LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The younger generation in Lincoln got a chance to learn from some of Nebraska’s best Saturday morning.

NFL veteran and former Husker Ameer Abdullah put on his second-annual youth football camp at the Lincoln Sports Foundation Complex.

Former Green Bay Packer and Nebraska Cornhusker, Ahman Green, and Sophomore running back Emmett Johnson also made an appearance at the camp.

Both boys and girls aged K-8 honed their skills with some of the best running backs to ever play at Nebraska.

Abdullah said it’s all about passing along the culture of Nebraska football and using his experience as a running back to teach the kids some valuable life lessons.

“Specifically, we wanted to hone in on running back skills,” said Abdullah. “As a football player, no matter what position you play, once you get that ball in your hands, you’re a running back. Teaching the kids some fundamentals can take them a long way, as well as discipline, teamwork, and accountability.”

Nebraska Sophomore Emmett Johnson was also there taking part in coaching some of the drills.

He said it’s been exciting getting to learn from some Husker legends, as well as passing down those same methods to a younger generation that looks up to him.

“I grew up being a kid just like them,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to make sure I leave my mark here in the community. Not just on the football field. I just want to be a great person to those people and to be accessible, and giving people what they want.”

The562’s baseball coverage in 2025 is sponsored by the Millikan, Long Beach Poly, and Lakewood baseball boosters.

The562’s coverage of St. Anthony athletics is sponsored by Jane & B.I. Mais, Class of 1949.

The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.

The spring season for high school sports came to an end in the CIF State SoCal Regional brackets for softball and baseball, with Long Beach Poly and St. Anthony the last local teams out on the diamond.

Coming off the first CIF-SS championship in program history, the Long Beach Poly softball team made a long road trip up to Porterville, where they took on Monache High in the opening round of the CIF State SoCal Regional Division II playoffs.

The Jackrabbits came up just short in a 3-2 loss to the Marauders, but were also playing in a higher division for the state tourney. Poly won the Division 4 title in the Southern Section, but were bumped up two divisions for state.

Poly took an early lead over Monache, as Kween Tauala’s RBI triple scored Emoni Lam Sam to open the scoring in the top of the first inning. After the Marauders tied things up in the second, the Jackrabbits got back on top in the seventh inning when Lam Sam’s clutch two-out RBI single brought home Bella Cisneros for the go-ahead run.

Unfortunately for the traveling Jackrabbits, they were unable to hold onto the lead in the bottom half of the seventh. The Marauders walked off with a pair of runs, rallying with three consecutive singles with two outs in the inning for an exciting 3-2 win.

Poly ended the season 20-7 overall, making school history with their first CIF title. There’s also a ton of returning talent for the Jackrabbits as they continue the program’s upward trajectory.

Over in the CIF State baseball playoffs, the St. Anthony Saints were bumped up to Division III, and drew a road trip to top-seeded Dos Pueblos in the first round. 

After a trip to Goleta, the Saints suffered a 10-2 defeat against the Chargers, falling into an early 7-1 hole through three innings.

Aidann Ruiz and Benny Lane each had a pair of hits to lead the way for the Saints offense. An RBI groundout by Jaylen Butler drove in the first St. Anthony run in the third inning, and John Arnold stole home in the sixth to bring home the other run for the visitors.

A great playoff run for the Saints ended in consecutive defeats, but it was still a memorable season for Kris Jondle’s program, posting a strong 21-10 overall record after winning 12 of their final 14 games in 2025.

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will hold its annual Top 100 elite youth camp in Rock Hill, S.C. June 9-13. Now in its 31^st year, top high school sophomores and juniors from around the country, as well as international players, participate in several days of skill development, instruction, and related activities.  

“It is very important for us to get the best of the best,” Christopher Jean, NBPA THINK450 associate vice president of business development and basketball activation, told the MSR last week via Zoom.   

This year the NBPA introduced a new system for inviting participants, including nominations from elite youth basketball circuits, and using evaluations from 25 top scouts to vote and rank nominees. “We have a lot of folk nominating kids…the right kids and diamonds in the rough,” added Jean.  

Former campers and current NBA players include the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, “and a host of others,” said Jean.  

Also new this year is a camp director. Phil Handy, who recently coached in the first year of the Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league and is a longtime NBA assistant coach, will serve in that capacity. Other elements at the camp include an NBPA Coaching Program for participating NBA players; legendary coaches like Tubby Smith and Phil Martelli as instructors; an NBPA Parent Program; and educational sessions on such topics as NIL, mental health and wellness, and financial literacy.

“It’s one thing to make them better on the court, but also make them better off the court as well,” stressed Jean, who added that each camper at the conclusion of the camp will receive a report card and “real time feedback from their coaches.” 

Rock Hill Sports and Events Center is the campsite for the first time. “We want to make sure we use every inch of the facility,” Jean declared of the state-of-the-art camp.  

The NBPA is the NBA players union, and THINK450 is the group’s licensing and partnership engine.

Gopher 100 update

There are approximately 100 African American and other student-athletes of color this school year at the University of Minnesota. In an occasional series throughout the school year and sports year, the MSR will highlight many of these players. This week: Gopher honorees

 Anthonett Nabwe, a Liberian native who came to North Dakota before her high school freshman year, is one of the country’s best throwers. The redshirt sophomore last weekend was among 39 Minnesota athletes who competed in the 2005 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field First Round May 29-31 at Texas A&M University.  

Nabwe came into the field events 19^th in the shot put, 6^th in the discus and 4^th in the hammer throw.  She was ranked first in both the hammer throw and the discus, and seventh in the shot put at the 2025 Big Ten Championships.

“I’m still striving for more,” said Nabwe earlier this year to the MSR, “because I’m trying to make it to the [2028] Olympics, get on the big stage. The more nervous I am, the better I tend to perform, because that gives me more of a push instead of if I’m too laid back, I don’t really perform like I’m supposed to.”

Junior Breezy Burnett was among five Gopher softball players named last week to the College Sports Communicators 2025 Academic All-District Team. She was a 2024 Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

The Florida native started all 50 games for Minnesota this year and led the team with three triples, second with two stolen bases, and third with 24 RBI. 

“I still got next year, so I’m excited to keep chipping away,” said Burnett. “School is really good.”

Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.

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BERKELEY, CA – If you saw Antonio Davis on the court, you remember a fierce power forward and rebounder. As he played, he saw failure as something he couldn’t afford.

LISBON – The Lisbon Arts Initiative will launch “Art Building Community Developing Expression” (ABCDE), an arts-based program created for youth in grades K-5, on June 28, at the New Lisbon Presbyterian Church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The ABCDE project is LAI’s first public arts initiative. The focus is to offer these youth an opportunity to learn, experience, and gain exposure to the arts through their participation in 18-minute/to 60-m experiential workshops led by local artists. These workshops include dance, improvisation, music, and painting. We are hoping future workshops can include poetry writing, puppetry, sculpture, and more.

The ABCDE workshop will give students in grades K-5 a chance to learn and expand their experiences in the arts as they participate in experimental workshops taught by local artists:

— Dance workshop will be taught by Christine Martin, owner of Leap of Faith Dance Studio at the Trinity Playhouse and a choreographer for productions by Stage Left Players in Lisbon.

— Paul Dahman, Stage Left’s master teacher, will orchestrate the improv class.

— Debbie Fonner, retiring music teacher at Lisbon’s McKinley Elementary, will lead a music class

— Barbara Schmidt, a retired art teacher from East Liverpool Schools and owner of Warm HeARTs Studio in Columbiana, will teach visual arts.

“I’m so excited to be able to find creative ways to help bring the arts into our community,” said Mark Hamilton, Lisbon Arts Initiative president and Source Gallery owner. “This first workshop will be a fun way for kids to experience some of the variety in arts and performance and begin to think about what forms of expression they like best, what touches their heart. The Lisbon Arts Initiative team is looking forward to offering this and many more future events.”

Parents have the option of signing up their kids in advance or just show up the day of the workshops. We ask that the kids bring their own box lunch, water will be provided for the kids.

Adults and local high school honor society student volunteers will also be onsite at each workshop and escort the students from one arts project to another.

Following the launch, the ABCDE team will evaluate feedback from the participating youth, parents, and artists in order to determine the best options to continue offering arts events and programs for area youth, and to identify currently available opportunities for expression.

Other ABCDE members include Kandace Cleland, executive director of Stage Left Players; Deborah Fonner, Lisbon Exempted Village Schools music teacher; Kristen Huston, executive director of the Almost Perfect Foundation; and Georgia Smith, Lisbon Counseling Center; and Sarah Morris of Epoch Decor. ABCDE was facilitated by Bellefontaine, Ohio native Jane Collins, who coaches Ohio communities on addressing local needs through employing local artists.

ABCDE and LAI are made possible in part by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

For information on ABCDE contact Mark Hamilton at mark@lisbonartsinitiative.org. For information on starting a similar initiative in your community, contact Jane Collins at jahcollins@gmail.com.