Youth sports aren’t just about scoring points, they’re about building confidence, social skills, and lifelong habits. This May, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, is a great time to focus on how sports help kids thrive.

Observed since 1983, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is an initiative created by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. This annual event promotes physical activity and sports participation. Sports offer kids the chance to explore movement, learn teamwork, and burn off energy in a positive way. Whether it’s soccer practice or a game of catch, these moments help kids grow stronger, physically and emotionally.

The National Youth Sports Strategy supports programs that help all kids get in the game, no matter their background or skill level. At Rutgers University, the Youth Sports Research Council develops information about the impact of physical activity and sports on children’s development. YSRC partners with organizations such as the New Jersey Recreation and Park Association to provide training and resources for coaches and parents. Programs, including the SAFETY Clinic Course (Sports Awareness for Educating Today’s Youth) help volunteer coaches create safe and positive sports environments for youth. 

So this May, let’s support this next generation of winners, on and off the field. Whether it’s volunteering to coach, enrolling your child in a new sport, or advocating for inclusive youth programs in your community, your involvement can make a difference.

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Age 75 of Elmira, NY. He was born on August 19th, 1949 in Elmira, the son of the late Francis C. “Frank” & Evelyn (Bowell) Ferraro. He passed away on Wednesday, May 14th, 2025. In addition to his parents, Jim was also predeceased by his daughter Danielle Tomisman; and sister Sharon Moshey. He is survived by his sons Anthony “Tony” Ferraro (Kelly Wright), James “Jay” (Gretchen) Ferraro Jr, and Michael Ferraro; grandchildren Anthony Putney, Cullan Putney, Abbie Putney, Zack Tomisman, Gianna Ferraro, Ryen Ferraro, Ian Ferraro, and Grayson Putney; sister Carol & James Keough; brother in law Robert Moshey; son in law Paul (Claire) Tomisman; along with several extended family and dear friends. Jim was a Southside High Scholl graduate, Class of 1968. He joined and served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1971. After his military service, Jim found his life’s continued service as an EMT and firefighter with the Elmira Fire Department – starting in 1974 until his retirement in 1996. At his request, family will not hold public services. Those wishing may honor Jim with a donation to a local youth sports organization in your district or area.

Condolences at www.barberfuneralhome.com

Kyle A. Pillar – Sports Editor

ROCKINGHAM — The longest-running youth sports camp at Richmond Senior High School will return for another summer. 

After reaching the quarter century mark last year, Richmond’s soccer program will celebrate its 26th camp later next month. 

One of several youth development camps held at the high school during the summer recess, soccer camp consistently hosts the largest number of campers. The last several years have averaged well over 100 participants. 

This year’s camp is slated for Monday, June 23, through Thursday, June 26. All four days of the camp will be held on Richmond’s soccer pitch, practice soccer field and football field.

Open to boys and girls ages six to 14 who are rising kindergarteners through rising ninth graders, each day of camp will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 11:30 a.m.

Expecting there to be another strong turnout across all the age groups, head soccer coach Chris Larsen is encouraging families to pre-register campers. 

Richmond’s mission statement for camp is “​​to teach, educate and raise the level of soccer skills for the campers as well as teach the team concept. This will lead to success on the soccer field.”  

Local soccer enthusiasts are also encouraged to “keep active this summer by being a part of a winning tradition.”

The cost for each camper for the four-day event is $75, which includes a camp t-shirt.

Soccer Camp Registration Link

Soccer Camp Payment Link

Payment can be sent via check to Richmond to the attention of Chris Larsen. Online payment through GoFan is an option, which includes a $4.75 service fee. 

Larsen said all equipment needed for camp will be provided, but campers are responsible for their own cleats, shin guards and water bottles. 

“Each summer we have the pleasure of offering this camp,” Larsen said. “Our goal is to continue to grow the sport in our county while the kids have an enjoyable experience. 

“The number of participants has been consistent for many years now and we get so many returning campers each summer,” he added. “As the sport continues to attract interest in our area, we want to provide varying levels of instruction to make our future Raiders successful today.”

Helping with the camp will be Richmond’s assistant soccer coaches Bennie Howard and Michelle Denson. Current and former Raider and Lady Raider soccer players will be on hand, as well as a few other area coaches. 

Soccer camp will be split into different age groups and the first three days will feature different skill-building activities. The week will culminate in a final day filled with small-sided games and scrimmages. 

Larsen can be reached at chrislarsen@richmond.k12.nc.us. 

This story was produced by El Tímpano, a civic media organization serving and covering the Bay Area’s Latino and Mayan immigrant communities. The original version of the story can be found here.

In the winter of 2019, Adelaida, an immigrant from Todos Santos, a rural region in the northern highlands of Guatemala, arrived in the Bay Area. The timing was not ideal. The then twelve-year-old resettled in California just a few months before the pandemic shut down the kinds of communal spaces that could help a teenager adjust to a new life on the other side of the world. Cooped up at home, Adelaida stumbled through her online classes. She struggled to make new friends. The lockdown made the already difficult acculturation process even slower. “I never had a chance to go out, explore what was out there,” she said in Spanish. “It was very hard to adjust.”

As the years passed, Adelaida’s sense of isolation persisted. She was navigating the routine stress of any teenager’s high school life—grades, homework, the social scene—all the while thousands of miles from the familiar comforts of home. Then, one afternoon last winter, while walking home from school, Adelaida caught a glimpse of a scene that filled her with longing. A group of girls, roughly her age, enjoying the simple pleasure of an outdoor soccer practice. “They were laughing, having fun, playing so freely,” she recalled. “And I thought: ‘I want that.’”

Soccer, or the beautiful game, as it’s affectionately called, is a singular global institution. It’s estimated that upwards of 240 million people worldwide play it —roughly two-thirds the population of the U.S.—with a fan base that tops three billion. For its legion of devotees, the sport is transcendent: at once magic, religion, a language unto itself. For immigrant youth, the sport’s global appeal has served as a cultural bridge to their new homes, helping them build friendships that can ease the resettlement process.

These days, the field is also a quiet oasis from the current anti-immigrant moment in the U.S. Since January 20, the Trump administration has launched what it calls “the largest deportation operation in American history,” issuing more than 250 sweeping changes targeting the nation’s immigration system, including policies aimed squarely at migrant youth—moves that have chilled immigrant communities and made everyday life more fraught.

These changes have significant implications for immigrant youth in Alameda County, which has the second-largest population of unaccompanied minors in California, with more than 560 resettling in the community between October 2023 and June 2024, according to the latest data. As the administration targets young migrants, community members are reporting heightened levels of fear and uncertainty, said Katie Annand, an attorney at Immigrant Legal Defense, which provides legal representation to immigrant youth living in Oakland. That sense of fear can fracture “the sense of belonging that they are working so hard to find,” she explained. Finding community through soccer, she added, helps repair those ruptures.

As an example, Annand recalled recently asking a young client what activities brought him joy. When he mentioned soccer, she invited him to describe how the game made him feel. “And there was no hesitation,” Annand said. “His first words were: ‘I feel free.’”

Without sanctuary protections, safe spaces shrink

Since January 20, the administration has introduced a string of policies targeting migrant children. Officials have revived family detention—a practice largely endedunder the Biden administration and widely criticized for its psychological impact on children. They’ve announced plans to deport and prosecute hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors, terminated federally funded legal aid for those children, leaving some as young as two to navigate immigration court alone, and created a new data-sharing agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

That arrangement grants immigration agents access to personal data of children released to sponsors, as well as information about the sponsors themselves, who are often part of or connected to immigrant communities. The move could dissuade guardians from taking in children who arrive in the U.S. alone and erode the firewall between the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Department of Homeland Security that the federal government previously maintained, said Sergio Perez, Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

“The idea by the Trump administration is: ‘Here’s a treasure trove of information that we can use to better understand where all the immigrants are and where to send our agents,’” Perez said. “If you are going to take in an undocumented child, you probably have some connection to that child—familial or societal. And if you yourself are part of an immigrant community, you might be less likely to do that, if you know ICE is suddenly going to be breathing down your neck.”

At the same time, the administration has stripped sanctuary protections from institutions once considered off-limits: schools and churches. The result, advocates warn, is a new layer of fear in spaces that once offered safety. Many expect this wave of policies to add another layer of emotional distress to an already difficult resettlement process.

The best way to respond, Perez argued, is to mobilize community in the broadest sense possible. That includes “city and county laws that protect information and those spaces as best as they can,” Perez said, as well as “civic society stepping up and saying: ‘Not here.’” Children, he added, “should be able to enjoy the sun. It’s better than being in the shadows.”

A network of care and community

Adelaida eventually found her place on the team. After passing the practice that day, she approached the coach and asked if she could join the program, which is run by the nonprofit Soccer Without Borders, which uses free soccer programming to help immigrant and refugee youth build ties to their new communities. Adelaida was brought on board, joining a squad of newcomer girls. She has since found solace in the world’s most popular sport. “It has helped me feel more integrated in this country,” Adelaida explained. She made friends on the team, which helped her feel more settled in her new home. The twin shocks of relocation and lockdown have faded. Now, Adelaida said, “ I feel at home. I say that I am from Oakland.”

Researchers and advocates who work closely with recent immigrants say soccer is one of the most effective, and accessible, tools for helping young people rebuild their sense of self after migration. Kristina Lovato, director of UC Berkeley’s Center on Immigrant Child Welfare, interviewed dozens of young adults and unaccompanied minors across California for a forthcoming study, including immigrant youth who joined organized soccer leagues. She was struck by how the game helped ease their transition. “It’s such a friendly way that immigrants can connect to one another, and for an hour and a half on the field, let go of the mental stress that is burdening their day,” she said. 

This cognitive stress load is often exacerbated by the material demands of relocation, such as finding stable housing, securing employment, and repaying debts accrued during their journey. “Children arrive with a huge list of to-do’s and are stressed from the minute they get here,” Lovato said.

For many immigrant youth, the trauma of relocation captures just one emotional stage of migration. Ryan Matlow, a Stanford clinical psychologist who works with immigrant youth in the Bay Area, described numerous stages of psychological stress that accompany children across the arc of the migratory process: the trauma of leaving home, the trauma of the journey to the U.S., the trauma of crossing the border and the trauma of resettlement.

The rupture of leaving home can leave children unmoored and searching for a sense of belonging. For children who came from soccer-loving communities or households, the sport can help preserve their emotional ties to the countries and cultures they left behind, Matlow said. “Having opportunities to connect with practices and traditions that resonate with their cultural history is really valuable,” he explained. The social dynamics of team sports, Matlow added, can also provide emotional support during resettlement, helping children reestablish the sense of community they left behind.

Like Adelaida, Ana arrived in the U.S. just before the pandemic. In the early days, she was overcome by everyone she missed in Guatemala. She thought about her family and friends constantly as she tried to figure out her place in the East Bay. When school reopened, Ana decided to give soccer a try. Though she had never played before, she joined one of Soccer Without Borders’ girls’ leagues. The learning curve was steep but fulfilling. “I feel like I found my family here,” Ana said in Spanish. “Here, I feel safe.  I keep meeting new people. I like to be here in this community. I have found the perfect place for myself.”

Another player in the league said the field lets her briefly tune out from the stress of daily life. “I put everything aside and have fun,” she said in Spanish. “It’s a safe space for me.”

Coaches and advocates emphasized the importance of maintaining emotionally safe environments as the political climate becomes more unwelcoming to immigrants. That means being attentive to how, and if, national politics are discussed on the field, explained Ye-Htet Soe, the program manager of the Bay Area chapter of Soccer Without Borders. “Some teams want to talk about it more, and others just want to play,” he said. For some players, bringing the administration or politics into team spaces risks damaging the psychological safety they offer. “The most important thing is creating a sense of belonging. And the way you do that through sports isn’t necessarily to talk about the issue at hand,” Soe continued. “Sometimes you need to let sport do its thing and create that sense of community, with an emphasis on fun and joy.”

Finding a voice on the field

On a bright Saturday afternoon in mid-April, Ana and her teammates stood in a straight line in front of their opponents after the referee blew the game’s final whistle. It had been a close, nail-biter of a game; while the two teams were evenly matched, one squeaked by with a victory after a late goal in the second half of the game. Friends and family cheered and groaned from the sidelines. Players were flushed.

Maddy Boston, one of the team’s coaches and a program manager at Soccer Without Borders Bay Area, gathered both squads at midfield for a ritual known as the positivity circle. Each player shared their name, country of origin and a compliment for someone on the opposing team.

Boston kicked off the circle with a peppy post-game recap, then opened up the floor. Ana stepped forward, shyly, praising two players on the opposing team for their crisp passing and stamina. “I loved the way you play,” she said. 

Later, sitting on a bench, Adelaida reflected on what the team had given her. Being in the league had inspired a dream: she wanted to start a team of her own someday. “It all came from this team that helped me grow stronger as a person,” she said. Her ideal name for it?

United.

The Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth today announced that registration is now open for each team’s 3v3 tournament, which will take place on July 12 at The Shops at South Town in Sandy, Utah. It will be the first-ever 3×3 street hockey tournament offered by Utah’s NHL team. Offering an environment for healthy competition and entertainment, both events are designed to connect the community through sports.

“These events are so special because they bring people together, energize the community, help create memories, and make sports available to everyone,” said Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy at Smith Entertainment Group. “The Jazz 3v3 tournament has become a beloved summer staple, and we’re thrilled to build on that momentum and start a new tradition with the Utah Mammoth 3v3 street hockey tournament, which will inspire even more athletes across the state.”

Utah Jazz 3v3 Tournament and Registration

The Jazz 3v3 tournament, sponsored by Just Ingredients, will feature more than 30 divisions for boys and girls (10U-18U), as well as adult men’s and women’s groups, including 30U, 31+, and a men’s six-foot-and-under division. Each team of three to five players will compete in a traditional half-court format with each game lasting 20 minutes. Registration is open until July 2 and costs $175 per team. Each participant is guaranteed four games and will receive both a Jazz-branded 3v3 shirt and a ticket to a game during the 2025 Salt Lake City Summer League, which will be hosted at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center on July 5, 7, and 8. Winning teams will receive a ticket to a 2025-26 Utah Jazz game, a Shoot 360 experience, and a meet and greet with a Utah Jazz player. Additional rules and information about the Utah Jazz’s 3v3 tournament can be found by visiting www.nba.com/jazz/3v3tournament.

Utah Mammoth 3v3 Tournament and Registration

The Utah Mammoth 3v3 tournament, sponsored by G2G Protein Bar, will offer street hockey competition across several age groups, including a 10U division for boys, 12U to 18U division for boys and girls, and adult divisions for ages 17 and up. In addition, the 3v3 tournament will feature beginner play, recreational, and competitive levels, allowing athletes of all abilities the opportunity to compete. Each team of five to seven players will play in a court that is 60 ft. long with each game lasting 20 minutes.

Registration is open through July 2 and costs $200 per team. Each participant is guaranteed four games and will receive both a Mammoth-branded 3v3 shirt and a ticket to a Utah Mammoth 2025-26 preseason game. Winning teams will receive a ticket to the 2025-26 Utah Mammoth home opener, a meet and greet with a Utah Mammoth player, and an exclusive 3v3 branded team hat. Additional rules and information about the Utah Mammoth 3v3 tournament can be found by visiting www.utahmammothyouth.com/street-hockey/3v3/.

Participants of both the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth 3v3 tournaments can save $25 by registering before June 3 and using the promo code 3v3SUMMER25.

Additional Summer Youth Programming

From late May through August, the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth will host a variety of additional camps and clinics and other skills-focused development programming designed for youth ages 6 to 18. Beginning May 29, the Utah Jazz will offer two-day skills clinics, advanced shooting clinics, and more across Utah and Idaho, which can be found at www.jazzyouth.com/schedule. Beginning today, the Utah Mammoth will offer street leagues, Hockey 101 sessions, and more. Additionally, in early June, statewide ice clinics will be available. Details on youth hockey programming can be found at www.nhl.com/utah/community/youth-hockey/.

More information on the annual Junior Jazz Summer Road Trip and additional youth basketball and hockey programming will be shared in the coming weeks.