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Clemson Paralympic Soccer prepares for first

The Clemson Paralympic Soccer team gathers outside the Clemson Soccer practice facility in their new uniforms to prepare for the historic match on April 19. Download image April 10, 2025April 10, 2025 By Griffin Barfield Clemson professor of sport and recreation management in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), Skye Arthur-Banning, was […]

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Clemson Paralympic Soccer prepares for first

Soccer players posing in uniforms at Clemson facility

The Clemson Paralympic Soccer team gathers outside the Clemson Soccer practice facility in their new uniforms to prepare for the historic match on April 19.

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By Griffin Barfield

Clemson professor of sport and recreation management in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), Skye Arthur-Banning, was at the London Paralympic Games in 2012 with a group of students when an idea came to him. 

Five years later, that idea would form Clemson Paralympic Soccer, the only collegiate program of its kind in the nation. Now, on April 19 at 11 a.m., the team will be playing their first-ever match in front of a crowd at Historic Riggs Field. 

History of Clemson Paralympic Soccer

Many Clemson Paralympic Soccer players receive national team call-ups by the U.S. Men’s CP National Team, where they play around the country and even across the globe.

Arthur-Banning was a soccer referee in 2012 working various professional leagues and U.S. Open cup games. Following the 2012 Paralympic Games, he decided to devote his time to Para soccer, seeing the high performance of blind and cerebral palsy (CP) soccer players during that time.

“Instantly, I knew that was my next step,” he said. “There’s my next opportunity to continue refereeing but also begin to support those with disabilities in sport environments. 

Felipe Tobar, assistant professor in the PRTM department, is head coach of the team. Arthur-Banning took notice of Tobar in 2021 while he was assistant coach for Daniel High School’s varsity soccer team.

“They needed a coach, so they needed structured training sessions,” Tobar recalled. “Since I was doing that at Daniel, he invited me to join the program as a head coach. I immediately said yes.”

Strength through adversity 

Strength through adversity is the team’s motto. Tobar encourages the team to play and live by this every day.

Felipe Tobar has been coaching the Clemson Paralympic Soccer team for four years.

Currently, the team is made up of six players who have cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that can affect movement and posture. They also welcome players who have suffered a stroke or any severe brain injury. 

Tobar has a connection with brain injury through his mother who had a stroke in 2011. He took care of her for eight years in Brazil before moving to the U.S. to earn his Ph.D. in parks, recreation and tourism management at Clemson.

“I saw what a stroke can do to a person, and I empathize with the players,” he said. “I had this background with my mom in which you can’t treat them as victims, you have to really see them as equals.”

Tobar pushes his players with drills and feedback three mornings a week. 

“We keep the sessions intense and I don’t treat them differently,” he said. 

The players expend three times the amount of energy on the field as able-bodied soccer players due to quicker muscle fatigue – therefore, their recovery process takes longer.

Goalkeeper Max Alberici is the team’s starter who saw an opportunity to play sports at the collegiate level and joined Clemson Paralympic Soccer.

For goalkeeper Max Alberici, who has spastic diplegia which affects more than one limb, he burns almost four times more energy than the average player. Alberici is a senior sports communication major who grew up playing lacrosse but saw this as an opportunity to continue playing sports in college, which was his dream.

“I hadn’t played organized soccer since eighth grade and I just go ‘okay, I’m doing this,’” Alberici said when he first heard about the program. 

Now as the team’s starting goalkeeper, he embraces the training sessions and their intensity. 

“There is definitely an intensity that I do enjoy and I had to learn to enjoy,” Alberici said. “But I think overall, I think having a game to work towards is going to make this a lot easier, mentally, for me.”

Because this program at Clemson is unique, four of the team’s six players are also part of the player pool for the U.S. Men’s CP National Team, where they are regularly picked to play. 

Midfielder Chile Chitulangoma, a junior mechanical engineering major, is one of those players who joined in the fall of 2022. He is hemiplegic on the left side of his body affecting his strength and coordination but takes advantage of playing quickly to overcome these obstacles. He describes the practices as tactical.

Chile Chitulangoma is a defensive midfielder that has been with the team for three years, becoming a regularly called-up player on the U.S. Men’s CP National Team.

“A lot has to do with technical ability being refined with your technique on the ball,” Chitulangoma said. “So, a lot of the work we do has to do with a lot of different passing patterns and precise movements.”

In the beginning years of the program, the team would practice at local recreational fields like Nettles Park and the Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex. Since 2024, the team practices at Clemson Soccer’s men’s and women’s practice facilities with help from Clemson Athletics. 

“Athletics has given a lot of support to us,” Tobar said. “That elevated the level of our training sessions.”

As the only U.S. school with this type of program, Clemson allots eight scholarships that allow out-of-state players to pay in-state tuition — the only university in the world that does so for CP soccer.  

The Match

Tobar describes the upcoming match as a debut for everyone — the first time Clemson Paralympic Soccer will play against other Paralympic soccer players from across the country for a trophy. 

“We hope this game will bring attention to our program and the University,” Tobar said.

Players who have recently been admitted to play for the Tigers next season will also be on this all-star team of contenders. The captain of the U.S. Men’s CP National Team, Josh Burnais, will be coaching the opposing team. 

CP soccer rules are slightly different from traditional soccer rules. The game will be played in two halves, each 30 minutes long. Compared to soccer’s standard 11-on-11 format, CP soccer is played 7-on-7 with field dimensions and goal sizes a little smaller.

Throw-ins can change to simply rolling the ball in underhand. If the ball unintentionally hits the CP-impacted hand in a natural position, there is no handball offense. These changes were made based on how the body functions for a CP player. 

The team is gearing up for its first-ever match on April 19 at Historic Riggs Field at 11 a.m. They practice three times a week to prepare (photo by Natalie Bell).

The event on April 19 will also be open to children with disabilities in the Upstate to have a one-hour clinic with the team from 9 to 10 a.m. to meet and play together. During the starting lineups, they will enter the field with the players. 

“We want them to see their future on the pitch, so they can reflect and see that although there are barriers that they are going to face, it’s still possible to strive and succeed,” Tobar said. 

For many of the players, it is a dream come true. Alberici grew up wanting to play in a stadium, and now his dream is becoming a reality. 

My main goal was always to be a college athlete. The soccer piece was much later than almost every single one of my teammates, but I’d never thought I’d play college sports in a college stadium.

Max Alberici, goalkeeper, Clemson Paralympic Soccer

Meanwhile, for players like Chitulangoma, educating the public about overcoming adversity is what is most exciting. 

“I think it’s a very unique opportunity to [educate about my disability] with a game of soccer,” Chitulangoma said. “I don’t think there’s a better way we could show our game and our disability to the community.”

Clemson Athletics is supporting the event. The day will see several Clemson Men’s and Women’s Soccer players making an appearance, with some taking part in halftime promotions.

Tobar also plans to auction signed soccer balls and other items to fundraise for the team. 

That same weekend, Clemson Adaptive Sports and Recreation will be hosting the Palmetto Games, a regional adaptive sport event featuring track and field, swimming and air rifle competitions. 

“We want to have as many people as possible,” Tobar said.  “There are no other sports that are going to be playing that morning, so it’s a full day of Para sports.”

With kickoff set for 11 a.m. on April 19, Arthur-Banning, Tobar and the team are ready for their first organized CP game in program history, hoping to spread more awareness about Para sports and the work that the players have put in. 

“I think this game provides that opportunity for them to showcase all the hard work that they’ve put in, all the skill and talent that they have and, hopefully, be able to do that in front of not only their Clemson peers, but their community at large,” Arthur-Banning said.

“This gives them that opportunity to show that off a little bit and feel like this is their payback, if you will. This is their moment.”

Arthur-Banning and Tobar are faculty fellows of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute at Clemson, sponsor of the trophy for the historic Paralympic soccer match.

Clemson Paralympic Soccer Match

April 19 at 11 a.m. at Historic Riggs Field
Free soccer clinic for children with disabilities, 9-10 a.m.
115 Alpha Beta Circle, Clemson, SC 29634

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Women's Soccer Announces 2025 Schedule

Story Links MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women’s soccer team has announced the upcoming schedule for the 2025 season, head coach Tim Ward announced Monday.  “I am super excited about the matches we’ve scheduled for our group this fall. As always, our non-conference schedule is about as tough,” Ward said. “We have always believed if youwant […]

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Women's Soccer Announces 2025 Schedule

MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine women’s soccer team has announced the upcoming schedule for the 2025 season, head coach Tim Ward announced Monday. 
 
“I am super excited about the matches we’ve scheduled for our group this fall. As always, our non-conference schedule is about as tough,” Ward said. “We have always believed if you
want to be the best, you have to play the best.”
 
“We’re also excited to defend our WCC championship in the biggest WCC conference ever. Because it’s the last year that Gonzaga, Washington State and Oregon State are in our conference with the addition of Seattle, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our ladies,” Ward said. “We’re staying both humble and hungry for the chance to repeat as champions!”
 
Tickets for the Waves’ home contests will be available at a later date. For more information, follow @PepperdineSoccer on instagram and @WavesSoccer on X.
 
Featuring four 2024 NCAA tournament teams, the Waves play eight home matches and 11 on the road. A rematch with Cal is on the docket for August 24, as the Waves and Bears battled during the national tournament’s opening round last season in Malibu.
 
Opening the year on the road, the Waves head to Fort Worth August 14 to face TCU, a program historically in the top-25 who made it to the second round of the tournament last season.
 
The Waves home opener will be August 17 against Hawaii. Pepperdine traveled to Oahu to compete in the Outrigger Tournament last season, but did not face off against the Rainbow Warriors.
 
In its second out-of-state roadtrip, Pepperdine travels to Arizona to play Arizona State September 4 and the University of Arizona September 7 before returning home to open West Coast Conference play against Oregon State September 24.
 
The NCAA College Cup will be held in Kansas City, Mo. this year with Selection Sunday for the tournament November 9.
 
The full schedule can be found here.
 

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Clark Joins Soccer Staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt soccer head coach Darren Ambrose announced Monday the hiring of Jennie Clark as assistant coach to fill out the rest of his staff ahead of the 2025 campaign. “We were very intentional in searching for who we wanted in this role and Jennie was a great fit,” said Ambrose. “She has […]

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Clark Joins Soccer Staff

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt soccer head coach Darren Ambrose announced Monday the hiring of Jennie Clark as assistant coach to fill out the rest of his staff ahead of the 2025 campaign.

“We were very intentional in searching for who we wanted in this role and Jennie was a great fit,” said Ambrose. “She has an experienced background, playing both collegiately and professionally. She has filled various coaching roles at both levels and is committed to not only developing individual players but also exceptional young women.  Her beliefs and values are a perfect complement to our program and I am very excited that she will be a part of this amazing staff.”

Clark, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Northwestern, has earned a B license and a scouting license through the US Soccer Federation.

“I could not be more excited about joining the Vanderbilt women’s soccer program,” said Clark. “The team has an impressive history, incredible potential for future success and I am honored for the opportunity to contribute. I look forward to working alongside an experienced coaching staff and a competitive group of players to reach the program’s goals and elevate Vanderbilt’s standards.”

Prior to her time with the Wildcats, Clark served as the first assistant coach for Minnesota Aurora FC, helping lead the squad to a perfect regular season and berth in the quarterfinals of the USL W League playoffs. Before joining the pros, Clark was an assistant at Utah Tech for two seasons, helping the program transition from Division II to Division I while coaching seven All-Western Athletic Conference honorees during her stint.

The Norwalk, Iowa, native played professionally for five years, starting her career as a free agent with Sky Blue FC, currently known as Gotham FC. Following her rookie season with Sky Blue, Clark moved to Germany, where she played for 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, SC Freiburg, and 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga.

A four-year starter at Minnesota, the two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree was a mainstay on the Golden Gophers’ back line and helped the team’s defense set school records during a 2008 season that saw Minnesota reach the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Minnesota’s defense produced 17 shutouts and allowed just 12 goals during that season while Clark earned SoccerBuzz fourth-team All-American honors and the first of two all-district awards.

A Hermann Trophy candidate as a senior, Clark started 66 straight games for Minnesota before suffering an injury early in the 2010 season. Clark returned to the pitch less than six weeks later and helped the Golden Gophers reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in her career. In her four years with the program, the Minnesota defense posted 41 shutouts and allowed less than 20 goals in three of her four seasons.

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ACU Soccer Announces 2025 Season Schedule

Story Links The Abilene Christian soccer team will play ten total home matches and face North Texas and Baylor on the road in the fall of 2025, according to the Wildcats’ schedule which was released on Monday. VIEW: ACU Women’s Soccer 2025 Schedule ACU’s regular season beings with a trip out west to play at […]

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ACU Soccer Announces 2025 Season Schedule

The Abilene Christian soccer team will play ten total home matches and face North Texas and Baylor on the road in the fall of 2025, according to the Wildcats’ schedule which was released on Monday.

VIEW: ACU Women’s Soccer 2025 Schedule

ACU’s regular season beings with a trip out west to play at UTEP on Aug. 14, and New Mexico State on Aug. 17.

The Wildcats have faced the Miners every season since 2013, excluding the abbreviated fall 2020 campaign.

ACU will host nonconference matches against Tulsa (Aug. 21), Houston Christian (Aug. 24), and Northwestern State (Sept. 11).

There are six teams in the WAC next season with a 10-game, home-and-away arrangement. Conference play kicks off on Sept. 25 with a road trip at defending conference champion California Baptist. 

The Wildcats finish league play with three consecutive home matches — vs. Tarleton State (Oct. 25), vs. Utah Valley (Oct. 30), and vs. California Baptist (Nov. 2).

The 2025 WAC Women’s Soccer Tournament will be played Nov. 5-8 in Orem, UT.

ACU will play an intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 6, and also welcome UIW for an exhibition on Aug. 9.

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U20 WNT Roster Announced for Concacaf

The 21 players who will represent the USA at the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in Costa Rica in a quest for a berth to the 2025 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup have been named.  The roster is made up of players born in 2006 and 2007, and current U.S. U-19 head coach Carrie Kveton […]

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U20 WNT Roster Announced for Concacaf

The 21 players who will represent the USA at the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in Costa Rica in a quest for a berth to the 2025 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup have been named. 

The roster is made up of players born in 2006 and 2007, and current U.S. U-19 head coach Carrie Kveton will lead the squad before new U.S. U-20 WNT head coach Vicky Jepson takes over after the qualifying tournament.

The USA will take aim at one of four berths to the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland and a record eighth Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship after dominant runs to the confederation crown in 2020 and 2022. Mexico won the title in 2023. 

The USA will face Guyana on May 30 (1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. local), Puerto Rico on June 1 (1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. local) and host Costa Rica on June 3 (4 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. local) in Group A play at the tournament, which will run from May 29-June 8 in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The top four finishers in the tournament will advance to represent the region in Poland in the fall of next year. 

Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006, are age-eligible for the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship. The roster is almost evenly divided between birth years with 10 born in 2006 and 11 in 2007.  

Before heading to Costa Rica, the team will train in Florida for a week, beginning on May 22.  

2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Roster by Position (College or Club; Hometown)  

Goalkeepers (3):  Caroline Birkel (Stanford; St. Louis, Mo.), Sonoma Kasica (Notre Dame; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Kealey Titmuss (Penn State; Grand Blanc, Mich.) 
 
Defenders (7):  Aven Alvarez (North Carolina; New Hill, N.C.), Bella Ayscue (Penn State; Apex, N.C.), Edra Bello (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Emma Johnson (Lexington Sporting Club – USL Super League; Greenfield, Ind.), Abigail Mills (Notre Dame; Southlake, Texas), Leena Powell (Tudela FC; Culver City, Calif.), Katie Scott (Kansas City Current – NWSL; Fairview, Pa.) 
 
Midfielders (6):  Kennedy Fuller (Angel City FC – NWSL; Southlake, Texas), Peyton McGovern (Florida State; Bristow, Va.), Ashlyn Puerta (Unattached; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Grace Restovich (Notre Dame; St. Louis, Mo.), Kennedy Ring (World Class FC; East Greenbush, N.Y.) Linda Ullmark (North Carolina; Buffalo, N.Y.) 
 
Forwards (5):  Izzy Engle (Notre Dame; Edina, Minn.), Mary Long (Kansas City Current – NWSL; Mission Hills, Kan.), Chloe Ricketts (Washington Spirit – NWSL; Dexter, Mich.), Sealey Strawn (Dallas Trinity FC – USL Women’s Super League; Prosper, Texas), Mya Townes (Georgia; Aldie, Va.) 

TOURNAMENT FORMAT 

The eight-team 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship will feature round-robin play within two groups of four teams each. After group play, the group winners and runners-up will advance to the semifinals and qualify for next year’s World Cup. For the first time, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will feature 24 nations, up from 16 in the previous eight editions of the tournament. Twelve nations contested the title in 2002 and 2004, when it was held as a U-19 event. The semifinals will be played on June 6 followed by the final on June 8. All matches will take place at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. 

Additional Notes: 

• This is the first time a U-20 Concacaf qualifying roster for the United States has had more than one professional player, so the six pros on this roster are far and away a team record for a Concacaf Championship. The 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team that finished third in Colombia had eight professionals on the roster, showing how quickly the women’s youth international environment is changing. 

• The four NWSL professionals are Chloe Ricketts from the Washington Spirit, Mary Long and Katie Scott from the Kansas City Current and Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC.  

Long, Scott and Fuller all played for the USA at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, where the USA finished third, its best finish since the inaugural tournament in 2008 when the USA finished second. Fuller was the leading scorer for the USA at the 2024 Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship, which the Americans won handily. Forward Leena Powell was also on both of those U-17 teams in the last cycle. Forward Mya Townes was also on the U-17 Concacaf qualifying team last cycle and scored five goals in the tournament.  

• Fuller has seen the most action of her NWSL peers this season, playing 671 minutes in eight matches while scoring once with three assists. Ricketts has seen action in seven matches, with two starts, while Long has played in four matches as a sub. Scott has yet to appear in a regular season match this season. 

• The two USL Super League players on the roster are Sealey Strawn of Dallas Trinity FC and Emma Johnson of Lexington Sporting Club. Strawn has appeared in 18 games for Dallas Trinity and has four goals, tied for second best on a squad battling for a playoff spot in the inaugural season of the new pro league. Johnson has seen action in one match this season. 

• Of the 11 college players on the roster, four come from Notre Dame, including the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year Izzy Ingle, who found the net a remarkable 19 times in 2024. Grace Restovich added five goals and 11 assists.  

• Penn State has two players on the roster with goalkeeper Kealey Titmuss and defender Bella Ayscue

Sonoma Kasica (Notre Dame) and Caroline Birkel, who will be entering her first season at Stanford in the fall, are the other two GKs on the roster. Birkel was one of the back-up ‘keepers on the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Team and is the only player on this qualifying team from that squad. 

• Two players from 2024 NCAA Champion University of North Carolina made the squad in defender Aven Alvarez and midfielder Linda Ullmark, who finished fourth on the Tar Heels in scoring with six goals and five assists. 

• Two of the three youth club players are from Southern California in Powell, who plays for Tudela FC in Los Angeles, and defender Edra Bello from the San Diego Surf. Midfielder Kennedy Ring plays for World Class FC and hails from New York.  

• The only player on the roster who currently holds U-20 WNT international caps is Alvarez, with two from the last cycle. 

• Two players from the last U.S. team that played at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in 2023 have earned full U.S. Women’s National Team caps: forward Ally Sentnor and defender Gisele Thompson. 

• There are numerous players in the U-20 WNT pool currently playing in the National Women’s Soccer League who are age-eligible for this roster but were not available for this event. Those include Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC), Ainsley McCammon (Seattle Reign FC), Emeri Adames (Seattle Reign FC), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Melanie Barcenas (San Diego Wave) and Trinity Armstrong (San Diego Wave). All of them have World Cup experience for the USA at the U-17 or U-20 levels or both. 

• Four players on the roster helped the USA take the bronze medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile where an Under-19 American team squared off against senior Women’s National Teams, gaining valuable international experience. Those players were Kasica and Titmuss, Alvarez and Restovich.  

• Three training players will join the U.S. camp for just the Florida portion: Defender Kiara Gilmore, midfielder Riley Cross and defender Daya King.


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Pioneering women's sports bar draws crowds, eyes path to equality

A rare sports bar dedicated to showing women’s sports has built a loyal following in the northwestern United States, with the founder and many patrons hoping progress toward equality for female athletes will come with the growing popularity of such establishments. The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, opened its doors in 2022 to great community […]

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Pioneering women's sports bar draws crowds, eyes path to equality

A rare sports bar dedicated to showing women’s sports has built a loyal following in the northwestern United States, with the founder and many patrons hoping progress toward equality for female athletes will come with the growing popularity of such establishments.

The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, opened its doors in 2022 to great community reception. “The line was four blocks long the entire weekend when we first opened. It was mayhem,” said Jenny Nguyen, the founder of what is believed to be the country’s first women’s sports bar.

Patrons watch a game of the U.S. women’s college basketball tournament at The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, in April 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Of the gender-based wordplay in the name, created by inverting two letters, Nguyen, 45, called it “a tiny change that makes a dramatic difference.”

She said the bar is a place where she imagined women’s sports would not only be shown in a corner on the smallest TV, as at other venues, but instead on every screen and with the whole crowd invested in the games.

But what really convinced Nguyen to open the business is what she thought it could mean for young girls just beginning to take an interest in sports.

Jenny Nguyen, the founder of The Sports Bra, speaks to Kyodo News at the sports bar dedicated to showing women’s sports, in Portland, Oregon, in April 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

“If we opened the door for six months and only one girl came in, looked at the TV, and felt like she belonged in sports, that moment would be worth it,” she said.

On a day in April, as patrons watched the semifinal games of the U.S. women’s college basketball tournament, their cheers could be heard from the line outside as people waited to get a seat in the packed bar.

Christi Smith-Ryan, 48, a regular of the bar, praised it for making women’s sports “accessible for everyone.”

Her 44-year-old wife Nicole said, “You can go to another sports bar” to see a women’s sporting event, “but nine times out of 10, all the guys in the bar are not going to get excited about the game you’re watching.”

According to a 2024 survey conducted in the United States, Canada, Australia and four European countries, 73 percent of those polled said they watch women’s sports at least a few times a year, close to the 81 percent who view men’s sports with the same frequency.

Moreover, the level of interest appears to be growing, as over half of those who watch women’s sports said they only began doing so within the last three years, according to the survey by sports marketing platform Parity and online polling firm SurveyMonkey.

“Gender equality and the popularity of women’s sports are deeply connected,” Nguyen said, noting that if more women are in positions of power, more money will be spent on advertising and TV deals for women’s sports, allowing the industry to grow.

Patrons watch a game of the U.S. women’s college basketball tournament at The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, in April 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Bree Edwards, 47, a Sports Bra patron who played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she was grateful for the progress that has been made toward equality for female athletes.

She recalled that the first broadcast of women’s soccer she ever saw was from the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991 — but because the tournament was not aired widely in the United States at the time, she only saw it years later on a videotape.

Although viewership for women’s sports has been increasing, there are still major inequalities between male and female athletes. A World Athletics study showed that 87 percent of the online abuse before and during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was directed at women.

A poster featuring tennis player Naomi Osaka is displayed at The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, as seen in April 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken in Portland, Oregon, in April 2025 shows The Sports Bra’s shop sign. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

According to sports media outlet Sportico, no women were among the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world last year.

But as audiences continue to grow, an NBC News analysis found that the number of women’s sports bars in the United States is expected to quadruple to two dozen by the end of this year.

“There’s still so much more work to do for the fight toward equity…this is just the beginning,” Nguyen said.

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UM's Skyleigh Thompson, MSU's Ben Perrin win 2025 AAU Little Sullivan Awards

MISSOULA — Stand up, Flathead Valley. Skyleigh Thompson and Ben Perrin, two athletes from northwestern Montana who competed at Montana and Montana State, were honored as the Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award winners at the Holiday Inn in Missoula on Saturday. Thompson, a Kalispell native and 2021 Flathead grad, was presented with the female Little Sullivan […]

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UM's Skyleigh Thompson, MSU's Ben Perrin win 2025 AAU Little Sullivan Awards

MISSOULA — Stand up, Flathead Valley.

Skyleigh Thompson and Ben Perrin, two athletes from northwestern Montana who competed at Montana and Montana State, were honored as the Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award winners at the Holiday Inn in Missoula on Saturday.

Thompson, a Kalispell native and 2021 Flathead grad, was presented with the female Little Sullivan Award. The 2023 Big Sky Conference offensive MVP, she helped the Montana Grizzlies women’s soccer team earn two Big Sky regular season titles, one tournament title and one NCAA tournament berth.







Montana vs. Colorado College soccer 27.JPG

Montana forward Skyleigh Thompson dribbles downfield during the college soccer game between Montana and Colorado College at South Campus Stadium in Missoula on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.




Perrin, a Kalispell native and 2019 Flathead grad, was honored with the male Little Sullivan Award. In 2024, the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier helped the Montana State men’s track and field team win its first Big Sky outdoor title since 2005 by placing second in the 5,000 and third in the 10,000.

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Other men’s finalists were: Tommy Mellott, football, Montana State, Butte; Junior Bergen, football, Montana, Billings; and Weston Timberman, rodeo, Clarendon College (Texas), Columbus.

Other women’s finalists were: Katharine Berkoff, Olympic swimming, Missoula; Allie Olsen, volleyball, Utah, Great Falls; and Dani Bartsch, basketball, Montana, Helena.







Big Sky cross country championships 24.JPG

Montana State’s Ben Perrin races to the finish during the Big Sky cross country championships at the University of Montana Golf Course, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.




The Montana AAU handed out additional awards.

The Outstanding Contributor award went to Dave Bennetts. Billings’ Metra Park received the Outstanding Service award.

The AAU Outstanding Wrestler awards: Northeast, Angelina Escarcega, Poplar Wrestling Club, and Reece Graves, Sidney Wrestling Club; South Central, Kaitlyn Thorn, Big Game Wrestling Club, and Chris Acuna, Darkhorse Wrestling Club/ Montana Disciples; Southeast, Hayden Raemaker, Project Wrestling Club; and West, Tirza TwoTeeth, Ronan Wrestling, and Kale Baumann, North Montana Wrestling Club.

Montana USA Wrestling handed out other awards.

The Angie Buckley Award went to Kaitlyn Thorn. The Gordon Smith Award was given to Kale Baumann. The Marie Hatcher Award was presented to Jeff Anderson. Steve Komac and Matt Atwood took home the Coach’s Award. The Official’s Award went to Blake Love and Dave Bennetts. Gordon Smith, David Edington, and Gene Davis were chosen for the Hall of Fame.

The Montana AAU/USAW triple crown winners were announced.

The boys winners: 8U Cael Penrose, Oliver Heist-Levine and Connor Sweat; 10U Ry-den Garcia, Noah Hollamon, Saul Heist-Levine and Tavin Lamarr; 12U Aiden Gaarcia, Braeden Neil and Quinn Salois; 14U Joel Alves, Cuyler Clark, Zakary Acuna, Rafe Willson and Karter Whitish; 16U Aaron Schmitz; and 18U Christopher Acuna.

The girls winners: 8U Marley Seen and Khloe Alvarado; 10U Sadie Sweat; 12U Aubrey Mclaughlin, Brylee Janes and Leimana Fandrich; 14U Ashlyn McCann, Venyss Steingruber and Trinity Stoner;16U Araeya Nelson; and 18U Destiny Finley.

The inaugural Belt Series Champions were presented by Montana USAW.

The girls winners: 6U Kymber Fonger, 8U Braleigh Fonger, 10U Maybelle Larson, 12U Andreya Redfox, 14U Isabella Mikesell, 16U Araeya Nelson and 18U Kaelynn Vanderpool.

The boys winners: 6U Mickey Eckhardt, 8U Owen Hollman, 10U Noah Hollaman, 12U Archer Lusby, 14U Lavontae Morigeau, 16U Colten Conover and 18U Beaudry Payne.

Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at frank.gogola@406mtsports.com.

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