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Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

A bunny, small enough to nestle in a cereal bowl, has recently started hanging out in my backyard. Now and again, it nibbles a plant or lies in the sun. Mostly, it explores the limits of movement, zooming, darting, feinting, and trundling through bushes. Once, I saw it corner so hard that it sprayed mulch […]

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A bunny, small enough to nestle in a cereal bowl, has recently started hanging out in my backyard. Now and again, it nibbles a plant or lies in the sun. Mostly, it explores the limits of movement, zooming, darting, feinting, and trundling through bushes. Once, I saw it corner so hard that it sprayed mulch in a giant, messy arc. A human kid who did that would almost certainly be called inside to clean up. But I haven’t seen the adults in this bunny’s life in weeks; the baby has carte blanche. If only more of the kids I know could be so lucky.

Wild animals are the best movers on the planet, and little ones spend much of their time frolicking, fighting, leaping, and climbing. From birth, human children share animals’ potential for wild movement; left to their own devices, they would presumably tumble about like puppies. But more and more, they do nothing of the sort.

This is due in part to the human trend toward self-domestication, and also to the structure of modern society. The World Health Organization says that 81 percent of adolescents worldwide do not get enough physical activity, noting that rates of sedentary behavior in young people tend to rise as their country develops economically. In some American cities, the Trust for Public Land says, as many as two-thirds of children lack access to the kinds of nearby parks that would encourage free play. And a report by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative, a national program aimed at increasing youth-sports participation, concluded that compared with other activities, such as organized sports, “free play is all but a thing of the past.”

Some kids lack access to woods, fields, and other open spaces where they might romp free. Some have parents who forbid that brand of tomfoolery. In the United States, many parents habitually tamp down on horseplay out of fear of injury to their children (or their furniture)—or because social norms dictate that they get their squiggly kids unsquiggled and into waiting rooms, subways, stores, airplanes, and restaurants, where children are expected to “behave.” That impulse, however, risks reinforcing the notion that sedentariness is preferable at a time in a kid’s life when they really do need to move.

Turn over almost any rock in the stream of health research, and you’ll find warnings about the dire consequences of idleness, as well as abundant reasons for children to explore free movement. Children who move have healthier bones, muscles, and joints, and lower their future risk of obesity and chronic disease. Research has found that active kids develop superior cognitive skills, get better grades, and are more likely to stay on task than kids who are less active. In a systematic review of studies, researchers found that active children are more likely to report feelings of well-being. And a study published in The Lancet that examined the prevalence of adolescent depression among English youth suggested that increased sedentary behavior in adolescence could affect a person’s mental health into adulthood.

Childhood might be a particularly costly time to not move, because this is when developing brains prune unused potential. “One extreme view” of this neurological dwindling “would be that you start out wired up for every possible contingency,” the Harvard neuroscientist Jeff Lichtman said in an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—but as you age, unused connections in the brain get permanently disconnected through a process known as synaptic pruning, leaving you with “a narrower nervous system.” We’re used to the idea that young, plastic brains have an easy time learning to speak Mandarin or play piano; this is also true of learning how to do backflips, balance on a slackline, or throw a fastball.

Parents go to great lengths to keep kids safe; it’s the core of the job. But restricting kids from encountering tricky movement problems, such as racing at full speed down a rocky slope or climbing high in a tree, can exact a toll. As Marcus Elliott, a physician and one of the world’s most prominent injury-prevention experts, put it to me: “Your fear that your kid will get hurt is depriving them of something they’ll never get back.”

Elliott runs the Peak Performance Project, known as P3, a movement lab in Santa Barbara, California, where many athletes—a huge percentage of NBA, NFL, and MLB players—have been found to be at risk of injury because of deficiencies in their movement quality. P3’s researchers focus on “kinematic movers,” whose bodies have a ready solution to almost any movement problem: They can land on either one foot or two, jump every which way, and change directions easily. They’re not always the highest jumpers or the fastest sprinters, but, at least among a well-studied cohort, they are likely to play for a long time without injury.

This is why Elliott recommends that children play like animals: He suspects that every adult kinematic mover grew up playing freely like that fuzzball in my backyard. The robustness necessary to repel injury has little to do with getting in cardio, running fast, or jumping high. Instead, he says, robustness has to do with “movement quality,” which is to athleticism as fluency is to language.

This tracks with an observation made by the journalist David Epstein, who writes in Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World that athletes from tiny towns have irrational levels of success. Epstein’s theory is that with a shortage of players, small towns need the best athletes on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. Playing a variety of sports might foster a person’s robust movement vocabularies.

Thankfully, providing kids with more freedom doesn’t require a lot of money. Mostly, it just requires a little creativity.

Almost every kid who comes into my house feels a deep urge to romp on the huge yoga ball in our living room (which cost less than $20). They body slam it, Superman across its top, throw a sibling into it, and do other bonkers stuff. Many parents who witness such behavior grow anxious, shout bossy directives, or declare the ball off-limits entirely. Of course, I understand; no one wants to end up at urgent care. But I’m also aware that kids who start out falling down go on to quickly develop new skills. Some blossom into pro-grade yoga-ball surfers. When my son was young, he developed an uncanny ability to perch on all fours atop the ball even as someone (honestly: me) forcibly shoved him this way and that. He’s now a 6-foot-1-inch engineering undergrad; we have not outgrown this game.

Elliott told me that when work would keep him on the laptop during weekend afternoons, he’d give his kids small physical challenges: Can you hop on your left leg all the way across here, and then clear that hurdle? Can you step off that ledge, land, and leap right back up? One of his daughters remembers earning dessert by hopping a giant lap of the backyard on her left foot. Elliott and his children also wrestle one another like puppies do. In this way, he explained, his kids learn how to perform complex movements while keeping one another safe—by, say, avoiding the corner of the coffee table.

All of this free play can help when kids start taking up play of a more serious kind. Many sports injuries come from iffy form when landing. Kinematic movers do well, Elliott’s lab has found, because they land with active feet that greet the ground, as well as ankles, knees, and hips that flex nicely in time with one another—perhaps because these movers practiced so much free play as kids. P3’s trainers spend long hours putting athletes through the grueling work of mastering landing technique as teenagers or adults, remedial lessons that appear to have a big impact. A 2022 study found that ACL-injury-prevention training, which generally includes landing and explosive movement, reduced ACL tears by an average of 64 percent among young female athletes. (This aligns with research on ballet dancers, among the few groups who train from a young age to land properly. They may sustain plenty of sprains and other overuse injuries, but they also have a striking shortage of ACL tears compared with other athletes who jump as much.)

Eric Leidersdorf, a movement scientist and the president of P3, has more than a decade’s worth of experience poring over the movement data of elite athletes. He also has an 18-month-old daughter. I asked him if he intends to apply the lessons of his day job to parenting. “Absolutely,” he replied. He then used the word play 10 times in two minutes. “My real hope is that she explores the world,” Leidersdorf told me. “I want her to love moving and find joy in that.” I know a bunny that probably gets it.

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Hutto Hippos Little League teams compete at PONY World Series

The Hutto Youth Baseball and Softball Association had two teams qualify for the Pony League World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana, this past weekend. The Pinto (8U) and Shetland (6U) teams each had the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage. The Hutto 8U team went 2-2 in pool play, starting strong with a […]

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The Hutto Youth Baseball and Softball Association had two teams qualify for the Pony League World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana, this past weekend. The Pinto (8U) and Shetland (6U) teams each had the opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage.

The Hutto 8U team went 2-2 in pool play, starting strong with a 12-2 win over the Hidalgo All-Stars and following it up with a narrow 8-7 victory over the North Vermilion Youth Athletic Association. The team then dropped games to the Gregory-Portland Youth Association, 13-3, and Deer Park, 5-4.

In bracket play, the Hippos bounced back with a 13-9 win over Medina Valley Black before being eliminated in a 7-6 loss to Florida Red.

The Hutto 6U team went 0-4 in pool play, opening with a 21-20 loss to the Weatherford Roos, followed by a 17-7 defeat against Iowa (Louisiana). The team closed pool play with losses to Texas and Southwest Texas Made, and was eliminated after an 18-8 loss to the War Chiefs in bracket play.

This marks the end of the season for Hutto’s Little League teams, who will now turn their focus toward preparing for next year.

The Hutto Hippos 6U little league team poses for a picture after advancing to the PONY Little League World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana



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Greenacres Park reopens with new playground, sports courts and splash pad | News

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Greenacres Park in Spokane Valley officially reopened with some brand new additions. The park now features a larger playground with new equipment and a bigger splash pad. Dozens of families packed the park Friday morning for its grand reopening. Greenacres now has new basketball and pickleball courts, with a new mini […]

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SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – Greenacres Park in Spokane Valley officially reopened with some brand new additions.

The park now features a larger playground with new equipment and a bigger splash pad. Dozens of families packed the park Friday morning for its grand reopening.

Greenacres now has new basketball and pickleball courts, with a new mini soccer pitch on the way courtesy of a donation from the Seattle Sounders.

John Bottelli, Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Spokane Valley, said the athletic opportunities are among the most exciting aspects of the project.

“I think the opportunity for more athletics in the park is one of the most exciting things about the project. Really, the opportunity for this to become soccer central out here in Greenacres. These turf areas are large enough to line them for soccer fields,” Bottelli said.

Bottelli is hopeful the park will become a hub for youth sports.

The park also has space for a community garden. The city will be announcing how to get your spot in the garden soon.

COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.



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Sports on TV for Sunday, July 27 | MLB

(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Sunday, July 27 AUTO RACING 8:55 a.m. ESPN — Formula 1: The Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium 10 a.m. CBSSN — FIM Motocross World Championship: The MX2, Loket, Czechia 11 a.m. CBSSN — FIM Motocross World Championship: The MXGP, Loket, […]

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(All times Eastern)

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

Sunday, July 27

AUTO RACING

8:55 a.m.

ESPN — Formula 1: The Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium

10 a.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross World Championship: The MX2, Loket, Czechia

11 a.m.

CBSSN — FIM Motocross World Championship: The MXGP, Loket, Czechia

Noon

CBS — ABB FIA Formula E World Championship: The Fantastic 4 London E-Prix – Round 16, London

CBSSN — FIM Junior Motocross: World Championship, Loket, Czechia

FS2 — NTT IndyCar Series: Warmup, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.

1 p.m.

FS1 — Indy NXT Series: The Grand Prix of Monterey – Race 2, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.

2 p.m.

TNT — NASCAR Cup Series: The Championship Round – Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind.

TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: The Championship Round – Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind. (In-Season Challenge Alt-Cast)

3 p.m.

FOX — NTT IndyCar Series: The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.

FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. (Taped)

4 p.m.

FS1 — NHRA: The Denso Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.

BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

7 p.m.

FS1 — The Basketball Tournament: Fail Harder vs. We Are D3, Quarterfinal, Wichita, Kan.

9 p.m.

FS1 — The Basketball Tournament: AfterShocks vs. Heartfire, Quarterfinal, Wichita, Kan.

CYCLING

9:30 a.m.

PEACOCK — UCI: The Tour de France, Final Stage, Mantes-la-Ville/ Paris Champs-Elysees, France

2 p.m.

NBC — UCI: The Tour de France, Final Stage, Mantes-la-Ville/ Paris Champs-Elysees, France (Taped)

GOLF

8 a.m.

FS1 — LIV Golf League: Final Round, JCB Golf and Country Club, Derbyshire, England

8:30 a.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Final Round, Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course), Berkshire, England

Noon

NBC — PGA Tour Champions: The ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Final Round, Sunningdale Golf Club (Old Course), Berkshire, England

1 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The 3M Open, Final Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn.

3 p.m.

CBS — PGA Tour: The 3M Open, Final Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn.

GOLF — LPGA Tour: The ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, Final Round, Dundonald Links, North Ayrshire, Scotland (Taped)

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

2 p.m.

FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

3 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

MLB BASEBALL

1:30 p.m.

MLBN — 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: From Cooperstown, N.Y.

7 p.m.

ESPN — N.Y. Mets at San Francisco

ESPN2 — N.Y. Mets at San Francisco (StatCast)

RODEO

1:30 p.m.

CBS — PBR: Camping World Team Series, Duluth, Ga. (Taped)

SOCCER (MEN’S)

7:25 a.m.

CBSSN — Club Friendly: Arsenal vs. Newcastle, Singapore

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

Noon

FOX — UEFA Euro 2025 Championship: England vs. Spain, Final, Basel, Switzerland

SOFTBALL

2 p.m.

ESPN — Athletes Unlimited Postseason: Talons vs. Bandits, Championship – Game 2, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

TENNIS

10 a.m.

TENNIS — Umag-ATP Final

Noon

TENNIS — Washington-ATP Doubles Final

2:30 p.m.

TENNIS — Washington-WTA Final

5 p.m.

TENNIS — Washington-ATP Final

7 p.m.

TENNIS — Canada-ATP/WTA Early Rounds

TRACK AND FIELD

4 p.m.

NBC — Grand Slam Track: Day 3, Los Angeles

VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

3 p.m.

CBSSN — FIVB Nations League: TBD, Final, Lodz, Poland

WNBA BASKETBALL

1 p.m.

CBSSN — Golden State at Connecticut

3 p.m.

ABC — Indiana at Chicago

7 p.m.

NBATV — Atlanta at Minnesota

YOUTH SOCCER

7:30 a.m.

ESPNU — U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships: TBD, U-19 Boys Finals, Orlando, Fla.

10:30 a.m.

ESPNU — U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships: TBD, U-19 Girls Finals, Orlando, Fla.




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Wings Join Effort For ‘Texas Sport For Healing Fund’

Wings Join Effort For ‘Texas Sport For Healing Fund’ Sat, Jul 26, 2025, 5:07 PM SAN ANTONIO, Texas (July 25, 2025) – In response to the devastating flooding in Central Texas, the Dallas Wings and 40 other local and national professional sports organizations have joined efforts to launch the “Texas Sport for Healing Fund.” Starting today, […]

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Wings Join Effort For ‘Texas Sport For Healing Fund’

Sat, Jul 26, 2025, 5:07 PM

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (July 25, 2025) – In response to the devastating flooding in Central Texas, the Dallas Wings and 40 other local and national professional sports organizations have joined efforts to launch the “Texas Sport for Healing Fund.” Starting today, fans can support relief efforts through a national online auction featuring over 150 pieces of rare sports memorabilia from more than 80 sports teams and players.

 

This fund will support both immediate relief efforts and long-term recovery for the communities directly impacted by the flooding. The auction will close on Friday, August 8 and all auction proceeds will support the Texas Sport for Healing Fund.

 

The following organizations, including representatives from multiple professional sports leagues in Texas, have come together to provide the initial funding:

Austin FC

Austin Marathon

Austin Spurs

Bryson DeChambeau Foundation

Cleburne Railroaders

Circuit of The Americas

Dal-las Cowboys

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Stars

Dallas Trinity FC

Dallas Wings Community Foundation

El Paso Locomotive FC

Faith Fight Finish Foundation

FC Dallas

Frisco RoughRiders

Houston Astros

Houston Dynamo

Houston Dash

 

Houston Rockets
Houston SaberCats

Houston Texans

Hunt Sports Group

The Jordan Spieth Family Foundation

Just Keep Livin’ Foundation

LOVB Austin

LOVB Houston

Meredith and Scottie Scheffler

NBA Foundation

 

NBA Players Association

Nolan Ryan Foundation

PBR Austin Gamblers

PBR Texas Rattlers

Round Rock Express

REV Entertainment

San Antonio FC

San Antonio Missions

San Antonio Spurs

Texas Legends

Texas Rangers

Texas Stars

The US Tennis Association

 

This investment will better the lives of those affected by the flooding by providing long-term improvements such as access to mental health resources, community programming and the creation of safe places where young people can come together and heal from tragedy. Collectively, these teams have already contributed over $6.3 million to flood relief efforts to date, with funds going to support various organizations including the Texas Sport for Healing Fund. SS&E is managing the fund in conjunction with San Antonio Area Foundation (SAF). A panel of representatives from the founding teams will work collaboratively with SAF, alongside Central Texas community partners and local organizations on the ground, to routinely evaluate and identify additional recipients as needs evolve.

Fans who would like to join the Texas and national sports community by contributing to the fund are invited to donate here.

 



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Grays Harbor Youth Works Welcomes New Executive Director

Since 2018, Cheryl R. Brown has been involved with Grays Harbor Youth Works. As a program coordinator, interim executive director and, from 2020 on, officially as executive director. Currently battling cancer, Brown is stepping back to assist another nonprofit organization and to focus on her treatment. Jessica Eddington, who has served as program assistant for […]

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Since 2018, Cheryl R. Brown has been involved with Grays Harbor Youth Works. As a program coordinator, interim executive director and, from 2020 on, officially as executive director. Currently battling cancer, Brown is stepping back to assist another nonprofit organization and to focus on her treatment. Jessica Eddington, who has served as program assistant for the past four years, is stepping into the executive director position. It’s a time of transition and hope for all.

“Serving as executive director of Grays Harbor Youth Works for the past five years has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my life,” shares Brown. “Watching our youth grow in confidence, skill, and purpose through internship opportunities and career experiences has been a daily reminder of the potential that lives within this community. While it’s time for me to step down, I carry with me deep gratitude for the relationships built, lessons learned, and the unwavering hope I have for the future of Grays Harbor’s youth.”

Jessica, Cheryl and Doreen pose together for a photo. They all have blue nametag lanyards on
Three Grays Harbor Youth Works executive directors post for a photo. From left: Jessica Eddington (current), Cheryl R. Brown (2019-2025) and Dr. Doreen Harden Cato (2013-2019). Photo courtesy: Grays Harbor Youth Works

Get to Know Jessica Eddington, Executive Director of Grays Harbor Youth Works

Eddington’s oldest son drew her to Grays Harbor Youth Works. While signing him up, she learned about all the work they do to help local youth towards a career they will thrive in. She decided she wanted to become a part it. “I have a passion for youth,” she says.

Her career highlights that passion. Previously, she was an educator in Mukilteo at The Multiple Intelligences Academy. She served as a board member for the Professional Education Standards Board (PESB) Paraeducator Board and as a regional director for the Washington State PTA.

For the past four years, she served alongside Brown as program assistant. Brown says Eddington contributed many things to Grays Harbor Youth Works including online applications and forms; cool marketing videos; website upgrades; Facebook engagement; created Digital Marketing Internships and Career Preparedness Resume classes; upgraded classroom presentations and more. “I was told I would have to do data entry with the intern hours and applications,” shares Eddington when asked about changes she made as a program assistant. “I learned how to program our CRM and Adobe formats to have the students do it. Saves us so much time!”

All her hard work was driven by her passion to help others. “As program assistant, my goal was always to advocate for and lift as many students as possible, any way that I could, as well as assist my boss and mentor, Cheryl,” she adds.

Jessica and Cheryl wearing bright orange helmets and vests pose for a photo
Jessica Eddington (left) and Cheryl Brown (right) during a Careers in Natural Resources Excursion. Photo courtesy; Grays Harbor Youth Works

Career Planning for Grays Harbor Youth

Now, as executive director, Eddington has plans to build on those goals she had as program assistant. “Getting around the students – hear what they have to say,” she says are some of her main goals. “Staying on top of hiring and job market trends and youth employment law. Also, keeping up the network and community that the executive directors of GHYW past have done such a remarkable job of creating.”

Grays Harbor Youth Works provides “career connected learning opportunities to build prosperous and rewarding futures” for teens in Grays Harbor County. High School students ages 15 to 19 can apply for a $200 scholarship for an internship in whatever field they choose, business or nonprofit. Internships are 20% job shadowing and 80% hands-on experience.

“This is the time when they’re making decisions that will shape their entire lives,” says Eddington. “Grays Harbor Youth Works is not here to push college or a certain business, we are here for the youth. We want them to really see the possibilities that are right here in the Harbor. It can be a challenge to look at building a rewarding career locally. GHYW changes that by showing them the opportunities that exist and giving them the skills, confidence and connections to achieve them.”

Their programming fills a hole that cannot easily be duplicated. “We see the benefit of our internships and other programs that we offer,” explains Eddington. “Schools do not have the staffing to personally see to the individual needs of students. Companies do not want the liability. We are a community-based organization that engages the students (of all abilities, and backgrounds) covers the liability for mentors/business owners. And the leaders that we pair students with, they get to train their future workforce. The student finds out if they need further schooling or credentials, and they begin to build their own professional network.” 

Between their internships and individual classroom visits, Grays Harbor Youth Works touches hundreds of lives each year. 35% of internships end with a part-time job offer for the youth. Current programs include Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, Culinary, Business Administration, Environmental Health Services, IT, Property Maintenance, and Education.

You can help Grays Harbor Youth Works by volunteering, offering to take interns and donating. “We are at a place where we really must focus on finding sustainable funding resources,” explains Eddington. “We need help to keep the program going. We are working on some things, but Grays Harbor is the most generous community that I have ever lived in, so I figure they can’t help if they don’t know.” Donations can be made on the Grays Harbor Youth Works website.

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Are we sure we want all this gambling in North Dakota?

MINOT — Gambling is quickly becoming a big part of life in North Dakota. The state legislature authorized the use of electronic pull tab machines — effectively slot machines, in practice — and that has proved wildly popular with the public. So much so that e-tab machines are now a multi-billion-dollar industry in our state, […]

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MINOT — Gambling is quickly becoming a big part of life in North Dakota.

The state legislature authorized the use of electronic pull tab machines — effectively slot machines, in practice — and that has proved wildly popular with the public. So much so that e-tab machines are now

a multi-billion-dollar industry in our state,

and the charities and gaming interests are constantly lobbying to allow more gambling at more locations.

But it’s not just charitable gaming that is pushing the expansion of gambling here. The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, which operates a gambling enterprise on its reservation,

is trying to build an off-reservation casino near Grand Forks.

Meanwhile, North Dakota voters are currently being polled about a possible ballot measure that

would legalize mobile sports betting

, following similar proposals that were defeated during the legislative session.

Yet there are signs that this rapid expansion of gambling in North Dakota is having a negative impact.

Gambling interests already have a lot of clout in the legislature. Mike Motschenbacher, the executive director of the North Dakota Gaming Alliance, which lobbies on behalf of the charitable gaming industry,

is literally an elected member of the state House of Representatives.

Charitable gaming supposedly funds, well, charities and other public-spirited organizations. One of the groups capitalizing on the windfall from electronic pull tabs in recent years is youth sports organizations, from golf and baseball to wrestling and hockey. Some of these youth sports groups are even

purchasing venues, such as bars,

 to safeguard their gaming sites.

Think about that. Youth sports groups are buying bars so they can operate slot machines while parents wonder why it’s not getting any cheaper for their kids to play hockey.

And then there’s the corruption.

In 2023, Attorney General Drew Wrigley

issued an enforcement action

driving a Bismarck-based gambling industry executive out of his own company for using a charity as a front to procure lucrative new sites for gaming operations. In 2024, Wrigley issued a similar action against a Mandan bar

for trying to illegally divert gambling revenues.

There is also a rising tide of incidents demonstrating that charitable gaming groups may not be prepared to handle the influx of cash they’re receiving.

Earlier this year, a gambling employee for the West Fargo Hockey Association

was charged with stealing approximately $68,000.

Back in 2019, another West Fargo Hockey employee

was charged with stealing more than $6,000.

Meanwhile, in Minot, reports from

KMOT

and

KXMC

indicate that law enforcement authorities are investigating the alleged theft of at least $160,000 from the Souris Valley Bowmen. How does an archery club have that kind of cash to steal? It’s notable that their board

includes a gaming manager.

But none of this touches on what may be the most problematic impact of the rise of gambling in North Dakota, which is gambling addiction.

A couple years ago, the owner of a small-town bar in a town of about 1,000 people told me the e-tab machines operating in his business were producing upwards of $45,000 per weekend in revenue.

Are we sure the people wagering that money can afford to lose it?

Are we sure we want all this gambling in North Dakota?

Rob Port

Rob Port is a news reporter, columnist, and podcast host for the Forum News Service with an extensive background in investigations and public records. He covers politics and government in North Dakota and the upper Midwest. Reach him at rport@forumcomm.com. Click here to subscribe to his Plain Talk podcast.





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