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Federal Republican lawmakers on Tuesday suggested that increasing students’ access and participation in sports could help stem school and gun violence, as Democrats pushed back on whether that’s a viable solution. The disagreement came on the heels of a fatal mass shooting at Brown University that occurred on the eve of Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre’s 13th anniversary. 

“This is a hearing on school safety,” said House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich. Walberg spoke during a hearing titled “Benched: The Crisis in American Youth Sports and Its Cost to Our Future,” held by the subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee. Walberg chairs the full committee. 

“If we did this right again, we would have less violence in schools,” Walberg said. “These are the types of things that will change [the] perspective of kids and what they do in life itself. So this is a hearing on gun violence.” 

While Democrats and witnesses agreed that access and affordability are barriers to youth sports participation,they disagreed with Republicans over its potential to address school shootings. Studies have shown that youth sports participation is linked to better attendance, graduation rates, and academic performance.

“As important as sports participation is for kids, there is a much more pressing crisis at hand that the majority needs to recognize,” said subcommittee ranking member Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore. “We know what happened over the weekend.” 

Saturday’s shooting at Brown University killed two students and injured nine others. In K-12, there have been 230 school shootings in 2025 as of Dec 16, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks anytime a weapon is brandished with intent to harm on school grounds. 

That number puts this year on track to fall well below last year’s 330 school shootings. Last year became the first year since 2020 that school shootings hadn’t broken a record high. Still, however, the 330 school shootings recorded in 2024 marked the second-highest number since 1966 and fell only 19 below the all-time high of 349 recorded in 2023.

“This subcommittee has held several hearings this year, but we have not had a single hearing related to gun violence,” nor has the committee marked up a bill this year on school gun violence, said Bonamici. “We can talk about the other issues as much as we want — reading, math, CTE, screentime, student privacy, sports. None of that matters if children are shot and killed.” 

Witnesses at the hearing, however, stressed that better access to school sports could help improve student mental health, academics and outcomes. They reported anecdotes of students being less likely to engage in violence or commit crimes when after-school time is filled with sports activities. 

“If you can calm yourself down when you’re in an anxious state, you’re a better athlete. If you can calm your anger down when you’re hypercompetitive, you’re a better athlete,” said Steve Boyle, co-founder and executive director of 2-4-1 Care, Inc., a nonprofit organization that partners with school districts to provide sports opportunities. 

John O’Sullivan, another witness and founder and CEO of the Changing the Game Project, said, “We have to keep as many kids as possible, as long as possible, in the best environment possible. ” His organization advocates for parents and coaches to become better participants in kids’ sports. 

Democrats remained doubtful and pushed for a hearing specifically on gun violence. 

“While sports are important for school safety, we have to have a hearing on this committee to address school shootings and the safety of our children in American schools,” said Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn. “I know that my constituents expect something more than to just normalize school shootings and teach our children how to shelter in place.” 

Hayes and other lawmakers on Sept. 12 sent a letter to Walberg and full committee ranking member Bobby Scott, D-Va., seeking a hearing before the end of the year on school shootings, and she said she received a response saying her concerns were “noted.” The letter was sent in wake of shootings at a Catholic school in Minnesota and a Colorado high school.

Russia may return to international football after a four-year absence from FIFA-sanctioned competitions after world soccer’s governing body announced a new under-15 competition which will be “open to all member associations”.

Russia’s national teams and domestic clubs have been suspended from participating in FIFA and UEFA (the governing body of European football) competitions since the nation’s illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) appealed against the bans, but the Court of Arbitration of Sport upheld the decisions.

The RFU, however, is not suspended — they are still a member nation of both UEFA and FIFA. It is the country’s football teams, rather than its governing body, that have been suspended.

On Wednesday, FIFA’s Council announced the creation of an “under-15 festival-style tournament…that will be open to all 211 FIFA member associations”.

The first boys’ tournament will be held in 2026, with an edition for girls to be staged in 2027.

The governing body said each member association, which includes Russia, would be invited to participate in the tournaments.

Any readmittance of Russia, however, is likely to be dependent on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In April, FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino spoke of his hope that Russia could be reintroduced to the football fold “soon” – adding that any return would signify that “everything was solved” in relation to events in Ukraine.

Last week, Infantino said in an Instagram post that he “supported” participation of athletes, and “especially young athletes”, in events regardless of the political situation of their country”.

He added: “Sport provides an access to hope, and a way to show that all athletes can respect the same rules and one another.”

Since February 2022, Russia have been excluded from the qualification process for the men’s World Cup in 2022, and the nation did not take part in the qualifiers for either the European Championship in 2024, governed by UEFA, or the 2026 World Cup.

The nation’s club sides have not participated in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League — all overseen by UEFA.

When approached by The Athletic, a UEFA spokesperson said the organisation’s stance on Russia would not change until the conflict in Ukraine had ended.

UEFA’s Executive Committee (EXCO), its decision-making body — responsible for making decisions and overseeing competitions — will next meet in February 2026.

In 2023, UEFA reversed plans to reinstate Russia’s under-17 side in the relevant youth European Championship in 2024 following significant pushback from member associations, including England’s Football Association.

UEFA had initially said in their reasoning for reinstating under-17 teams that “children should not be punished” for the conflict and that football “should never give up sending messages of peace and hope”. Under UEFA’s initial plan, proposed matches would have been conducted without the Russian flag, anthem, or kit, and would not take place on Russian territory.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to compete under their national flags and emblems at youth level.

Russian and Belarusian competitors have been banned from competing under their countries’ flags at Olympic and Paralympic events since 2022.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC permitted some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under the “Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN)” team, which had no symbolism of national anthems, badges or flags.

The IOC also said that Belarus, which has diplomatically supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, should no longer be restricted from hosting international events, although Russia should remain barred from doing so.

Belarus most recently competed in European qualifiers for the 2026 men’s World Cup, finishing bottom of Group C behind Scotland, Denmark and Greece, but the nation is not allowed to host UEFA or FIFA matches.

The L.D. Washington and Nathaniel Cannon Wall of Honor celebrates the legacy of youth sports and the leaders who built and sustained the East Austin Youth Foundation and the Greater East Austin Youth Association – organizations that have created vital opportunities for Black youth during and after segregation.

The wall is housed in the Britton, Durst, Howard and Spence Building at 1183 Chestnut Ave. in Rosewood Neighborhood Park, a historic center for Black youth sports. The building was renamed in 2011 to honor four community leaders, including Lawrence M. Britton, Sr. and James Howard, who helped found the East Austin Youth Foundation. Their work provided a safe and empowering space for young athletes at a time when Black children were excluded from white leagues.

James Howard later partnered with Nathaniel Cannon to co-found the Greater East Austin Youth Association, continuing the mission of community uplift. Cannon has served as the association’s treasurer since its founding in 1975 and has been a key organizer of the group’s annual Juneteenth celebration for over 25 years.

L.D. Washington, a beloved coach and mentor, also played a pivotal role in the East Austin Youth Foundation. His influence extended beyond sports, and he was honored with the Al Edwards Juneteenth Un-Sung Hero Award in 2001 and inducted into the Prairie View Interscholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016.

The idea for the Wall of Honor came from Kenneth D. Thompson, Sr., a former player and parent in the East Austin Youth Foundation. He partnered with Lee Dawson, Jr., president of the Greater East Austin Youth Association and a former player himself, to bring the vision to life. The project was made possible through funding from the Austin Parks Foundation’s Austin City Limits Music Festival Grants Program.

Watch and share the unveiling video on:

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Before she was a WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and head coach of the Duke University women’s basketball team, Kara Lawson was a star in NoVA. Lawson, now 44, led the West Springfield High School Spartans to state championships in 1997 and 1999. She was recently tapped to coach the USA Basketball Women’s National Team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and we asked her how her NoVA roots have helped shape her impressive career.

What do you like to do when you visit NoVA?

I’m from Alexandria. And my mom still lives in Alexandria. I come home a lot … more during the off-season. Mostly, I like to just spend time with my family and my friends.

What do you love about the area? 

Northern Virginia is great because you have everything. You have sports, you have theater, you have culture, you have sightseeing, you have outdoors. You basically have everything that you need.
The NoVA youth sports culture can be hyper-competitive. What’s your advice for young athletes with dreams of going pro?

Going to school in the area really prepares you for success, because you play a lot of good competition. You have a lot of good coaching in the area, a lot of good players. While college was certainly a step up, I felt very prepared when I got there. So, in our area, if you can rise to be one of the best, then that usually means you’re pretty good. It’s a good barometer for the rest of the country.

What did you learn from your coaches at West Springfield? 

I learned about teamwork. I knew about teamwork from when I was young, but we had very good team chemistry at West Springfield, and everyone had a great understanding of their roles and what they needed to do for the team to be successful. We only lost two games in three years, and we have a close group — six of my high school teammates came to the press conference [announcing my Olympic coaching appointment]. I’m still good friends with a lot of my teammates from high school.

Was coaching something you’ve always wanted to do?

Yeah, I have wanted to be a coach since I was 7 years old. 

What did being selected as the Olympic team’s head coach mean to you?

It represents the journey that it takes to do that. It makes me smile, because I think it symbolizes that I dedicated myself from when I was young to a goal. And I stayed with it over 10 years, 20 years, and was able to reach it. So it was very fulfilling. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Feature image of Kara Lawson courtesy USA Basketball

This story originally ran in our December issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.

A beloved youth sports referee who worked games across Central Indiana for more than three decades has died after collapsing on the court during a girls’ high school basketball game.

Jeff Tamarri, who was known among families as “Jeff the Ref,” was 63 years old.

Tamarri collapsed during a game at Monrovia High School on Friday, Dec. 12, according to NBC affiliate WTHR and the IndyStar.

WTHR reported that Tamarri’s collapse prompted fans to clear the gym so bystanders with medical backgrounds could work on saving him until first responders arrived. 

“I have no doubt in my mind that they did all they could,” fellow youth sports referee Kevin Brown told WTHR. “Unfortunately, I just don’t think there was much to be done.”

Brown mourned Tamarri as a sports referee who enjoyed his job and “was always out there for the right reasons.”

“He truly died doing what I know he loved,” Brown said.

“He had a calming presence, and I always said officials need to lower the temperature in the room,” Brown told WTHR. “Some people are really gifted at it. He was really gifted at it.”

Tamarri’s fellow referee told the outlet that his late colleague appeared to have “some sort of cardiac event” before collapsing on the court. “It was a simple offensive rebound right in the middle of the second quarter, and he turned around to get position on it” before collapsing, Brown told WTHR.

The outlet estimated that Tamarri officiated thousands of youth sports games across his 30-plus year career.

Fellow referee Derek Whitfield announced Tamarri’s death in a post on a local youth umpiring social media page, saying although it “leaves an immense void in our hearts, there is a quiet comfort in knowing he left us pursuing his passion, surrounded by sports that defined so much of his life.”

“Jeff was more than an outstanding official who graced countless games across many sports; he was a mentor, a friend, and a guiding light to young athletes, coaches, and fellow umpires alike,” Whitfield wrote, adding, “Those who knew Jeff will forever remember his warm, infectious smile and the deep, authentic love he showed to players, coaches, colleagues, friends, and his family.”

Referee Terry Taylor, who Whitfield described as Tamarri’s best friend and longtime roommate, told WTHR that Tamarri “was such a great guy.”

“We’d see a lot of faces, the same faces in different sports,” Taylor said. “So from Grand Park to Zionsville to Danville, where we worked a lot in the last few years, there were a lot of upset kids Saturday when they found out.”