Rec Sports
ECNL CENTER FOR ATHLETE HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE PUBLISHES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND INJURIES
RICHMOND, Va. (November 26, 2025) – The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, led by ECNL Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Drew Watson, recently presented research regarding the relationship between mental health and injuries at the annual meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
Examining more than 650 athletes from the 2024 season, the Center for Athlete Health and Performance found athletes that suffered injuries during the prior six months reported higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those who remained healthy, even after they returned to play. The study also found more severe injuries, and a greater number of injuries,was associated with more severe levels of anxiety of depression.
“While sports have wide ranging and profound physical and mental health benefits, we also continue to recognize that injuries have impacts for young athletes beyond just physical symptoms,” Dr. Watson said. “We also found that these impacts may persist even after the physical symptoms have resolved and players have returned to sports, suggesting that we should not only be considering these impacts while players are sidelined from their injury, but also addressing any lingering issues after they return to play.”
Overall, the CAHP found that athletes were reporting improved mental health compared to during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, further emphasizing the beneficial role of sports participation. Youth soccer players injured in the previous six months, however, reported significantly worse mental health than uninjured athletes, even after returning to play. The study also found those who had two or more injuries had higher levels of anxiety and depression than athletes who reported zero or one injuries during the course of the season, and that injuries that lasted longer than three months were associated with the highest levels of anxiety.
In addition to the relationships with mental health, injuries were associated with negative impacts on quality of life, including school function, emotional function and psychosocial function. Similar to mental health, athletes who had returned to play after an injury reported improvements in these areas, but remained worse than uninjured athletes. And higher numbers of injuries and more severe injuries were similarly associated with greater impairments in these various facets of quality of life.
“This current work shows that the loss of sport that results from prolonged and recurrent injuries, in particular, can impact a range of psychosocial outcomes for players,” Dr. Watson said. “Injuries don’t just have physical consequences, they can impact all areas of a young athlete’s life, whether emotional, social, or academic.”
This work represents an important step in the ongoing efforts within the ECNL to recognize and address the mental health of its athletes. By prioritizing mental health research and understanding the different factors that influence these psychosocial outcomes, we can identify the individuals at greatest risk, undermine the stigma associated with mental health, and equip stakeholders across youth soccer with information to help these young athletes.
The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance launched in March 2025 to identify, develop and share best practices in long-term youth athlete health, development and performance. The ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance provides compilations of the most applicable research from around the world on topics relevant to youth athletes, as well as evidence derived from research projects within the ECNL conducted in collaboration with Dr. Watson’s Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.
The CAHP will continue to conduct research, disseminate evidence, and offer recommendations on a wide range of high-yield topics relevant to youth athletes, coaches, and families, including mental health, injury and illness risk and prevention, load management, pediatric exercise physiology, sport nutrition, and more.
For more information regarding the ECNL Center for Athlete Health and Performance, click here.
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About the ECNL:
The ECNL is the nation’s leading youth soccer development platform for America’s top soccer players. The ECNL mission to provide the best youth sports experience in the world drives constant innovations in competitions and experiences for players, parents, families, coaches, referees, and partners. The ECNL has questioned convention and challenged the status quo of youth sport since 2009, pushing boundaries and striving for unmatched excellence. Together with its clubs and club leaders, the ECNL creates unforgettable memories and supports the development of youth players into college stars, professionals, world champions, and leaders.
www.TheECNL.com
ECNL FB: @TheECNL | ECNL IG: @TheECNL | ECNL X: @TheECNL
SAN DIEGO — University of San Diego Women’s Soccer rang in the New Year announcing its full slate of camps and events for 2026, offering players of all ages and ability levels the opportunity to train, compete, and connect on America’s Most Beautiful campus.
From college identification camps to youth camps, a goalkeeper clinic, and a community 5v5 tournament, the 2026 calendar provides multiple entry points for players looking to grow their game in a high-energy, supportive environment. All camps and events are hosted on the University of San Diego campus and are led by the USD Women’s Soccer coaching staff, along with current student-athletes and experienced coaches.
College ID Camps
USD will host multiple College ID Camps throughout the spring, designed for prospective student-athletes who are interested in competing at the collegiate level. These camps provide a high-level training environment while allowing players to be evaluated by the USD coaching staff.
College ID Camp Dates:
Each ID Camp includes technical training, small-sided games, and full-field play, while also giving participants insight into the college soccer experience at USD.
Goalkeeper Clinic
USD will also host a dedicated Goalkeeper Clinic for players looking to refine their position-specific skills in a focused setting.
The clinic will emphasize technical development, game understanding, and position-specific training led by experienced coaches.
Ultimate 5v5 Tournament
As part of its community outreach and fundraising efforts, USD Women’s Soccer will host an Ultimate 5v5 Soccer Tournament on campus.
The event features fast-paced small-sided games, music, food, and a fun atmosphere for players, families, and fans, all while supporting the USD Women’s Soccer program.
Nike Kids Summer Soccer Camps
USD will host two Nike Kids Soccer Camps during the summer, offering young players a fun and educational introduction to the game. These camps focus on skill development, confidence, teamwork, and a love for soccer in a positive learning environment.
Kids Camp Dates:
Registration for all camps and events is now open, and spots are limited. Participants are encouraged to register early to secure their place.
For more information on USD Women’s Soccer camps and events, please visit the registration links above.
Rec Sports
The Cost of Playing Youth Sports Isn’t What It Use To Be- Up 46 Percent | News Radio 1200 WOAI
A survey between 2019 and 2024 reflects a spike of 46 percent in costs to enroll your child in an after-school sports activity. According to the Aspen Institute survey parents have paid an average of $1016.00 a year with other surveys, according to the report, showing a number as high as 5K a year.
In the 80’s, youth sports use to be offered by a nonprofit, like the YMCA, or supported by a church- with manageable costs designed to include youths from families of all income levels so that kids can learn valuable skills- such as teamwork, social skills, and to allow them to have fun. Now, kids are blocked by affordability challenges. Economist Ray Perryman says it’s unfortunate. “It makes it very difficult for what may be some very talented and dedicated kids to get the opportunities they need to compete effectively at a fairly young age.” He said.
In addition, the kids are missing scouting opportunities. “It’s become a sort of thing, where the professional and college scouts look to those camps and those leagues and that sort of thing where they start scouting and looking at those things at an early age. If you’re not there – you’ll never get on the list.
Nobody is all that happy with the current system,” said Tom Farrey, executive director of the Aspen Institute sports program. “It’s broken at best.”
The costs of youth sports go far beyond paying for teams. Parents now must pay fees for their kids just to try out for teams — $50 is not unusual — or even to watch them play.
As far as a solution- the hope is to put a spotlight on the problem. Since these are all private entities, all you can really do is create new leagues focused on affordability.
“It is something that’s very important as we move forward. When you see something that should be available to everyone. What you would hope you would see are some private sector initiatives, or philanthropic groups, or neighborhood organizers getting involved to help solve this problem over time.” Perryman said.
The Tigers on Thursday reached agreements on one-year deals for 2026 with a flurry of players to avoid arbitration.
Thursday marked the deadline for teams to exchange proposed salary figures with unsigned players that would be used in a potential arbitration hearing to determine their salary. Detroit announced it came to terms with seven players:
• OF Riley Greene: $5 million
• 1B Spencer Torkelson: $4.075 million
• OF Kerry Carpenter: $3.275 million
• RP Will Vest: $3.95 million
• UTIL Zach McKinstry: $4.2 million
• SP Casey Mize: $6.15 million
• LHP Tyler Holton: $1.575 million
The Tigers entered this offseason with a long list of arbitration-eligible players, including two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The club did not come to terms with Skubal, which means they might need an arbitration hearing to determine his salary figure for the 2026 season.
A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Skubal filed for $32 million, while the Tigers countered with $19 million. Skubal’s figure would set a new record for the highest salary earned by a pitcher in arbitration. The current record is held by former Tigers lefty David Price, who earned $19.75 million in 2015, and the record for any player is $31 million by Juan Soto.
Greene is coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he earned his second consecutive All-Star nod and his first Silver Slugger Award. He recorded an .806 OPS and logged career highs in homers (36) and RBIs (111). This marked the 25-year-old’s first year of arbitration eligibility. He’s under club control through 2028.
Torkelson (who’s also under club control through 2028) had a career year in his fourth big league campaign. Over 155 games, the 26-year-old slashed .240/.333/.456 (all of which were career highs) with 31 homers (tied for a career high), 78 RBIs and a 117 OPS+ (a career high).
Carpenter hit a career-high 26 homers this past season and slashed .252/.291/.497 over 130 games. He went on to hit two homers and log a .910 OPS over eight postseason games, both of which led Detroit. He, too, is under club control through 2028.
Vest and McKinstry are each under club control through 2027. Vest recorded a 3.01 ERA in 68 2/3 innings over 64 appearances. McKinstry earned his first All-Star nod and Silver Slugger Award while recording a .771 OPS and 113 OPS+ (both career highs) over 144 games. He appeared at every position but catcher and center field.
Mize earned his first All-Star selection while going 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA and a 3.89 FIP in 149 innings over 28 starts. The 2026 season is his final year of club control before he can become a free agent.
Holton recorded a 3.66 ERA over 70 appearances (including six starts as an opener) in 2025. He’s under club control through ‘28.
Detroit previously came to terms with outfielder Matt Vierling ($3,255,000), reliever Beau Brieske ($1,157,500) and catcher Jake Rogers ($3,050,000) in November to avoid arbitration.
Jameson416
Jan 08, 7:41 AM
The unfortunate part with a lot of it is you simply can’t find appropriate competition at the “local/rec” level for several sports. This is especially true for baseball leagues by the ages of 9 or 10. If your kid can play, and wants to improve and play with similarly talented kids, travel becomes the only option in a lot of places. It really sucks, bcz there are a lot of travel teams that really arent even that good, and if everyone would just agree to play rec, the leagues could be strong… but thats just not the way it works out in most cases. Thankfully that mentality hasn’t overtaken football in our area, and I’ll never be a proponent of single sport specialization.
I really like what the above poster said about “being ok spending the $, if the kid is willing to work.” That’s pretty much 100% where we are as well. My oldest is way more into it and so thats what we do, including private training etc… my middle child is actually prob a better natural athlete (speed, quickness, etc) but he just isn’t to the point of caring that much yet, which we’re totally fine with. Im a firm believer in meeting your kids where they are, seems to make for a better outcome.
I wholeheartedly agree though, youth sports have become outrageous. But where do we go from here?
On January 13th, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for West Virginia v. BPJ and Little v. Hecox, cases arguing that West Virginia and Idaho’s bans preventing transgender students from playing on the school sports teams that align with their gender identity violate both Title IX and the United States Constitution’s Equal Protection clause. As transgender youth continue to face numerous targeted attacks from healthcare to education, these cases mark another key moment in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination that could have implications beyond the sports world.
Human Rights Campaign Senior Director of Legal Policy Cathryn Oakley released the following statement ahead of oral arguments:
“The issues at play in these cases are basic fairness and equality. Every child, no matter their background, race, or gender, should have access to a quality education where they can feel safe to learn and grow–and for many kids that involves being a part of a school sports team. To deny transgender kids the chance to participate in school sports alongside their peers simply because of who they are is textbook discrimination—and it’s unconstitutional.
“The legal support for the challenges to these clearly discriminatory laws is clear. Yet in these cases, we once again have the Alliance Defending Freedom, the Project 2025-affiliated group that brought the case that overturned Roe v Wade as well as many anti-LGBTQ+ lawsuits, fighting to dismantle well-established civil rights protections. These bans aren’t just about attacking trans kids–they’re about policing gender. The Court should follow the law, reject this callous bullying, and ensure every child in school can feel safe and supported in their educational journeys.”
2x World Cup Champion and HRC Board Member Ashlyn Harris released the following statement ahead of oral arguments:
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that sports saved my life. Not only did it teach me about leadership, accountability, and teamwork, it gave me a sense of belonging and safety that I needed to survive. Every kid deserves this opportunity, and it breaks my heart to see efforts to take sports away from trans kids who just want a place to play and belong. As a 2x World Cup Champion, I can say unequivocally that the types of bans in front of the Supreme Court do nothing to solve the actual problems facing women’s sports that I spent my career fighting for–including equitable pay, safety, and a lack of resources and respect. Instead, they hurt all women and girls by encouraging folks to police what we look like and how we show up in the world. Let’s stop with the bullying and let all kids play.”
Details of the Cases:
West Virginia v. BPJ is brought by the ACLU, the ACLU of West Virginia, Lambda Legal and Cooley LLP, who are representing a West Virginia family and their daughter Becky (B.P.J), a middle school student who was not allowed to try out for girl’s sports because she is transgender. B.P.J asserts that the ban violates her rights under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Department of Justice under the previous administration supported her case, and B.P.J. won the protection of a preliminary injunction. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction as well.
Little v. Hecox is brought by the ACLU and the ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a transgender student at Boise State University who was impacted by Idaho’s 2020 transgender athletics ban. Hecox asserts that the ban violates her rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A federal judge issued an injunction blocking enforcement of Idaho’s anti-transgender sports ban, which was later upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last year, the Supreme Court decided to take up the cases together, hearing oral arguments on January 13th, 2026. A decision is expected in Spring of this year.
Potential Impact of these Cases:
The state bans in these cases are being challenged on two grounds: Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court will have to weigh whether Title IX’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs includes a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender identity, specifically in the context of sports.
- If the Court rules that Title IX does not include prohibitions for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, specifically for sports or more broadly, it would allow these anti-transgender sports bans to stand.
- Additionally, Title IX governs different types of sex-based discrimination beyond sports, including the use of people’s names and pronouns, what bathrooms a person can use, what dress codes they have to adhere to, whom they can take to prom, and even whether they can openly identify as LGBTQ+.
- Therefore, undermining Title IX protections for transgender people could create pathways for increased discrimination and exclusion in federally-funded educational institutions for all LGBTQ+ people.
- If the Court rules that Title IX does include prohibitions for discrimination on the basis of gender identity in sports, the Plaintiffs (Hecox and B.P.J.) would win their challenges and the state bans, and others like them across the country, would fall.
- On Equal Protection grounds, the Court will again be asked to determine what level of constitutional scrutiny anti-transgender laws must survive if they are to stay in effect. Depending on the rationale the Court uses to justify the level of scrutiny they choose, that level of scrutiny could have implications for anti-transgender laws other than sports.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.
USD Women’s Soccer Announces 2026 ID Camps, Youth Camps and Event Lineup
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