Editor’s note: Startland News editors selected 10 high-growth, scaling Kansas City companies to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch project. Now in its 11th year, this feature recognizes founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest, most compelling news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2026’s picks.

Click here to view the full list of Startups to Watch and see how the companies (including this one) were selected.

The Good Game grew out of a practical challenge many parents face, said Zarif Haque. The startup’s founder and CEO was navigating youth sports with his own children and found the process of finding and hiring sports experts inefficient. This is true for families and businesses.

“I have three kids. They all played youth sports,” said Haque. “As I worked through their development, I realized there was a gap in finding somebody for them to work with. Nothing felt trusted or easy.”

Haque saw an opportunity to simplify access to qualified trainers while also opening income opportunities for athletes. The Good Game operates as an on-demand marketplace where parents, businesses, and organizations can find and book sports experts in one mobile experience.

“With the emergence of NIL and student athletes earning money at universities, I said, why can’t we connect to a university student,” said Haque, a veteran startup founder whose company Draiver was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 before exiting in 2021. “We created an on-demand platform for sports experts so they can be accessed quickly and their services can be purchased.”

Elevator pitch: The Good Game is the universal, compliant sports marketplace—powered by a single verified passport that clears families, athletes, coaches, and communities to join, work, and fund youth sports on demand.

• Founder: Zarif Haque
• Headquarters: Lawrence, Kansas
• Founding year: 2023

Parents have responded positively, he said, especially to the opportunity for their kids to learn directly from athletes they admire.

“We’ve seen a lot of excitement from parents who have done training or attended clinics,” said Nicole Burke, CSO and COO at The Good Game. “They talk about sitting in the stands watching these athletes. ‘My daughter looks up to this player.’ There’s excitement in having access to these heroes.”

The platform focuses on K-12 athlete users, with service providers that include current college athletes and former players. Interest has also come from businesses seeking athletes for camps, clinics, and events.

To navigate NIL rules, the company emphasizes employment based opportunities rather than endorsements, allowing transactions to occur within a compliant structure.

“The NCAA allows income for student athletes through name, image, and likeness or employment,” said Haque. “We doubled down on employment and leveraging their skills in a compliant and safe way.”

The parent experience guided every product decision, he emphasized, from scheduling to location to trainer selection.

“The real customer is the buyer, the parent,” said Haque. “We wanted everything centralized in one app so parents can find what fits their lifestyle and schedule.”

The company has gained traction through several high profile partnerships and multi-year contracts.

“The Good Game is the exclusive lessons, camps, and clinics provider for the University of Kansas, the official on-demand sports experts platform for the NAIA, and will be the platform powering ProCamps.com,” said Haque.

As the platform continues to roll out pilots and partnerships, Haque said the focus remains on growth and execution.

“It’s going very well,” said Haque. “There’s strong momentum and good product market fit.”

10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2026

• Authentiya puts ethical AI to the test as students embrace controversial classroom tech
• CarePilot prescribes more patient time, fewer clicks for doctors as product line grows
• Cyphra Autonomy pairs robotics with heavy labor (and a light lift for job site users)
• dScribe tracks early momentum with West Coast-Midwest funding combinator
• LAN Party gains steam with nostalgia as a hook, gaming enterprise potential as the real play
• LODAS Markets unlocks liquidity as timing pays off for founder’s investment
• Resonus wants local government to hear you — not just the loudest voices
• Roz uncovers dynamic momentum amid audit of its own shifting opportunities
• Sova Dating builds emotional matches with vibes, logistics and an unexpected viral moment

 

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) – If you missed today’s interviews with Trevor Johnson, AISD Press Conference and Iron Plains Youth Football League on the Sports Drive, you can watch it all here.

Trevor Johnson, Randall Boys Basketball Head Coach:

Randall Raiders Boys Basketball Head Coach Trevor Johnson walks us through the emotions of the rivalry game against Canyon Tuesday night, leveling it up for district games, and more.

AISD Sports Press Conference:

We hear from Amarillo High Girls Basketball Head Coach Jeff Williams, Tascosa Girls Basketball Head Coach Zac Tabor, Palo Duro Girls Basketball Head Coach AJ Johnson and Caprock Girls Basketball Head Coach Bill Long.

New in Town: Iron Plains Youth Football League

Zach Woodard talks to CJ Johnson, founder and president of the new Iron Plains Youth Football League along with VP Elijah Baccus about how the league was formed and what it means to the area.

Copyright 2026 KFDA. All rights reserved.

HOUSTON – Down to six available players left in the fourth quarter, the University of Houston Women’s Basketball team fell in a tightly contested 71-62 loss against Kansas State inside the Fertitta Center on Wednesday evening.
 
Senior guard TK Pitts was Houston’s (6-9, 0-4 Big 12) only scorer in double figures, finishing with 16 points. Tess Heal led Kansas State (9-8, 2-2 Big 12) with 31 points.
 
Five players were disqualified in the fourth quarter, including four Cougars. Pitts, graduate forward Amirah Abdur-Rahim, graduate guard Briana Peguero and redshirt-senior guard Kyndall Hunter exited the game for Houston and Jenessa Cotton was the lone Wildcat who was ejected. 
 
A game of runs saw both sides trade momentum in the opening period with Houston taking an early 9-8 lead. A 7-2 run gave Kansas State a lead in the period before the Cougars capped off the quarter with five-straight points to lead 16-15.
 
Houston produced two major runs in the second, ending the quarter with seven-consecutive makes at the free throw line to extend its lead to 37-26 at the half.
 
The Wildcats pieced together several runs to cut into the deficit before free throws from sophomore guard Shun’teria Anumele knotted up the score at 45-45 to end the third period.
 
The Cougars were leading 53-49 with 6:38 remaining in the fourth quarter before Abdur-Rahim, Pitts, Peguero, Hunter and Cotton were ejected due to an altercation. After review, Kansas State was awarded six free throws, converting all six to regain the lead and escape Fertitta Center with the victory.
 
UP NEXT
Houston welcomes BYU at 1 p.m., Saturday, for Youth Basketball Day. Fans can stick around for postgame autographs with senior guard TK Pitts.
 
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS 
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Women’s Basketball by providing NIL opportunities, purchasing tickets and joining Full Court Press, which provides support directly to Houston Women’s Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget. 
   
STAY CONNECTED 
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWBB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarWBB or on the team’s Instagram page at @UHCougarWBB. 
  

– UHCougars.com – 

by Craig Hosay, Water Tower Advisory Council

As the new year begins at the Water Tower Recreation Center, the Water Tower Advisory Council wants to share with you the accomplishments of the past year and what to look forward to in 2026.

The big story of 2025 was the comprehensive improvements made to the exterior of the recreation center by the City of Philadelphia, through the Department of Parks & Recreation. This months–long project is the most extensive renovation to the recreation center in decades. The still ongoing project includes new windows and exterior doors, rebuilt steps, new railings, and improved exterior lighting. There is the repointing of stonework, the repair of terracotta tiles and cornice stones, replacing drainage boots, scupper boxes, and downspouts, and the repairing of area drains, replacing underground drainage pipes, and roof flashing. The project is currently paused due to winter weather, but it will resume early next year and is expected to be completed by next summer.

Another big story was the completion of the Advisory Council’s “Light Up the Tower” project. This is the first project from the Water Tower Master Plan and has transformed the upper park and the surrounding area. This is the first time the historic tower has been illuminated, and the distinctive lighting, as well as the extensive landscaping, installation of new gardens, rebuilt steps and pathways, new seating, the addition of a historic marker, new ballards, new area lights, and an entirely new paved path to the ball fields, have returned the park to its original glory. The World War II memorial has been completely restored, and new lighting has been added at its base. All of this was completed almost entirely with the ceaseless work of community volunteers and fundraising local contributions from generations of Philadelphians connected, past and present, with the recreation center. The park is now a must–see destination on a warm summer night.

The year 2025 was also a banner year for expanding the program offerings at the rec center and the continuation of popular existing programs. Current programs such as the after–school program, which has over 70 students, and the summer camp program, which is one of the most popular summer camp programs in the city, are continuing their success in 2026. The award–winning gymnastics program has added an additional preschool class for the new year and offers preschool, Beginner I, Beginner II and intermediate–plus classes. Program gymnasts compete in tournaments both inside and outside Philadelphia.

The Chestnut Hill Youth Sports Club will continue to host youth soccer, baseball, and basketball teams at the travel and intramural level. They also offer lacrosse, flag football, and futsal programs. New this year is an all–girls basketball league and a high school intramural basketball program, which draws players from across the city.

New Rec Center programming will include a youth–oriented film club, which will meet on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. The program is for teens ages 14 through 18 and runs from Jan. 22 to March 12. There are only 10 openings available, so sign up now!

Perhaps the most exciting addition to the Water Tower in 2026 is the arrival of Philly Tutors, LLC. The Advisory Council is sponsoring Philly Tutors to provide various academic tutoring services at the recreation center. Their comprehensive programming includes homework help, scholastic game clubs, small group tutoring, and test prep classes. Their primary focus, though, is one–to–one tutoring sessions for students from the first to 12th grade. All their services are enrichment–rich, community–focused, and are available at family–friendly rates. The first SAT preparation class begins in early January. Contact Philly Tutors directly at 215–948–2225, or anita@phillytutors.com for details and registration.

The year 2025 also saw the start of Mt. Airy Learning Tree at the Water Tower, offering for the first time continuing education classes for both adults and older youth. MALT offers various classes from dancing to teen comic book creation to learning how to play pickleball. There are three sessions per year, winter, spring and fall, and a complete list of classes can be found in the MALT catalog or contact MALT directly at 215-843-6333 or at info@mtairylearningtree.org.

The big news for 2026 is the start of the second Master Plan project for the Water Tower. The Advisory Board has selected the complete renovation of the entire playground area at the Water Tower as the next project. A subcommittee of the Advisory Board was formed in November to lead the project. We have met with several city–approved vendors to obtain ideas for such a project, and there have been several visits to recently renovated playgrounds in Philadelphia and the suburbs to view various designs. This is a significantly larger and more complex project than the “Light Up the Tower” and will take longer to complete. We are looking for volunteers with fundraising experience, grant writing and research experience, and landscape and playground design experience, to assist the committee’s efforts. Who doesn’t love a great–looking playground for the neighborhood children! Our next meeting is Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Water Tower, and we meet every other week, usually on Thursdays. Contact Craig Hosay at 610–564–2640 or craighosaylavallette@gmail.com if you want to help. We sure can use it!

All of the above efforts would not be possible without the support of the community and the help of our neighbors. The vision of the Advisory Council for the future of the recreation center is not possible without you. Thank you for all of your past support, and help us make 2026 even better than 2025 at the Water Tower.

Five University of South Carolina football players were named to the 2025 Academic All-District® Football Team as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), it was announced today. The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

The quintet representing Gamecock Football include David Bucey, Nyck Harbor, Brady Hunt, William Joyce and Mason Love.

Bucey, a sophomore defensive back from Savannah, Ga., appeared in all 12 games in 2025 making one start. An environmental studies major, Bucey was credited with 14 tackles on the season including 10 solo stops. He also registered a blocked punt against South Carolina State.

Harbor, a junior wide receiver from Washington, D.C., is a public health major. He put together his best season in 2025, earning the Steve Spurrier MVP Award for the offense after catching 30 passes for a team-leading 618 yards and six touchdowns. His 20.6-yard average per reception ranks third in school history. He was also the Gamecocks’ representative on the SEC’s Community Service team.

Hunt owns a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in sport and entertainment management, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his career. The redshirt senior tight end from Muncie, Ind., played in all 12 games in 2025 with seven starts. He was the Gamecocks’ top receiving tight end with 21 catches for 168 yards and added a pair of rushing touchdowns. Hunt was recognized by the coaches as one of three Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winners and shared the Nutrition Award with Nick Barrett.

Joyce, a redshirt senior placekicker from Spartanburg, S.C., earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration during his five years in Columbia. He converted 12-of-15 field goal attempts and all 31 of his extra points for a team-leading 67 points in 2025 in his first season as the starter. Like Hunt, Joyce was recognized by the coaches as one of three Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winners and is a three-time recipient of the Harold White GPA Award for special teams.

Love is a sports media major from Riverside, Mo. He earned Freshman All-SEC honors as selected by the league’s 16 coaches after posting the nation’s second-best average for freshman punters at 45.1 yards. Love placed 16 punts inside the 20 with just four touchbacks, while 13 of his 53 punts traveled 50 or more yards with a long of 61.

For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.

John Way, 72, rural Emporia, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

John Lee Way was born June 27, 1953 in Pratt, Kansas, the son of Ellis and Catherine (Sandquist) Way. He married Janet Blaufuss on February 14, 1981 in Olpe, Kansas. She survives of the home. Also surviving is his sons, Jason Thomas (Erin) Way, Americus, Kansas, and Jeremy Lee (Kristen) Way, Emporia; daughter, Justina Barnes and her fiancé Nick Roach, Andover, Kansas; sister, Linda (Eric) Hurley, Holly Lake Ranch, Texas; and grandchildren, Dylan Kosinski, Seth, Camden, and Piper Way, and Hayden and Jasper Barnes. He was preceded in death by his parents.

John was an equipment operator and carpenter who had been employed at Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company, Mark II Lumber, and Better Life Technology.

He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, the Kansas Fur Harvesters, Kansas Muzzle Loaders, and the Sons of the American Legion.

John was an avid outdoorsman. He loved hunting, fishing, and trapping and was known across Kansas as the area fur buyer. He was very passionate about passing his knowledge of the outdoors on to others.

He also loved sports. He was always on the road traveling across the state to support his kids, grandkids, and their teams.

A Celebration of John’s life will be held at Champion’s Landing, Emporia, on Saturday, March 14, 2026 from 1:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M.

The family will be setting up a Trapper John Memorial Fund for Youth Sports and Outdoor Activities. More details to come in the near future.

Contributions may be sent in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, PO Box #175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.