LIBERTY, NY — Thomas Zehner has joined Liberty Central School District as its athletic director.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Sage College of Albany in K-12 physical education, a master’s degree in health, recreation and physical education from Emporia State University, and a Certification of Advanced Study in School Leadership from SUNY New Paltz.

Before coming to Liberty, Zehner was an elementary physical education teacher in the Beacon City School District. He also worked as a cooperating teacher for student teachers for six years. He served as a coach for soccer, basketball, tennis, softball and lacrosse too. 

He said he wants to build upon past successes at Liberty and hopes to increase participation in the Redhawks sports programs.

To do this, he said he wants to help support existing youth sports programs in the community, as well as build programs to introduce younger students to sports in the schools, in accordance with the Redhawks Champion Plan introduced last year.

Expanding the Athletes Helping Athletes can be a big part of that, he said. 

“Mentoring is great,” Zehner said, “but if we can get our older athletes to assist more in the elementary and middle schools, we can better build that sense of Redhawk community and Liberty pride.”

He said he could see students helping lead lessons in their sports or volunteering with sports programs in the community.

“The district as a whole will benefit from promoting the culture of school spirit,” he said.

In his free time, Zehner—who lives in Wappingers Falls—enjoys golfing, hiking, playing sports and spending time with his family and dog.

The post Nets, Liberty make historic investment in youth basketball facility appeared first on ClutchPoints.

BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty, is making a historic investment in local youth basketball. The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, set to open this fall across from Barclays Center, will become the first youth basketball facility in the tri-state area to deploy Shoot 360 technology.

Advertisement

Shoot 360 is a leader in basketball innovation and skill development, providing athletes of all skill levels with immersive and data-driven training. The software is used by the Nets and every other NBA team, as well as over 100 college programs. It tracks and measures skill development across ball-handling, passing and shooting to give athletes instant performance feedback.

“When I was growing up, I did not have access to anything like this, and I can only imagine how much it would have changed my game,” said Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. “What Brooklyn Basketball is building with Shoot 360 is giving kids real tools to grow, build confidence, and have fun doing it. I love seeing this kind of investment in the next generation, right here in our Liberty community.”

Brooklyn’s new training Center will be operated by BSE Global’s flagship youth basketball program, Brooklyn Basketball.

Advertisement

Nets and Liberty incorporating cutting-edge software into local youth training facility

The program is affiliated with the Nets and Liberty and was created “to establish a community-first basketball experience dedicated to nurturing young basketball players and enthusiasts to unlock their full potential on and off the court.” The 18,600 sq. ft facility and its cutting-edge technology mark the latest investment into the community by Nets and Liberty owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai.

“At Brooklyn Basketball, we’re truly excited to introduce Shoot 360 technology to the next generation of athletes,” said Marissa Shorenstein, Chief External Affairs Officer at BSE. “As the only youth facility in the tri-state area equipped with this cutting-edge tool, we’re proud to offer participants an unparalleled training experience, providing instant, data-driven feedback that accelerates skill development like never before. Shoot 360 will also empower our youngest athletes to reach new heights through measurable progress and personalized coaching. We’re committed to shaping the future of basketball by combining innovation and passion — and with Shoot 360, our Training Center will be a game-changer for our community.”

Advertisement

The training center will feature[= eight total installations of Shoot 360’s interactive training technology – five shooting cages and three skill cages, putting it at the forefront of local youth basketball development.

“Partnering with Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment to bring Shoot 360 to the heart of New York is more than just an expansion — it’s a revolution in youth basketball development,” said Craig Moody, Founder of Shoot 360. “Our mission has always been to transform the way players train by combining cutting-edge technology with a deep love for the game. The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center will be a place where data meets dreams, and where every young athlete gets a personalized roadmap to their potential. We’re proud to help shape the future of the game in one of basketball’s most iconic regions.”

Related: Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. defends brother’s honor amid gambling scandal

Related: Nets rumors: Cam Thomas’ $30 million ask getting no interest around NBA

FORT WAYNE — Nearly a week after holding a community forum about youth violence, Mayor Sharon Tucker on Aug. 7 outlined the Youth Violence Prevention Program, a proactive plan to help address youth violence citywide in Fort Wayne.

The recent youth violence forum drew about 200 people, Tucker said. The roles and responsibilities of the mayor’s office and Fort Wayne Police Department were explained at the event. Attendees wrote down questions, and one-third of them were about funding, Tucker said, another third about how to help and get involved and the remaining third about building trust.

Tucker took her plan to City Council, whose members supported it, she said.

“Youth violence is a public safety challenge that we need to make sure that we are addressing and that we are keeping at the forefront of our mind,” she said.

Fort Wayne is just one of many communities across the country seeing an increase in youth violence, she said.

At the announcement, Tucker was joined by Fort Wayne Police Department chief Scott Caudill and City Councilman at-large Martin Bender to demonstrate a united approach to public safety.

“I’ve very happy to announce no tax dollars will be going into this program,” she said.

The funding will come from the interest from funds the city received from the Americans Rescue Act in 2020.

While the program is citywide, it will concentrate in areas with higher incidents of youth violence, Tucker said.

Highlights of the Youth Violence Prevention Program:

• $250,000 from American Rescue Plan Act interest earnings, pending City Council approval, would go toward grants to help support local individuals and organizations involved in curbing teen violence. No taxpayer dollars will be used as part of this program. Individuals and groups would be able to apply for micro grants up to $10,000. A portal has been created to receive proposals once City Council approves the funds. A list of the information needed to apply for funding can be found at www.cityoffortwayne.in.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8581/YVPP-Micro-Grant. Processes will be put in place to ensure intended goals and objectives are met in order to receive a full allocation of funds.

• Tucker’s recently enacted Young Adult Council will review the proposals and recommend which proposals should receive funds. The council provides a platform for young adults ages 19-26 to advise the mayor on issues affecting their demographic. The council encourages civic engagement through policy discussions, community service, and leadership development.

• Lewis King of King’s Global Outreach will serve in a part-time community liaison position within the Fort Wayne Police Department. He will work alongside Tucker to foster relationships with young people in the community, assist with implementation of programming and opportunities for our youth to grow and succeed in a positive environment, and enhance communication between law enforcement and the public.

“One of the things we’ve heard is that people have a lack of trust,” Tucker said. “We have wonderful police officers.”

• The Mayor’s Youth Engagement Council, made up of sophomores-seniors in high school, will host a conversation on youth violence for ages 14-18 in the near future. The members provide a voice for the youth of Fort Wayne to local government by engaging their peers, creating innovative solutions, and working on projects.

Katie Ma, 17, incoming president of the Mayor’s Youth Engagement Council and senior at Canterbury High School, said, “Some youth may be turned off by the fact that adults are usually leading conversations on matters that involve youth. So with a conversation that’s led by youth for youth, I feel that first step is already something more appealing toward youth.”

Caudill said overall serious crimes in the city are down 12.5%, and violent crimes are down 15% and property crimes are down 11% since the first half of the year. “Having this support and being able to strengthen partnerships and finding new avenues or refreshing old avenues to continue to strengthen those partnerships and find new ways to reduce crime, we’re all for it,” Caudill said on his thoughts of the city’s new plan.

Violence affects all ages, Tucker said, and later on the administration will roll out Safe Neighborhood Connections.

A link to the community forum can be found at https://acpl.viebit.com/watch?hash=AbSxRY8N6b4Eq5Md.

There’s a magic that descends upon Greenville, N.C. in early August. Little League Softball teams across the country and the world converge in the small town to live out dreams of winning the championship. Pro players from the Athletes Unlimited Softball League compete in a set of games for the youth players to watch, with opportunities throughout the week for connections between the superstars and the little girls they once were.

Despite the 2025 Pro Games getting cancelled due to weather, there were plenty of moments throughout the week that served as a reminder of what the event is all about.

These are our three favorites:

AUSL dreams reach Czechia

The AUSL’s inaugural season has been nothing short of inspiring for young softball players who have watched the pros on TV and in person as the league crossed the country on a barnstorming tour. The league’s influence even crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Little League pitcher Katerina, the No. 1 pitcher for the team from Prague.

Katerina and her team qualified for the World Series in Greenville, N.C., and represented the Europe-Africa region. On her info sheet for the tournament, Katerina listed “play AUSL” as her dream job.

After making the trek across continents, the Prague Little League Team met athletes from the AUSL ahead of their opening game against Central Region. Katerina met the athletes living out her dreams, including pitchers Aliyah Binford, Payton Gottshall, Georgina Corrick and Sam Landry.

Carley Hoover’s mom and dad receive the Parents of the Year Award

While much of the fanfare at the Little League Softball World Series centers on the players on the field, each year the organization recognizes who makes all the youth sports experience possible: parents. Jolene and Dave Hoover, mom and dad to Blaze pitcher Carley Hoover, were recognized as the 2025 George and Barbara Bush Little League® Parents of the Year.

Carley played with the Little League Softball organization in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and the team won the World Series in 2008. She pitched in the semifinal and championship games in Portland, Oregon.

Former Little Leaguer Hannah Flippen tosses the first pitch

Coming off of winning the inaugural AUSL Championship and Defensive Player of the Year, Talons infielder Hannah Flippen threw out the first pitch at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park. Flippen epitomizes the Little League dream: she was one of the best players in program history at Utah, is a three-time All-American, represented Team USA on the world stage, and has had a lengthy pro career.

Flippen played with the Sweetwater Valley Little League growing up in Bonita, Calif.

Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on X @savannaecollins.

Gabbie De Leon, CYS fitness specialist and former Division I gymnast, guides children through the fundamentals of gymnastics during a summer camp session inside the Fort Drum Child and Youth Services’ Sports and Fitness Center. The expanded Gymnastics Program begins in September for children 18 months to 13 years old. (Photo by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)

Mike Strasser

Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 2025) – Children are getting stronger, improving their balance and flexibility, and growing confident through recreational gymnastics at the Fort Drum Child and Youth Services’ Sports and Fitness Center.

When an expanded program starts in September for children 18 months to 13 years old, there will be even more opportunities to build these skills.

Gabbie De Leon, CYS fitness specialist, led a gymnastics class in May and June, and then coached two summer camp sessions to reintroduce a program that had been unavailable to all age groups since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I’m excited that we can bring this back for Fort Drum families,” De Leon said. “I had heard a lot of good things about the gymnastics program before and that it was very popular. We just want to start building it back up again and get some of the older kids to come back.”

De Leon, a former Division I gymnast at San Jose State University, joined Fort Drum CYS in January 2024.

“Gymnastics has always been a part of my life,” she said. “I started when I was 18 months, and I pretty much kept with it until college. I think it’s the fact that it was something I could always progress in and learn harder skills. There’s always room to improve and keep growing.”

The program includes a Parent and Tot class for children 18 months to 2 years old, focusing on motor skills. The Tiny Tot class for 3-year-olds, and the Tumble Tot class for 4- and 5-year-olds develop coordination, balance and motor skills while kids become familiar with the different gym apparatuses.

“I think all kids should at least try gymnastics, especially when they are younger,” De Leon said. “It helps with their motor skills, it helps their agility and strength, and also their confidence. Even if they play other sports like soccer or basketball, gymnastics will help with their fitness and coordination.”

Parents can bring children ages 3 and 4 to play on the gymnastics equipment – not available on playgrounds and other playrooms on post – by registering for the Open Play class.

Children, 6 to 13, can sign up for Beginner Gymnastics and Intermediate Gymnastics.

“In the beginner class, we focus on the fundamentals of gymnastics such as handstands, cartwheels and pullovers,” De Leon said. “That usually takes a year or two to master, depending on how consistent they are. Then they can go into intermediate class where they build off those core skills and work on the more difficult things like roundoffs and back handsprings.”

De Leon said she looks forward to helping Fort Drum family members develop skills and build their confidence in a non-competitive environment.

During the Gymnastics Summer Camp, Lucy Portune, 6, leaped across the trampoline with ease and practiced backward rolls on the mat. Then she climbed on the balance beam, where De Leon instructed her to hold her arms up high while bending over on one leg. It was tough, and Lucy showed some fear attempting the movement. De Leon knew that feeling all too well.

“I remember as a kid always being scared about the balance beam,” she said. “But it ended up being my strongest event because you learn to push past the fear and then you become confident in your abilities.”

Moments later Lucy would be encouraging her classmates during another exercise, saying, “You can do it!”

“She really loves gymnastics,” said Vanessa Portune, Lucy’s mom. “Part of it is just the controlled physical activity. It was just about finding a sport that matched her, but also the right learning environment. Gymnastics just works for her.”

Portune said that Lucy goes home after gymnastics class and practices some of the routines in the living room. Both Lucy and her younger sister Ashelynn have learned gymnastics from De Leon, and Portune hopes to enroll them both in the fall program.

“I was seriously waiting for CYS to drop the new calendar for gymnastics,” she said. “It was perfect, and it will get through the winter.”

This is the second time the Portune family has called Fort Drum their home. At their previous duty station, Lucy had attended a gymnastics class for a few months until the instructor relocated from post.

“I didn’t want to send her to an off-post gym because she doesn’t want to do gymnastics to compete,” Portune said. “It’s not realistic, and it’s not in our budget. So, when we found out we were coming to Fort Drum, the first thing I did was to see if she was old enough for the gymnastics here.”

Portune said they felt comfortable immediately with the classes coached by De Leon.

“We love Coach Gabbie,” she said. “Both my girls have different temperaments and the fact that Gabbie has been able to connect with all these kids in different age brackets got me really excited. I feel like the kids are really safe with her – that’s why I’m able to sit here and just knit, knowing they are learning safely and having fun.”

Josh Herzig, assistant sports director, said De Leon has the experience and capability to help rebuild the gymnastics program for the Fort Drum community.

“Gabbie has been a great coach, instructor and mentor for the children, and we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to the Youth Sports and Fitness Gymnastics Program in September,” he said. “She has a great amount of experience teaching to youths of all ages, and we hope that more Fort Drum families will take the opportunity to come learn the sport of gymnastics with her.”

For more information about the Gymnastics Program, call (315) 772-6718 or stop in the CYS Sports and Fitness Center, Bldg. 10790 on Chapel Drive. Family members can also stay current on the latest activities at www.facebook.com/FortDrumYouthSports.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has received a $300 million gift from donor David Booth, the largest in school history and believed to be among the richest in the history of college sports.

Booth, a graduate of Lawrence High School and KU, already has his name on the football stadium, which will host Arizona State in fall 2026.

Kansas was expected to allocate $75 million toward the next phase of the renovation of the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and additional construction of the surrounding area, called the Gateway District. Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said the remainder of the gift was expected to generate a stream of income for the athletic department that could last for generations.

“There is no more generous and impactful Jayhawk, and we are so fortunate to call him a friend and mentor,” Goff said.

The Gateway District’s next phase was expected to add a hotel, additional retail and restaurant spaces, student housing, improved parking and an outdoor event plaza.

Booth is founder of global investment firm Dimensional Fund Advisors, which managed $853 billion in assets as of June 30. The longtime benefactor made a $50 million pledge in 2017 to help with the overhaul of the football stadium, which at the time was the largest donation in KU history. He has given several other financial gifts to the university, including $4.3 million to buy and donate James Naismith’s original rules of basketball.

“KU and Lawrence are a big part of my story, and it means a lot to support the community that invested in me,” Booth said. “Philanthropy, like investing, pays dividends over time.”

The Kansas football team played six games last season in the Kansas City area while the stadium underwent renovations. The Jayhawks are set to play their first game at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 23 against Fresno State.

Follow @AZSports