Cooper Flagg’s competitive drive started in the fields of Maine far before he was drafted No. 1.

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Years before signing a rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks, netting him $13.8 million in the first year alone, Cooper Flagg had a more menial job.

He was a pea picker on the Thunder Road Farm in Corinna, Maine.

Flagg was 11 years old when he, his fraternal twin brother Ace and his older brother Hunter were hired. The pay was $1 for every pound collected.

Like everything else the boys did, it turned into a competition.

“Cooper the pea picker was very competitive,” Kelly Flagg, the boys’ mother, told The Athletic. “He wanted to make more money than his brothers. They only picked for about three hours in the morning before it got too hot. He was very aggressive.”

The first week, Cooper cleared $100. Charlie and Barb Peavey, who own Thunder Road Farm, weren’t sure if they could afford him.

“A lot of kids come on the farm and think it’s going to be easy. They fool around and talk; Cooper never did that,” said Barb Peavey, whose son, Kellen, played basketball with the Flagg brothers when they were younger. “Cooper was very focused on what he was doing. … He put his nose to the grindstone. He picked and worked.”

Besides peas, the Peaveys grew strawberries, red potatoes, cucumbers, corn and pumpkins. Every summer, they hired between 15 and 20 youngsters from central Maine as crop pickers. Harvesting peas required Flagg to sit on a five-gallon bucket during his morning shift.

“It helps with your work ethic,” Cooper Flagg said. “It helps you teach early about having a job. It was always fun to make a little money and hang out with your friends.”

Now 18, Flagg is one of the most well-rounded prospects to enter the NBA in recent memory. The Mavericks landed a 6-foot-8 forward who can pass, shoot, dribble and defend. According to one catch-all metric, box plus/minus, Flagg, while at Duke, had the most impactful freshman season of any NCAA men’s basketball player in the past 15 years aside from Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis.

As much as Flagg’s numbers popped, his intangibles excited the Mavericks more than anything. Flagg badly wants to win — even at something as trivial as pea picking.

“When people talk about him, they don’t talk about basketball with him,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said. “They talk about all the intangibles. When you have a player who’s that good and they talk about the intangibles, that’s a guy who’s going to add to your culture.”

Flagg did his first year of high school in Maine and then attended Montverde Academy, a prep school and basketball powerhouse in Florida, for two years. In August 2023, he reclassified so he could play college ball a year early. When he made that decision, he was following one of the Flagg family mantras: If you’re the best player in the gym, find a new gym.

Most nights, Flagg looked like the best player in the gym, even when he was the youngest player on the floor. On Jan. 11, three weeks after his 18th birthday, Flagg had 42 points, seven assists and six rebounds in Duke’s 86-78 win against Notre Dame. Throughout the 2024-25 season, the Blue Devils were one of the best teams in college basketball. They went 19-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play and ultimately advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

Flagg has become a teenage millionaire; despite that status, he remains grounded. The week before the NBA Draft, he traveled to Dallas for a two-day visit. He made the trip alone. He didn’t need handlers or an entourage accompanying him. Flagg went through an on-court workout and then got two different steak dinners: one with members of the Mavericks’ front office and another with his future teammates.

“We’re very proud of him. We’re proud of the family,” Peavey said. “We’re proud that he’s stayed so humble and he’s just kept those Maine roots alive.”

In a June 27 news conference with Dallas local media, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd talked about deploying Flagg at lead guard and on the wing. Kidd sounded impressed with the way Flagg was handling the hoopla.

“Just sitting here listening to him, isn’t it incredible?” Kidd said. “We are talking about an 18-year-old who has all the right answers.”

Flagg will suit up for the Mavericks this week during NBA Summer League. Their first game is Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

This fall, Flagg will make his NBA debut. Around that same time, the Peaveys plan on opening their Thunder Road Farm corn maze to the public for the 21st consecutive year.

This year’s maze will be Cooper Flagg-themed. An aerial view will show the Newport, Maine, native dunking a basketball. Flagg’s nickname, “The Maine Event,” will be cut into the crops, as well.

Flagg has gone from pea picking to finding a place in the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick. His mother sees the same competitive person now as she did back then.

“I think it’s exactly who he is as a person,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s pea picking or anything else. He can turn it into a competition.”

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By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — For a professional athlete, sitting on the sidelines – unable to have an impact – can often be the most frustrating place to be.

And that’s why Khalen Saunders is all about taking action, on the field and in his personal life.

The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle isn’t content with just being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community; his mantra is “actions speak louder than words.”

One of the ways that Saunders is taking action is by running a youth football camp specifically for children in the LGBTQ+ community, the first of its kind.

The camp will be held in his hometown of St. Louis on July 5 and Saunders will be joined by his older brother, Kameron, who he credits with opening his mind to inclusivity.

Kameron, a dancer and choreographer who has featured on Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and Saunders says he is a big reason for wanting to “create a safe space within sports to have everybody feel welcome to be who they are.”

“I think (Kameron) has been to almost every single game that I’ve had, from when I was eight to ‘til now, so he’s always been there,” Saunders told CNN Sports. “So my intention with this camp is to unify everybody and just promote positivity and empathy amongst others as far as just being accepting of everybody and showing everybody love.

“But also, with my brother, being able to come to all my events and feel comfortable being himself, I would want anybody who has a brother or family member in general that comes to their sporting events to feel safe and welcomed when they when they attend that.”

‘Ability is ability’

Saunders was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Western Illinois in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

During his time with the Chiefs, Saunders won two Super Bowl rings before signing with the Saints in 2023.

The youngest of four brothers, Saunders explains that he learned a lot from his elder siblings and, in particular, an empathy he tries to take into all walks of life.

“I learned very quickly from Kameron to be accepting of people and let people be comfortable with you and that’s how you’ll get the genuine best out of people,” Saunders said.

Creating a place for youths to discover their love for football – a game which has given so much to him, Saunders says – and to spend time with likeminded individuals is one of the main reasons for organizing the camp.

The camp – the third one he’s run with his foundation, “Original Element Foundation” – is the first one he’s directly advertised to the LGBTQ+ community to welcome them in. And he uses his experience with his brother, who he calls “one of the most prevalent male beings in my life,” and whether he would feel comfortable as an example of the kind of environment he wants to create.

Besides making a safe space for children of all orientations to come and play the game, Saunders is hoping he can help knock off any stigma around members of the LGBTQ+ community’s involvement in sports.

A Gallup Poll released earlier this year found that the proportion of American adults who identify as LGBTQ+ rose to 9.3% of the population, an increase of more than one percentage point from 2023’s estimate.

According to a report from The Trevor Project – a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth – a number of LGBTQ youth reported “choosing not to participate in sports due to reasons related to discrimination or fear of LGBTQ-based discrimination.” In the same report, The Trevor Project found that nearly one in three members of the LGBTQ community participate in sports.

Saunders describes having experienced “very toxic heterosexual climates” in football locker rooms during his time in the game, something he puts down to “ignorance.”

He remembers hearing anti-homosexual slurs being used in an NFL environment, something he puts down to individuals not knowing “how offensive some things can be to other people.”

Saunders takes it upon himself to attempt to change those “toxic cultures” and credits a lot of his teammates with becoming much more accepting.

Even the defensive tackle admits it’s difficult to know exactly how to make everyone feel welcome all the time, but says that if you’re trying to be more open-minded, then that’s all you need to do.

No matter who you are, for Saunders, “ability is ability” and that’s something he hopes his camp can foster.

“If you run a 4.5 second or less 40-yard dash, you’re fast. If you jump a 35-inch vertical or higher, you jump high. If you can bench press 225 more than 20 times, you’re very strong,” he said. “I think that the space within sports for LGBTQ+ members, it’s very limited and I understand that which is why I’m trying to hold this camp and try and promote positivity around that.

“If you got it, you got it. And I’ve seen great athletes be shied away for several reasons. I would just not want gender identification or sexual orientation to be one of those reasons.”

A variety of comments

Saunders has received an array of feedback following the announcement of the camp, ranging from the extremely positive to the other end of the spectrum.

He’s received messages from kids expressing their gratitude for making a place they can feel comfortable playing football as well as adults reaching out to him saying: “I wish that something like this had been done when I was coming up in sports.”

And while that positive feedback makes him feel “really happy,” the negative comments have also stuck with Saunders.

He has received comments such as “youth and LGBTQ+ shouldn’t be in the same sentence.” Saunders says those come from a lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the camp.

“This is not an attempt to sway any child to be of any sexual orientation or gender identification or anything like that,” he said. “This is just teaching children to be accepting of those who are.”

Saunders also recognizes that much of people’s ignorance comes from “learned traits and learned behaviors,” something he doesn’t fault them for. But he says, as an ally, he does what he can to open people’s eyes to the possibilities.

The 28-year-old said he’d like to talk to those who have given him negative feedback face-to-face and explain why he believes having an open mind can lead to a “better society,” especially when it comes to teaching kids from a young age to have an accepting way of thinking.

“Let’s break that (cycle) and educate our children. That way they know the differences, they know the feelings, they know everything,” he said. “And then we can progress towards a better society, instead of creating division and hate amongst things that could easily be out ruled by simple education.”

And he is hoping that through the camp and through the impact Kameron has had on him, he can help reinforce that acceptance is vital for a more progressive society.

“This is an opportunity to kind of just showcase the thinking pattern that I have, just as far as being empathetic and treating people how you want to be treated and all those quote unquote ‘golden rules’ that we learn as children, we kind of stray away from when we get to adulthood,” Saunders said.

“And it’s just a great way to remind this generation to stick to those golden rules and a way to make sure that everyone knows that they have a place in this world and everyone knows that they have a place specifically within sports because that’s what this camp is all about. It’s just showing acceptance and really just doing all of this for the love of the sport itself, not for anything else besides.”

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The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases challenging state laws that bar transgender student-athletes from competing on female-designated sports teams at public schools and universities. One of those cases, Little v. Hecox, involves Boise State student Lindsay Hecox, who sued after being denied a spot on the school’s women’s track and cross-country teams under Idaho’s transgender sports ban.

A federal judge blocked Idaho’s law in 2020, finding that it likely violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and discriminated against Hecox and other transgender athletes based on sex and transgender status. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 2023 and again in an amended opinion last year. The state then appealed to the Supreme Court, asking it to decide whether the ban is constitutional.

The court also took up West Virginia v. B.P.J., a case involving high school student Becky Pepper-Jackson, who has been taking puberty blockers to prevent male puberty and the development of physical traits that could give her an advantage over cisgender female athletes. She sought to compete on her school’s cross-country and track teams.

Pepper-Jackson argued the law treated her unfairly because she is transgender, in violation of her constitutional right to equal protection.

A federal judge initially blocked the law from taking effect, but later ruled against Pepper-Jackson, arguing that the ban was necessary to prevent cisgender female athletes from being placed at a competitive disadvantage. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling, finding that the law violated Pepper-Jackson’s rights under Title IX, the 1972 federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. The state appealed that decision to the Supreme Court.

The Idaho and West Virginia cases will be heard by the Supreme Court during its next term, which begins on October 6.

Tara Borelli, a senior counsel for Lambda Legal, said in a statement that athletes like Pepper-Jackson just want to play sports with their friends and peers.

“Everyone understands the value of participating in team athletics, for fitness, leadership, socialization, and myriad other benefits,” Borelli said. “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last April issued a thoughtful and thorough ruling allowing B.P.J. to continue participating in track events. That well-reasoned decision should stand the test of time, and we stand ready to defend it.”

The court declined to hear a similar case from Arizona, in which Jane Doe, a 13-year-old cross-country, soccer, and basketball player, and Megan Roe, a 17-year-old volleyball player — both on puberty blockers — challenged the state’s transgender sports ban as overly broad and discriminatory. They also argued that because they have not undergone male puberty, they hold no “unfair advantage” over cisgender female athletes.

Currently, 27 states have laws restricting transgender athletes from competing on teams designated for girls.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee ban on transition-related health care for transgender youth. In that ruling, the court found the ban did not discriminate based on sex or transgender status.

It subsequently directed appeals courts to revisit rulings on transgender insurance exclusions in Medicaid and government-sponsored health plans, as well as the right of transgender people to change the gender marker on their birth certificates — signaling that courts may continue rolling back transgender rights in the future.

Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts says an investigation will be launched into the incomplete works at the Chatham Youth Camp in Point Fortin.

He said despite the contractor receiving the total payment of $19 million the project remained about 70% completed.

Watts said this on Saturday while touring the facility.

He was accompanied by Member of Parliament for Point Fortin and Minister in the Energy Ministry Ernesto Kesar.

The construction and refurbishment of the facility was started in 2022 under then-minister of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings.

Under the management of the National Maintenance Training and Security Company Ltd (MTS), works were expected to cost $28 million and scheduled to be completed in ten months.

The work would have included construction of a new dormitory to house 125 candidates, a sick bay and laundromat, and there would also be an upgrade of all the structures on the compound, including the security booth, administration buildings and staff compound, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing renovations.

However, Watts stated that the project, which has been halted for over a year, was “nowhere close to completion”.

“This is one of the youth camps we would have spent to date, $19 million…What I’m seeing here, and what I’ve spoken about in the Parliament in the debate, is that the contractors here received almost 100% payment and what we are seeing here – you all are witnessing here – this project is nowhere close to completion,” he said.

This, he said, would be investigated.

“The actual works completed against the works that were paid for is out of proportion, it is out of line. The works are at about 70% completion, and we would have paid out 100% on the project. These are things we need to delve down into and investigate now. I am yet to understand why this project stopped because I don’t think we have any monies owing the contractor,” he stated.

He added that while most of the buildings on the compound were existing buildings which were renovated, there was a $10 million variation to the project.

“Now I’m hearing that there is a ten-million dollar variation to this project and we need to understand why and how it came about. We need to sit with the contractor, sit with the project team, and do a full audit of the project, do a full scope, because I’m looking at the bill of quantities in my hand and we don’t have a full breakdown for every single block to see what were the measured works on every single block. We need to do a full audit of this project,” he continued.

He said following the mandate of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, there was an emphasis to open such facilities as soon as possible to enrol students.

Kesar added that the Chatham Youth Camp was instrumental in providing a competent labour force for Point Fortin.

“This has been a critical youth development facility in the constituency of Point Fortin for well over 50 years. This particular centre would have been integral in developing young people in technical and vocational areas…It was a fulcrum for a lot of development with youths who had trouble with the law, and it would have turned out hundreds, possibility thousands of young people who would have gone on to as captains in the industry, worked in the oil and gas field, worked in Government services, some of them military and even in the police force,” Kesar said.

However, he said the facility has not been functioning at its full capacity for ten years.

“We want to see this facility as one of the centres that can assist our young people who are having problems in the school system and in terms of the violence to have them assigned here. I want to make sure that the young people who follow the campaign, they have options,” he continued.

Responding to questions from reporters, Watts stated that there were no firings at his ministry.

“Since I am at this particular ministry, we fired no one. What happened, we had persons whose contract came to an end and it wasn’t renewed. We fired no one,” he said.

July 7, 2025

XONRUPT-LONGEMER (July 7, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 18th edition of XTERRA France brought more than 2,000 athletes from over 20 nations to the Vosges mountains for a weekend of world-class off-road racing on July 5–6, 2025. Backed by nearly 6,000 spectators, nine events, and a €15,000 Elite prize purse, XTERRA France once again affirmed its reputation as one of the premier stops on the XTERRA World Tour.

In Sunday’s Full Distance Triathlon, Marta Menditto (ITA) and Nicolas Duré (FRA) captured the Elite titles, mastering a 1.5K swim, 40K mountain bike, and 10K trail run through steep, technical forest terrain in crisp mountain air. Menditto claimed her second XTERRA France win in 3:38:13 with the fastest bike split among the women, holding off Carina Wasle (AUT) and Emma Ducreux (FRA). Duré delivered a decisive run to finish in 3:02:19, ahead of Maxim Chané (FRA) and Sébastien Carabin (BEL).

Full Results Here

The age group field brought its own energy, as Paula Leupold (DEU, 20–24) finished eighth overall — ahead of several elites — to lead all women outside the pro ranks in 4:02:08. Guillaume Desette (FRA, 30–34) topped the men’s age group field in 3:19:39. Raymond Ferry (FRA), reigning World and European Champion in the 65–69 division, continued his dominance with another win, while Josie Sinclair (NZL) extended her undefeated season in the same age group.

The XTERRA Youth Tour added another layer of excitement, as young athletes battled for coveted slots to the 2025 XTERRA Youth World Championship in Italy. In Youth A (14–15), Gabriel Priez (FRA) and reigning Youth World Champion Apolline Ramboux (BEL) led their divisions, with Amaury Lavoignet (FRA), Silvio Charbonnier (FRA), Emie Vandenbussche (FRA), and Charlotte Binsinger (FRA) filling the podiums. Ewan Sandot (FRA) and Maxine Puech (FRA) won the Youth B (16–17) categories, while Julian Anguera (FRA) and Agathe Claude (FRA) claimed victories in the Junior (18–19) races.

Since its debut in 2006, XTERRA France has evolved into one of the sport’s signature events, known for its history, technical course, and vibrant atmosphere. Mayor Michel Bertrand praised the collective effort that makes the event possible, noting, “The success of this event is the result of the energy of the volunteers and the passion of the people who bring it to life.”

With support from the Commune de Xonrupt-Longemer, Région Grand Est, Je Vois la Vie en Vosges, and countless volunteers, the weekend served as a celebration of community, history, and shared adventure — proving once again why XTERRA France remains one of the most iconic gatherings in off-road triathlon.

Link to Full Article:

https://www.xterraplanet.com/race-reports/menditto-dure-win-2025-xterra-france-age-group-legends-endure-and-youth-a-b-junior-titles-awarded

About XTERRA

Born on the Hawaiian shores of Maui in 1996, XTERRA has grown into a global outdoor lifestyle brand rooted in exploration, community, and care for the natural world. With deep roots in off-road racing, XTERRA now inspires connection through events, storytelling, and apparel built to move through nature. From local gatherings to world-class events, XTERRA is a way of life shaped by the land beneath our feet and the stories we share along the way.