field, mud pit or uneven ground instead of well-kept Bermuda fields,” said Nola McCamley, a student at Bates Middle School. “I am worried I will get injured twisting an ankle or tear my ACL because of the fields.”

It‘s been like this since my kids started playing team sports 20 years ago. There are nice parks in Annapolis, and if you can access the water, the Chesapeake Bay is your playground.

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But the sorry state of the large rectangular fields needed for soccer, lacrosse and other sports is driving kids away, and the relationship between the city and its 17 nonprofit rec leagues is, to put it mildly, adversarial.

Annapolis will select a new mayor and at least three new City Council members in November. Over the next six months, I’ll explore problems they’ll face, both leftovers from Mayor Gavin Buckley’s eight years in office and new challenges.

Two Democrats want to be mayor: Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles and former Alderman Jared Littmann. The filing deadline is in July, but no Republican or independent has announced a run yet.

Voters should ask candidates about their vision for recreation. It’s not just about play time.

Volunteers who run these programs believe youth athletics have the power to address some of the inequality and violence that mar Annapolis as a place to live.

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“Most of us speaking tonight have kids on our teams who have been touched in the last six months by gun violence in our city, at the Boys and Girls Club turf field, at the bus stop on Clay Street and most recently, the murder in Robinwood,” said Emily Tomasini, a coach and board member at the nonprofit advocacy group PlayAnnapolis.

“I’ve been touched by it.”

The fields at Germantown Elementary are an expanse of weeds and dirt. (Neilye Garrity/PlayAnnapolis)

The next mayor and council will inherit a department with a $1.7 million budget and roughly 250 full- and part-time employees. Roslyn Johnson leads it. Hired two years ago, she sees the criticism organized by PlayAnnapolis on Monday as misinformed.

“They told their own narrative last night,” she said, “not a truthful narrative.”

PlayAnnapolis surveyed 300 families and found that many consider field quality and services inferior in the city. They blame Johnson.

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“The Annapolis Parks and Recreation Department clearly doesn’t know how to do it,” said Neilye Garrity, the group’s executive director. “And they blame overuse.“

This is a hyperlocal issue, the kind that seldom makes news.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools owns the big multipurpose fields in the city and considers them educational assets. It partners with others for their use where it can.

Annapolis manages the ones at Bates Middle, the Phoenix Academy and Germantown Elementary schools. The county maintains one at Annapolis Middle — inches across the city line — and smaller ones at elementary schools.

Truxtun Park, the city’s largest park, has two lighted baseball-softball diamonds and basketball courts. None of the city’s rectangular fields are lighted, and just one is all-weather turf, the Boys & Girls Club.

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The county is renovating PAL Park, also outside the city. It has lighted diamonds and a small, rectangular grass field. Quiet Waters Park nearby has no ballfields.

Thousands of kids in the city and county vie for field space in the Annapolis area. It is allocated through the county reservation system, joined by the city last year.

It gives teams first dibs on fields closest to players’ homes. But demand is so great that games and practices spread to Crownsville, Broadneck and farther afield. Teams outside the city, facing similar pressure, and adult leagues land in Annapolis, too.

This year, a new middle school sports program complicated the formula, with rec teams losing an hour of afternoon practice.

Field conditions at Bates Middle School, used by thousands of youth rec league players, are poor. City officials cite overuse as the cause, but PlayAnnapolis says it's poor management. — Field conditions at Bates Middle School, used by thousands of youth rec league players, are poor. City officials cite overuse as the cause, but PlayAnnapolis says it’s poor management. (Neilye Garrity/PlayAnnapolis)

In 2023, PlayAnnapolis asked the county for help. The city offers fewer rec programs in fewer places than the county, a comparison Johnson says is unfair because of the relative size of each government.

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“Meanwhile, we don’t even have [school] aftercare,” said Garrity, who’s also Littmann’s campaign manager. “We have dormant community centers. At the core, we’re missing fundamental operational things.”

Some of the details are maddening.

The state paid for upgrades at Bates, but the school system installed a grass field instead of more durable turf, citing cost and environmental concerns. The worn dirt space is closed for reseeding.

Weems Whalen Field, built by the city atop an ash heap, has been closed for 12 years because of contamination concerns.

Orioles great Cal Ripken donated the city’s only all-weather field to the Boys & Girls Club. When the club halted its sports program, it became the middleman for reservations.

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Problems created over decades will take time to fix, but some upgrades are in the works.

County schools and rec and parks will add lights to the Annapolis Middle field this fall, a $1 million project. Opening Weems Whalen will cost more and take years to remedy.

George Garrett, commissioner of PAL Football, talks about his program at the PlayAnnapolis sports fair in April at the Boys & Girls Club all-weather turf field. (Maurice Taylor & Deonte Ward/Moements Media)

Buckley hasn’t ignored recreation and parks.

He’s laid the groundwork for new bike trails, expanded pickleball, upgraded the skatepark at Truxtun and improved trails at Waterworks Park. Two waterfront parks are being developed, neither with playing fields.

This year, he proposed a basketball court and e-gaming center at Stanton Center, serving neighborhoods plagued by drugs and gun violence.

“This will be a game changer for that community,” Johnson said.

PlayAnnapolis offers scholarships for kids whose families can’t afford team sports or get to the fields. Families who can are leaving for greener fields — taking their money with them.

It’s the kind of small-town blues the next mayor could easily ignore. But no matter who wins in November, he or she will face hard feelings on both sides.

“I don‘t understand,” said Tim DeWitt, who manages field access for the Annapolis Soccer Club. “I am fighting with them over everything.”

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Rec Sports

Barcelona youth product nears free transfer move to Ajax

According to a recent update from Voetbal International, Barcelona’s promising young midfielder Eloi Gomez is set to leave the club, with Dutch giants Ajax showing serious interest in signing him once his contract expires. Barcelona have been hard at work not just on the senior team but also on developing and restructuring their youth teams. […]

Published

19 minutes ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Barcelona have been hard at work not just on the senior team but also on developing and restructuring their youth teams.

As part of that effort, the club has renewed several contracts of young talents who are seen as having a future at the club.

However, Eloi Gomez appears to be an exception. The outlet mentions that the young midfielder is expected to move on after hinting on social media that his time at La Masia is coming to a close.

Ajax want to replace Real Madrid-bound youngster

Reports from the Netherlands claim that Ajax are eager to bring Eloi into their youth system, particularly in the wake of Abdellah Ouazane’s move to Real Madrid.

The Amsterdam-based club has been tracking his development for some time and are now looking to finalise a deal that would see him continue his footballing education in the Eredivisie.

Born in 2009, Gomez joined Barcelona in 2017 from Gimnastic Manresa and has steadily climbed the ranks within the club’s youth academy.

Known for his intelligence on the ball and maturity beyond his years, he has also represented Spain at the U-16 level, taking part in two friendly matches with the national youth team.

If the move to Ajax goes through, it would mark a significant step in Eloi Gomez’s young career. Ajax, renowned for their strong youth development, could provide him with the perfect platform to grow further and eventually break into top-level football.

For Barcelona, though, it would be yet another reminder of how difficult it can be to retain all of their top prospects in a highly competitive European market.

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Rec Sports

Eagles’ Vic Fangio Speaks Out on Youth Movement

Eagles’ Vic Fangio Speaks Out on Youth Movement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been a part of many top defenses over his 40-year career as a coach in the NFL. Advertisement From coaching All-Pros like Khalil Mack and Von Miller to building up expansion team rosters in Carolina, […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Eagles’ Vic Fangio Speaks Out on Youth Movement originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has been a part of many top defenses over his 40-year career as a coach in the NFL.

From coaching All-Pros like Khalil Mack and Von Miller to building up expansion team rosters in Carolina, Fangio has been a key role player in NFL circles. Now as the Eagles Super Bowl-winning play-caller, his role has emphasized an important part of what makes him so special.

Teaching.

Philadelphia has one of the youngest defenses in the league going into the 2025 season. They were younger dating back to last season when Fangio had them as the top unit in the sport, but after saying goodbye to multiple aging veterans, Philadelphia’s youth movement has been reemphasized this offseason.

And that is perfectly fine for Fangio.

“I look at this year very similar to last year,” Fangio said at a press conference on Tuesday. “In that this time last year, you know, we had a lot of turnover in personnel from the previous year… We had a lot of question marks at that time.

“I look at it like it’s basically the same one year to the next. The names have changed; hopefully we’ll get the same results from these new guys like we got from a lot of the new guys last year.”

Philadelphia’s youth movement worked to perfection last season. Many of their young stars are now considered important pieces to their hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champions.

It’s hard to envision seeing the team’s youth movement working again this season at that same level.

But ….

If there’s a coaching staff that can get it done, though, it’s definitely Fangio’s group.

Related: Eagles Running Game Plan Takes New Shape In Roster Move

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Rec Sports

Atlanta Hawks debut Jr. Hawks Summer Shooting Clinic

The Atlanta Hawks debuted their Jr. Hawks Summer Shooting Clinic on June 4 (Photo provided by Atlanta Hawks). The Atlanta Hawks debuted their Jr. Hawks Summer Shooting Clinic on June 4 at Norcross High School. Throughout the evening, young basketball players developed their shooting skills, listened to advice from NBA alumni, and enjoyed basketball fun. […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Atlanta Hawks debuted their Jr. Hawks Summer Shooting Clinic on June 4 (Photo provided by Atlanta Hawks).

The Atlanta Hawks debuted their Jr. Hawks Summer Shooting Clinic on June 4 at Norcross High School. Throughout the evening, young basketball players developed their shooting skills, listened to advice from NBA alumni, and enjoyed basketball fun.

“We want to teach these kids the very basic fundamentals of basketball, make them become better shooters, and put them on the right path to success,” Jon Babul, vice president of Community Impact and Basketball Programs for the Hawks, said.

This new clinic series was designed for kids aged 8 to 15 of any skill level, and aims to teach them how to shoot efficiently and effectively with instruction from Atlanta Hawks Youth Basketball Development Coaches.

“This is the first time we’ve done evening programming during the summer, and all five of our clinics are already sold out,” Babul said. “The Hawks are engaging almost 600 new children through this program, and that’s incredibly impactful.”

The two hour sessions includes live play, but is more focused on fundamentals related to shooting and skill building. According to Babul, the program was created to meet a growing demand for more accessible and focused basketball training programs for Atlanta youth.

“The landscape of youth basketball is focused on competitive play, which is great, but there’s limited opportunity for kids to learn the fundamentals and actually get some drills and skills to take home and work on,” Babul said. “We wanted to do clinics that had two hours focused specifically on shooting fundamentals.”

During the June 4 session, the participants were split up into four groups that rotated through different shooting stations. The coaches gave personalized feedback to each kid, built up their confidence, and celebrated their achievements.

Another unique aspect of this program is that each one will feature notable Atlanta Hawks alumni. These players serve as role models to the kids and can give invaluable advice on what it takes to make it to the NBA.

For this first clinic, former Hawks guard Sedric Toney made an appearance and spoke to the kids, hoping to inspire the next generation of basketball players.

“Someone helped me when I was growing up and I hope to return the favor,” Toney said. “Maybe one of these kids will listen to my advice and run with [it], and we may watch them in the NBA one day.”

Each child that attends this program leaves with an Atlanta Hawks swag bag and access to a virtual training platform for continued practice at home.

“We hope every child leaves as a better shooter and becomes more confident in their game,” Babul. “That’s what this program is really about.”

The Norcross clinic was the first of five metro Atlanta locations set for this program. The remaining clinics will take place in Decatur, College Park, Austell, and Atlanta.

More information about youth programming offered by the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Academy can be found here.

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Rec Sports

Indy Bowl hosts annual youth football clinic in Shreveport | Sports

SHREVEPORT, La. — The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is always focused on making an impact in the community. One aspect of that is their annual youth football clinic. Saturday morning was the 14th edition of the free clinic, which is held for up to 400 children ages five through 13. Campers receive instruction from regional […]

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SHREVEPORT, La. — The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is always focused on making an impact in the community.

One aspect of that is their annual youth football clinic.

Saturday morning was the 14th edition of the free clinic, which is held for up to 400 children ages five through 13.

Campers receive instruction from regional college football coaches and players, which included several Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Indy Bowl Director of Communications Erik Evenson spoke about the clinic and what they wanted to get accomplished.

“It means a lot. You know, this is really cool… This is the 14th year and we just keep on coming back because it’s a great event, great event for the kids. We’re hoping that they get something today that they can use in their football seasons coming up and just have a good time and create some good memories,” Evenson said.

Louisiana Tech players Roy Brackins III, Zion Nason, James Predtechenskis and Jay Wilkerson were instructors for the clinic.

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D-backs’ rapidly growing RBI program aims to boost youth sports participation in Arizona | Local Sports News

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3 hours ago

June 8, 2025

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Trio of Nebraska running backs host youth football camp in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The younger generation in Lincoln got a chance to learn from some of Nebraska’s best Saturday morning. NFL veteran and former Husker Ameer Abdullah put on his second-annual youth football camp at the Lincoln Sports Foundation Complex. Former Green Bay Packer and Nebraska Cornhusker, Ahman Green, and Sophomore running back Emmett […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The younger generation in Lincoln got a chance to learn from some of Nebraska’s best Saturday morning.

NFL veteran and former Husker Ameer Abdullah put on his second-annual youth football camp at the Lincoln Sports Foundation Complex.

Former Green Bay Packer and Nebraska Cornhusker, Ahman Green, and Sophomore running back Emmett Johnson also made an appearance at the camp.

Both boys and girls aged K-8 honed their skills with some of the best running backs to ever play at Nebraska.

Abdullah said it’s all about passing along the culture of Nebraska football and using his experience as a running back to teach the kids some valuable life lessons.

“Specifically, we wanted to hone in on running back skills,” said Abdullah. “As a football player, no matter what position you play, once you get that ball in your hands, you’re a running back. Teaching the kids some fundamentals can take them a long way, as well as discipline, teamwork, and accountability.”

Nebraska Sophomore Emmett Johnson was also there taking part in coaching some of the drills.

He said it’s been exciting getting to learn from some Husker legends, as well as passing down those same methods to a younger generation that looks up to him.

“I grew up being a kid just like them,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to make sure I leave my mark here in the community. Not just on the football field. I just want to be a great person to those people and to be accessible, and giving people what they want.”

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