Grice Connect highlighted the rapid growth of its local sports coverage during its annual Stakeholder Luncheon, pointing to high school athletics as one of the most effective ways the organization connects students, families, and schools across Bulloch County.

Founder DeWayne Grice said that while sports have always been a cornerstone of small-town communities, Grice Connect has intentionally expanded its coverage over the past two seasons to ensure every local program receives consistent, meaningful attention. He said the goal is not simply to report scores, but to tell the stories that reflect the pride, effort, and character behind local athletics.

Grice explained that Grice Connect now provides regular coverage of all four Bulloch County high schools with sports programs — Statesboro High School, Southeast Bulloch High School, Portal High School, and Bulloch Academy — with reporters and photographers assigned to ensure weekly consistency throughout the season.

Lead Reporter Blake Williams addressed attendees about how the sports operation is structured, explaining that the coverage plan focuses on reliability and relationships. Since the start of the football season in late August, the sports team has published more than 100 local sports stories, including game recaps, photo galleries, and feature stories highlighting players, coaches, and programs.

Williams emphasized that the success of the coverage is driven by collaboration. Destiny Harwell leads the weekly sports operation, traveling to each school for pre-game interviews, capturing practice photos, and coordinating coverage across all four programs. She also oversaw the Difference Maker of the Week feature, which recognizes student-athletes for leadership, work ethic, and character both on and off the field.

On game nights, Chance Lucas and Kyle Arnold provide coverage from Portal and Southeast Bulloch home games, ensuring timely recaps and photo galleries for families and fans. Ke’Juan Humphries supports both home and away coverage, helping gather statistics, photos, and game details and ensuring stories are published quickly — often within hours of the final whistle.

Williams said the team’s collaborative approach has made it possible for Grice Connect to meet its goal of same-night coverage for every school each week, a commitment that requires long nights, tight deadlines, and careful coordination.

A key component of the sports initiative discussed during the luncheon was the Difference Maker of the Week program, which was developed in response to feedback from coaches and parents. The feature spotlights athletes who demonstrate leadership, consistency, and a positive attitude — qualities that extend beyond game statistics.

Williams said the Difference Maker stories have become some of the most-read and shared sports pieces on the site, with families often reaching out to express appreciation for the recognition. The series also provides increased visibility for student-athletes, allowing college recruiters and community members to easily find and learn about their accomplishments.

Grice returned to the podium to emphasize that sports coverage plays a critical role in engaging younger audiences and families with local journalism. He said that for many students, seeing their name or photo in a local publication is their first interaction with journalism — and a reminder that their efforts matter to the community.

He also acknowledged the behind-the-scenes commitment required to deliver consistent coverage, thanking reporters, photographers, and sponsors who support the sports division. Grice noted that the dedication shown on Friday nights and early Saturday mornings reflects the organization’s broader mission to serve the community first.

Grice concluded by saying the growth of Grice Connect’s sports coverage is one of the clearest examples of how local investment and teamwork translate into community impact, reinforcing the role of athletics as a shared experience that brings Bulloch County together.

Grice Connect needs your support

Grice Connect is dedicated to delivering high-quality local news free of charge. We believe in the power of local news and are committed to covering the stories that matter most to our community.

To keep this vital resource thriving, we rely on the generosity of community members.

We need your support to maintain our mission.

If you value the work we do, please consider making a contribution. Every dollar helps us strengthen our commitment to keeping local news free and accessible to everyone. Even a small amount can make a significant difference.

Your contribution is essential in helping us continue to serve the community with reliable, local news.

Click here to make a contribution now.

Or you can mail a check to:

Grice Connect

34 East Main Street

Statesboro, GA 30458

Thank you for being a dedicated reader.

We hope you will join us in our mission to strengthen the community.

Bulloch Daily E-Newspaper

If you only follow Grice Connect on social media like Facebook or X, your missing out on a lot of local news coverage, our events calendar and obituaries. Click here to subscribe now to Grice Connect’s Bulloch Daily e-newspaper delivered daily at 6 am to your email inbox, FREE.

Seven days a week, at 6 am you will receive your daily e-newspaper. In the Bulloch Daily you will see all of the news, sports, events and obituaries we cover daily. Most of which, you will not see on Facebook or X. Best yet, we do not allow comments on our news stories in the Bulloch Daily or on GriceConnect.com. This allows you to read the news, without being subjected to other readers opinions or input.

Click here to subscribe now to Grice Connect’s Bulloch Daily e-newspaper

CHILDREN’S DAY EVENT SET — At left, James Baber, left, president of the Martin Luther King Association in Steubenville, along with Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center, have teamed to bring a special Youth and Children’s Day event to the Steubenville area on Jan. 17. At right, Bauman joins the day’s guest speaker, Nickayla Wiggins, a news achor and reporter with WTOV-TV.
— Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — The Sycamore Youth Center, in partnership with the Martin Luther King Association of Steubenville, will host a Youth and Children’s Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Sycamore center.

The MLK Association is run under the leadership of its president, James Baber.

Activities have been designed to inspire and encourage youth throughout the area, offering music, faith, service and positive role models, according to Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of Sycamore.

The Youth and Children’s Day will be open to the public, with programming geared toward school-aged children. Children are welcome to participate in the various offerings held throughout the day.

A special highlight of the event will be guest speaker Nickayla Wiggins, a weekend news anchor and reporter with WTOV-TV. Wiggins said she is excited for the opportunity to speak to the young people of Steubenville, and looks forward to sharing her personal story of faith, as well as her career journey in broadcast journalism.

Wiggins’ message will touch on King’s influence in her life and on her professional path, as well.

Bauman stated Wiggins joined WTOV after working as a producer at WJW-TV and WOIO-TV in Cleveland. A graduate of Cleveland State University, she gained national media experience through internships with the “Today Show” and with CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight.”

Wiggins is known for her community involvement, including volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

She is a graduate of Riverside High School in Painesville.

The program will feature youth entertainment and performances from 11 a.m. to noon, along with Wiggins’ message.

Performers will include Elisha Fletcher, the winner of Valley’s Got Talent 2014; Gene “Minister of Truth” Shelby, a hip-hop artist from Pittsburgh; Lawrence Lewis Jr., a hip-hop artist from Steubenville; the Mighty Disciples; My Team; and the Next Level Community Choir.

A free luncheon will be provided by the Sycamore Youth Center from noon to 1 p.m. The afternoon will conclude with a community service project led by the staff at the Sycamore Youth Center from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will assemble food bags for children in need throughout the Steubenville area.

“The goal of Youth and Children’s Day is to uplift young people and show them that they are valued and have a purpose,” Bauman said. “By combining faith, music, service and encouragement, we hope this event leaves a lasting impact on the lives of our children.”

Programming will be geared toward children in kindergarten through 12th grade, although everyone in the community is welcome to attend, Bauman concluded.

TODAY’S YOUTH SPORTS WORLD. IN THE WORLD OF YOUTH SPORTS, A NEW PLAYBOOK IS BEING WRITTEN. A LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY FROM WHEN I WAS A KID. I FEEL LIKE WE’RE AT A DIFFERENT YOUTH SPORT EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. BY SOME ESTIMATES, YOUTH SPORTS BRINGS IN $20 BILLION A YEAR IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND CLUB SPORTS HAVE HAD A BIG HAND IN CHANGING THE GAME. THERE’S HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND TEAMS. IT’S BEEN A BIG TIME THIRST FOR PEOPLE. I THINK ACROSS SO MANY SPORTS. CLUB TEAMS OFFER YEAR ROUND TRAINING. I JUST LIKE, TRY TO LIKE KEEP GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY AT PRACTICES, AT GAMES, ELITE COMPETITION. WE PLAY GOOD TEAMS AND WE GET GOOD COMPETITION. AND FOR SOME, A PATHWAY TO COLLEGE. THE OPPORTUNITIES TO TO BE ABLE TO PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FOR FREE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. UNLIKE MANY TOWN IN SCHOOL SPONSORED PROGRAMS, CLUB SPORTS GO BEYOND SEASONS, GIVING ATHLETES A CHANCE TO FACE TOP TALENT ALL YEAR ROUND, SAYS EIGHTH GRADER MADDIE ABA. FOR A TOWN TEAM LIKE WE ONLY HAVE ONE GAME A WEEKEND, BUT FOR CLUB, WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT EVERY WEEKEND, SO I’LL BE PLAYING LIKE FOUR GAMES A WEEK INSTEAD OF JUST ONE CLUB TEAMS ARE FORMED BASED ON TALENT, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE FOR ATHLETES LIKE EIGHTH GRADER LANEY LEE, THE BENEFITS ARE CLEAR I GET TO SHOOT MORE, DRIBBLE MORE, AND I JUST GET TO PLAY WITH MORE GIRLS WHO LIKE, UNDERSTAND AND LOVE THE GAME AS MUCH AS I DO. AND FOR THE MANY PARENTS WHO SHUTTLE THEIR KIDS TO AND FROM CLUB PRACTICES AND GAMES, OFTEN HOURS AWAY, IT FEELS LIKE A SECOND JOB, BUT I WOULDN’T CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE AT ALL. IT CAN BE THE HOPE OF COLLEGE RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITIES OR MORE SIMPLY, FOR THEIR CHILD JUST TO BE A PLAYER IN THE GAME. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE’S PRESSURE TO PLAY CLUB SPORTS? I THINK THERE’S A LITTLE OF THAT. ONE ORGANIZATION AT THE HEART OF THIS MOVEMENT IS MIDDLESEX MAGIC, A YOUTH BASKETBALL CLUB BASED IN WELLESLEY. FOUNDED IN 1993, THE CLUB IS NOW LED BY FORMER CELTICS ASSISTANT BASKETBALL COACH MICHAEL CROTTY JR, WHO TOOK OVER AFTER HIS FATHER’S PASSING. THE MAGIC HAS EVOLVED QUITE A BIT, STARTING WITH TWO TEAMS, MIDDLESEX MAGIC HAS GROWN TO MORE THAN 70 ACROSS ALL LEVELS AND AGE GROUPS. MORE THAN 600 MAGIC PLAYERS HAVE GONE ON TO COMPETE AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL. TO BE ABLE TO HELP ONE KID BECOME A COLLEGE ATHLETE EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, THE JOY I GET IS SO REAL. GOOD MOVE ALEX. ATHLETES LIKE 19 YEAR OLD ALEX WILKINS HAVE THE MAGIC SPIRIT. HE PLAYS ON MAGIC’S SPONSORED ELITE UNDER ARMOR TEAM. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU LOVE ABOUT BASKETBALL? BASKETBALL HAS BEEN AMAZING TO ME. IT’S GOTTEN ME TO SCHOOL FOR FREE, SO IT MEANS A LOT TO ME FOR SURE. AT SIX FIVE, WILKINS EARNED 25 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS. YUP, 25. LET ME SEE WHAT YOU GOT. LET ME SEE. HE’S HEADED TO FURMAN UNIVERSITY, WHOSE BASKETBALL PROGRAM COMPETES AT THE DIVISION ONE LEVEL. MOM AND DAD MADE A LOT OF SACRIFICES FOR ME, SO I’M EXCITED THAT I’M. I’M ABLE TO GIVE BACK. ALEX CREDITS HIS FAMILY FIRST FOR HIS SUCCESS, BUT ALSO THE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY CLUB SPORTS, LARGELY MIDDLESEX MAGIC. IT’S OPEN DOORS THAT I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD OPEN. IF I’M BEING TOLD I SHOULD CHANGE MY LIFE. I’VE MET SOME SOME REALLY GREAT PEOPLE WATCH FILM. WE HAVE WE HAVE SCOUT REPORTS. WE’RE ALWAYS TOGETHER. WE’RE ALWAYS EATING TOGETHER. DO YOU THINK CLUB SPORTS ARE NECESSARY TO PLAY AT THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL? YES, MA’AM. I PLAYED IN FRONT OF MAYBE 30 COACHES A GAME THIS SUMMER. KARATE KNOWS A LOT OF PEOPLE. HE’S BUILT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS OVER YEARS. IF YOU THINK YOU’RE A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY BE PLAYING FOR A CLUB. BUT CLUB SPORTS AREN’T CHEAP, AND MOST FAMILIES HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY. INVESTING THOUSANDS A YEAR IN TRAVEL, TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. THE 2022 ASPEN INSTITUTE STATE OF PLAY REPORT SAYS PARENTS OF KIDS IN ELITE CLUB PROGRAMS OFTEN SPEND $12,000 OR MORE PER YEAR, AND FOR EVERY SUCCESS STORY, LIKE ALEX, MANY FAMILIES INVEST BIG BUCKS IN ENDLESS TIME INTO CLUB SPORTS FOR ATHLETES WHO MAY NEVER PLAY AT THE NEXT LEVEL. WHY? SO WE HAVE THOSE INSPIRATIONS LIKE OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO GO PRO, BUT THEN WE COME TO A REALIZATION THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AS LONG AS THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE PLAYING AND THEY BUILD THAT CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES. THAT’S WHAT WE LOOK FOR. I’M HAVING A BLAST. I TALK TO PARENTS THAT I KNOW WHOSE KIDS ARE OUT OF COLLEGE AND THEY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE IN IT, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FEEL LIKE IT’S A LITTLE OVERWHELMING. BUT I’M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 3 OR 4 YEARS FROM NOW, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO DO ON WEEKENDS. GIVEN THE BILLIONS SPENT ON THESE PROGRAMS, THEY’RE LIKELY HERE TO STAY. STILL, A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE SEEKING ALTERNATIVES. WHAT IS BEING SOLD RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE ONLY WAY FOR MY KID TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS IS TO REALLY DEEPLY INVEST IN ONE SPORT, PICK THE CLUB SPORT, PICK THE THE SPECIALTY TRAINING, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. AND ROBERT AND I BOTH CHALLENGE THAT AS WHAT IS REAL FOR KIDS IN TERMS OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE A HUGE CONVERSATION IN THE YOUTH SPORTS WORLD. ALSO, PRIVATE EQUITY IS IN THE GAME. BUYING TEAMS AND FACILITIES, WHICH COULD BRING BETTER RESOURCES, BUT ALSO HIGHER COSTS TO FAMILIES AN

Club sports are reshaping youth athletics—at what cost?

It was one of Shayna Seymour’s favorite stories to share in 2025

Updated: 7:50 PM EST Dec 29, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

It was one of Shayna Seymour’s favorite stories of 2025: an in-depth look at the youth sports phenomenon, including the influence of private, club sports. By some estimates, youth sports brings in $20 billion a year in economic activity in the United States, and private club sports have had a big hand in changing the game.

It was one of Shayna Seymour’s favorite stories of 2025: an in-depth look at the youth sports phenomenon, including the influence of private, club sports.

By some estimates, youth sports brings in $20 billion a year in economic activity in the United States, and private club sports have had a big hand in changing the game.