Kidokinetics SW Cleveland aims to help children discover a love for physical activity while building important skills.

The program, co-owned by Marilyn Roller and her daughter Addison, introduces children ages 2 to 10 to more than 15 different sports through structured sessions held at recreation centers, early learning facilities and after-school programs across Lorain and Cuyahoga counties.

“We’re an active family and we wanted to create something that lets kids try new things while building skills and having fun,” Roller said.

Classes are offered in four-week sessions.

Each session begins with circle time warm-ups, incorporating stretches, yoga moves and themed activities to get children moving, she said.

“We put a lot of thought into our lesson planning,” Roller said. “We work on speed, agility, physical literacy and even things like hopping with two feet, which a lot of kids can’t do at first.”

Obstacle courses with hurdles, ladders and balance stones are a regular feature, helping participants develop coordination and gross motor skills.

The day’s sport then becomes the focus, Roller said.

In soccer, children practice weaving through cones or aiming at small goals.

Other sports include tennis, football and T-ball, with activities designed to teach core skills while keeping children engaged.

“We tell them they’re all superstars,” Roller said. “It allows them to feel really good about themselves without any pressure.”

Roller said the idea for the program grew from her own experience as a parent.

She said many young athletes are introduced to competitive environments too early, sometimes at just five years of age.

Kidokinetics offers an alternative by allowing children to try multiple sports before committing to one.

“Sometimes, a child will surprise their parents,” Roller said. “We’ve had kids discover they love tennis or another sport the family never expected.”

Kidokinetics SW Cleveland serves communities from Avon to Medina.

Sessions are year-round, with options for evenings, weekends and daytime programs in early learning centers.

Roller said the variety of locations helps make the program accessible to working parents.

“Busy schedules, rising costs and technology are all challenges in getting kids active,” she said. “We keep our program affordable and put it where families already are, so it’s easier for them to participate.”

Roller said parents often share feedback about the social benefits of the program.

She has heard from families of shy children who have become more confident and engaged after participating in the sessions.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to watch them grow,” Roller said. “We do it for them because seeing them proud of themselves is the best feeling in the world.”

For more information, visit https://www.kidokinetics.com/l/swcleveland.

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Submit items for youth and non-varsity high school sports by noon Tuesday for publication Wednesday. Email stories and photos (in .jpg format) to sports@cdapress.com. 

Information: 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205 

    Courtesy photo The Sting U10 girls soccer team competed at the Northwest Cup last weekend at the Spokane Polo Fields. After winning its group to advance to the semifinals, the Sting faced Spokane Shadow Academy in a thrilling match. Regulation ended in a 2-2 tie, sending the game to penalty kicks. The shootout went eight rounds before the Sting narrowly fell. Pictured is Rya Verlanic (13) and Brystol Hayes of the Sting.

    Photo by KATHY STERLING The first tournament weekend for the new season started with the Sting 2016 boys yellow soccer team making it to the semifinals of the 31st annual Northwest Cup located in Airway Heights at the Spokane Shadow Polo Fields. Friday’s morning game was played against the Spokane Shadow Academy B2016 Williamson Team with a Sting win of 4-1 with goals scored by Jaxson Matheney (3) and Arius Bush (1). Friday’s afternoon game was played against the Three Rivers Soccer Club 3RSC B16 Dev Gonzalez Team, with the Sting winning 9-4 with goals scored by Atlas Lepley (4), Jaxson Matheney (3) Lincoln Sargent (1) with a miss kick from opposing team (1). Saturday’s evening game was played against the Legacy SA Olsen Team with a Sting win of 5-2 securing their position in the semifinals game with goals scored by Elijah Cline (3), Atlas Lepley (1) and Giden Lee (1). On Sunday, the Sting lost 4-1 in the semifinals to the Spokane Sounders Shadow Juniors B2016 Van Der Lawson Valley Team. The Sting goal was scored by Atlas Lepley. In the front row from left are Xander Rodriguez, Atlas Lepley, Thomas Ely (keeper) and Arius Bush; and back row from left, Lincoln Sargent, Elijah Cline, Xavier Sousley, Isaak Sterling, Gideon Lee, and Finn Eachon. Not pictured is Jaxson Matheney.

    Courtesy photo The Sting Soccer Club 2015 Boys Black team defeated the Spokane Shadow 2015 Boys Pre-ECNL and the Capital Futbol Club 2015 Boys Black PA teams last weekend at the Northwest Cup in Spokane. The team closed out the tournament earning the silver medal. In the front row from left are Chase Baune, Case Schwarz, Harvey Granier, Bam Bookholtz, Cooper Corbeill, Henry Hermance and Ryker Weeks; and back row from left, coach Ian McKenna, Matt Shandy, Max Spendlove, Beckham Sharbono, Logan Keaggy and coach Kip Sharbono.

    Courtesy photo The 2014 Sting girls soccer team opened its season with a second-place finish at the 31st Northwest Cup last weekend. Sting goals over the weekend were scored by Zoe Verlanic, Emerlyn Neff, Charli Gabriel, Stella Hartzell, Ryan Parks and Hatty Lemmon. In the front from left are goalies Blaire Warren and Ellie Carper; and back row from left, Jolene Tipping, Emerlyn Neff, Charli Gabriel, Emma Thompson, Stella Hartzell, Hatty Lemmon, Avery Doran, Rylan Parks, Zoe Verlanic, Lyla Maestas and Teresa Conaty.

    Courtesy photo The Sting Soccer Club 2013 Girls team took home second place at the 31st annual Northwest Cup in Spokane last weekend. The Sting opened Friday with a loss to Spokane Shadow G13 GA, then bounced back with wins over Snohomish United G13 ECNL RL and Sandpoint Strikers FC G13 on Saturday. The Sting advanced to Sunday’s final, where they fell in a rematch against Spokane Shadow G13 GA. In the front row from left are Myka Haubold, Emma Storlie, Nora Snyder, Alexis Morisette, and Sophia Quigley; middle row from left, Addison Salas, Peyton Cantrell, Nevie Sousley, Nora Schock, Briella Ayers, Presley Hart, Kinsley May and Kaylee Evans; and back row from left, Felicity Miller, Amelia McGowan, Tatum Gillmore, Evellyn Howard, Kyal Carlson and Novalee Hoel.

    Courtesy photo The Sting Girls 2011 soccer team took second place at the Northwest Cup at the Spokane Polo Fields. On Friday, the Sting beat the Washington East Surf 3-0, on goals by Presley Moreau, Payton Brennan and Kylie Lorona. Later Friday, the Sting beat the Spokane Shadow 2010 2-0, as Presley Moreau and Kylie Lorona scored goals. On Saturday night, the Sting lost 1-0 to the Spokane Shadow 2011 girls. On Sunday in the championship, the Sting fell 1-0 to the Shadow 2011 girls. In the front row from left are Giuliana Petrillo, Presley Moreau, Mackenzie Dolan, Emily Hackett, Olivia Hynes, Payton Brennan, Ava Langer and Eloise Elgee; and back row from left, Elle Sousley, Harper Overland, Olivia Nusser, Vivian Hartzell, Constance Ovendale, Lila Moreau, Jillian Speelman, Kylie Lorona and Katlyn Keaggy.
  

  

  

  

  

 

Through an initial collaboration with Leipzig University, in 2024, Alhalimun delivered its first Train-the-Trainer programme, equipping coaches with the skills to lead inclusive sports initiatives. Building on this foundation, in 2025, Alhalimun partnered with the World Flying Disc Federation and local entities to expand training and community outreach. As a result, 48 trainers—both Egyptian and refugee—have been prepared to deliver high-quality, inclusive sports programmes in their communities. Alongside its regular activities for children, the initiative has reached over 50,000 people through social media, traditional media, and on-the-ground engagement, conducted two local workshops, and organised two major festivals, engaging 150 registered children and youth in Egypt and celebrating unity through sport.

Alhalimun engages children and teenagers aged 8 to 17 in sports including football, volleyball, basketball, flying disc and boxing, alongside educational activities such as IT and language skills training. The project uses trauma-informed coaching and leadership development, led by a diverse team, many of whom have lived experience of displacement.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Before Chiney Ogwumike shined under the bright lights in ESPN’s studios, stunned on red carpets, or made history this year as the first female ambassador for the Basketball Africa League, she was already holding court in Cy-Fair ISD, where she led her high school basketball team to two titles before playing college ball at Stanford University.

“Sports transformed my life, and it is so much bigger than the game,” Ogwumike told ABC13.

That’s why now Ogwumike is among the ESPN stars aligning to spread the word about this summer’s ESPN, Disney Jr., and Every Kid Sports campaign to get preschoolers more active in sports.

LEARN MORE: ESPN, Disney Jr. team up with Every Kid Sports to get preschoolers in the game

The initiative, officially launched in June, offers grants to families facing financial hardship to cover the costs of placing their kids in sports.

Those activities aren’t always accessible. Seventy-four percent of kids from lower-income households are missing out on playing sports.

In addition, the average cost for preschool sports registration in the U.S. is estimated to be $80 per sport, per season. New data also suggests that as kids grow older, between the ages of 6-18, sports will cost more than $1,000 per year, per kid, according to the Aspen Institute.

Meanwhile, the average family pays $883 annually in one child’s primary sport.

It’s why Ogwumike told ABC13 she’s passionate about removing those barriers to entry, especially for young girls.

“Sports creates a next generation of female leaders and the numbers stand behind it,” Ogwumike said. “I know people have seen the statistic of 90% of women in C-suite positions, whether it’s CEO, CMO, COO. All of them played sports. To me, that just is a game changer for girls.”

“It’s truly the confidence that we need to attack a world that might sort of second guess our passions or second guess our capabilities or second guess our dreams,” she continued. “Sports teaches you how to be powerful, to be strong, to fight, and I think seeing the amazing moment that we’re in with women’s sports is just even more inspiring.”

And meeting the moment is something Ogwumike does well.

She was a large part of the studio coverage during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and served as host during the special, which in itself was a hit.

The Championship’s pre-game show alone earned 2.9 million viewers as a lead-in to the South Carolina Gamecocks and Iowa Hawkeyes.

“As someone who has three sisters, understanding the power of sisterhood, like if you play sports and you’re a girl, you’re a part of something that is growing in real time. You’re part of something that is evolving right now,” Ogwumike said.

Ogwumike and her older sister, Nneka, now a 10-time WNBA All-Star and the president of the WNBA Players Association, have already achieved a rare feat as the only siblings, besides Peyton and Eli Manning, to ever be selected No. 1 overall in a professional sports league.

Nneka was drafted first overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft, while Chiney went to the Connecticut Sun in 2014.

But the come up wasn’t easy.

Ogwumike recalled how she and her sister actually played soccer first and tried their hand at gymnastics, but it was basketball where she eventually found home, even if it was a little rocky at first.

“We were horrible. And I say we, it was more my sister because I quit that first year because I love to only do things that I’m really good at,” Ogwumike laughed. “She stuck through being the worst for a long time.”

“We both wore, in our first basketball practice, jean shorts, tank top. We had scruffy little socks. We weren’t wearing the basketball shoes. We were wearing Keds. We had glasses, glasses holders. We were the ultimate nerds. But my parents saw the potential, the value of sports,” she said.

Ogwumike, who is of Nigerian descent, explained that her parents immigrated to this country and didn’t even realize at the time that sports could be something profitable. Rather, they recognized that sports instills work ethic, plus can build camaraderie among people with different backgrounds.

“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. And my story is truly a testament to when you honor the beauty of sports, it really transforms you inside, then out,” she added.

Ogwumike is using her platform on an international stage to remind young children there’s space for them.

“I always tell little boys and little girls, ‘If you see a little girl that wants to play, let her play. Respect her game,’ and vice versa. I always tell kids at camps, ‘Tell the little girls, “I can do anything.” And the little boys say to the little girls, ‘I’ve got your back,'” Ogwumike told ABC13. “To me, when you approach the game that way, where you value what people bring to the table, not what people look like, what they come from, then we’re creating not only a better sports world, but just simply a better world.”

Ogwumike also works with Giants of Africa, a nonprofit designed to educate and empower African youth through basketball. Their first camp was in 2003. Ogwumike is now a coach with the organization.

She also emphasized that while many student athletes may desire to go pro, that’s not the only way to be successful in a sport.

“Understand that you can be pro in so many other things within the ecosystem of sports,” she began. “It creates jobs. It changes lives, not just for those who play, but those who talk about it, those who coach, those who are literally becoming the female boss owners that are changing the game for the business of sports. The possibilities are limitless.”

“Sports is honestly the only unifier that I’ve seen that can do some of the impossible,” Ogwumike continued. “Everyone can do a little bit that can move the ball forward, you know, pun intended.”

Follow Brittaney Wilmore on Twitter and Instagram.

July 2025 saw North Carolina’s lowest sports betting revenue since the start of legal betting in March 2024. 

The report released by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission shows wagering totaling $370.4 million statewide in July, with $344.6 million paid out in winnings. The state collected slightly over $4 million in taxes. 

“July 2025 produced the lowest sports wagering tax revenue since betting launched in the state, driven by the sports calendar and favorable outcomes for bettors,” Joseph Harris, fiscal policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “June through August are typically among the slowest months for wagering, since football and basketball, Americans’ favorite sports to bet on, are out of season. The NBA Finals usually end mid-June, and the NFL regular season doesn’t start until September.” 

Wagering operators are taxed at 18% on their gross betting revenue after subtracting total payouts to winners. 

“Sports wagering companies are taxed on their gross wagering revenue, essentially their profit after paying out winning bets. While total wagers in July 2025 ($370 million) exceeded those in July 2024 ($340 million), operators paid out $345 million in winnings this year compared to $295 million last year,” said Harris. “Consequently, since basketball and football were out of season, and bettors enjoyed a strong month, taxable gross wagering revenue fell to an all-time low.” 

The state has collected over $65 million in sports betting tax revenue so far this year, compared to $105 million from March through the end of 2024. 

Use of the tax proceeds are as follows:

• $1 million annually to North Carolina Amateur Sports to expand opportunities in youth sports
• Up to $300,000 annually to collegiate athletic departments at 13 state universities: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, NC Agricultural & Technical State University, NC Central University, University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University
• $1 million annually to the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission for grants of up to $5,000 per team or group, per county, to help cover the cost of travel to in-state or out-of-state sporting events and grants of up to $25,000 to attract amateur state, regional, area, and national sporting events, tournaments, and programs
• Certain reimbursements to the NC State Lottery Commission and the NC Department of Revenue for expenses incurred to implement and administer the new law

Of any remaining proceeds:

• 20% will be distributed evenly among the 13 state universities to support collegiate athletic departments;
• 30% will go to a new North Carolina Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund to foster job creation and investment in the state;
• and 50% will go to the state’s General Fund.

Approximately $2 million goes to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to fund gambling addiction education and treatment programs.

ROCHESTER — Leadership Greater Rochester, a program put on by the Rochester Area of Commerce, with the help of community partners, launched a Youth Connections Sports Trailer on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025 at Franklin Elementary School.

The Minnesota Twins donated various baseball and softball equipment, including bats, balls and gloves. TC Bear, the official mascot for the Twins, was in attendance to help unbox and play with SACC students at Franklin Elementary.

The trailer is free to rent and includes various sporting equipment designed to bring recreational activities to neighborhoods across Rochester.

The project aims to reduce monetary and access barriers to physical activity, and is managed by Rochester Parks & Recreation.

It is available for reservations through their website.

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin

Sophia Marschall / Post Bulletin