The partnership the city of Burbank has created with Angel City Sports, an organization that has played a key role in the growth of adaptive sports, is growing into bigger events.

Sunday at McCambridge Park, it was Mexico Pro Soccer Club de Futbol Monterrey that partnered with Angel City Sports and brought out its staff, including former player Jesus Zavala, to put on an Adaptive Sports Festival.

“Thank you to the city of Burbank for welcoming us warmly and to Angel City for the incredible leadership in making this day a reality. Thank you for every athlete, family member and volunteer who showed up today. Your presence is what makes this festival truly special,” Monterey President Pedro Esquivel said.  “Today is much more than a celebration of soccer. It is a celebration of the possibility of what happens when we remove barriers and open up the field to everyone. As Rayados, we are committed to being a club with purpose and heart.”

Monterrey is in the Los Angeles area for the next week as it is a participant in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The Rayados will open play Tuesday evening at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena against Italian club Internazionale of Milan. The match begins at 6 p.m.

Angel City Sports board member Joe Giuntu thanked the many local dignitaries, including Mayor Nikki Perez, who came to celebrate the event.”

“We very much appreciate our local community leaders coming out and supporting inclusion, equality, and love. I very much appreciate you bringing that to the Burbank community today,” Giuntu said.

McCambridge Park had stations set up throughout the park to give participants an opportunity to participate in events such as Amputee Soccer, Able-Bodied Soccer, Powerchair Soccer, Wheelchair Football, Wheelchair Rugby and Parafencing.

Perez thanked Monterrey, which reached out to Angel City Sports in seeking to sponsor such an event.

“Burbank has worked hard to build a reputation for inclusive programming, and thanks to the dedication of our Parks and Recreation Department and incredible partners like Angel City Sports, we continue to grow our reach,” she said. “And to Club de Futbol Monterey – thank you for choosing Burbank and for using your platform to create a lasting, meaningful impact.”

The USA Clay Target League is a non-profit organization and America’s largest youth clay target shooting sport program. The NRA Foundation provides grant support for the league’s state and national tournaments and funds many local teams as well.

The clay target shooting option is very popular with students. More than 1,800 high school, college and homeschool teams were involved in the USA Clay Target League in 2024. And, of the more than 53,000 participating student athletes last year, more than 9,000 were first-time clay-target participants.

“The benefits to the students often go unrecognized,” John Nelson, President of the USA Clay Target Shooting League, said. “There are plenty of other programs, but 40% of our student athletes don’t participate in anything else; they aren’t part of the band or football team, etc. Tens of thousands of kids each year have an opportunity they wouldn’t have had otherwise, to be part of their school community, which leads to such positive outcomes in life. They’re more likely to achieve better grades, more likely to graduate, to go to college—we see students with such great stories of overcoming their challenges.”

One NRA Foundation grant recipient was Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill. “It’s really up to how much the student wants to invest,” said Joshua Fulk, the head instructor of the Lake Land program and founder of the associated St. Elmo Brownstown High School Clay Target Team. “If they really are determined, they practice, go to shooting clinics, learn how to fix something they may be doing wrong. Keeping focus on school, making sure they’re getting their work done and making good grades because opportunities are also possible because of those good grades.”

Beyond the incredible importance of finding their place in a team, students also learn safety and marksmanship. More of these students will also develop an interest in the outdoors, participating in their incredible heritage of freedom and outdoors recreation in public lands, which is likely to influence them toward preserving both.

“The NRA Foundation is proud to support USA Clay Target League and their many youth programs held around the country,” Ruthann Sprague, assistant director of NRA Foundation Grant Outreach and Strategy, said. “Each year three-quarters of state fund grants support youth shooting sports programs. In 2024, over $7.5 million was awarded to youth programs for more than 2,060 grants. The NRA Foundation is invested in the next generation of America’s leaders.”

Research published by the University of Cambridge in 2024 found that traditional uniform policies can act as a barrier to physical activity, particularly for primary school-aged girls.

This is echoed in polling from the Active Uniform Alliance – a coalition we’re proud to co-found alongside OPAL, Play England, Play Scotland, the Centre for Young Lives and Learning through Landscapes.

Their findings reveal that:

• 81% of the public believe being active during the school day improves children’s mood, focus and wellbeing.
• 72% say an Always Active Uniform is more appropriate than a smart, office-style one.
• 58% agree that skirts and dresses can discourage girls from participating in physical activity. 

The role of uniform in an active school day

One school already successfully trialling this approach is Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland, with whom we’ve filmed a great case study.

Since introducing an Always Active Uniform, the school has experienced a significant rise in participation in sports and girls especially now feel more comfortable and able to use all the equipment.

The school headteacher, Iain Williamson, points out that school standards have not fallen. Instead, it’s all about creating a generation of children who are healthy and well equipped on their journey to adulthood, with positive attitudes towards food and exercise that they will carry for the rest of their lives.

Parents are supportive of the idea, particularly those with children of sensory needs.

It’s interesting how clothing might seem secondary to education, but it has a profound influence on inclusion, identity and participation.

If we want to normalise 60 active minutes a day, we need to make movement a seamless part of school life – not a special event confined to a sports hall or a single PE lesson.

We also need to think about the children most at risk of missing out on physical activity: those with sensory needs (for whom formal school wear can be uncomfortable or distressing), girls who often feel less confident moving in traditional uniforms and families on low incomes, for whom buying separate PE kits and branded uniforms presents an additional barrier.

By removing the logistical and psychological obstacles to movement, an Always Active Uniform creates the conditions for children to move more, connect more and learn better.

Join the movement

This year we’re encouraging every school to use National School Sports Week as a moment to trial a new approach – whether that’s offering one day of active uniform as part of the week or consulting pupils and parents about what their school uniform could look like in future.

So let’s use this year’s campaign to imagine what’s possible when children are truly free to move.

Sign up now and join us in championing a future where every school day is an active one.

Make sure to follow National School Sports Week social activity by using #NSSW2025 on our social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram and/or Facebook.

In his first job out of high school, Keven Krieger worked for the city of Belding. Two decades later, he’s returned to the community as city manager.

by Hanna Singh

Get ready to play ball in Ruston! The Softball Dixie World Series will be coming to Ruston this summer for their 50^th Anniversary.

Set for July 25–30, this milestone event will welcome between 80 to 90 teams from 10 Southern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Teams will play in tournament games at the Ruston Sports Complex, with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for Friday, July 25 at the Thomas Assembly Center at Louisiana Tech University.

Beginning in 1975, the Dixie Softball World Series was founded as part of the larger Dixie Youth Sports organization, which was created to provide community-based baseball and softball programs in the southern United States. This historic tournament will feature all divisions of Dixie Softball, bringing in players from ages 5 to 19.

Dixie Softball’s District 6 Director, Jade Cannon shared her excitement about the upcoming event and what it means for the community.

“Ruston Dixie hosted the Dixie Debs World Series in 2021. The National Directors loved their experience in Ruston. They were very impressed by the Ruston Sports Complex and its ability to host a tournament the size of a 50th World Series,” Cannon said. “That, added with Ruston’s hospitality, prompted them to ask us to bid for the 2025 World Series. 

“We were awarded the bid in 2021. As a league, we are very excited for this experience.  The Ruston Dixie SweeTees (ages 5-6) have earned their trip to the World Series for the past three years. This year we will have our local girls competing in every age division, and we’re happy they’re going to get this experience.”

Ruston Dixie president Stephanie Whitten emphasized how event will require a team effort, and how community will play an important role in its success.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host an event of this size and that people can experience the town we love so much. The Ruston Dixie Board of Directors began the groundwork for hosting this tournament as soon as we were awarded the bid.  I have been very impressed with the City of Ruston, the Ruston Sports Complex, and the CVB with their help towards hosting the tournament,” Whitten said.  “We definitely will also need the help of the community as well. There are opportunities for sponsorships, advertisements, and to volunteer.  Volunteer opportunities include set ups, serving, host families, and even help running games.  We have a QR code for signups and would love your help.”

With thousands of players, coaches, families and fans expected to arrive in Ruston, there will be a significant economic and cultural impact on the town. Local businesses, restaurants and hotels can expect many visitors, all getting a firsthand taste of Ruston’s charm and culture.

Cannon highlighted how both the softball players as well as the town of Ruston will benefit from the tournament coming to town.

“We are looking forward to seeing our hometown kids compete at the highest level of Dixie Softball. They are working hard to prepare as they have all season long. I will be very rewarding to see them play at the World Series, especially the ones that have played with us for many years,” Cannon said. “There is no better feeling than to see their friends, family and community filling the stands in support. The people of Ruston can look forward to a busy weekend of good softball, and people from all over the country visiting our stores, restaurants and hotels.”

For more information about volunteering or sponsoring the event, visit the Ruston Dixie Softball Facebook page or scan the official QR code posted online.

MITCHELL — Nearly 30 soccer teams were in Mitchell over the weekend for the Palace City Cup youth soccer tournament at the Pepsi-Cola Soccer Complex.

The tournament format included playing a series of pool games, with no final bracket play.

In the high school boys division, which included four teams, the Mitchell under-18 squad claimed the division title with a 3-0-1 weekend. They outscored their opponents 12-7 in those matches, including a 2-1 and 3-1 wins over the Tempo club, of Tea, while Mitchell tied 2-2 with Bricks U19, of Bismarck, North Dakota.

Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

The Hornets of the Mitchell Soccer Association finished with the top record in the 12U boys six-team pools. The Hornets were 3-1, outsourcing their opponents 16-9 in four matches. The BASA Thunder, of Brandon, and HCSC Cobras, of Aberdeen, were both 2-2 in their matches.

In the six-team U10 boys division, BASA, of Brandon, and OFC Revolution Green, of Pierre, were both 2-0-1, tying against each other in a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.

Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

A BASA team from Brandon also won the under-10 girls division, which had five teams in it, with BASA and Fire and Ice, of Mitchell, both finishing 3-1 in their matches, and Fire and Ice won the head-to-head meeting 3-1 on Sunday morning.

The BASA squad topped the Mitchell under-12 team twice to claim the top honors in that division. They were the only two entrants in that age group. BASA won 2-1 and 4-1 in two matches.

Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “Mitchell Republic.” Often, the “Mitchell Republic” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.