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Forfeits in high school sports are raising concerns for the future of athletics in Nebraska

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The Cougars took their first and only win of the season — officially 1-0 in the record books.

Greg Mays, author of the Nebraska high school sports history newsletter Suiting Up Varsity, said he researched the factors determining success in activities.

“Schools with high free and reduced lunch kids — in other words, lots of poverty — were not going to have the kind of success as schools that didn’t have a lot of those kids,” Mays said.

About 86% of students in Walthill, which is located on the Omaha Reservation, qualify for free or reduced lunch. That’s well above the statewide average of 52%, according to Nebraska Department of Education data.

Walthill, a Class D2 program, forfeited four games this season and finished 0-8. Officials from the school district declined to comment.

One school administrator agreed that economic challenges make participation a challenge.

Earlier this month in Class C2, Tekamah-Herman forfeited its game with Archbishop Bergan because of low participation numbers and injuries.

Tekamah-Herman superintendent Brad Kjar said schools with more “demographic challenges” have more hurdles to success.

“I do think a variety of demographic factors come into play, in terms of participation rates,” Kjar said, “when you start looking at things like socio-economically challenged students, or English language learners, special education students.”

With a 35% free or reduced lunch rate, that’s unlikely the biggest hurdle at his school.

Tekamah-Herman officials have publicly considered a move down to Class D1.

“We have considered opting down to eight-man football with our roster size currently at 23,” Kjar said. “The average D1 roster size is 26, and so we’re actually beneath that average D1 roster.”

Overall, the participation rate for football “is probably below average” at Tekamah-Herman, Kjar said.

But still, Mays said economics of a school should be a factor in classification.

“If we considered those things, we’d have better classifications,” Mays said. “And in football, we need to do better classifications.”

Economic inequality in sports will likely continue with club sports in the U.S. expanding, he said.

“You see a lot of youth sports programs that are really just designed to get money from parents, for them to buy opportunities that their kids get and other kids don’t get,” Mays said.

Walthill and Tekamah-Herman are far from alone in the participation problem.

Each week, schools from eight-man to Class A cancel games, usually citing health and safety concerns stemming from a lack of available players.

As of Oct. 20, here are the number of forfeited games this season by class, according to the NSAA’s schedules:

  • Class A: 3* (3 schools)
  • Class B: 0
  • Class C1: 0
  • Class C2: 8 (2 schools)
  • Class D1: 0
  • Class D2: 8 (4 schools)
  • Class D6 (six-man): 8 (3 schools)

*This number includes Millard South’s forfeit to a Nevada high school for using an ineligible player.

One prominent scheduling dissolution happened before the season even kicked off.

In August, Oakland-Craig Senior High, which won the 2019 Class C2 state championship, announced it would not field a varsity football team for the upcoming season. Heading into the school year, the Knights had appeared in the playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2008.

Many people wondered why the storied program had to cancel, Mays said.

“Can’t they just do an emergency co-op with somebody nearby?” Mays said. “We don’t allow that anymore, because, honestly, I think we fear that people would do it for competitive reasons, instead of football survival reasons.”

Oakland-Craig officials declined an interview request for this story.

Schedules are set two years in advance, and the cooperative deadline is Nov. 1 for the next two-year scheduling period, Nebraska School Activities Association assistant director of football Nate Neuhaus said.

“We are on a scheduling timeline where we collect enrollment numbers, declarations, co-ops, so that we can post classifications and district assignments in December,” Neuhaus said.

By January, the NSAA will set the new schedules through 2027.

Predicting which class will suit a school that far in advance is difficult, especially for smaller schools, Mays said.

“They set those deadlines so far in advance that you’re guessing,” Mays said. “It’s hard to figure out what a sophomore is going to do, when you’re deciding (which class to join), when he’s only an eighth grader.”

Injuries and players transferring can make matters worse for the smallest 11-man schools, Mays said.

Football is the only sport where the NSAA sets the schedules, rather than school administrators, Neuhaus said. That decision, approved and celebrated by the schools several years ago, started when schools had a difficult time filling up schedules on their own, Mays said.

Another small school struggling to compete, despite a rich tradition, is David City Aquinas. The program is fifth in the state with eight state championships all-time.

As the head coach for 46 years, Ron Mimick has led the Monarchs to seven of those titles. One of the smallest 11-man schools, “we’ve lost basically about a third of our enrollment in 25 years,” Mimick said. And the football program has been affected, with a 0-8 record this season.

The rate of participation is steady at Aquinas, Mimick said, but fewer students are applying to the parochial school, compounded by population loss and increasing tuition. Schools in western Nebraska likely deal with even sharper enrollment declines, Mimick said, noting that David City is about 50 minutes from Omaha and Lincoln.

Now the perennial Class C2 powerhouse is likely going to drop down to eight-man football.

“I think when we go to eight-man, we’ll probably attract another two or three boys to come out,” Mimick said.

Creating fun youth programs, combined with strong parental support, will improve the participation across the state, the longtime coach said.

Participation numbers

With overall participation dropping for football, Neuhaus said, “kids have other opportunities. Participating in sports isn’t always the number one priority anymore.”

Several coaches and administrators agreed with Neuhaus, saying video games and social media distracts from school activities.

In a slightly different view, Mays said kids also have more school activities to choose from than ever before.

“We’re offering more and more activities in these schools,” Mays said, “and the fact that that spreads kids thinner is a good problem.”

As an English teacher at Hastings High School, Mays said students who participate in activities do better in school.

With more options for students inside and outside of school, mixed with increasing awareness of the long-term impact of concussions from football, fewer kids are giving the sport a try.

Though football cancellations are not tracked by the NSAA, the organization collected participation data for the last two decades.

The number of high schoolers playing eight-man football has remained level dating back to the early 2000s. But nearly 3,000 fewer kids are playing 11-man football at Nebraska high schools in the last 20 years.

Neuhaus said the trend is easy to explain.

“Many times in the state of Nebraska, you might see participation numbers in eight-man go up,” Neuhaus said. “Well, that’s because there’s not more kids going out for eight-man, but schools are changing from 11-(man) to eight-man.”

Many teams are dropping down a class, not just due to declining enrollment, but to sustain their programs.

A total of 13 teams elected to play down a class ahead of the previous scheduling period, including in six-man. That means those teams were not eligible for the postseason last year, and eight of those teams are still not eligible this year.

In some cases, schools are not deterred by postseason penalties.

Any program that has canceled a regular season game won’t be allowed to compete in the playoffs, Neuhaus said. Even though it was in playoff contention, Lincoln High School forfeited its contest with juggernaut Millard South earlier this month, citing health and safety concerns.

Millard South, which is ranked No. 1 in the state, has a 37% free or reduced lunch rate. The Links have a 66% rate.

Lincoln Public Schools officials declined an interview request about Lincoln High’s forfeit.

A postseason ban is not the only attempted roadblock to forfeits. The NSAA also requires an away team to pay the home school $1,000 for lost revenue, if the traveling team forfeits, Neuhaus said.

But, scheduling changes are in the works.

Under a new proposal recently approved by member schools, Class A will drop district assignments. Those previously determined who a school would primarily compete against in a two-year period.

“At the Class A level, the districts were determined based upon your previous two-year average wild card points,” Neuhaus said.

That created some uneven contests where the top team in the district might be a lot better than the last-place team, he added.

Class B will be adding a new, so-called “emerging district,” Neuhaus said. That’s where the bottom teams from the previous two-year cycle will compete for one playoff spot, in hopes of making the regular season more competitive.

No new proposals addressing scheduling, participation or cancellations are on the table at this time.

The NSAA doesn’t vote on rules and proposals. Those decisions are written and voted on by school administrators.

Creating a one-size-fits-all solution to fixing cancellations is impossible, Neuhaus said, because each community has unique challenges.

“There’s been forfeits for years upon years upon years. I can’t make anybody play. We can’t make anybody play, unfortunately. But we can certainly assist with the classification process and assist schools in making good decisions that they’re playing at the appropriate level for their participation numbers or their program level,” Neuhaus said. “But to think that we’re ever going to completely prevent forfeits, that’s a long shot.”

The state wrote the NSAA constitution nearly 100 years ago, Mays said, suggesting it could be time to update that guiding document.

Homecoming king without a chance to play

Coy Wickersham’s mom, Kerry, said her twin sons have played football since the third grade.

“Neither one of my boys will probably go to college and play football, so they know this is the end for them,” Kerry Wickersham said. “They love the sport, so every game day they’re pretty hyped up and excited to go play.”

Parents need to encourage their kids to compete, even when it’s difficult, she said.

“I hope all parents, whether it’s Verdigre-Niobrara or any town, understand that it’s important to support your kids, support the schools, support everything that they’re doing,” Kerry Wickersham said. “Even if you’re able to play with the second string, it’s still important to show up.”



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UC Athletes Participate In Prestigious Indoor Meet

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UC Athletes Participate In Prestigious Indoor Meet | radio NWTN




























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Little League Launches SAFE Program Framework and Annual Compliance System

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January 6, 2026

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Key Takeaways

  • Little League retired its 30-year ASAP program to launch Little League SAFE and SAFE to Play on January 5, 2026
  • SAFE Summary Builder replaces manual safety plan uploads with an automated, customizable reporting tool for leagues
  • Leagues completing compliance requirements qualify for a 15% AIG insurance credit and access to Musco-funded facility grants
  • Four safety pillars now formalize Little League’s approach: child protection, physical safety, mental well-being, and risk management
  • District administrators can earn up to $800 in AIG-supported incentives for promoting safety program participation

Replacing Three Decades of Safety Infrastructure

Little League International retired its A Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) after nearly 30 years of operation, replacing it with a two-part system designed to centralize resources and measure compliance more systematically. The transition reflects a shift from awareness-based programming to measurable participation standards.

“Little League SAFE provides education, tools, and resources to help leagues build and maintain safer programs, while SAFE to Play establishes annual compliance requirements and a recognition structure that measures participation and rewards achievement,” said Joy Reynolds McCoy, Little League Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.

The organization built the new framework around four core areas: child protection, physical safety, mental well-being, and local league risk management. Each area now has dedicated resources accessible through a central portal at LittleLeague.org/SAFE, including the Child Protection Policy, JDP background check information, and state-specific guidance.

New Digital Tools Streamline Safety Documentation

Little League introduced the SAFE Summary Builder as the primary change to league-level administration. The guided online tool generates a customized safety summary based on league input, eliminating the previous requirement for manual safety plan uploads. Leagues can share the resulting document with volunteers and parents.

The organization also launched two free training courses. The Safety Awareness Training covers core safety principles, risk management, and best practices for all volunteers. The First Aid Awareness Training focuses on injury prevention and first aid response protocols.

Little League redesigned its Annual Facility Survey to integrate directly with each league’s SAFE Summary. The updated version generates a summary report with practical feedback and recommended actions for improving field and facility safety. Leagues must complete both the SAFE Summary Builder and Annual Facility Survey to establish baseline participation in the SAFE to Play program.

Insurance Credits and Grant Funding Tied to Compliance

The SAFE to Play component functions as Little League’s annual compliance and recognition program. Leagues that complete the required SAFE Summary Builder and Annual Facility Survey through the Little League Data Center qualify for a 15% credit on accident insurance premiums purchased through the AIG Accident Insurance Program.

Leagues that meet baseline compliance requirements become eligible to apply for funding through the Musco-Funded SAFE to Play Grant Program. In 2026, grant funding covers facility improvements that enhance safety and playing conditions, plus purchases of automated external defibrillators for emergency preparedness.

The program prioritizes a range of leagues, including those demonstrating strong existing safety practices and those facing resource constraints. Completion of additional training courses such as Safety Awareness, First Aid Awareness, and Diamond Leader increases a league’s grant eligibility.

District-Level Incentives Support Program Adoption

Little League established District Incentives supported by AIG to encourage active communication and promotion of safety initiatives. District administrators who help local leagues complete safety requirements can earn up to $800 per district through three separate achievement levels.

The incentive structure aims to build oversight capacity at the district level and foster accountability throughout the program. District administrators serve as the primary communication channel between Little League International and local leagues, making their engagement critical to program adoption rates.

Formalizing Safety as Measurable Infrastructure

Little League’s shift from ASAP to SAFE represents a move toward quantifiable participation standards rather than purely educational programming. The organization now ties financial incentives, insurance benefits, and grant eligibility directly to completion of digital documentation tools and facility assessments.

The four-pillar framework standardizes expectations across all leagues while the SAFE Summary Builder creates a consistent reporting format. By centralizing resources at LittleLeague.org/SAFE and linking compliance to tangible benefits, Little League has positioned safety as both a cultural priority and an administrative requirement with measurable outcomes.

via: Little League

YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.

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Youth Sports Business Report is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis covering the $54 billion youth sports market. Trusted by over 50,000 followers including industry executives, investors, youth sports parents and sports business professionals, we are the premier destination for comprehensive youth sports business intelligence.

Our core mission: Make Youth Sports Better. As the leading authority in youth sports business reporting, we deliver unparalleled coverage of sports business trends, youth athletics, and emerging opportunities across the youth sports ecosystem.

Our expert editorial team provides authoritative, in-depth reporting on key youth sports industry verticals including:

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Whether you’re a sports industry executive, institutional investor, youth sports parent, coach, or sports business enthusiast, Youth Sports Business Report is your most reliable source for the actionable sports business insights you need to stay ahead of youth athletics trends and make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving youth sports landscape.

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Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?

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About Play Up Partners

Play Up Partners is a leading youth sports marketing agency connecting brands with the power of youth sports. We specialize in youth sports sponsorships, partnerships, and activations that drive measurable results.

Why Sponsor Youth Sports?

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Every partnership we build is rooted in authenticity and value creation. We don’t just broker deals. We craft youth sports marketing strategies that:

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We’re positioning youth sports as the most desirable and effective platform in sports marketing. Our mission is simple: MAKE YOUTH SPORTS BETTER for athletes, families, organizations, and brand partners.

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18th District lawmakers propose youth sports safety bill

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January 6, 2026

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The Reflector

Lawmakers from the 18th Legislative District are sponsoring legislation aimed at protecting children participating in youth sports programs from abuse and sexual predators.

House Bill 2180, sponsored by Rep. John Ley, R-Vancouver, and endorsed by Rep. Stephanie McClintock, R-Vancouver, would require background checks for all youth sports coaches and others who manage or supervise youth sports programs, according to a Washington State House Republicans news release.

The proposal would also direct the Department of Children, Youth and Families to develop mandatory training on reporting child abuse tailored to youth sports coaches. Youth sports organizations would be required to complete the training, and coaches would be designated as mandatory reporters.

“This legislation was prompted after concerned parents encountered a convicted sex offender who failed to disclose his conviction while seeking to coach their children,” Ley said in the release. “By requiring background checks — paid for by the individual or organization — we give parents and program administrators better tools to protect kids.”

The bill would require organizations to submit background checks through the Washington State Patrol and would prohibit the hiring of individuals convicted of crimes against children or other persons, the press release stated.

The bill will be reviewed during the 2026 legislative session, which begins Monday, Jan. 12.





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JASH Celebrates Astros’ Signing of Tatsuya Imai, a Milestone in U.S.–Japan Sports Exchange — Japan-America Society of Houston

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January 6, 2026

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The Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) warmly congratulates the Houston Astros on the signing of Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai, marking an exciting new chapter for both the Astros organization and the enduring relationship between Houston and Japan.

Imai-senshu’s arrival in Houston is more than a roster move—it is a powerful example of how sport continues to serve as a bridge between cultures. Baseball has long been a shared passion of the United States and Japan, fostering mutual respect, admiration, and people-to-people connections across generations.

The timing of this signing is especially meaningful. The year 2026 represents a historic milestone for both nations, with the United States commemorating its 250th anniversary and Japan marking the 100th anniversary of the Showa era. It was during the Showa period that baseball became deeply embedded in Japanese society, evolving into a national sport and a cultural touchstone. Imai-san’s journey from Japan to Major League Baseball reflects this rich legacy and the sport’s continuing role in strengthening bilateral ties.

Houston has long been a gateway for U.S.–Japan exchange, and the Astros’ global presence further amplifies the city’s role as a hub for international connection. Imai-san’s signing underscores the Astros’ commitment to excellence on the field while embracing the global nature of the game.

As an organization dedicated to advancing understanding and friendship between Japan and the United States, JASH celebrates this moment with pride. We look forward to welcoming Imai-san to Houston, cheering him on throughout the season, and continuing to support the many ways cultural exchange enriches our community—on and off the field.

Please join us in welcoming Tatsuya Imai to Houston and wishing him great success with the Astros.



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Community support for North Colonie’s Couture family after loss

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January 6, 2026

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The North Colonie community is mourning the loss of Erin Couture, wife of Shaker High School Dean Garrett Couture, who passed away unexpectedly.

Erin, a former employee at Shaker Middle and High Schools, was cherished by students and staff, the district said in an email to parents. She leaves behind her husband and two young sons, who are students in the district. Garrett Couture is an active figure in youth sports, coaching football and lacrosse, with Erin’s support always by his side.

The district will hold a half-day session on Thursday, Jan. 8, to allow staff to support the Couture family during services. Shaker High School will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., Shaker Middle School at 12:30 p.m., and elementary schools at 1:30 p.m.

You can read Couture’s obituary here.

A gofundme has been set up for the family. You can donate here



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District 10 high school basketball midseason freshman of the year fan vote

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January 6, 2026

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Jan. 5, 2026, 4:02 a.m. ET





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