Sports

How to make connections with others when you’re lonely

Since the advent of television, a profound transformation has quietly unfolded across the United States: the increasing privatization of “free time.” Americans — once defined by their commitment to local organizations, churches and civic life — have seen that participation decline by every conceivable measure since the mid-20th century. Is it any wonder, then, that […]

Published

3 weeks ago

May 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Since the advent of television, a profound transformation has quietly unfolded across the United States: the increasing privatization of “free time.”

Americans — once defined by their commitment to local organizations, churches and civic life — have seen that participation decline by every conceivable measure since the mid-20th century.

Is it any wonder, then, that only 23% of Americans feel that most people can be trusted?

In 2025, we are more digitally connected than ever but have never felt more alone. Americans spend, on average, six or more hours per day on digital media, yet are some of the least likely globally to feel close to others in their country or community. Digital platforms provide unprecedented access to information and virtual interaction, but they often serve as a substitute, rather than a supplement, to real-world engagement. Public spaces that once served as “third places” — informal socialization spots like cafés, parks, and community centers — are increasingly abandoned in favor of digital spaces that fail to provide the same depth of social interaction.

The result? A nation of isolated individuals, “connected” through screens but disengaged from the people around them.

In 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a public health crisis, warning that social disconnection poses greater risks to individual health than heavy smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and obesity. A lack of community engagement isn’t just bad for society — it’s also affecting individual health and happiness.

How do we mend the fraying social fabric of American society, and prevent the loss of American lives? The solution, at its core, is simply showing up. To increase our social capital and rebuild our communities, we must choose to engage, interact and say “yes” to the real people around us — rather than defaulting to nights alone with our phones. Civic groups, churches, and non-profit organizations are eager to welcome your involvement, or you can try what I did: start your own.

Five years ago, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, my family moved to Utah. With two young children and a world shut down, my mental health deteriorated, and I struggled to feel like myself. When pandemic conditions improved, it occurred to me that I had stopped doing what I loved: playing volleyball. After failing to find a local team, I decided to start my own.

I received permission to use the church gym on Wednesday nights, posted an invitation to a community Facebook page and hoped for the best. The response was slow at first, but within a few months, we had a full court. Word spread, and within a few years, we outgrew the space.

What began as a chance to exercise and break out of the dishes-and-diapers routine became something far more meaningful: a community. In between serves, strangers became friends, lifting one another in triumph and in hardship. It wasn’t just volleyball that kept us coming back. It was something that many American communities are missing — a sense of true belonging.

The volleyball court taught me that meaningful connection doesn’t require grand gestures. It just requires presence. You can build community even if you’re tired, busy or can only give an hour. What matters is showing up, again and again.

Nervous to put yourself out there? Start small. Even short social interactions with strangers at the store or other “third places” can improve overall well-being. Incredibly, these interactions create a short-term boost in happiness for both the person initiating and the person receiving. Our diverse, modern democracy depends on this “bridging” social capital.

As new threads of social connection bind America back together, our individual and collective health will improve. The surgeon general warned, “If we fail to do so . . . we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone.”

Let us resolve to seek real connection within our communities and together weave a renewed America.

See you on the volleyball court.

Hunter Tarry is a juris doctorate candidate at J. Reuben Clark School of Law in Provo, Utah and has a background in history and statistical research.

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Sports

DeCesare Set to Compete at USATF U-20 National Championships on Thursday

EUGENE, Ore. – First-year Brown track and field athlete Giana DeCesare qualified for the USATF U-20 National Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She will compete in the hammer throw event on Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST). DeCesare had an instant impact in her first season with the Bears. She competed at four […]

Published

8 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

EUGENE, Ore. – First-year Brown track and field athlete Giana DeCesare qualified for the USATF U-20 National Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She will compete in the hammer throw event on Thursday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST).

DeCesare had an instant impact in her first season with the Bears. She competed at four outdoor meets, setting her best mark of 52.98 meters at Ivy League Heps. She finished seventh at Heps and surpassed the automatic qualifying mark of 52.50 meters for the U-20 Nationals.

“Giana had a successful first-year campaign in the hammer throw as she improved her personal best several times,” said Associate Head Coaching Chair for Throwing Events Darcy Wilson. “This hard work culminated in a successful U20 qualifying mark, as this is any young thrower’s goal. I am especially proud that Giana is representing Brown at this national level.”

Before arriving at Brown, DeCesare was a two-time USATF Junior Olympics All-American in the hammer throw. She’ll look to add to her resume and represent Brown well on Thursday.

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Sports

Volleyball Signs Grad Transfer Beatriz Silva

Story Links WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary volleyball bolstered its roster this week following the signing of graduate transfer Beatriz Silva. Silva comes to the Tribe after a two-year stint at UC Riverside where she led the Highlanders in assists in consecutive years. As a senior in 2024, she played in […]

Published

10 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary volleyball bolstered its roster this week following the signing of graduate transfer Beatriz Silva.

Silva comes to the Tribe after a two-year stint at UC Riverside where she led the Highlanders in assists in consecutive years. As a senior in 2024, she played in 76 sets as the team’s setter, averaging 5.04 assists per set.

“It became apparent in our first conversation that [Silva] will bring a level of vast experience to our amazing group of setters,” said head coach Ryan Adams.

Silva racked up 616 helpers as a junior in 2023. The Redlands, Calif. native posted a 6.35 per-set average that ranked eighth in the Big West Conference that season.

Prior to UC Riverside, Silva spent two years at Pasadena City College where she was a First Team All-South Coast Conference selection, helping lead Pasadena to an undefeated 18-0 league record and SCC Championship in 2021.

Silva’s addition gives W&M four setters for the 2025 squad. She joins a pair of sophomore returners in Cate Hatfield and Madison Monahan, along with incoming freshman Shylah Swope.

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Fans can keep up with the Tribe by following @WMTribeVB on X/Twitter and Instagram.

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Sports

Lafayette volleyball coaches state ethics charges | Education

The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed charges against two Lafayette volleyball coaches, arguing they asked high school players to enroll in a private league at a gym where they worked over the summer. The board determined Julia Dawson and Erin Belsom violated Louisiana ethics law when they asked their students on the Southside High volleyball […]

Published

14 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed charges against two Lafayette volleyball coaches, arguing they asked high school players to enroll in a private league at a gym where they worked over the summer.

The board determined Julia Dawson and Erin Belsom violated Louisiana ethics law when they asked their students on the Southside High volleyball team to enroll and pay for summer training and competition at the private gym they worked at. Dawson also is accused of using her position to coerce students to join the league.

The ethics board, which brought the charges in January but didn’t publish its determination until May, referred the matter to the Louisiana Division of Administrative Law, a centralized administrative hearing panel that will determine whether a violation occurred and can levy penalties if so.

Alesia Ardoin, an attorney with Sexton Law representing both coaches, said that the charges were “baseless” and state law recently changed, making it possible for educators to receive compensation from students when they serve as tutors or coaches.

“We will continue to fight these charges and we’re certain the adjudication board will dismiss this because the charges are wholly without merit,” Ardoin told The Acadiana Advocate.

The ethics board charges stemmed from a 2021 incident, according to the documents released by the board. At the time, Dawson and Belsom were volleyball coaches at Southside High School. Belsom has since transferred to a different school.

Dawson and Belsom also are coaches for Louisiana Volleyball Lafayette, or LVL, a private gym that offers indoor and beach volleyball programs, training and has club teams. Dawson is a co-owner, co-director, program coordinator and master coach of the gym and Belsom is the recreational coordinator and beach volleyball director.

In May 2021, Dawson emailed parents of the students who made the volleyball team for the 2021-2022 school year, according to ethics board documents. The email laid out summer expectations, which included participating in a beach volleyball league on Fridays in June and July of 2021.

The cost of the league was $150 per team, which could have up to three players, according to the documents. Parents registered and paid through the LVL website.

Dawson, who is paid by LVL as a 12-month salaried employee, received $15,000 from LVL in 2021. Belsom was paid $25 per hour for her work as the summer beach volleyball director received about $2,000 in 2021 and $2,500 in 2022 from LVL.

The ethics board determined that as public employees with the school district, both Dawson and Belsom violated state ethics laws when they were paid for providing volleyball training and overseeing competition for interested players. The ethics board additionally alleged that Dawson compelled or coerced students to join the LVL league.

A hearing before the adjudication board has been set for Nov. 13 for Dawson and Belsom.

A spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish School System said the district would not comment while the matter was being adjudicated.

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Sports

Head Track & Field Coach in Ripon, WI for Ripon College

Details Posted: 18-Jun-25 Location: Ripon, Wisconsin Type: Full-time Categories: Coaching Coaching – Track & Field Sector: Collegiate Sports Required Education: 4 Year Degree Ripon College, an NCAA Division III institution and member of the Midwest Conference, is seeking a Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach. Since 2018, the track & field and cross-country […]

Published

24 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Details

Posted: 18-Jun-25

Location: Ripon, Wisconsin

Type: Full-time

Categories:

Coaching

Coaching – Track & Field

Sector:

Collegiate Sports

Required Education:

4 Year Degree

Ripon College, an NCAA Division III institution and member of the Midwest Conference, is seeking a Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach. Since 2018, the track & field and cross-country programs at Ripon College have seen tremendous growth in attracting quality student-athletes, and we are seeking a full-time coach to help build on this recent success. The $23 million renovation of the Willmore Athletic Center and Fieldhouse in 2017 has allowed Ripon College to become a destination for outstanding track & field student-athletes.

Reporting to the Vice President and Director of Athletics, the Head Track & Field Coach will be responsible for the following duties: ? Coordinating and executing the recruiting plan for the track & field program ?Coordinating home track & field competitions at the collegiate and high school levels ?Working in concert with the head cross-country coach and other assistant coaches ? Overseeing all aspects of team operations, including scheduling, practice planning, meet day strategy, and athlete development ?Managing the program’s budget, travel logistics, and equipment needs ?Collaborating with the Office of Marketing and Communications to promote the program, generate interest, and enhance recruitment ?Assisting the Athletic Department in areas aligned with the candidate’s expertise and performing other duties as assigned

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, a commitment to and the ability to articulate the value of a liberal arts education, a high level of energy, and an ability to work independently while contributing as a member of a team. Candidates must have a valid driver’s license and possess knowledge, understanding, and adherence to Ripon College, Midwest Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.

To apply: Please submit a single PDF document that includes your cover letter, current résumé, and the names and contact information of three references. Email your application to Chris Schumacher, Vice President and Director of Athletics, at schumacherc@ripon.edu. Please name your file using your first and last name (e.g., FirstLast.pdf).

About Ripon College

To support Ripon’s continued athletic excellence and enhance the overall student experience, Ripon College just opened a brand new stadium along with a recently renovated athletic center. Opened on September 30, 2023, Hopp Stadium is the new on-campus home for Ripon football, men’s soccer and women’s soccer. Groundbreaking for the 157,000 square foot on-campus stadium began in Spring 2023. The new construction features a 2,000 seat grandstand and press box, with viewing opportunities on Sadoff Hill and an outdoor plaza.