SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) — In honor of “World Basketball Day’ on Sunday, the Basketball Hall of Fame held a special youth basketball clinic in collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Springfield.

The event welcomed local students to participate in training drills and learn the fundamentals of basketball.

The Marketing and PR Manager of the Hall of Fame, Kiana Lowe, says, “The clinic is mostly sponsored by the NBA. So, we are focusing on young kids from sixth grade and under…Just learning the fundamentals of basketball. What basketball is about. What it takes to be a basketball player…The commitment, determination, and also the camaraderie that comes with basketball… Basketball is a team sport for a reason. And we really wanted to highlight that today.”

The event also had an appearance from special guest former NBA Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams who had some words of advice for kids who dream of a future in basketball.

Carter-Williams says, “Yeah, I mean, just, you know, work hard. Be a good person, right? Try to be the healthiest person you could possibly be… And just chase your dreams, right? Never let anyone deter that… If you want to do something, you know, practice it every day and don’t let anyone tell you differently.”

This year’s World Basketball Day celebration also coincided with the 175th anniversary of the YMCA, the organization where the game of basketball was originally introduced in 1891.

Copyright 2025. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.

In a game with youngsters at Kalama Intermediate School before the games at the Maui Classic women’s basketball tournament, University of Hawai‘i junior guard Jovi Lefotu couldn’t stop her competitive side from coming out.

Lefotu, the only player from Hawai‘i on the Rainbow Wahine roster, was thrilled to play in the Maui Classic on Friday and Saturday at the Erdman Athletic Center on the Seabury Hall campus, but she might have been more excited to interact with Maui youngsters. 

UH beat Liberty 67-58 on Friday when Lefotu scored 9 points and dished out 3 assists, but the Rainbow Wahine lost on Saturday to Montana State 72-56 when Lefotu was limited to 2 points, 1 assist and committed 5 turnovers.

Lefotu, an ‘Iolani School graduate from Kaneohe, O‘ahu, played a game called “land, sea, air” with Kalama students and teammates that involves jumping from spot to spot or into the air at the right time. Lefotu beat UH teammate Bailey Flavell in the championship match of the friendly competition.

“They’re so cute,” Lefotu said of the students that the Rainbow Wahine interacted with Friday morning, playing games, holding a question and answer “talk story” session and doing about 30 minutes of basketball drills and interaction. “They had a lot of energy and we played games. We talked with them and it made our day just to be with them and spend time with them and get to know them — they asked us a lot of questions.” 

Lefotu added, “I hope we impacted them as much as they impacted us.”

Oregon State University started the tournament, involving four teams, in 2016 and it has been played every year since with the exception of 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon State improved to 15-3 in the event with a 53-51 win over Montana State on Friday and a 64-57 win over Liberty on Saturday. The Beavers go home to Corvallis, Ore., with an 8-5 record, while UH is now 6-6.

Hawai‘i beat Chaminade 73-31 in an exhibition game last season at Ka‘ulaheanuiokamoku Gym at Kamehameha Schools Maui, but the games this weekend were the first games that counted that the Rainbow Wahine have ever played on Maui.

“Anytime we can come to a Neighbor Island, it’s fabulous,” Hawai‘i coach Laura Beeman said. “I wish we could play several times a year on every Neighbor Island, not just O‘ahu. Unfortunately, our schedule doesn’t allow it and we sometimes need that home court advantage. But I’m so appreciative of the fans that came out tonight that supported us. We felt the aloha, which was great. … We absolutely love coming to Maui. It’s just, it’s such a special place.”

Beeman said the trip to Maui can be a recruiting tool.

“Anytime that you can come here, not only for us to watch kids, but for kids to watch us and say, ‘hey, I want to be a part of that coaching staff, that program, that culture, that ‘ohana,’ ” Beeman said. “We want local kids to want to play for us.”

Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck and Ben Prangnell, the founder of nonprofit organization Vertical Sports Maui, the tournament organizer, met 15 years ago when they were both part of a youth basketball clinic on Maui. Rueck became the head coach at OSU soon after and he stayed in touch with Prangnell and the Maui Classic developed from an idea to reality in 2016.

The Maui Classic started being played at War Memorial Gym in Wailuku and has also been played at the Lahaina Civic Center and South Maui Gym, but has now been held for the last three years at the Erdman Athletic Center on the Seabury Hall campus. 

It has become a center point of the Beavers’ annual schedule.

“This trip is so meaningful for so many reasons,” Rueck said. “A, to look forward to. It’s always nice to have something like that. Certainly recruiting, it helps. But the real payoff is once we’re here, and not only to attempt to impact, but to feel the impact that we’re having on the community.”

Rueck added, “And then it’s also amazing to feel the reward for showing up and being supported and loved so well by a place that really has become our second home over the years. And so, this is a beautiful event. We’re so grateful for Vertical Sports, the people in Maui for supporting us so well. And it’s certainly a highlight of the year.”

“This trip was a blessing for us,” Oregon State junior guard Kennedie Shuler said after scoring 9 points, grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 7 assists on Friday. “This is my third year here, so I’m so glad for all my new teammates that this is their first time just to come see Maui.”

Shuler added that the team was able to put in some community service time with Seabury Hall.

“It’s a beautiful place to play basketball, but even better than that, it’s an amazing time for us to give back to the community,” Shuler said.

The Hawai‘i team lined up for a post-game group photo with the Maui High School girls team. The Sabers are the defending Maui Interscholastic League champions.

“I’m glad to see high school girls from Maui watch us come out and play,” Lefotu said. “Just being an inspiration for Hawai‘i girls and to show them if you’re from Hawai‘i, you still can make it big. You just gotta work hard. … It’s always fun to play in front of your home state.”

Maui High’s Naiara Bal, the only senior on the Maui High team, said: “It was such a good experience and fun to watch. It’s very cool to see (UH) come here, finally, so we can watch. I love the way they play.”

Montana State went home to Bozeman, Mont., with a 7-4 record after going 1-1 here. The Bobcats visited Lokelani Intermediate School in Kīhei on Wednesday. It is the third time Montana State has been part of the Maui Classic.

“Well, it’s a great trip, number one,” MSU coach Tricia Binford said. “Oregon State does a great job of investing in the community here, so it’s a win in a beautiful area to get two really great games. All four teams here won their conferences last year, but more importantly, we get to give a little bit back to this great community. So, I love that we get to serve some people while we’re here and show some great role models.”

Liberty traveled 16 hours to get here Tuesday from their campus in Lynchburg, Va. The Flames (6-5) visited Kīhei Charter School for their interaction with Maui students, as is the tradition for every team that plays on the Maui Classic.

“It’s amazing. I mean, this event is bigger than basketball,” Liberty coach Alexis Sherard said. “Just to have an opportunity to go into the community, to give back to the community, just for our team to have the experience of going to the middle school and pour into those middle school kids’ hearts and give them hope and let them know, ‘hey, you can be a champion.’ … All of our players, they were in middle school as well, and look where they are now.“

Sherard concluded, “I think they really enjoyed our team. Our team enjoyed them. So hopefully we were able to touch at least one student’s heart.”

“Monday Morning Maui Sports” columns appear weekly on Monday mornings with updates on local sports in the Maui Interscholastic League and elsewhere around Maui County. Please send column ideas — anything having to do with sports in Maui County — as well as results and photos to rob@hjinow.org.

West Fargo United won its game at Starion Sports Complex Cadillac Rink against the Mandan Braves on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, ending 5-2.

The Braves took the lead early in the first period, with a goal from Brenna Bauman. Emline Brincks and Hannah Berreth assisted.

The second period ended with a 3-2 lead for the Packers.

The Packers increased the lead to 4-2 early in the third period when Emma Hassler netted one again, assisted by Payton Stocker and Kaylee Augdahl.

Emma Hassler made it 5-2 with a goal late in the third, assisted by Ava Josephsen and Stella Gimberline.

The teams play each other again on January 30th.

Coming up:

The Braves will go up against the Devils Lake Firebirds at Burdick Arena on Friday, Jan. 02, 2026, while the Packers will battle Fargo Davies on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.

Read more prep coverage

north dakota girls hockey

Scoring:

North Dakota, Starion Sports Complex Cadillac Rink

6th December 2025

West Fargo United at Mandan Braves

2-5

1st period:

Mandan Braves, 0–1 (6:41) Brenna Bauman

2nd period:

1–1 (24:59) Kaylee Augdahl, 1–2 (27:10) Afton Leingang, 2–2 (30:12) Stella Gimberline, 3–2 (36:17) Emma Hassler

3rd period:

4–2 (43:59) Emma Hassler, 5–2 (54:06) Emma Hassler

Automated articles produced by United Robots on behalf of The Rink Live.

Carissa Wallace started working at the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center in Golden two years ago because she felt strongly about helping rehabilitate young people convicted of crimes.

She loved the teens and loved the work.

But staffing shortages began to take a toll. Management routinely mandated employees pull 16-hour shifts multiple days a week because they were so short-staffed. Fewer workers meant there was nobody to respond to crises or adequately monitor the young people in their care, she said. Safety concerns mounted.

Wallace said she came home every day and cried. She went to the doctor for medication to help deal with all the anxiety the job brought.

“After two years, I was mentally broken from that place,” she said in an interview. “When I had to think about my safety every second of the day, I could no longer make a difference. I could no longer help the kids.”

Colorado’s youth detention centers are facing a staffing crisis, leading to serious safety concerns for employees and youth and low worker morale, current and former staffers told The Denver Post. The Division of Youth Services, which oversees the state’s 12 detention and commitment facilities, employs more than 1,000 employees, according to state data. Nearly 500 additional jobs remain vacant.

Some facilities, such as the Mount View Youth Services Center in Lakewood, reported a 57% staff vacancy rate, according to June figures compiled by the state. At the Spring Creek Youth Services Center in Colorado Springs, nearly 10% of its staff at one point in November were out due to injuries sustained on the job.

Current and former staff say leadership deserves a large chunk of the blame. Employees say they don’t feel management supports them or listens to their concerns. Higher-ups aren’t on the floor dealing with riots, they say, or leading programs. When situations do get out of control, staff say the brass simply looks for someone to blame.

“The administration says they care,” said Kim Espinoza, a former Lookout Mountain staffer, “but their actions say otherwise.”

Alex Stojsavljevic, the Division of Youth Services’ new director, acknowledged in an interview that working in youth detention is difficult. Retaining staff is a big priority with ample opportunities for improvement, he said. The division plans to be intentional about the people it hires into these roles, making sure that candidates know what they’re signing up for.

He hopes to sell a vision that one can make youth corrections a long, fulfilling career.

“Change is afoot in our department,” said Stojsavljevic, who took the mantle in October. “Just because we’ve done something for 20 or 30 years doesn’t mean we have to continue to do it that way.”

Critical staffing levels

Staffing shortages at Colorado prisons and youth centers have remained a persistent problem in recent years, though vacancy rates at the DYS facilities far outpace those at the state’s adult prisons.

A lack of adequate employees means adult inmates can’t access essential services like medical, dental and mental health care, according to a 2024 report from the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. Education, employment and treatment programs lag.

“Simply put, because of the staff shortage, the (Department of Corrections) is not able to fulfill its organizational mission, responsibilities and constitutional mandates,” the report’s authors wrote.

Studies point to a litany of physical and mental health issues facing corrections workers.

Custody staff have a post-traumatic stress disorder rate of 34%, 10 times higher than the national average, according to One Voice United, a national organization of corrections officers. The average life expectancy for a corrections worker is 60, compared to 75 for the general population. Divorce and substance abuse rates are higher than in any other public safety profession, the organization noted, while suicide rates are double that of police officers.

The Colorado Department of Corrections has a 12.6% overall department vacancy rate, according to state figures. Correctional officer vacancies sit at 11%, while clinical and medical staff openings are nearly 20%.

Meanwhile, nearly one in three DYS positions is vacant.

The most common open positions are for the lowest level correctional workers, called youth services specialists. The Betty. K. Marler Youth Services Center in Lakewood currently has 23 vacant positions for this classification of employee out of 63 total slots. The facility is also short 10 teachers. Platte Valley Youth Services Center in Greeley has 21 open positions for the lowest-tier youth services specialist role out of 71 total jobs.

The same candidates who might work at DYS are also being recruited by adult corrections, public safety departments and behavioral health employers, Stojsavljevic said, leading to fierce competition for these applicants.

Current and former DYS workers say the staffing issues serve as a vicious cycle: The fewer employees there are, the more mandated overtime and extra shifts that the current staff are forced to take on. Those people, then, quickly burn out from the long hours and dangerous working conditions, they say.

Wallace, the former Lookout Mountain worker, said almost every day for the past year, leadership mandated staff stay late or work double shifts. This routinely meant working 16-hour days.

“It got to the point where people weren’t answering their phones,” she said. “People were calling out sick because they were overworked and exhausted.”

Wallace estimated that 80% of the time, the facility operated at critical staffing levels or below. State law requires juvenile detention facilities to have one staff member for every eight teens, but workers say that wasn’t always the case.

Many days, staffers said, there weren’t enough employees to respond to emergencies. In some cases, that meant the young men themselves assisted staff in breaking up fights with their peers.

One night, some of the teens set off the fire alarm at Lookout Mountain, which unlocked the doors and allowed the young people to run around campus, climb on buildings and break windows, workers said. Without enough staff to rein in the chaos, employees wanted to call 911.

But they said they were told they would be fired if they did. Leadership, they learned, didn’t want it covered by the press.

“Our jobs, our lives were threatened because they didn’t want media coverage,” Espinoza said.

Stojsavljevic said the department is “acutely aware” of the mandated work problem, though he admitted that in 24-hour facilities, staff will occasionally be told to work certain shifts.

The division has implemented a volunteer sign-up list, where staff can earn additional incentives for working these extra shifts.

Since he’s been in the job, the state’s juvenile facilities have never dropped below minimum staffing standards, Stojsavljevic said.

Routine violence in DYS facilities

Staff say violence is an almost daily occurrence inside DYS facilities, which contributes to poor staff retention.

The division, since Jan. 1, recorded 35 fights and 94 assaults at the Lookout Mountain complex, The Post reported in September. Since March 1, police officers have responded 77 times to the Golden campus for a variety of calls, including assaults on youth and staff, sexual assault, riots, criminal mischief and contraband, Golden Police Department records show.

Twenty of these cases concerned assaults on staff by youth in their care.

Multiple employees suffered concussions after being punched repeatedly in the head, the reports detailed. Others were spit on, bitten, placed in headlocks and verbally threatened with violence.

Chaz Chapman, a former Lookout Mountain worker, previously told The Post that he reported three or four assaults to police during his tenure, adding, “I was expecting to get jumped every day.”

“We were basically never able to handle situations physically, and the kids knew that; they were stronger than 90% of their staff,” Chapman told The Post in September. “The ones who stood in their way would get assaulted, such as myself.”

Staff said leadership still expected them to show up to work, even while injured.

Espinoza said she injured her knee during a restraint, requiring crutches. DYS continued to put her on the schedule, she said. So the staffer hobbled around the large Golden campus through the snow and ice.

One supervisor had his head cracked open at work this year, Espinoza said. He went to the hospital and returned to Lookout. Wallace said she’s been to the doctor 20 times since she started the job due to injuries sustained at work. She said she still has long-lasting shoulder pain.

“If they’re gonna keep hiring women who can’t restrain teenage boys, people are going to get hurt,” she said. “That was an everyday thing.”

In November, 28 DYS employees were out of work on injury leave, according to data provided by the state. Spring Creek Youth Services Center in Colorado Springs had nine workers injured out of 91 total staff. The state did not divulge how these people were hurt.

Stojsavljevic said safety is the division’s No. 1 focus area. If staff are injured on the job, he said, it’s important that they’re supported.

“Staff have to be both physically healthy and emotionally healthy to do this work,” the director said.

Division policies allow injured employees to take leave if they need it. Depending on the level of injury, some staff can return to work without having youth contact, Stojsavljevic said.

‘That place takes your soul’

But workers interviewed by The Post overwhelmingly blamed management for the division’s poor staffing levels.

As staff worked 16-hour days and were mandated to come in on their days off, they said administrators wouldn’t pitch in.

“A lot of people felt it’s unfair,” Wallace said. “The people making a good amount of money weren’t truly being leaders. They were forcing us to pick up the slack, but they didn’t want to deal with youth. They wanted to sit at a desk, collect their check, and go home for the day.”

New recruits were thrown into the deep end with barely any training or support, employees said. Those new staffers quickly saw the grueling hours and how tired their coworkers were all the time. Many left within weeks of starting the gig.

“I could see their souls were literally gone,” Wallace said. “That place takes your soul.”

After safety, Stojsavljevic said the department is prioritizing quality and innovation. Leadership wants to make sure that programs and policies are actually getting better results.

According to numerous news sources, after a five-day search the father-in-law of Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes was found dead on Saturday outside Roanoke, Virginia. The body of 79-year-old Leonard Hugh Thompson was discovered near Route 81. His car was nearby with a flat tire and missing car keys.

Dawes had issued a plea to help locate him earlier on Saturday, Dec. 20. She worried about his wellbeing.

“He has had a health episode and is disoriented and confused,” Dawes said in a video posted to social media.

A Silver Spring native, Dawes is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Today she operates two training academies for aspiring gymnasts in Rockville and Columbia.

A mother of four, Dawes and her husband, Jeff Thompson, posted a picture on Instagram on Saturday night with the caption, “Rest in Peace, Papa T.”

In an industry where most restaurant brands struggle to survive a decade, Beef ’O’ Brady’s is entering its 40th year still growing, still profitable and still deeply tied to the communities that built it.

The sports pub brand, founded in Brandon in 1985, now operates 125 locations across 22 states, including its original Brandon restaurant, which remains in operation today.

As one of the longest-operating restaurant groups to emerge from the Tampa Bay Area, Beef ’O’ Brady’s has grown alongside shifting consumer habits while maintaining a neighborhood-first identity.

For CEO Chris Elliott, that longevity comes down to consistency, even as the business evolves.

Growth without losing focus

Beef ’O’ Brady’s is part of FSC Franchise Co., a multi-brand restaurant group headquartered in Florida, with approximately 275 locations and $500M in systemwide sales.

The portfolio includes Beef ’O’ Brady’s, The Brass Tap and Newk’s Eatery.

Elliott joined the company as a consultant in early 2010 and became CEO later that year.

READ: LATEST TAMPA BAY BUSINESS NEWS

Since then, he has overseen a period of steady growth that included ownership changes, brand acquisitions and a shift from a single-concept company into a scalable platform.

When Elliott arrived, average unit volumes were about $850K. Last year, they exceeded $1 million.

“The fundamentals never change,” Elliott said. “Quality food, good service, attention to detail and being present in the business every day.”

Responding to today’s consumer

The pandemic and subsequent inflation reshaped consumer behavior across the restaurant industry. Elliott said guests have not stopped dining out, but they are doing so less frequently as prices rise across food, insurance and everyday expenses.

Restaurants, he said, live and die on frequency.

FSC’s response has centered on reinforcing value rather than chasing short-term promotions.

READ: Biggest Companies in Tampa Bay

Beef ’O’ Brady’s has offered daily specials since 2015, and in February will introduce 10 new menu items under a tiered value platform starting at $10.99.

“People like variety, but they still want value,” Elliott said. “New news is always good for people to come and try.”

This approach reflects what diners increasingly expect from neighborhood restaurants: consistency, choice and pricing that supports repeat visits rather than special-occasion dining.

Community as a competitive advantage

Long before national marketing budgets were common, Beef ’O’ Brady’s grew through local engagement.

Spirit nights, school fundraisers, trivia nights and community meetings remain central to the brand’s identity.

Many locations include private rooms that host youth sports organizations, civic groups and local clubs.

READ: Tampa Bay’s growth is no accident: 2026 outlook

“That started at the beginning,” Elliott said. “It’s part of our DNA.”

In many of its markets, locations function as community gathering places as much as restaurants, a dynamic that has created multigenerational loyalty. Early customers now return alongside their children and grandchildren.

Expansion remains measured

Beef ’O’ Brady’s opened five new locations in 2025 and plans eight more in 2026.

The expansion pushes the brand further beyond Florida, while still prioritizing markets where community-driven sports pub concepts have historically performed well.

The upcoming restaurants reflect a mix of core Florida markets and secondary growth cities where the brand’s community-driven model has historically performed well.

New locations are planned for:

• St. Petersburg, Florida
• Palm Harbor, Florida
• Ooltewah, Tennessee
• Columbus, Mississippi
• Macon, Georgia (2 locations)
• Lavon, Texas
• Valley, Alabama

READ: Tampa Restaurants

Approximately 70% of Beef ’O’ Brady’s locations remain in Florida, with a heavy concentration in the Tampa and Orlando markets.

While the company could expand faster, Elliott said discipline matters more than speed.

“In five years, if we’re at 150 Beef ’O’ Brady’s, 100 Brass Taps and 125 Newk’s, plus at least one additional brand, that puts us at a $1 billion company,” he said. “That’s ambitious, but realistic.”

What separates strong franchisees

Elliott said the difference between high- and low-performing franchisees is their level of involvement.

“The best operators are in the business every day,” he said. “Greeting customers, knowing their names, keeping the restaurant clean and the food consistent.”

Day-to-day leadership and operational presence, Elliott said, remain the clearest predictors of long-term franchise success.

As FSC continues to grow, Elliott believes durability will continue to separate successful brands from those that fade.

“In tough environments, the brands that survive are the ones that never stop doing the fundamentals well,” he said.

For a brand that started in Brandon and grew steadily over four decades, that mindset remains Beef ’O’ Brady’s strongest advantage.

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