Canada must enact strong, effective legislation to protect youth from gambling advertising. Minors are suffering harms from problem gambling despite age restrictions, argue authors in an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Since 2021, ads for sports betting have saturated sports broadcasts, constantly viewed by children. Gambling is normalized as a natural part of spectatorship at a young age. Even before single-game sports betting was legalized, a 2019 survey of Canadian students in grades 7–12 found about 4% of students expressed the urge to gamble despite their own negative consequences, and 2% had symptoms of gambling addiction.
Smartphones only make the problem worse.
“The legalization of online gambling (iGaming) in Ontario in 2022 turned any smartphone into a betting platform, compounding existing epidemics of technology and social media use addiction,” writes Dr. Shannon Charlebois, medical editor, CMAJ, with Dr. Shawn Kelly, a pediatrician and addictions medicine specialist, CHEO and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario.
Problem gambling in minors is linked to an increased risk of suicide, substance use disorder, theft, weapons use, and assault. Most alarming is the increased risk of suicide, with a UK study showing a nine-fold risk in males and almost five-fold in females with problem gambling. A study of Norwegians from 2008 to 2021 found that suicide was the number one cause of death in people with problem gambling.
“Allowing glaring and ubiquitous promotion of sports betting is a willful mortgage of Canada’s future to the interests of private profit and tax revenue. Canadian jurisdictions should act to eliminate all commercials that promote sports betting during broadcasts where minors are likely to see them.”
The authors call for the federal government to begin by expediting Bill S-211, which will allow development of a national framework to regulate sports betting advertising and national standards to protect people who can be negatively affected.
More information:
Protecting Canada’s youth from the risks of exposure to gambling advertising, Canadian Medical Association Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.251227
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Athletic Director Eve Claar discusses the culture of excellence at Pioneer
Ann Arbor Pioneer High School is celebrating another remarkable season, with three women’s teams claiming state championships in field hockey, cross country, and swimming & diving.
For Athletic Director Eve Claar, who has spent 17 of her 23 years as Pioneer’s Athletic Director, the success reflects something deeper than talent alone
“Those three programs are historically very strong,” Claar says, crediting the leadership of head coaches Jane Nixon (field hockey), Nancy Boudreau, and Stefanie Kerska (swimming & diving). All three of them have strong visions for their program and do a great job at culture building. Their team culture carries over year to year with new coaches, students, and parents flowing into the culture year to year.”
A legacy of excellence
The numbers tell a compelling story. Nixon, who began as an assistant at Pioneer in 1990 and became head coach in 1999, has led the field hockey team to 17 state titles. This year’s championship marked the program’s 31st overall state title, cementing Pioneer’s dominance in the sport’s inaugural MHSAA era.
Kerska, an all-American swimmer while at Pioneer High School, was hired in 2014-15 to coach both boys and girls swimming, and has compiled an extraordinary record in just over a decade. She has won four state titles and one runner-up finish with the boys in 12 seasons, while leading the girls to six consecutive state championships and one runner-up finish in 11 years.
Boudreau, in her 11th year coaching both cross country and track and field, has built a dynasty of her own. In cross-country, she has won four state titles and three runner-up finishes, with all 11 seasons resulting in top-10 state finishes.
This year’s championship was particularly historic, as the Pioneer girls not only captured the state title, but sophomore Natasza Dudek is in the process of capturing national titles one after another.
More than Xs and Os
For Claar, what sets these coaches apart goes beyond technical expertise. “All three of them do it for the right reasons, meaning they’re trying to develop young people into better adults through sports,” she says. “If you’re in it for those reasons, then you’re going to have success, no matter what.”
She emphasizes that while not every coach inherits a championship-caliber roster, success can be measured in different ways. She’s proud of each team at Pioneer.
“Every coach doesn’t have a state championship level team that shows up at practice every day, and that’s okay,” she says, “but you can always have success if you’re in it trying to create better people.”
Still, all three coaches bring elite technical knowledge to their programs. “All three of them are very high-level technicians, tacticians,” Claar notes. “They really can teach their sport at very high levels. They understand the highest level of strategy and training and all of the things that come with it.”
Building a pipeline
A key element of Pioneer’s sustained success is Claar’s deliberate approach to developing future coaches, particularly women.
“I think we do a really good job of finding great female coaches, great female leaders, for our women’s sports programs,” she says. “I do make concerted efforts to build really strong applicant pools that bring in female applicants to every pool.”
Claar’s strategy involves identifying promising young coaches early—often former Pioneer athletes—and providing them with mentorship opportunities.
“We try to identify them as athletes when they leave here. Often they’ll come back and volunteer or start to work with us, and we can develop them into great coaches, future coaches.”
Even when interviewing for head coaching positions, Claar brings in candidates she believes have potential, even if they’re not yet ready for the top job. “I always try to bring them into an interview room,” she says.” I want to give them the experience, and I want to try and see if I’m right and that they’re a good fit, that I want to try and bring them in and give them an opportunity to coach under somebody else’s leadership.”
This approach helps prevent burnout. “I think when you do it too early, and you set somebody up that’s not ready, especially in a place as big as this, they drop out of the profession,” Claar says, comparing it to young officials who face intense pressure before they’ve developed resilience.
The cross country team wins the 2025 state tournament. MHSAA photo.
Community support and high participation
Pioneer’s athletic participation numbers are exceptional. With approximately 1,000 student-athletes competing across 35-36 sports annually (with more women’s sports to provide equal participation opportunities), the school benefits from strong community support and deep youth programs.
“All three of them have strong community support for those programs in terms of students participating at a young age,” Claar says.
The school’s booster organization reinforces this support, with last year’s Booster Bash raising $65,000 for all teams. Students are drawn to these programs not just for potential championships, but for the experience itself, she says.
“You get excited when any student joins it because you know that there are great benefits for them, individually,” Claar says. “I think it really accelerates the growth of kids. In sports, that growth can be very much accelerated. They’re put in positions very regularly where they have to face adversity, overcome things, and you can see that growth happening kind of before your eyes.”
With six consecutive state titles, Kerska’s swimming program operates under intense expectations. But Claar views this as applying to all programs equally.
“There’s an expectation of all of our programs that you’re going to get the very most out of who you have,” she says.
Coach Jane Nixon, far right, and the 2025 State Champion Field Hockey team.
Looking ahead
How does Pioneer sustain this level of excellence? For Claar, it comes down to support and community building.
“I think we just continue to support the heck out of coaches,” she says. “You make people feel valued and feel a part of something and feel supported. We have some women’s coaches groups that we facilitate, and I think it helps to create a community here, where our women coaches help develop other strong women coaches.”
After 24 years as an athletic director, Claar remains energized by the coaches around her.
“I am blessed to have coaches around me that motivate me to be the very best that I can be for them,” she says. “They’re amazing to be around. I learn something from them every day. There’s a level of magic, I think, that each of them has in connecting with their teams, elevating their teams, and pushing the right buttons to motivate.”
MARION — The HUB Recreation Center launched the new year with its most anticipated offer: the Annual Membership Sale, running through Jan. 31.
During the promotion, new members can join The HUB with $0 enrollment fee, saving $80 and making it easier to commit to a healthier, more active 2026. The first 100 new members of the year will also receive an exclusive HUB gift.
As Marion’s leading fitness and recreation facility, The HUB offers a variety of resources for individuals and families, including a world-class fitness floor, indoor water park, full gymnasium, indoor pickleball, Kids Stop childcare and more than 50 weekly fitness and aquatic classes. The best news? It’s all included with membership.
The HUB is also a leader in youth sports development, providing structured, high-quality programming through HubBallers Basketball, Marion Youth Football, a full lineup of swim lessons and more, helping young athletes build skills, confidence and a lifelong connection to fitness.
Throughout the year, The HUB hosts free community events, as well as running and athletic tournaments, reinforcing its role as a center for movement, competition and community.
Personal training services are available at an additional cost for members seeking customized coaching and accountability.
The $0 enrollment fee offer applies to new memberships only. To learn more, schedule a free tour, or join during the Annual Membership Sale, visit TheHubMarion.com or stop by The HUB front desk.
SkillCorner raises $60 million from Silversmith Capital Partners to accelerate multi-sport expansion in North America
The company’s AI tracking technology now covers over 180 competitions and serves more than 300 organizations globally
The NBA remains part of SkillCorner’s ownership group alongside Silversmith and the founding team
Founded in 2016, SkillCorner has grown to over 100 employees and is expanding beyond soccer into basketball and American football
Investment will fund data engineering capabilities and product development to serve professional and collegiate organizations
AI-Driven Tracking Finds New Capital
SkillCorner, the Paris-based provider of AI-driven sports tracking and performance data, has secured a $60 million growth investment from Silversmith Capital Partners. The Boston-based growth equity firm manages over $5 billion in capital and focuses on founder-led technology companies.
The investment adds Silversmith to an ownership group that includes the NBA and SkillCorner’s founding team. Seventure Partners, an early investor, exits following this transaction.
“We’re proud to welcome Silversmith Capital Partners as our new investment partner,” said Charles Montmaneix, Co-Founder and General Manager of SkillCorner. “Their experience partnering with founder-led, profitable technology companies makes them a strong fit to help us scale our operations and accelerate our global expansion.”
How the Technology Works
SkillCorner pioneered single-camera automated player and ball tracking, a technology that extracts performance data from broadcast video without requiring stadium-installed tracking systems. The company’s AI can extrapolate off-camera player positions, providing comprehensive game data from standard broadcast feeds.
This approach has enabled rapid scaling. The company now covers over 180 competitions and counts more than 300 organizations as clients, including many top-tier soccer clubs worldwide.
North American Expansion Takes Priority
The investment is earmarked for three primary areas: strengthening data engineering capabilities, accelerating multi-sport expansion in North America, and developing new metrics for player recruitment and team strategy.
“This investment will enable us to strengthen our data engineering capabilities, accelerate our multi-sport expansion in North America, and continue delivering innovative metrics that help teams make better decisions,” said Hugo Bordigoni, Co-Founder and CEO.
SkillCorner is actively expanding its coverage of basketball and American football, targeting both professional leagues and collegiate organizations. The North American market represents a significant growth opportunity as teams increasingly seek data-driven approaches to scouting and player development.
Strategic Implications for Youth and Collegiate Sports
While SkillCorner’s current client base skews toward professional organizations, the company’s expansion into collegiate sports signals potential downstream effects for youth athletics. As AI-powered tracking becomes standard at the college level, demand for comparable data at younger age groups could follow.
The technology’s ability to work from broadcast video rather than dedicated tracking hardware lowers barriers to entry. This could eventually make professional-grade performance analytics accessible to organizations that cannot invest in stadium infrastructure.
Sri Rao, Managing Partner at Silversmith Capital Partners, noted the company’s potential reach: “We see enormous potential for its data to reshape how teams, leagues, and broadcasters understand the game, from optimizing scouting, recruitment and tactical analysis to enhancing player development.”
SkillCorner will continue operating independently from Paris with its team of more than 100 employees. The company’s focus on broadcast-derived tracking positions it differently from competitors requiring dedicated camera systems, potentially enabling faster expansion across competitions and levels of play.
via: Skillcorner
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This December, Sharks Ice San Jose hosted a 3v3 Jolly Jingle Jamboree, bringing together young hockey players for a festive, cross-ice hockey event. A portion of each team’s fees went directly to the tournament’s beneficiary, the Sharks Alumni Foundation.
A SCHOLARSHIP THAT CHANGED LIVES For families like Richard DeCastro, the Sharks Alumni Foundation scholarship program provides critical support that makes youth sports participation possible. “It’s a huge help for a lot of families around here who are in need of equipment, help with tuition, travel costs,” DeCastro said. “You know, the help really goes a long way, it helps out a lot.”
In 2025, the Sharks Alumni Foundation awarded 49 grants totaling $71,250, helping families offset the rising costs of participation across ice hockey, roller hockey, fastpitch softball, jiu-jitsu, basketball, and baseball. With a 94% fundraising efficiency, the program ensures that the majority of funds raised directly support local youth and families, creating access, opportunity, and lasting impact through sport.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT The Jolly Jingle Jamboree took place on Tuesday, December 23 at Sharks Ice at San Jose. Each team consisted of four skaters and one goalie—they played 3-on-3 cross-ice games, with every matchup featuring three 8-minute running-time periods. Every team was guaranteed to play three games, all while dressed in festive and fun holiday gear.
The entry fee for the tournament included drink tickets, participation gifts for each player, and a portion of the fee helped support the Sharks Alumni Foundation. The event welcomed a wide range of skill divisions, from 6U House through 16U/18U, spanning both house and travel programs. In total, more than 500 players attended the jamboree.
FUELING ACCESS TO HOCKEY As former professional NHL hockey players, the Sharks Alumni Foundation understands the benefits firsthand of playing sports. The self-confidence, camaraderie, and learning the values of teamwork, commitment, and determination are the things they want to instill in those that they support. The Foundation aims to bridge the gap for kids who want to participate in sports, but don’t have the financial means to do so.
Sarah Dunkel-Jackson, Ph.D., a researcher and professor in the Departments of Human Development and Family Studies and Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education, was writing about her work on adaptive youth sports when she realized how neatly the phrase Sports Are For Everyone, or SAFE, summarizes several community-engaged projects she directs.
Through a network of community partnerships and the support of student researchers and volunteers, these projects offer inclusive sports programs that address the strengths and needs of children with disabilities.
Five years ago, while coaching for the Howell Area Junior Baseball Association, Dunkel-Jackson found that students with unique medical and learning needs were facing difficulties playing on a traditional team. She proposed a program tailored to the strengths and needs of these athletes, and the Baseball Challenge League was created.
Then she connected with local nonprofit, The Arc Livingston, which empowers persons with developmental disabilities and their families, to share the program with members. The organization offered a sponsorship instead.
“We had a lot of community partners who were just amazing, who decided to support this and have continued to support it,” Dunkel-Jackson said. Other partners include the softball team at Cleary University in Howell and MSU’s Research in Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lab.
In fall 2024, the league hosted four teams. Each day, the team practiced a different skill, and at the end of practice, players participated in a challenge to demonstrate what they had learned. For example, one practice that focused on hitting ended in the Home Run Derby Challenge. These challenges prepared players to apply their skills at games within the league throughout the season.
“We want to know how they communicate and what they like doing,” Dunkel-Jackson said about surveying the parents of players ahead of the season. These surveys prepare the volunteer coaches, including MSU students, on what to cover in practice. “[Families] can share what the strengths of their kiddo are, and they feel more like we’re adapting it to exactly what their children need.”
The growing capacity of the league is in part thanks to the participation of MSU student volunteers. These volunteers — some of whom are student researchers at the RADD Lab, others who hear about SAFE projects from Dunkel-Jackson’s undergraduate courses — join as coaches to mentor players, gain experience in disability support, and build a sense of belonging. Recent Ph.D. graduate Emily Jensen volunteered as an assistant coach and regularly discussed strengths, needs, and skills with players and their families.
“As a Ph.D. student, I was able to apply what I was learning in the classroom about community-engaged research, supporting children with disabilities and their families, and developing community partnerships,” Jensen said. “The Baseball Challenge League taught me so much more than I could have ever learned from reading a research paper or attending a lecture and provided me with so much joy.”
With the success of the Baseball Challenge League, Dunkel-Jackson and some of her graduate students conducted a formal program evaluation that asked league team members and their families how they could improve the league. Dunkel-Jackson shares that they replied, “overwhelmingly, ‘We want more sports.’”
Hockey Challenge League campers and coaches pose for a group photo at Munn Ice Arena.
The Hockey Challenge Camp was created from this feedback. This summer camp program includes three days of practices ahead of a game that is played at Munn Ice Arena. The camp has also grown since its creation to host three to four teams coached by volunteers. The development of this camp is also possible thanks to a network of partnerships, such as with the hockey apparel company Hystyx that Dunkel-Jackson was connected to through her own son’s hockey team.
“It was totally a no-brainer for us to support the program,” said Ryan Rabinowitz, of Hystyx. Hystyx provides uniforms for the players, apparel for the coaches, and runs the spirit wear store for family members to purchase items that support the camp.
“Community partnership is the biggest driver of making something like the Hockey Challenge Camp successful,” Rabinowitz said.
The Hockey Challenge Camp was honored by the National Hockey League in June 2025 with the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. With a $25,000 grand prize, this award will support the purchase of adaptive hockey equipment for players. Dunkel-Jackson credits the many layers of collaboration that brought the Hockey Challenge Camp and other SAFE Challenge programs to life for this win.
“I appreciate all of our coaches who do an amazing job at jumping in and being able to adapt different drills,” Dunkel-Jackson said. “I have so many coaches who have been there for five years, and we have players and buddies that have been there all five years, too. It is fun to see their progress.”
Along with providing equipment that players use for their sports, SAFE Challenge programs work to reduce inequality in access to sports programs by encouraging players to see themselves on the field and families to see themselves in the stands cheering for their kids. Prince Owusu, a doctoral student, coach with the Baseball Challenge League and co-founder of the Center for Learning and Childhood Development in Ghana, shares that he has learned about the importance of reducing stigma around disabilities in sports through volunteering and research.
“It improves the morale of the children themselves, and it makes society see that children with disabilities can be involved in different activities, as well,” Owusu said.
The CLDC previously invited Dunkel-Jackson’s education abroad students learning about disabilities in an African context to host an event featuring a variety of adaptive sports. While the event was rained out, Dunkel-Jackson continued her consultation from afar and their partnership still yielded a SAFE Event a few months later including adaptive activities for the center and an engaged learning opportunity for the MSU students involved in the planning process.
“You become an advocate for people with disabilities and their families,” Dunkel-Jackson said about the opportunity for her students to volunteer with SAFE Challenge programs. “Anybody can be an advocate. We connect with a broad group of students, and I’m really excited that the people who maybe aren’t going to be in the helping professions as a career also get a chance to see that these kinds of programs are incredibly valuable.”
This story originally appeared on the Center for Community Engaged Learning.
