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Hoop dreams: FLY & STY basketball tournament returns to Columbus

COLUMBUS – Eighty youth basketball teams from around the Southeast will converge on Columbus this weekend for the second FLY & STY Hustle basketball tournament. The event features around 10 area teams, representing Columbus, Noxubee County, Starkville and West Lowndes, as well as those from Louisiana and Tennessee, ranging in age from third-12th grade. Games […]

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COLUMBUS – Eighty youth basketball teams from around the Southeast will converge on Columbus this weekend for the second FLY & STY Hustle basketball tournament.

The event features around 10 area teams, representing Columbus, Noxubee County, Starkville and West Lowndes, as well as those from Louisiana and Tennessee, ranging in age from third-12th grade. Games are scheduled for both courts at MUW’s Pohl Gymnasium as well as the main gym, auxiliary gym and middle school gyms in New Hope and the middle and high school gyms in Caledonia.

Tournament co-organizer Shelly McElveen, who runs the FLY Girls basketball club, said this tournament, while important for those with dreams of playing at an NCAA level, is focused on more than just exposure for players.

“This is a great opportunity for Columbus and all surrounding areas,” McElveen said. “We’re looking at an influx of 3,500 people, and that (benefits) restaurants, hotels, just the economy itself. If anybody would like to come out and support, this is a major event and it’s only getting bigger.”

The tournament’s other organizer, Donel Briggs, who runs the Saving the Youth (STY) basketball program, said that while he believes travel – and, more importantly, exposure to other places – is key to helping young men develop, the benefits of having a local showcase are many. According to Briggs, Saving The Youth uses basketball as a tool to teach life skills and to benefit the community.

“It means a lot. I was always taught to raise the bar,” Briggs said. “And part of raising the bar means trying to show the city that we’re bringing in revenue to the city. We’ve been asking for a while for the city to come along with us on a multi-sport gym … which, in return, will make the city boom.”

McElveen’s FLY Girls organization, which was established in 2019, provides advanced coaching and participation opportunities for the girls involved, but it also provides opportunities for young players to make an impact in their community. McElveen said in the past year alone, FLY Girls served meals to the unhoused at both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and provided tutoring and ACT preparation services for FLY Girls participants.

McElveen said the tournament is a great way for basketball fans to come together and enjoy two days of high-caliber competition, but that its impact reaches well beyond the court.

“Basketball is bigger than just basketball,” McElveen said. “Basketball opens doors and provides opportunities with various networks that are unreachable in other ways. It provides connections, lifelong friendships and other adventures outside of basketball and even a possible opportunity for a free education. Whether it’s junior college, NAIA or Division I, basketball provides opportunities and it also allows our girls an outlet outside of school, outside of their daily routine, to build bonds and friendships that last a lifetime.”

Briggs echoed those thoughts in an interview with The Dispatch.

“Our organization is so much bigger than basketball,” Briggs said. “Basketball is just a strategy. Our mindset at STY is to help these young men survive.”

The tournament tips off at 6 p.m. Friday at New Hope High School with a meet and greet and two showcase games. Tournament play begins in earnest at 8 a.m. Saturday with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. at both the MUW and New Hope tournament sites. Single-day tickets are $20 while two-day passes are $35 and can be purchased at the door or online at https://basketball.exposureevents.com/229140/hustle-tournament.

Philip Poe is sports editor.

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Orcutt National 11’s three-peat as District 65 champions | Youth Sports

The Orcutt National Little League 11-year-old All-Stars have pulled off a three-peat. The Orcutt 11-year-old squad won the District 65 Little League 11’s Tournament for the third consecutive year, defeating Lompoc 13-9 at Atascadero Friday night to win the 2025 tournament title and cap an unbeaten run through the tournament. Many of the Orcutt National […]

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The Orcutt National Little League 11-year-old All-Stars have pulled off a three-peat.

The Orcutt 11-year-old squad won the District 65 Little League 11’s Tournament for the third consecutive year, defeating Lompoc 13-9 at Atascadero Friday night to win the 2025 tournament title and cap an unbeaten run through the tournament.

Many of the Orcutt National players have played together for three years.

Orcutt National advanced to the Section 1 Tournament, which District 13 El Rio Little League in Oxnard will host beginning July 10.      

Orcutt National catcher Sam Grindy went 4-for-4 in the District 65 tournament title game Friday night. Grindy doubled in the fourth inning, and singled in the first, second and sixth.

Orcutt National broke on top in the top of the first inning. Jax Walker was hit by a pitch, Rocco Kennedy walked then Andrew Siordia singled up the middle. Orcutt National tacked on two runs on a Lompoc error.

Dominic DeMarco extended the Orcutt National lead with an RBI groundout in the top of the second.

Lompoc rallied to tie the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the third then Orcutt National took control for good with five runs in the top of the fourth. Walker provided the biggest hit of the inning for Orcutt National with a two-run triple.

Baylor Baldwin pitched the last three innings in relief for Orcutt National. Baldwin gave up one earned run on no hits and struck out six. Kennedy, the Orcutt National starter, gave up one earned run on five hits over two innings and struck out five.

   

  



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Nebraska Medicine building new health center to meet growing need in Gretna

GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — A new health center is coming to Gretna Landing. The 125,000-square-foot facility will join several other developments. Developers say it’s a project that will meet the needs of the growing community. BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT: Nebraska Medicine says the center will open with primary and specialty care, as well as urgent care, sports […]

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GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — A new health center is coming to Gretna Landing. The 125,000-square-foot facility will join several other developments. Developers say it’s a project that will meet the needs of the growing community.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Nebraska Medicine says the center will open with primary and specialty care, as well as urgent care, sports medicine and more. It will be large enough to add new services as this part of the city grows.

With the growth of youth sports facilities here, Kevin Garvin, chairman and professor of orthopedic surgery at Nebraska Medicine, says this complex brings needed care and convenience.

“For the Gretna people to not have to drive down to 42nd and Dewey, where the medical center is, we now can come out here and provide a service in their backyard, or front yard if you will,” Garvin said.

It will be the focal point of a new Noddle Company development at Gretna Landing, near 192nd and Highway 370.

You’ll start to see work in the next 30 days, with a groundbreaking around Labor Day, and it will open to patients in the second half of 2027.





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SCVNews.com | City Launches New Online Recreation Registration System

The city of Santa Clarita has announced the launch of Kaizen, a new online recreation registration system designed to make it easier for residents to register for classes, programs and events. Kaizen offers a fresh, user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation and enhanced features to streamline the registration experience, whether at home or on the go. […]

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The city of Santa Clarita has announced the launch of Kaizen, a new online recreation registration system designed to make it easier for residents to register for classes, programs and events.

Kaizen offers a fresh, user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation and enhanced features to streamline the registration experience, whether at home or on the go. This system represents a major step forward in how residents interact with city recreation services.

Top new features of the Kaizen platform include:

A simplified registration experience.

Mobile-friendly access.

Digital membership cards.

Calendar syncing with class schedules.

Digital wallet payment options for quick, secure checkouts.

Residents can begin exploring Kaizen today by visiting SantaClarita.gov/Seasons and clicking on the Kaizen logo.

Creating a new user account is fast and easy, and city staff are ready to assist.

While the city prepares for a full transition, summer 2025 programs will continue to be available through the current registration system. Beginning Tuesday, July 1, all fall 2025 classes and programs will be available through the new Kaizen platform.

Certain youth programs, such as sports leagues and Primetime Preschool, will require participants’ birth certificates for registration. Residents are encouraged to upload these documents to their new accounts ahead of time.

Key Fall 2025 Registration Dates:

Youth Sports Fall Leagues – Tuesday, July 8 at 10 a.m.

Afterschool Programs at the Community Centers – Tuesday, July 15 at 10 a.m.

All Fall Classes – Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m.

All residents must create a Kaizen account prior to registering for any fall programs. To save time at checkout, users are encouraged to save a payment method in advance.

Need help getting started? Step-by-step instructions are available at SantaClarita.gov/Seasons, or visit any of the city’s three community centers. City staff are also available to assist by phone at (661) 250-3700.





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Youth basketball prospects spending week as an Oredigger

BUTTE, Mont. — Montana Tech men’s basketball has built a dynasty, winning the last four Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships. Now they are paying it forward with a skills camp, as Orediggers of the past, present, and future are in Butte this week to teach the next generation of hoopers what it takes […]

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Montana Tech men’s basketball has built a dynasty, winning the last four Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships.

Now they are paying it forward with a skills camp, as Orediggers of the past, present, and future are in Butte this week to teach the next generation of hoopers what it takes to make it to the next level.

“The guys had such great experience when they played here, they want to come back and give back to the community and give back, and be able to interact with the current players,” said Montana Tech head coach Adam Hiatt.

The high potential camp has been a tech tradition since 2016. Last week was for the younger campers, while this week is for high schoolers, putting prospects on a team coach by a current, former, or future Oredigger, like former All-American Asa Williams.

“Giving kids faith and showing them that even if you don’t get a scholarship from Montana Tech, there may be a school that’s out there that maybe wants you. And that’s just my main goal,” said Williams, a Montana Tech forward from 2022-24.

Williams is back in Butte after an incredible debut season overseas, earning first team All-Import honors for the Hessing Kangaroos in Germany’s ProB league.

“My team won the regular season championship, so for my first time ever going overseas, it was a bit getting used to, but I really enjoyed the success that came with it,” said Williams, who plans on playing again in a higher division in Europe next season and would like to be a coach when his playing career comes to an end.

“It just shows that with a lot of hard work, you can make your dreams come true. And nobody works harder than Asa. And I’m hopeful that Asa’s going to instill that mentality on the team that he drafted this week,” said Hiatt.

As for the prospects, they understand the incredible opportunity to spend a week as an Oredigger and are trying to absorb all they can.

“I think I’m going to get the real college experience and it’s going to be fun meeting all the players and just playing with new kids,” said Hellgate class of 2026 forward Zane Gillhouse, who is hoping to get an official offer from the Orediggers by the end of the camp.

“I just want to improve my skills, improve my post work, really work on it in the games,” said class of 2026 forward Sulay Abubakari of Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Abubakari has won the last two Idaho state titles alongside Asher Williams, an incoming freshman at Tech this year who is one of the coaches at this week’s camp.

The overnight camp, which includes personalized instruction, food and boarding, is less than $400 per participant, which is why there’s well over 100 kids taking part, and dozens more on a wait list.

“Everybody who comes to our camp has an understanding that we’re going to treat our camps like it’s our team that we’re coaching. We’re going to have the same level of intensity, the same sense of urgency, the same commitment to work ethic, the same attention to detail We get to a lot of teaching and incredible competition this weekand i want every camper that comes here to feel like they were part of our program for one week. That’s kind of the sense of satisfaction that the players have,” said Hiatt.



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Northwest Missouri State men’s hoops holds youth basketball camp | NWMSU

By: Brett Kennedy (MARYVILLE, MO) – The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team began a 3 day boys basketball camp on campus in Maryville on Monday. Second year coach Matt Keeley and some of his players like juniors Trey Moala and Jack Ratigan were helping run drills for kids in 1st through 8th grade. The camp […]

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Northwest Missouri State men's hoops holds youth basketball camp



(MARYVILLE, MO) – The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team began a 3 day boys basketball camp on campus in Maryville on Monday.

Second year coach Matt Keeley and some of his players like juniors Trey Moala and Jack Ratigan were helping run drills for kids in 1st through 8th grade.

The camp intends to focus on fundamental skills for beginners and progressing the skills of higher players. The players and coaches enjoyed helping out the younger generation of players and giving back to the community. 

“Kind of reminds you of why you do it. You know, college athlete, you get caught up in just reps and like the daily routine and everything,” said Moala. “But when you get out here with the kids, it reminds you to just take it a lot easier. So it’s fun.”

“Getting the kids out here, we’re just trying to get them to have fun. Giving them a place in the summer to just come and play basketball,” said Ratigan. “It’s a cool experience to be around college basketball players when you’re that age, to see just kind of what you want to be and it’s awesome to be that for these kids, to just be there for them.”

“To get the little guys into the gym always gives a new sense of energy and just remind us all when we got started and where everything was,” said Keeley. “It’s always just fun to see the different levels of abilities, energy and excitement. You definitely get a feed off of what they bring in here. Plus we get to hand them out green and white Northwest shirts and get them thinking Bearcats at an early age.”

The camp continues on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Northwest will hold a skills camp for boys next month on July 29th through the 31st.  



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Grimes County coach honored with ‘Be Remarkable’ award for dedication to youth sports

NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) – For more than two decades, Kevin Baker has poured his heart into coaching and mentoring young athletes in Grimes County. This week, that commitment was recognized as Baker received the “Be Remarkable” award, presented by Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers and KBTX. Baker, a former standout athlete who went to state in […]

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NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) – For more than two decades, Kevin Baker has poured his heart into coaching and mentoring young athletes in Grimes County. This week, that commitment was recognized as Baker received the “Be Remarkable” award, presented by Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers and KBTX.

Baker, a former standout athlete who went to state in both football and basketball, has turned his love for sports into a lifelong mission of service. His coaching journey began with his sons and grandson and has since extended to generations of youth in the community.

“I started with my sons when they were little, and just kept going from group to group,” said Baker, who currently serves as president of the Grimes County Little Dribblers and coaches select AAU basketball teams.

Baker’s influence goes far beyond the sidelines. His sister, Jennifer Baker, who nominated him for the award, said she’s witnessed his tireless dedication firsthand.

“He’s always there for the kid. Early mornings, late nights, all day in the gym,” she said. “He loves sports, but more than that, he loves helping.”

That passion is echoed by Baker’s wife, who said she continues to be amazed by the energy and heart he brings to the court and community.

“It’s great to see his dedication—not just to the kids, but to the parents and everyone around him,” she said. “He keeps me going.”

For his selfless service, Baker was presented with a $500 check as part of the Be Remarkable program, which recognizes individuals making a meaningful difference in their communities.

“Coach, you are worth remarking about,” said Linda McMillan with Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers. “Thank you for the way you care for your family, serve your community, and inspire the next generation.”

If you have someone you want to nominate for our Be Remarkable campaign click here!



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