Rec Sports
Gymnastics coach’s sexual abuse leaves scars in Missouri
Content warning: This story includes references to and descriptions of child sexual abuse. Kampbell Hemeyer watched a little boy run out of the courtroom, pleading with court officers. “I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to go with Dad,” he cried. The little boy’s well-worn Ninja Turtles shirt and light-up shoes […]
Content warning: This story includes references to and descriptions of child sexual abuse.
Kampbell Hemeyer watched a little boy run out of the courtroom, pleading with court officers.
“I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to go with Dad,” he cried.
The little boy’s well-worn Ninja Turtles shirt and light-up shoes were nothing like her dress pants and blazer. But when they locked eyes, Hemeyer saw herself in him. She no longer wanted to be in the courthouse. She didn’t want to face her abuser. For the first time, she turned to her mother and cried.
“My brain hadn’t fully grasped the concept of me being there quite yet,” said Hemeyer, who turned 18 not long before the trial. “I was about to face my abuser for the first time since everything happened, since before the investigation really got going. I just felt an immense feeling of how none of this is fair for children, kids who are surviving going through court.”
Hemeyer’s feelings about seeking justice are not unusual. In several cases reviewed by The Midwest Newsroom, offenders might not face legal consequences. Parents grapple with whether to report incidents, and survivors wonder if going to law enforcement with their accusations is worth it.
Photo courtesy of Washington Police Department
Hemeyer’s abuser, former volunteer gymnastics coach David Schneider, is at the South Central Correctional Facility in Licking, Missouri, where he is serving a 50-year prison sentence for four counts of child molestation and one count of attempted molestation.
The charges stem from his time as a gymnastics coach at the now-closed Kids in Motion gymnastics gym in Washington, Missouri, where he volunteered from 2011 to 2014. The gym was owned by Piper Hoemann.
The gym reopened at a new location and under a different name, Fitness Made Fun, in 2018. Its owner is Nadiana Peck, the previous owner’s daughter. Peck declined to answer questions from The Midwest Newsroom.
Hemeyer and other gymnasts accused Schneider of sexually abusing them during a stretching exercise known as “over splits,” where coaches assist gymnasts by straightening their legs and pushing down on the gymnasts’ hips to create a deeper stretch. Often, at least one leg is elevated during the over splits.
Hemeyer said she was around 10 years old when the sexual abuse began. She started at Kids in Motion when she was 8 years old and continued gymnastics until her freshman year of high school.
Schneider was safety certified by USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for the sport, and attended five clinics on upper-level spotting techniques, according to trial documents.
Schneider’s initial interview with the Washington (Missouri) Police Department about sexual abuse allegations was on Feb. 6, 2018. That same month, USA Gymnastics placed Schneider on its list of permanently banned former professional members, which means he is not eligible to coach at USAG member gyms or USAG meets.
The sanctions came a month after Larry Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison. Nassar pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct and admitted to using his trusted position to assault and molest girls, many of them gymnasts and other athletes, under the guise of medical treatment.
When safeguards fail
Kids in Motion was affiliated and competed with USA Gymnastics until its membership ended when the gym closed. Coach or professional membership is required for participation and credentialing at USA Gymnastics-sanctioned events. Although coaches at member clubs are not required to be USA Gymnastics members, USAG member clubs are prohibited from allowing anyone on the banned list to coach in their club.
The federal Safe Sport Act of 2017 says that all adult members interacting with youth athletes are mandatory reporters. Any suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, must be reported within 24 hours to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
During his trial, Schneider’s victims reported that for years, he repeatedly slid his hand down girls’ legs and into their shorts during these stretches. The abuse ranged from touching the inside of their shorts, over their leotards, to inside their leotards or even touching their genitals. He would say things like, “Sorry, hon,” to the girls, but make no effort to remove his fingers.
Before coaching Hemeyer and her fellow gymnasts, Schneider played a key role in establishing the swim program at the Four Rivers YMCA in Washington, Missouri, where he coached a team for over a decade. Additionally, he coached another swim team in Union, Missouri. In 2009 he served as the girls volleyball and soccer coach at Crosspoint Christian School in Villa Ridge, Missouri.
Delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and legal proceedings pushed the start of his trial to March 29, 2022. Two days later the Franklin County jury convicted Schneider on four counts of child molestation, and one count of attempted molestation.
Hemeyer was among those who testified against Schneider.
“Going on stand was hard,” Hemeyer said. “You’re being asked really, really tough questions and being asked by the defense about things that are supposed to trip you up, and you feel like you’re being victimized all over again.”
Silence or justice?
Danielle Schmidt placed her daughter in gymnastics at Kids in Motion when the child was 5 years old. Schmidt was a coach at the gym and even worked alongside Schneider on occasion. One day after practice, when her daughter was 8 years old, she told her mom she didn’t like it when coach Dave put her in the over splits. Schmidt asked why, and her daughter responded, “He touches me down there.”
The Midwest Newsroom is not using the daughter’s name because she is a sexual abuse survivor who does not want to be identified.
“She was absolutely devastated, mortified and angry with me because she did not understand why I had to tell on her,” Schmidt said. “Her biggest fear was that Dave was going to find out that she told on him. It wasn’t that he touched her, it was that he was going to be mad at her because she told on him.”
Schmidt called the owner of the gym, Hoemann, whose husband worked as a state trooper. She said Hoemann had Schmidt’s daughter show her exactly how Schneider was touching her.
Hoemann told Schmidt that her husband — the state trooper — said it wouldn’t be worth pursuing because the court would rule in favor of the coach, Schmidt said. The Midwest Newsroom could not reach Hoemann for comment.
A 2014 National Institute of Justice study of child sexual abuse investigations found anywhere from 22% to 47% of cases are declined by prosecutors. Further, the researchers found over 90% of cases involving allegations of sexual abuse of a minor did not continue to trial after details were analyzed by the prosecution. Some recent research has shown that while a small proportion of cases result in criminal charges, once charges are lodged, cases are actually much less likely to end in a dismissal.
Schneider has appealed his conviction. Bryan Mathews is the prosecutor currently assigned to the case.
“The difficulty in these cases is they happen behind closed doors or they’re one-on-one crimes, typically,” Mathews said. “It’s very, very seldom that we have a case where there is an eyewitness who can speak to the actual criminal acts that took place outside of these children.”
Like many parents, Schmidt wanted to protect her child from the ordeal of a trial, and from having to face her abuser.
“I had to decide whether I was going to put my 8-year-old on the stand all by herself against Dave,” Schmidt said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized putting her, at 8 years old, on trial is probably going to be more emotionally devastating than the act itself.”
‘No zones’ and caution
Two weeks after Schmidt discussed her concerns with Hoemann, Hoemann sent a memo to the Kids in Motion staff titled “Molestation Policy.” The memo, reviewed by The Midwest Newsroom, listed positions to avoid, specifically that girls are not to be taken to do the over-splits stretch in a one-on-one setting.
Hoemann wrote in her memo to staff: “This gym has been subject to complaints and concerns with direct violations mandated or suggested in our policy. I admonish everyone to take these new policies very seriously. Accusations, whether true or false, can tear apart families, destroy reputations, and tear apart this program which we have tried so hard to build. The following revisions are put into my own words, so they can be better understood. Please understand these policies are for your own safety.”
The memo goes on to list “No zones” where gymnasts are to not be touched. It continued, “Male coaches be EXTREMELY cautious.”
Under Missouri law, Hoemann should have reported the abuse to police immediately after Schmidt told her what had happened to her daughter. Hoemann pleaded guilty in 2019 for misdemeanor failure to report child abuse.
“Because of your failure to report, (Schneider) was allowed to continue working with little kids,” Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Michael Hayes asked Hoemann during the trial. “Yes,” Hoemann responded.
‘Not set up for children’
Ella Kroeter was 2 years old when she took her first “mommy and me” gymnastics class. She loved gymnastics. She was around 6 when Schneider became one of her coaches at Kids in Motion in 2012.
She said Schneider repeatedly put his hands up her shorts and touched her crotch area when she was a third-grader. She remembers telling one of the older girls, Hoemann’s daughter Gabrella, about the abuse.
“She (Gabrella) threatened me that if I ever said that again, I would be kicked off the team and out of the gym,” Ella said. “Gymnastics was everything to me, so I didn’t say anything else about it.”
On a December morning in 2017, as a news story aired on the family television about the Marshall Faulk sexual harassment case, Ella walked into the room and said, “It was like when coach Dave got fired for sticking his hands up our shorts doing the splits.”
The Marshall Faulk case involved Jami Cantor, a former NFL employee, filing a wrongful termination lawsuit claiming the former NFL star and other players had sexually harassed her.
This was the first that Jennifer Kroeter, Ella’s mother, had heard about Schneider sexually abusing her daughter.
Ella went to school that day, but her parents stayed home from work to discuss the next steps to take. They called Hoemann and set up a meeting with her to discuss the abuse. Hoemann wouldn’t meet them inside the gym, Kroeter said. Instead, the meeting took place by storage units in the parking lot.
Standing in the cold that day, Ella (by that time, around age 12) told Hoemann her story. According to Jennifer Kroeter, Hoemann asked a few questions and told the family she would get back to them in a week.
“I didn’t have the guts to go to the police that night,” Jennifer Kroeter said. “I was too worried about how it was going to affect her. Once we did, and I saw how it played out, it wasn’t pretty.”
A week passed, and the family heard nothing from Hoemann, Kroeter said.
Christmas of 2018 came and went. Ella returned to school from break, and while her parents were mulling over what to do, she went to the school counselor, Shelly Struckhoff. Ella told Struckhoff everything that happened, and as a mandated reporter, Struckhoff contacted police.
“It was like a huge relief, because we just didn’t know what to do,” Jennifer Kroeter said. “We were just like, ‘Oh my God, why didn’t we just do this two weeks ago?’ We were agonizing, asking ourselves, ‘Do we want to put our daughter through this?’”
Jennifer and her husband, Matt Kroeter, both teachers and mandated reporters, have encountered children sharing confessions they were required to report. Jennifer Kroeter has witnessed firsthand how these experiences often fail to deliver the outcomes the children and their loved ones hoped for.
“The system is not set up to cater to the victims. It’s set up for the defendants. And there were times when I felt like we were the ones doing something wrong.”
Jennifer Kroeter, parent
The couple grappled with exposing Ella to the extreme stress of a trial, possibly for nothing.
City of Washington detective Lt. Steve Sitzes was a co-investigator on the case. He said children who testify about abuse face a lot of struggles long after their cases are over. They are often labeled as victims, a title that stays with them throughout high school and even college.
Survivors in the Larry Nassar case have spoken about the relationship they have with the word “victim.” This label was used to define them during the case, and sticks with many of them today.
“You never want to tell a parent that they’re wrong for not letting their child testify,” Sitzes said. “In a small town like this, everybody knows everybody else’s business. Parents have to ask themselves, ‘Do you want that known?’”
In cases with no physical evidence, juries rely on victim statements to come to a verdict. In the case against Schneider, each girl gave nearly identical testimony. Court records show girls from different classes and ages, many who didn’t know each other, all described the abuse in the same way.
“After going through the trial, I am thankful that I didn’t do it when (my daughter) was 8,” Danielle Schmidt said. “He would have walked free if she was by herself. He would have gotten away with it. So in the end, it was a blessing that I waited and that the numbers had stacked up once the girls were aware and together.”
Kristofor Husted/The Midwest Newsroom
A team, again
Although the trial came years after the abuse, testifying brought up emotions and memories that took the girls right back to when they were in the gym with Schneider.
“I just felt an immense, intense feeling of how none of this is fair for children,” Hemeyer said. “You don’t really know what to expect and you don’t know how hard it’s going to be, going in this room with these officials who are in these robes and look scary, facing really sad situations in your life. And it just felt so unfair to me and to all the girls who were affected by him.”
The trial was a heavy time for all parties involved, but alongside the Schmidt family fighting for justice for their daughter, they were grieving the death of their 12-year-old son. Schmidt and other parents had to take the stand.
“I knew in the back of my mind that they were going to put me on the stand and rip me apart. I was emotionally vulnerable. I was mentally vulnerable. I was grieving and I knew I was going to be the one that they were going to try and mentally manipulate to win the case. I was terrified,” Schmidt said.
Sitzes said that ultimately, it was the girls’ testimony that led to Schneider’s conviction. In addition to telling their stories, the girls had to demonstrate what the abuse looked like on dolls.
“It took a lot of courage to get up there and tell your story in front of a courtroom full of people. It really did.”
Lt. Steve Sitzes, City of Washington detective
Today, the gymnasts who testified still experience psychological effects from the sexual abuse they experienced as children.
“It created trust issues with some of my male coaches, all males, really,” Ella Kroeter said.
An excerpt from Kampbell Hemeyer’s victim statement shows just how deeply Schneider’s abuse affected her.
“I look back at my naive self and I am filled with pity for that little girl. I was roughly 10 years old at the time, and ever since then, my view of physical touch, intimacy, and self-worth is different, wounded if you will, by Dave Schneider’s actions. My view on the world has been altered, and my life has never been the same.”
“It’s like there’s a part of me that’s dead inside despite my efforts in ignoring it and convincing myself that I am stronger than my past. A part of me that Coach Dave killed. The part that should embrace the affection shown by loved ones feels damaged; instead of feeling the love they have for me, I feel nervous and anxious at their initial touch.”
Hemeyer said despite these life-altering events, the survivors want to inspire others to get justice from their own abusers.
“Try not to be scared and be a voice for other victims,” Ella said. “Get your voice out there; speaking about it helped lift a weight off my shoulders.”
Hemeyer brought up a quote to finish her victim statement: “Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”
If you need help or support:
There are many resources available for survivors of sexual abuse, harassment, assault or domestic violence. Here are two national resources:
The Midwest Newsroom is an investigative and enterprise journalism collaboration that includes Iowa Public Radio, KCUR, Nebraska Public Media, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.
There are many ways you can contact us with story ideas and leads, and you can find that information here.
The Midwest Newsroom is a partner of The Trust Project. We invite you to review our ethics and practices here.
METHODS
To tell this story, reporter Gabrielle Lindemann viewed publicly available documents regarding the David Schnieder case including court opinions, police records and trial transcriptions. She interviewed survivors of sexual abuse and parents of survivors for over a dozen hours. She spoke with experts regarding child sexual abuse and youth sports. This story draws on interviews and documents collected for over two years.
REFERENCES
“Former gymnastics coach David Schneider sentenced to 50 years in state prison for child molestation” (The Missourian | June 1, 2022)
“Permanently Ineligible and Ineligible Members and Participants” (USA Gymnastics | continuously updated)
Larry Nassar sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse
(CNN | Jan. 24, 2018)
Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017
(Congress.Gov | March 6, 2017)
National Criminal Justice Reference Survey
(NJRS | March 2019)
Marshall Faulk case
(New York Times | Dec. 12, 2017)
David Schneider Case Header
(Casenet | Updated continuously)
Trial documents: Trial transcription, Schneider appeal opinion, memo from Kids in Motion, official charging documents
TYPE OF ARTICLE
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
Rec Sports
Litchfield Park opens registration for youth baseball league
Registration for the City of Litchfield Park’s Youth Coach Pitch Program opens Monday, June 2, at 8 a.m. The co-ed recreational league is designed for boys and girls ages 7 to 8 and offers a non-competitive environment focused on fun, skill development, and sportsmanship. Resident registration is $77, while non-residents pay $97. All participants will […]
Registration for the City of Litchfield Park’s Youth Coach Pitch Program opens Monday, June 2, at 8 a.m.
The co-ed recreational league is designed for boys and girls ages 7 to 8 and offers a non-competitive environment focused on fun, skill development, and sportsmanship.
Resident registration is $77, while non-residents pay $97. All participants will receive a numbered T-shirt jersey and hat, compete in a seven-game season, and receive end-of-season awards. Team and individual photos will be available for an additional fee.
Games will be held on Tuesdays or Thursdays at the Jackie Robinson Ball Field. Each team will also hold one weekly practice, scheduled by the volunteer head coach. The city does not assign practice times or locations, but all practices will take place outdoors.
The Coach Pitch program emphasizes baseball fundamentals while promoting teamwork, good sportsmanship, and the social benefits of youth sports. Participants will learn basic skills and rules of the game in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Players will be placed on teams according to the city’s placement policy, which considers public school attendance and geographic location.
Volunteer coaches are essential to the program, and the city is encouraging community members to get involved.
Coaches must be at least 18 years old, complete a Youth Sports Coaching Application and Background Authorization Form, attend the mandatory coaches meeting and complete a certification.
The certification includes two required classes, offered on multiple dates to accommodate varying schedules. Coaches must also agree to uphold the city’s philosophy of “Building Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today,” and follow the Coaches’ Code of Ethics, which prioritizes player safety, respect, and creating a positive sports environment.
In addition to supporting the development of local youth, volunteer coaches gain flexibility in setting their team’s practice schedule and location.
For more information or to register, visit litchfieldpark.gov.
Rec Sports
Football Releases Game Times & Promo Schedule
Story Links CHATTANOOGA—The Chattanooga Mocs football team is coming back to campus for summer workouts and classes as preparation for the 2025 campaign are well underway. A spirited spring drills concluded in March while behind the scenes, plans and timing were taking place. Time is an all-important, ever-present facet of life […]
CHATTANOOGA—The Chattanooga Mocs football team is coming back to campus for summer workouts and classes as preparation for the 2025 campaign are well underway. A spirited spring drills concluded in March while behind the scenes, plans and timing were taking place.
Time is an all-important, ever-present facet of life so let’s start there. The home times are announced and are subject to change per broadcast possibilities.
Sept. 13: Stetson – 6 p.m.
Sept. 27: The Citadel – 6 p.m.
Oct. 18: ETSU – 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 1: Western Carolina – 4 p.m.
Nov. 8: Furman – 1:30 p.m.
Promotions are planned and in motion for all five contests.
Sept. 13 | Stetson
Promos: Senior Day, Youth in Sports Day, Fan Appreciation Day, Little Moc Walk
Senior Day: The Mocs will honor this year’s crop of seniors prior to kickoff.
Youth in Sports Day: All youth arriving in their youth sports jersey or cheerleading uniform get a complimentary ticket to the game along with purchase of adult.
Fan Appreciation Day: Prizes are awarded throughout the game via the Go Mocs App which can be downloaded for free in your device’s app store.
Little Moc Walk: Kids 12 and under lead the spirit parade with the Marching Mocs and spirit squads in the pavilion.
Sept. 27 | The Citadel
Promos: Reunion Weekend, Academic Night, Hall of Fame Game
Reunion Weekend: The programs celebrates the “10 year” anniversary of the Mocs 3-peat from 2013-15. Members from all three teams are invited back for the festivities.
Academic Night: The department celebrates another record semester in the classroom honoring all student-athletes with 3.0 or better GPAs.
Hall of Fame Game: This year’s Hall of Fame class is unveiled in ceremonies over the weekend culminating with an on-field presentation at the game.
Oct. 18 | ETSU
Promos: White Out, Fall Family Weekend, Mocs Flock Finley
White Out: All fans are encouraged to wear white.
Fall Family Weekend: This is a University event with students and their families enjoying a day at the ol’ ballyard.
Mocs Flock Finley: The annual first-year student dash at Finley Stadium onto the field takes place pre-game.
Nov. 1 | Western Carolina
Promos: Homecoming
Need we say more? The date on the schedule most circled along with the season opener. Alumni come back to campus to celebrate memories and catch up with old friends.
Nov. 8 | Furman
Promos: Military Appreciation/Salute to Heroes Game
Free admission for all active and retired military members as well as first responders & area medical personnel including police, firefighters, EMS, nurses and doctors.
Season tickets are on sale now. It’s always the most economical means to attending all five home contests. Prices start at $60.
GoMocs.com is the official website of the Chattanooga Mocs. Buy officially licensed gear in our online store. The Mocs can also be followed on their official Facebook page or on Twitter. Find out how to join the Mocs Club and support more than 300 student-athletes by clicking here.
Rec Sports
DVIDS – News – Locations, schedules, NFL athletes announced for military installations receiving free ProCamps youth football events
By DeCA Corporate Communications FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – Children in eight military communities will get the opportunity to attend a free football ProCamps event courtesy of a Procter & Gamble (P&G) promotion available near select commissaries and exchanges. The two-day camps, led by NFL football players, are open to the children (ages 6-14) of […]
By DeCA Corporate Communications
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – Children in eight military communities will get the opportunity to attend a free football ProCamps event courtesy of a Procter & Gamble (P&G) promotion available near select commissaries and exchanges.
The two-day camps, led by NFL football players, are open to the children (ages 6-14) of active-duty military, reservists, retirees and Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees.
Camp locations, dates and participating athletes are:
• McChord Air Force Base (Joint Base Lewis-McChord), Washington (June 13-14), Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, (June 24-25), Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
• Fort Benning, Georgia, (June 27-28), Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
• Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, (June 30 – July 1), Emery Jones, Baltimore Ravens
• Naval Weapons Station Charleston, South Carolina, (July 11-12), Robert Hunt, Carolina Panthers
• Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, (July 14-15), George Karlaftis, Kansas City Chiefs
• Fort Bragg North, North Carolina (July 15-16), Austin Corbett, Carolina Panthers
• Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, (July 19-20), Grady Jarrett, Chicago Bears
Overseas ProCamps events have already occurred. March 22-23, Jevón Holland, a safety from the New York Giants, hosted the Vogelweh, Germany, camp at the Kaiserslautern High School, with autograph signings at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center and Ramstein Air Base Commissary.
April 12-13, Morgan Fox, a defensive end with the Atlanta Falcons, hosted the other overseas camp, at the Yokota Air Base High School, Japan, with autograph signings at the Yokota Air Base Commissary and Exchange.
The eight installations qualified for a camp based on purchases and displays of P&G products in their local commissaries and exchanges during March and April. The camps are designed to accommodate up to 150 children.
Campers will experience various stations to learn football fundamentals, participate in games and competitions, receive coaching from an NFL player, and compete for a chance to win signed merchandise and more P&G product samples through “Camper of the Day” awards.
Those interested in the upcoming camps should visit their local commissary, exchange or contact the local youth sports office for details. This year, autograph sessions with the host athletes will be at the camp locations at the end of the first day.
“As a military dad, I appreciate the opportunities these free camps offer for the children in our communities,” said Navy Command Master Chief Mario Rivers, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director and CEO. “Our military children get to socialize with others, learn some football basics. However, the most important thing is they have fun.”
-DeCA-
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2025 09:33 |
| Story ID: | 499156 |
| Location: | FORT GREGG-ADAMS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
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Rec Sports
USA Lacrosse Girls’ Youth Nationals
Ready to Rise to the Challenge? Join the nation’s premier youth lacrosse event — where top 13U–15U girls’ teams compete for glory. Experience elite competition, national exposure, professional game footage, and a shot at recruitment, all in a first-class setting that champions sportsmanship and community. Apply now and be part of the story. Roster Requirements […]
Ready to Rise to the Challenge?
Join the nation’s premier youth lacrosse event — where top 13U–15U girls’ teams compete for glory. Experience elite competition, national exposure, professional game footage, and a shot at recruitment, all in a first-class setting that champions sportsmanship and community. Apply now and be part of the story.
Roster Requirements
News
2025
2024
2024 Champions
15U: Yellow Jackets Stadler
14U: Mass Elite Red
13U: Yellow Jackets Friedman
Rec Sports
Aaron Judge hitting coach shares secrets with Billings youth
BILLINGS — How does a 70-year-old grandpa blast a ball off a tee quicker than a teenager in his prime? The short answer is technique. Rich Schenck (pronounced “Skenk”) not only has it, but he also teaches it to some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars. “Most people push their bat forward. I believe it […]
BILLINGS — How does a 70-year-old grandpa blast a ball off a tee quicker than a teenager in his prime? The short answer is technique.
Rich Schenck (pronounced “Skenk”) not only has it, but he also teaches it to some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars.
“Most people push their bat forward. I believe it needs to be like a Nike swoosh and go backward before it goes forward,” Schenck explained recently to MTN Sports.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
Swinging for success: Aaron Judge’s hitting coach shares secrets with local youth
Master that technique, and you might make the big leagues, like New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, whom Schenck coaches. Judge is hitting nearly .400 this season — far ahead of any other MLB player.
Schenck was recently at Pirtz Field in Billings, letting young local hopefuls in on his secret.
“My swing has been under,” said 15-year-old Tanner Stiegemeier, demonstrating in thin air. “I’m hoping I can get it more up.”
Teammates Chase Langford and Gehrig Hust also had their own beat on how to swing a better bat.
“I got to get my hands quick,” said Hust, 13.
“Probably quick hands and bat speed … bat velocity,” added Langford.
Schenck, who also shared advice with coaches, made the quick day trip to Billings while visiting his daughter’s family in Belgrade. It was sort of a favor to his son-in-law, J.D. Stephenson, who is friends with Billings coach Bobby Beers. They work together with the Montana Institute of Sport.
“In three short years, we’ve been able to get into 200 schools, develop P.E. curriculums, support coaches and create opportunities for youth sports,” said Stephenson, CEO of the organization.
“I think one of the things kids this young don’t understand is the consistency it takes (to succeed at a high level),” Beers added.
Schenck’s background in developing the Nike swoosh technique truly rewinds time.
“This thing called the internet was new, and I started going online to get information to help my boys enjoy the game better,” Schenck recalled.
He never did play pro ball but was a Division II college catcher who aspired to hit like Barry Bonds.
“He was the best hitter in the game at that time, and maybe forever,” Schenck said.
So, Schenck set up a hitting station with video recordings in his basement.
“I would ask, what’s his lead arm doing … my lead arm doing? What’s his head doing … my head doing? What’s his bat doing, my bat … my leg, his leg?” he explained.
Schenck mastered the philosophy he teaches today — “launch quickness,” he calls it — and his big break came when he delivered a breakthrough for a young Aaron Judge, who was struggling in the minor leagues nine years ago.
“The first day I was with Aaron, I put a ball on a tee for him and a ball on a tee for me. I was 62 years old and looked like this … and he was 24 and just a physically cut specimen. And he could not hit the ball before me,” Schenck said.
Judge figured it out, endorsed Schenck on Twitter, and the lives of both men changed forever. Judge went on to win American League Rookie of the Year the following season in 2017, the first Yankee to do so since Derek Jeter.
Schenck, meanwhile, blossomed to help other Major League stars and continues to tutor teens — and he’s still quicker.
Rec Sports
California track-and-field final enters spotlight for rule change after trans athlete’s success
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for… SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes. The California Interscholastic […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for…
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s high school track-and-field state championships starting Friday are set to be the testing ground for a new participation and medaling policy for competitions that include transgender athletes.
The California Interscholastic Federation will let an additional student compete and potentially offer an extra medal in three events in which a trans athlete is competing. The athlete, high school junior AB Hernandez, is the second seed in the triple jump and will also participate in the long jump and high jump.
It may be the first effort by a high school sports governing body to expand participation when trans athletes are participating, and it reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls’ participation in youth sports.
“The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change.
State law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
President Donald Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez’s high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports.
What the new participation and medaling policy will look like
The meet, which is taking place at a high school near Fresno, will open up the girls triple jump, long jump and high jump to one additional athlete each who would have qualified had Hernandez not participated. Hernandez will compete in the preliminaries Friday for a chance to advance to the finals Saturday.
Under the pilot policy, if a transgender athlete medals, their ranking would not displace a “biological female” student from medaling, the federation said.
The federation said the rule would open the field to more “biological female” athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for “biological female” athletes but not for other trans athletes.
The federation did not specify how they define “biological female” or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
Medical experts say gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting of only males and females.
The two-day meet is expected to draw attention from a coalition of protesting parents and students. Critics have objected Hernandez’s participation and heckled her in qualifying events earlier this month. Leaders from the conservative California Family Council joined Republican state lawmakers Thursday for a press conference blasting the policy change and saying Hernandez shouldn’t be allowed to compete.
“If they have to create special exceptions and backdoor rule changes to placate frustrated athletes, that’s not equality, that’s a confession,” Sophia Lorey, the council’s outreach director, said in a statement. “Girls’ sports should be for girls, full stop.”
CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti urged participants and bystanders to behave respectfully toward all student-athletes in a message shared in the championship program.
Nationwide debate over trans athletes’ participation
A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women’s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. Trump won Fresno County, where the meet will be held, in 2024.
Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn’t worry about critics.
“I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.
She noted that she has lost some of her events, saying that disproved arguments that she can’t be beat.
Hernandez is expected to perform well, particularly in the triple jump, in which she has a personal best of over 41 feet (12.5 meters). That is more than 3 feet (1 meter) short of a national record set in 2019. She’s the fifth seed in the long jump but ranked much lower in the high jump.
California’s state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify.
More than 57,000 high schoolers participated in outdoor track and field in California during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. California had the second-largest number of high school outdoor track-and-field athletes, only behind Texas.
Of the 12 high school athletes who have set national records in the girls triple jump between 1984 and 2019, eight have been from California, according to the national sports governing body.
Davis Whitfield, the national federation’s chief operating officer, called a state championship “the pinnacle” for high school student-athletes.
“It’s certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience in some cases to participate in a state championship event,” he said.
___
Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
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