Click here to listen to this article! Micah Caster, center, recently helped sponsor new “The Dream” playground equipment in McIntosh through the nonprofit Love Your Community Youth Association. He is pictured with children from McIntosh that will benifit from the playground equipment. Micah Caster, a Division I basketball player at the University of Louisiana Monroe, […]
Micah Caster, center, recently helped sponsor new “The Dream” playground equipment in McIntosh through the nonprofit Love Your Community Youth Association. He is pictured with children from McIntosh that will benifit from the playground equipment.
Micah Caster, a Division I basketball player at the University of Louisiana Monroe, is coming home to host a free camp for young athletes in Southwest Alabama in late May.
Born and raised in McIntosh, Caster grew up surrounded by basketball. He started playing at just 3 years old with STARZ Youth Sports, and later attended Jackson schools, while his father Marcus Caster coached at Jackson High School. Although proud to wear the Aggies jersey, Caster was always torn because his mother is a graduate of McIntosh High School. His heart has always belonged to both towns.
Caster made history at Jackson High School by helping lead the Aggies to their first ever state championship in basketball. He earned honors such as 4A Player of the Year and 4A State Championship Most Valuable Player, but he remained grounded in his faith, family, and the values his hometown taught him.
Now, he is giving back.
Caster will host a free basketball skill camp on May 29 and 30 at Jackson High School. The camp is open to youth athletes from McIntosh, Jackson, Leroy, Grove Hill, Chatom, Thomasville, Mobile and surrounding areas. This is a unique chance to improve your game, connect with a Division I athlete, and be inspired through hard work and determination.
Caster recently helped sponsor new “The Dream” playground equipment in McIntosh through the nonprofit Love Your Community Youth Association. Hosting this camp is another way he is investing in the next generation of young athletes from across the region.
To register for the camp, visit https://form.jotform.com/251125115180140.
Whether you come from a big city or a small town, this camp is for you. Come ready to work hard, learn new skills, and believe in what you can become. This is not just about basketball. It is about growth, confidence and community.
Caster’s story is about more than basketball. It’s about perseverance, faith, and staying humble in life. As he continues to rise, Micah remains a shining example for young athletes everywhere: Keep God first, stay grounded, dream big, and remember never forget where you came from.
UTEP legends Aaron Jones, Will Hernandez team up for big, free camps
Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp This was always going to be a huge weekend for youth sports in El Paso. Aaron Jones, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings and a UTEP and Burges alumnus, has made an annual event of […]
Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp
Will Hernandez, Aaron Jones excited to collaborate on camp
This was always going to be a huge weekend for youth sports in El Paso.
Aaron Jones, the star running back for the Minnesota Vikings and a UTEP and Burges alumnus, has made an annual event of returning to his hometown to conduct a free clinic with his A&A All the Way Foundation and by last year encompassed both football and basketball and more than 1,000 campers.
The A&A All the Way Foundation picked Saturday, June 21 for its big event.
Also, last year, Jones’ former Miner teammate, who paved the way for him, NFL veteran guard Will Hernandez, brought his own free Mijo Things football clinic to El Paso, which debuted with 500 campers. He couldn’t wait to come back and do it again.
But when?
“We were planning it out this year again, and it turns out we were going to do it on the same day” as the A&A camp, said Hernandez, who had a standout season with the Arizona Cardinals last year and is a free agent at the moment. “‘Why don’t we get together and make this thing happen?’ Do it big. We got around 500 last year; he got more than 1,000. We might as well bring them all together.
“Two heads are better than one. We can cause a greater story, we can affect a lot more kids when we work together. The power of collaboration is crazy. It’s something, not only do I not take it for granted, it’s something I try to do in every aspect of my life.”
The result will be on display Saturday, June 21, when the re-dubbed A&A The Mijo Way Football Camp, which now includes a soccer clinic to accompany the football and basketball, will draw 1,300 campers to the SAC2 (football and soccer) and Coach Wally Hartley PK-8 School (basketball).
With 1,300 campers expected to attend all three camps (registration is now closed), Jones and Hernandez called it the biggest youth camp in El Paso history at the promotional press conference.
“I feel like it was long overdue for us teaming up, the same way we teamed up in college,” said Jones, who left as UTEP’s all-time leading rusher behind many holes made by the second-round draft pick Hernandez. “We made a name for ourselves, now we felt like it was time to do it together. Put bigger eyes on what we’re doing, a bigger scope on what we’re doing.
“I’m excited to be doing it with a guy I went to battle with and now playing at the highest level.”
As always, they’ve brought some of their NFL friends with them, including former Miner star and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrise Knight. Among the notable helpers at the soccer camp are former El Paso Locomotive and FC Juárez stars Leandro Carrijó and Eder Borelli.
Both Jones and Hernandez say putting on this camp is a highlight.
“It means everything, these full-circle moments,” Jones said. “This is why I do this, this is why I put my jersey on and go out and play, so I can use my platform, so I can give back. At a young age, I found out giving back was my joy. That fills my heart.
“El Paso means the world to me. Not too many people knew about me (when he was at Burges in 2012), not many people talked about me, but now we leave them with no choice but to talk about us and El Paso.”
Hernandez said the best part for him is being with the campers.
“It’s the chance where they don’t just see me through a video screen or a phone screen, they see me live, in person, in front of them, eye-to-eye,” he said. “To me, that’s where we make the biggest impact. There’s a psychological thing that happens when they see you and you’re in the same room as them.
“Unconsciously, they think the goal is a lot closer than they thought. We bring to life the dreams they have. That’s the coolest part of it, we know we have that effect on them. We’re there wholeheartedly.”
They will be there wholeheartedly with 1,300 campers Saturday, June 21.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
Taco Dowler, Adam Jones bring youth camp to Bozeman
BOZEMAN — Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler and running back Adam Jones have been working for six months to bring their youth camp to Bozeman. On Saturday, hundreds of kids showed up to participate and hang out with their favorite Bobcats at Van Winkle Stadium. Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports Montana State football players […]
BOZEMAN — Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler and running back Adam Jones have been working for six months to bring their youth camp to Bozeman.
On Saturday, hundreds of kids showed up to participate and hang out with their favorite Bobcats at Van Winkle Stadium.
Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports
Montana State football players and youth campers pose for group photo at the Taco Dowler and Adam Jones football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.
“It’s important in the NIL world to get out and do something with your platform, and I think Adam and I kind of do that,” Dowler said. “I think this is a really good way of getting into the community, bringing the football community together. And also making more Cats fans in the state.”
Dowler mentioned being in the name, image and likeness era, and that’s exactly what makes this camp unique. Dowler and Jones are still in college playing for the Cats and have the ability to put on an event like this one.
“You know, we’re still playing,” Jones said. “So, when the season rolls around, and these kids come find us after the games, that’s going to be pretty fun and pretty special to look back on these memories. And I know if I was a kid I would think this would be the coolest thing ever, so that’s kind of what we were thinking with this.”
Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports
Taco Dowler signs autographs at his youth football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.
Dowler also put on camps in Billings earlier this week, and now he and Jones get to host the final sessions in Bozeman — a community that has taken both of them in and supported them.
“It’s meant everything, I can’t explain how much Bozeman embraced a Missoula kid like me and a Billings kid like Taco,” Jones said. “This is my home. This is where I want to be for a large portion of my life, maybe raise my family here. So I’m just trying to figure out ways to give back and to use our platform at Montana State and just how strong the football community is, to do this, it’s been pretty special.”
“This town has meant everything,” Dowler said. “I get goosebumps when you’re talking about that. This town is special, it’s our home. (Adam and I) hated each other in high school because he kept beating me in state championships, him and Zac Crews and JJ Dolan, so having all three of those guys out here now making an impact in Bozeman is really special.”
Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports
Adam Jones signing autographs at his youth football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.
As Dowler mentioned, one of the best parts of the camps they are putting on is that a handful of current players joined in to help run and organize them.
“Yeah, the coaches are great,” Dowler said. “I wouldn’t have picked coaches I didn’t trust, and they’re running the whole thing. I mean, (Adam and I) are just behind the scenes, kind of bossing them around a little bit. They probably don’t like that too much, but they’re the ones putting this thing on. All the credit goes to them.”
Grace Lawrence / MTN Sports
Montana State football players celebrate with the winner of a race at the Taco Dowler and Adam Jones football camp at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman on June 21, 2025.
The Bay enters a new chapter with expanded youth programming in Omaha
While there are no plans to bring a similar program to Bay High to public schools in Omaha anytime soon, Norman said The Bay does plan to bring its Gap Year program to Omaha within the next year. He said organizers are speaking with more potential partners. This comes as the nonprofit acquires OGR and […]
While there are no plans to bring a similar program to Bay High to public schools in Omaha anytime soon, Norman said The Bay does plan to bring its Gap Year program to Omaha within the next year. He said organizers are speaking with more potential partners.
This comes as the nonprofit acquires OGR and explores additional ways the nonprofit can make an impact for local youth in the city.
The future of Omaha Girls Rock
OGR is an Omaha-based nonprofit with the mission of empowering youth through music education. Starting in 2011 as part of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, the organization went on to provide after-school programming, instrument lessons and loans and a summer camp for youth ages 4 through 18. During the camp, kids would learn an instrument, form a band, co-write an original song and then perform it live.
Sara Bertuldo was the operations manager for OGR before the nonprofit joined The Bay. She now works for The Bay as workforce education and OGR program manager.
Bertuldo said OGR reached a point where it was growing too fast, and it became a challenge to sustain. That forced organizers to turn kids away from programs, which were at capacity. She said The Bay is now able to step in and provide the foundational support OGR needed.
“I feel like I can really focus on making our program as strong as it can get and really provide a positive experience for campers, as well as staff and volunteers,” Bertuldo said.
Norman said The Bay plans to relaunch the OGR summer camps in 2026. Still in the planning stages, he said they anticipate bringing OGR programming to Lincoln and integrating Bertuldo’s expertise into other programs provided by The Bay.
“OGR is just another opportunity for us to provide community, build confidence and skills, increase the happiness and decrease the loneliness of this generation,” Norman said.
Moving into the Benson Community Center
Norman said the organization has always wanted to expand into Omaha and in 2021 started with after-school programming centered on skateboarding and beatmaking at local schools. He said The Bay eventually landed a physical space at the Benson Community Center, largely through collaboration and support from Omaha Parks and Recreation, the Lozier Foundation and the Omaha Parks Foundation.
Norman said conversations about The Bay’s residence at the Benson Community Center began around 2023, with a vision to help repair and revitalize the space at the heart of the Benson neighborhood. Since the location opened in 2024, the nonprofit has helped facilitate renovations and has tapped into Benson’s art and entrepreneurial scene, including helping kids participate in the 2025 Youth Artist Market during Benson First Fridays.
Norman said The Bay doesn’t see the community center as its “forever home.”
“Our job is to bring a lot of energy and activity into it, as well as help draw other partners who want to use that space,” Norman said. “Our goal with the Benson Community Center is to leave it better than we found it.”
Vogt’s Notes: There’s no lack of summertime fun for kids – Pine and Lakes Echo Journal
We are now a few weeks into summer with kids out of school enjoying their break from the classroom. While the school year offers endless learning opportunities, so does summer with the added element of lots of fun. The list of things to do is nearly endless. You can: Check out your community’s library programs […]
We are now a few weeks into summer with kids out of school enjoying their break from the classroom.
While the school year offers endless learning opportunities, so does summer with the added element of lots of fun.
The list of things to do is nearly endless. You can:
Check out your community’s library programs for kids to keep them reading, learning and having fun through summer.
Take your children to the multitude of parks and splash pads in our area communities.
Splash around in a lake and build a sandcastle at a beach.
Take a walk or bike ride on the Paul Bunyan Trail or through your neighborhood.
Walk the Veterans Trail off Crow Wing County Road 16 in Jenkins Township, or take a guided tour of the Uppgaard Wildlife Management Area on the south side of CR 16 at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays through summer.
Enroll your child in a Vacation Bible School or an area camp. The Lakes Area Music Festival offers an Explore Music! camp the first week in August in Brainerd. There are many youth sports camps going on all summer long; let your child experience a few to find out what they might be most interested in doing.
Take a Wednesday afternoon to participate in Turtle Races in downtown Nisswa. You can’t grow up in the lakes area without racing a turtle!
Try Duck Drop Bingo, a new Friday afternoon event starting June 27 in Pine River to replace the former Duck Races event.
Check out Happy Dancing Turtle offerings for children at their Pine River campus.
Spend a day at a zoo.
Visit a county park. Climb the fire tower at the Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park in Pequot Lakes.
Visit a state park for a day or spend a weekend exploring one.
This is just a short list of opportunities for learning and fun in our communities, and all are affordable or free.
Summer should be a time for relaxing and recharging for all ages after a busy school year. But that shouldn’t mean three months of screen time in front of cellphones, computers and TVs.
Get your kids outside. Take advantage of what our communities offer in the form of outdoor activities and fun yet educational programs.
Every week while compiling news releases to publish in the Echo Journal, I learn about cool activities for kids. It makes me wish my 5 year old granddaughter lived closer so I could experience some of them with her.
I have such great memories of my childhood summers that include friends and the outdoors. Whether it was playing creative games in my best friend’s pool, building forts in the woods and climbing trees or riding our bikes around the neighborhood, we were always outside having fun.
I came across this enlightening information in an email from the University of Minnesota. Katie Schuver, a lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, shared why physical activity is important for kids.
“While it might just seem like a way to burn off energy, regular movement plays a powerful role in child development and has the potential to impact everything from physical health to emotional well-being and academic success,” she said.
“Regular physical activity helps build strong muscles and bones, supports a healthy weight and improves cardiovascular health. Additionally, studies show active children tend to perform better in school, as it improves concentration, memory and behavior outcomes,” Schuver said.
Encouraging kids to be regularly physically active at a young age lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life, she said.
So what are you waiting for? Exciting summer opportunities abound for your kids right out your front door.
Nancy Vogt is editor of the Pineandlakes Echo Journal, a weekly newspaper that covers eight communities in the Pequot Lakes-Pine River areas — from Nisswa to Hackensack and Pequot Lakes to Crosslake.
She started as editor of the Lake Country Echo in July 2006, and continued in that role when the Lake Country Echo and the Pine River Journal combined in September 2013 to become the Pineandlakes Echo Journal. She worked for the Brainerd Dispatch from 1992-2006 in various reporting and editing roles.
She covers Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Lake Shore city councils, as well as writes feature stories, news stories and personal columns (Vogt’s Notes). She also takes photos at community events.
Contact her at nancy.vogt@pineandlakes.com or 218-855-5877 with story ideas or questions. Be sure to leave a voicemail message!
Heat Can’t Dampen Fun At Waite Park’s Annual Summer Classic
WAITE PARK (WJON News) — The extreme heat this weekend didn’t stop kids from playing some ball. Waite Park Babe Ruth held its annual Summer Classic Baseball and Softball Tournament over the weekend. Paul Habstritt, WJONPaul Habstritt, WJON Paul Habstritt, WJONPaul Habstritt, WJON Over 50 combined teams were in town for the games, and Softball Tournament […]
WAITE PARK (WJON News) — The extreme heat this weekend didn’t stop kids from playing some ball. Waite Park Babe Ruth held its annual Summer Classic Baseball and Softball Tournament over the weekend.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Over 50 combined teams were in town for the games, and Softball Tournament Director Brian Mathiasen says the tourney is fun for the kids but great for the community too:
“It really is a boon for the area. The city does a good job of helping us out as needed, but it really generates a lot of additional traffic through the town. I know that all the restaurants, gas stations, shopping they all want to know when this is going on because it really does provide a lot of stimulus to the area.”
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
How long has the Summer Classic been taking place, and how is it run?
The tournament has been taking place for over 10 years, and Mathiasen says a lot of people pull together to make the tournament happen:
“Our association does all the work, it’s all volunteer hours, from our board members, we obviously pay the umpires, but everything is run by volunteers within our association to conduct all this and it’s a lot of work but the kids have a great time and it’s good for the community.”
He says because of the heat they did have an extra emphasis on safety for everyone involved and the kids were still having a good time.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
The tournament will crown three champions in softball and four in baseball, plus runner-ups. The Summer Classic took place at River’s Edge Park in Waite Park Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT:
LOOK: MLB history from the year you were born
Stacker compiled key moments from Major League Baseball’s history over the past 100 years. Using a variety of sources from Major League Baseball (MLB) record books, the Baseball Hall of Fame, and audio and video from events, we’ve listed the iconic moments that shaped a sport and a nation. Read through to find out what happened in MLB history the year you were born.
Gallery Credit: Seth Berkman
LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history
Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we’ve lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete’s winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.
Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.
Gallery Credit: Peter Richman
KEEP READING: See how sports around the world have been impacted by the coronavirus
Bulloch County gears up for GRPA 12U Baseball Championship
Baseball fever is about to hit Bulloch County as Mill Creek Regional Park gears up to host the GRPA 12U Boys’ State Tournament — and the hometown squad is ready to swing for the fences right on their own turf! The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department is proud to announce it will host the […]
Baseball fever is about to hit Bulloch County as Mill Creek Regional Park gears up to host the GRPA 12U Boys’ State Tournament — and the hometown squad is ready to swing for the fences right on their own turf!
The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department is proud to announce it will host the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) 12U Boys’ Baseball State Tournament at Mill Creek Regional Park from June 24–28, 2025. Ten teams from across the state of Georgia will travel to Bulloch County to compete, bringing with them families, coaches, and fans— making a significant positive economic impact on the local community.
“We are thrilled to be able to host these tournaments and showcase Mill Creek Regional Park and Bulloch County to others from around the state,” said Dadrian Cosby, Recreation and Parks Director. “It’s a great opportunity for our community to come together and support youth sports.”
Bulloch County will also be represented on the field, with a local team participating in the 12 and under division.
“Our teams played great baseball during the district competitions last week,” said Ronnie Melton, Athletics Division Manager. “We look forward to the boys getting on the field and competing during the State Tournament here on our home turf.”
The community is encouraged to attend the tournament and cheer on all the young athletes.
For game schedules, updates, and more information, visit www.bullochrec.com/statetournament.
