Jim Wolf captained the 2000 Staples High School boys soccer team. He now serves as president of the Westport Soccer Association, and is a member of the Staples Boys Soccer Foundation.

As discussions continue about athletic fields and artificial turf, he writes:

My wife Lizzie and I both graduated from Staples in 2001. We quickly and enthusiastically moved back to our hometown from New York City after our third child was born. We have 3 children at Greens Farms Elementary School.

After moving back, I immediately became involved in the local youth soccer programs that had such a meaningful impact on my life. Our Westport Soccer Association is a non-profit that organizes travel and rec programs for more than 1,600 kids each fall and spring.

Similar to other youth organizations in town, participation levels for the WSA have increased significantly in the post-COVID years. Our enrollment has grown more than 30% compared to 2020.

This spring we are fielding 33 travel teams. We anticipate that number to increase as the current pre-K and rec players filter up into the travel program.

Each additional travel team requires an incremental 4 to 5 hours of field time per week. There was not capacity for this growth even before the Long Lots fields were taken offline.

Other town youth sports and high school programs are seeing similar enrollment increases. The existing grass fields have become over-utilized and unrested, and significantly deteriorated in quality.

Put plainly, and as many are aware, the current field inventory in Westport is inadequate. Player safety, given field conditions, is increasingly concerning.

Lower soccer fields at Long Lots Elementary School will soon be closed.

At this point, many Westport kids unfortunately will not be able to participate. Our young athletes are at risk of missing out on the numerous developmental benefits of youth athletics.

Based on the studies presented during the Long Lots construction discussions, it is understood that there are limited opportunities to create new fields in Westport, and maintaining the existing over-utilized grass fields requires more financial resources.

The community desperately needs new investment in the fields. Lighting and artificial surfaces are both reasonable and actionable solutions.

The limited budget allocated to fields to date has resulted in the WSA and other youth programs paying a meaningful per player fee to generate incremental revenue to invest in the existing fields.

Poor condition of Wakeman grass field (lower portion of photo) can be seen from the air.

This was not ideal for our families. But we stressed the importance of the supplemental funding, and the parent community has been willing to do their part for the kids.

Given the availability and quality of the grass fields, turfing in the safest way, using the newest products available must not only be considered, but expedited. The kids and the broader community cannot afford to have an RTM ruling or process that slows down progress.

All opportunities to expand field capacity and improve quality (ranging from lighting to irrigation to resting) should be quickly acted upon. Any ordinance that limits optionality or speed of development would be incredibly unfortunate. We are already years behind other communities on this.

How hard is it to resolve to improve fields for Westport’s kids in the safest way possible?

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email 06880blog@gmail.com.)

Ohio Governor Mark DeWine has sparked a backlash from other Republicans after proposing to increase a tax on betting in the state.

Newsweek reached out to DeWine’s office via his website for comment.

Why It Matters

DeWine initially proposed doubling Ohio’s tax on sports betting from 20 percent to 40 percent as part of his budget in February. He had already doubled it from 10 percent to 20 percent in a 2023 budget.

According to the Ohio Capital Journal, the money will be used for youth sports initiatives and a new stadium for NFL team the Cleveland Browns.

What To Know

If the tax increases, Ohio will have the second-largest betting tax rate, eclipsed only by New York, which has a 51 percent tax rate.

He is also proposing increasing taxes on cigarettes and vape products.

DeWine has clashed with other Republicans in the past. In September 2024, he criticized Donald Trump and his then-running mate JD Vance’s rhetoric on immigration in Ohio, though he said he supported both politicians.

What People Are Saying

His idea has sparked a backlash from members of his own party.

Donald Trump Jr. on X, formerly Twitter: “While my dad is trying to cut taxes for Americans, why is a REPUBLICAN Governor trying to raise taxes?”

Gabe Guidarini, president of the University of Dayton College Republicans, said in a Dayton Daily News article: “I’m deeply concerned about Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed tax hike on sports gaming — a plan that feels like a targeted attack on young people, particularly those of us working hard to build our futures.”

Republican State Representative Brian Stewart told News 5: “You know we started out with a 10 percent tax on sports gaming, we’ve not even finished two football seasons and now we’re talking about quadrupling that tax. I think that’s going to generate a lot of discussion.”

Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec, on X: “RINO Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s plan to raise taxes on sports betting to force taxpayers to pay for a new sports stadium is nothing more than government cronyism on the back of the working-class. Why can’t billionaire team owners pay for their own stadiums?”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, in February: “These are the companies that are taking all of this money outside, draining it outside of the State of Ohio on gaming. They ought to pay their fair share and this would make them pay their fair share.”

What Happens Next

The two-year budget is due by July 1.

Online registration or in person registration signups close on June 15th 2025

From the Wellsville Youth Football team,

Wellsville Youth Football is preparing for a great season and it is time to get “with the program.”

Parents: It is time to get them signed up to be part of a team with great coaches. Players who are 6-7 years old are eligible for Flag Football. Players who are 8-9 years old are eligible for PeeWee. Players who are 10-11 years old can play at the Midget level. Any player who is 12 years before Dec 1  is eligible to play at the Midget level.

SIGN UP at the Football shed at Tullar Field on June 5 in person from 5:30 until 630pm or….

Wellsville youth Football is a free to all participants. Sign-ups will close by June 15^th to set rosters. 

Practice starts July 28 at Island Park at 5:30. 

EVERETT — Girls flag football will be the newest varsity sport coming to Everett Public Schools next winter, the school district announced May 9.

It will be the first new new varsity sport to be added in the district since it introduced bowling over two decades ago.

“One of the things that stuck with me the most talking with other schools and kids is the connection a lot of girls feel to this sport,” said Dani Mundell, the district’s athletic director. “This really is kind of America’s sport. Everybody loves football, and there are a lot of girls that love football, maybe as more of a spectator of the sport. Now they get to be a part of it.”

Flag football is a non-contact sport, removing removing the need for tackling and heavy equipment. It’s one of the fastest growing youth sports in the country and its low costs reduce the barriers to participate, a group of schools wrote in a proposed amendment to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Everett High School was among the schools that submitted the proposal.

Sanctioning the sport would “provide more equitable access to the game of football and would meaningfully benefit thousands of girls across the state with interest in the game,” the schools wrote.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association officially sanctioned the sport on April 21. It’s the 15th state to sanction the sport at the high school level, according to the Seattle Seahawks.

For Mundell, she sees the introduction of the sport as an opportunity to provide a new gateway to sports participation for girls across the district.

“They feel like they can be a part of a high school team without having years of experience,” Mundell said Wednesday. “I think it’ll open the doors for a lot of kids who want to be a part of the athletics program, but may feel nervous about trying out for some of the sports.”

Jacob Hiatt, the director of the YMCA of Snohomish County’s flag football program, is also excited about the new varsity sport.

“It gives girls their own lane, their own place to shine,” he said. “What I’ve noticed is the girls tend to take it very serious and compete very well. They’ve kind of owned it as their own sport, which I love seeing.”

Flag football games are set to be played using a unique format. Two fields will be set up side by side on a standard football field, where teams will play from sideline to sideline. It will allow two games to be played at once.

The program will cost about $76,000 to launch, and about $60,000 per year to continue operating, Mundell said.

The flag football season will start in the 2025-26 school year, and will take place during the winter. Programs will be available at all three Everett high schools. All of the teams will play their home games at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.

FLINT, Mich. — As the school year winds down, many families are on the hunt for summer activities. Here’s a roundup of camps and community programs happening around Flint:

Storytime at Applewood
Fridays at 11:30 a.m.

Hosted on the grounds of Applewood Estate, the weekly storytime invites families with young children to enjoy interactive reading sessions, weather permitting. For more information, visit the Ruth Mott Foundation website. 

For-Mar Nature Day Camp
June to August weekly sessions

For-Mar’s summer camp offers hands-on outdoor learning focused on ecosystems and nature. Registration opened April 1. For more information, visit Genesee County Parks’ website or reach out to Camp Director Marissa Pannett at mpannett@gcparks.org. 

Crim Summer Running Clubs & Marti Austin Kids Classic
June and July weekly sessions

Children and teens ages 3 to 18 can join running clubs across Genesee County. The Marti Austin Kids Classic, a youth race event, follows later in the season with distances ranging from the Diaper Dash to a full mile. Registration is available online here.

YMCA Spring Session II
May to June 2025

The YMCA is running a line-up of sports and wellness programs for all age groups this spring including Friday Night Hoops (ages 12 to 16), Youth Soccer, Youth Basketball (ages 5 to 8) and Tiny Tumblers (ages 3 to 5). For more information, visit their website. 

Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium Summer Camps
Summer 2025

Offering more than fifty hands-on workshops and camps, Sloan Museum’s summer lineup serves children and adolescents from preschool to high school. Topics range from science and engineering to art and history, with discounted rates for members. Register here. 

NourisHER+HIM: Youth and Family Culinary Arts Summer Program
May to August 2025

Mission Possible will host a free drop-in culinary series for youth (ages 7 to 16) on Saturdays and family classes (ages 4+) on Thursdays. Lessons focus on cooking skills, healthy eating, and building community. Registration required. For more information, follow them on Facebook.

Brighter Futures Summer Course
July

The course is open to Genesee County youth Ages 16 to 24 looking to build life and career skills over the summer. The program includes hands-on learning, job readiness training and support services. Transportation and lunch provided. Registration and event details available here.