Rec Sports

New Orleans civic groups get nearly $2M to start new youth recreation programs at UNO | Local Politics

As the University of New Orleans merges with the LSU system, millions of state dollars are poised to flow its way, including nearly $2 million for youth recreation — part of a push by a prominent attorney and New Orleans-area business leaders who have long criticized the city’s public recreation services. A civic group behind that initiative called the […]

Published

1 month ago

June 12, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A civic group behind that initiative called the NOLA Coalition, which has the backing of other local nonprofits across the city, called a press conference Friday to celebrate new low-cost youth athletic programs that will soon be offered at the university, according to Coalition spokesperson Matt Wolfe.

Under UNO’s transfer into the LSU system, which Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to sign into law this week, lawmakers in New Orleans’ legislative delegation secured millions of dollars for debt payments and deferred facility maintenance at the financially-troubled university.

At the same time, Landry, acting at the urging of attorney Laura Rodrigue, a longtime ally of the governor’s and other conservative leaders, secured $1.95 million to stand up the recreation programs at UNO — apparently without the knowledge of members of New Orleans’ legislative delegation, who said this week that they knew nothing about the plan.

The project culminates months of activism by Rodrigue and business leaders against conditions at parks run by the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. The agency has long been the target of community complaints, and Rodrigue and others say it has been plagued by mismanagement.

By expanding programming for at-risk youth, the group hopes the new facilities will help reduce juvenile crime.

“The whole purpose is to scale recreational programs, for whatever children don’t have the opportunities already to come receive mentorship, have fun and be active,” said Greg Rusovich, a local businessman involved in the plan.

The initiative, however, has drawn some critics who describe it as part of a broader incursion by Landry into New Orleans and an attempt by White conservatives to control the majority-Black city’s resources.

Multiple members of the New Orleans City Council, including Freddie King III, who sits on NORD’s governing board, said they weren’t aware of the project before hearing about it from a reporter.

“As a member of the council and as a member of the NORD Commission, I’d have liked to be informed,” King said.

Improving recreation services in the city should start with increasing NORD funding, he said, rather than standing up a new facility in a single pocket of the city.

“If you live in Central City, how are you going to access these facilities?” he said. “Who is this truly for?”

‘Recreation is back!’

Through a partnership with local nonprofit sports organization The 18th Ward, the new facilities will offer baseball, soccer, swimming, flag-football and other team-based athletic programs as early as this fall, through a pay-what-you-can structure.

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring young people and their families to our beautiful campus,” UNO President Kathy Johnson said of the university’s first-of-its kind plan.

Organization director Lowery Crews said the move will help 18th Ward trim down waitlists and expand its programs, which have amassed more than 6,000 participants across New Orleans since its 2019 founding.

The organization is also partnered with NORD, which pays The 18th Ward to run some of its sports programs, including those newly activated at the long defunct Hardin Park.

NORD serves thousands of youth each year across offerings that include team sports, afterschool programs, summer camps, pools and recreation centers.

But it’s also long faced criticism from community members frustrated over difficulties signing up for programs, unexpected pool closures in the heat of summer, and shoddy conditions at some of its sites.

A flyer distributed this month by the Coalition credits state lawmakers and Landry for providing funding so that “children and families from across our city can participate in recreation.”

“Recreation is back!” reads the flyer.

The announcement comes months after the Coalition published an open letter pointing to “alarming” conditions at NORD-operated parks and sports fields.

The letter reiterated similar examples of poor conditions that Rodrigue described in an online post last year, such as “overgrown fields, exposed electrical wire” and trash scattered across sites.

NORD has responded by highlighting ongoing improvement projects at many of the sites in question. The ball fields at Perry Roehm Stadium, for instance, were being turfed and regraded and the bathrooms were in the process of being upgraded.

NORD spokesperson Emily Oliver told The Times-Picayune in April that each of NORD’s 160 sites are scheduled for weekly maintenance, with priority given to high-use sites that host sports games and after school programs.

Asked about the flyer advertising the new programming at UNO, Oliver said they were aware and offered no additional comment.

How the money came together

A spokesperson for Landry’s office confirmed the governor had secured money for the project in the state’s budget. The money is dedicated to UNO “for recreation for youth partnership with community partners,” according to budget documents.

Long before she helped secure that cash, Rodrigue, who did not respond to messages for this story, has been a vocal critic of NORD, calling the department’s failings a contributing factor to New Orleans’ juvenile crime problem.

She’s listed as a speaker and “project founder” at Friday’s press conference along with Rusovich, CEO of Transoceanic Development; Kim Boyle with NOLA Coalition; Vincent Granito, interim director of UNO athletics; and Kyle Ruckert, Landry’s chief of staff.

In February, she spoke of “deplorable conditions” at NORD facilities at the Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans’ monthly board meeting, and in December she suggested the department should be defunded.

“I don’t think it would be prudent to give them more money, considering the gross neglect that we see happening under their watch right now,” she said in December of the department’s $20 million budget.

Among those who support the plan are Republican mega-donor and businessman Boysie Bollinger and MCC President Rafael Goyeneche. Bollinger did not return a phone message.

Goyeneche said NORD’s programming has failed to offer the city’s youth adequate outlets. He repeated the argument that the new recreation initiative could help curb juvenile crime.

“This is critically important when it comes to keeping kids out of crime,” he said. “It’s critically important that recreational programs be provided to the youth of this community this summer. And NORD, you know, has basically, I think, overpromised and under-performed in their responsibility to provide programming for our city’s youth.”

News of the funding came as a surprise to members of New Orleans’ legislative delegation interviewed about the project this week.

Sen. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans, who backed the bill to merge UNO with LSU and marshaled state money for the initiative, said Tuesday that he was unaware of where cash for the project came from and planned to inquire about it.

Asked if he knew about the project, Rep. Matthew Willard, a Democrat who chairs the state House’s Democratic caucus, said he had not heard of it until NORD staff got in touch last week asking what it was. Sen. Joe Bouie and Rep. Mandie Landry both said a reporter’s inquiry was the first they had heard of the plan.

Others in the community view the plan as a concerted effort to privatize public recreation.

“Anytime you see programming popping up that mirrors programming already in existence, you have to ask yourself why you’re trying to reinvent a wheel when you can just pour the resources to shore up the parks and recreation that already exists?” community activist and former New Orleans elementary school principal Ashonta Wyatt said this week on local radio station WBOK.

Rusovich, the local businessman involved in the project, said it is not meant to be oppositional to NORD programs.

He said the planners hope the program will serve as a model for the next mayor, who the group hopes will pursue reforms at NORD after their election this fall.

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Rec Sports

Olive Orange Bronco captures win over Santa Ana, secures berth in super regional –

Brayden Davis of Olive touches home plate after a three-run home run Sunday. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone). Olive Orange Pony Bronco 12-and-under baseball all-stars are headed to the super regional beginning Friday in Corona. The Orange squad clinched a berth in the super regional with a 12-1 victory over Santa Ana Sunday in […]

Published

17 minutes ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Brayden Davis of Olive touches home plate after a three-run home run Sunday. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Olive Orange Pony Bronco 12-and-under baseball all-stars are headed to the super regional beginning Friday in Corona.

The Orange squad clinched a berth in the super regional with a 12-1 victory over Santa Ana Sunday in the regional tournament at Placentia Champions Sports Complex. Olive missed a chance to advance to the regional championship when it lost to Torrance 13-12 later Sunday.

Undefeated Placentia faces Torrance Monday, July 14 at 5 p.m. in the championship game.

“We get to move on from there,” said Manager Shea Shandra after Sunday’s win over Santa Ana. “We have goals for these tournaments and definitely getting to move on to the super regions is a big day for us.

“We actually got to take district, so that let us skip section tournament and now we know we get to move on.”

To see more photos, click on the first picture:

Orange starter Victor Ayala gets ready to throw a pitch vs. Santa Ana.

Santa Ana’s Gilbert Ortiz heads to the plate.

Alexander Velasco of Olive scores a run Sunday.

Players from Olive and Santa Ana exchange handshakes after Sunday’s game.

Orange Olive also defeated South Bay 8-0 before losing to Placentia 12-7 on Saturday. Olive stayed alive with an 11-1 victory over John Mendez from Wilmington on Saturday.

In Sunday’s game vs. Santa Ana, Victor Ayala pitched a five inning no-hitter, striking out six and walking three. Gilbert Ortiz drove in the only run for Santa Ana with a groundout in the first inning.

“A no-hitter for Victor, he’s had another one, he’s our workhorse,” Shandra said.

Ayala also had a three-run home run for Olive during a four-run first inning. Jake Schierberi also had an RBI single in the inning.

Ayala was not aware he had pitched a no-hitter until after the game.

“I’m proud of myself, I didn’t think I could do it against that team knowing that they had a lot of good hitters especially the very top half, they could all hit really well,” he said.

“It’s really nice to see my team go on, maybe we can go past to zone’s like last year, maybe we can go more games in zone if we make it.”

Olive moved ahead 8-1 with four more runs in the second inning. Enrique Triana and Ben Hirsch had RBI singles and Brayden Davis had a sacrifice fly.

Davis put the game out of reach with a three-run home run in the third inning. Davis was 2 for 2 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Leadoff hitter Ethan De La Palma had a double, walked two times and scored three runs; Alexander Velasco had an RBI single and scored a run; Hirsch had two hits and an RBI;Matthew Dayton had a single and scored two runs and Triana had two hits and an RBI.

Santa Ana opened the tournament with a 15-4 victory over Olive Green Wednesday, then defeated East Long Beach 6-5 on Thursday. Santa Ana lost to Torrance 9-5 but stayed alive in the double elimination tournament with a 10-5 victory over East Long Beach Saturday.

Placentia and Torrance will also be moving on to the super regional in Corona.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

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Rec Sports

Registration for Ramstein and Vogelweh fall youth sports opens this week

Registration for fall soccer, football, cheerleading and volleyball is opening this week for children ages 5-14 through the Ramstein and Vogelweh youth sports program. (Areca Bell/U.S. Air Force) Registration for fall cheerleading, football, soccer and volleyball is now open for children ages 5-6 through the youth sports program serving Ramstein Air Base and Vogelweh Housing […]

Published

49 minutes ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Registration for fall soccer, football, cheerleading and volleyball is opening this week for children ages 5-14 through the Ramstein and Vogelweh youth sports program. (Areca Bell/U.S. Air Force)

Registration for fall cheerleading, football, soccer and volleyball is now open for children ages 5-6 through the youth sports program serving Ramstein Air Base and Vogelweh Housing Area.

Registration for ages 7-8 begins Tuesday, followed by ages 9-10 on Wednesday and ages 11-14 on Thursday. Sign-ups close for all age groups at 5 p.m. July 25.

An active account with the Air Force’s child and youth program business modernization system and current sports physical are required. Homeschooled children must also provide an immunization record.

Registration costs $80 and space is limited. More information is available on the Ramstein and Vogelweh youth sports program website.

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Rec Sports

Culture and Celebration for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

Since its launch, Dakar en Jeux has brought together thousands of people across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, celebrating sport and Senegalese culture through concerts, art and sports demonstrations. Past editions have featured highlights such as slam poetry battles, a 300-metre mural by African graffiti artists, and the introduction of the Brevet Olympique Civique et Sportif, […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Since its launch, Dakar en Jeux has brought together thousands of people across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, celebrating sport and Senegalese culture through concerts, art and sports demonstrations. Past editions have featured highlights such as slam poetry battles, a 300-metre mural by African graffiti artists, and the introduction of the Brevet Olympique Civique et Sportif, an Olympic values-based education programme for schoolchildren.

The third edition in 2024 saw attendance grow to 20,000 people, with sporting highlights including Senegal’s victory in the boys’ 3×3 basketball tournament. It also featured the launch of Impact Spark, a new initiative by Dakar 2026 and the Lausanne-based SPARK/innov-action association, supported by the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) in Switzerland, aimed at promoting health and well-being through physical activity in a fun and inclusive environment to combat lifestyle-related diseases.

Looking ahead, the fourth and final edition in November 2025 will set the scene for Dakar 2026, continuing to inspire youth engagement and community celebration.

Dakar en Jeux is delivered by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) in partnership with the Senegalese Olympic Committee (CNOSS), the Senegalese government, the International Olympic Committee, and the local authorities in the three host cities.

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Rec Sports

UPMC Lititz to Offer Free Youth Sports Physicals

UPMC Orthopaedic Care – Lititz is offering free sports physicals to local youth athletes participating in sports during the 2025-2026 school year. The event will take place on July 28, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UPMC Orthopaedic Care office at 1555 Highlands Dr., Suite 190, Lititz, PA 17543. It is estimated that […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

UPMC Orthopaedic Care – Lititz is offering free sports physicals to local youth athletes participating in sports during the 2025-2026 school year.

The event will take place on July 28, 2025 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the UPMC Orthopaedic Care office at 1555 Highlands Dr., Suite 190, Lititz, PA 17543.

It is estimated that hundreds of students in the Lancaster area participate in more than 20 different sports each year. Annual physicals can provide parents, children, and coaches with reassurance that an athlete is ready to participate in sports.

Parents can fill out this form or call 717-291-8345 to register for a physical.

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Rec Sports

Voter-approved measure gives millions to Arizona youth, amateur sports every year

Hotel and rental car taxes that pay for the Cardinals’ stadium in Glendale, spring training baseball parks and promote Arizona tourism also fund youth and amateur sports. This year, $6.3 million is being shared by dozens of groups, including one with plans to make physical movement part of grief support. One service offered by Billy’s […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Hotel and rental car taxes that pay for the Cardinals’ stadium in Glendale, spring training baseball parks and promote Arizona tourism also fund youth and amateur sports.

This year, $6.3 million is being shared by dozens of groups, including one with plans to make physical movement part of grief support.

One service offered by Billy’s Place in the northwest Valley is peer-support groups for children with a parent, sibling or loved one who has died.

But frustration born out of trauma can keep kids from getting the most out of sessions.

So with grant money from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, Billy’s Place will turn an old bathroom in the nonprofit’s future headquarters into a space for blowing off steam.

“It’ll have padded walls. It’ll have a punching bag. A space for kids to let go of those big emotions,” said Kris Friedman, the organization’s executive director.

Grant money will also pay to outfit an outdoor play area at the new Billy’s Place, a feature that does not exist at the current location.

“And this grant is going to turn it into our dream space with stuff for them to climb on a firepit for the parents to sit around,” said Madelyn Vincent, associate executive director.

Voter-approved hotel and bed taxes that fund projects like this one are scheduled to sunset in 2031.

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Rec Sports

Chuck Wallace – Obituary – Surrey

November 20, 1943 – February 20, 2025 In loving memory ~ It is with great sadness that the family of Chuck Wallace, a longtime resident of Nelson, announces his passing on February 20, 2025, at the age of 81. Chuck was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was pre- deceased by his […]

Published

3 hours ago

July 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

November 20, 1943 – February 20, 2025

In loving memory ~

It is with great sadness that the family of Chuck Wallace, a longtime resident of Nelson, announces his passing on February 20, 2025, at the age of 81.

Chuck was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was pre- deceased by his loving wife of 58 years, Pat Wallace, and survived by sons Chip (Stephanie), Justin (Brenda)

and Christopher. Chuck was a proud, loving grandfather of four: Jackson, Maggie, Jana and Jake, and was a great-grandfather to Mackenzie Ann. Chuck has four surviving sisters: Betty, Linda, Kathryn, and Mary.

Chuck was born in Houghton, Michigan to Robert and Mary Wallace on November 20, 1943. As a child, his family moved to Hibbing, Minnesota. He met Pat in Hibbing, and they were high school sweethearts. Chuck graduated from Oregon State University with majors in Forestry Engineering and Civil Engineering. After college, Chuck and Pat were married and moved to Corvallis, Oregon. They later emigrated to Canada and after forestry jobs in Kitimat, Pemberton, and Campbell River, they settled in Nelson where they found the town and community they loved and wanted to raise their family.

Chuck was a long-time employee of Kootenay Forest Products and spent a lot of time logging in the Lardeau and Meadow Creek area. When KFP closed down, he was a founding member of Timberland Consulting with some other former KFP employees. Chuck loved forestry and logging and working in the woods of the Kootenays.

Chuck was a very devoted father. He was a regular at the rink, ball and soccer fields and on road trips supporting the sports pursuits of his 3 boys. He coached Minor Hockey and was a great supporter of all youth sports in Nelson, doing whatever he could to support fundraisers and travelling near and far with the teams. He was always there for the boys and their teams.

He loved spending time outdoors, getting in as much hunting as he could between sports seasons. He loved hunting, especially duck hunting, and was very active with the local Ducks Unlimited chapter for many years. He loved spending time at the lake, especially with his labs and goldens, Viking, Buck, Mac and Loki, and taking them for walks in the woods behind their house. Later in life, he loved seeing his grandkids, travelling to Florida and Alaska to spend time and go on adventures with them.

Chuck enjoyed woodworking and made many unique pieces for Pat and his kids and grandkids. He liked playing golf and went on a very memorable golf trip to Scotland with his father. He also travelled to Brazil, Finland & Sweden, Germany, Italy and Austria as well as around the U.S. Chuck enjoyed travel and was always up to go somewhere and see something new. More than anything, Chuck was a devoted husband and father and put his family’s needs and well-being above everything else. He was a great example of what a father and a family man is. He was a wonderful person, husband, father, and grandpa, and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the amazing nurses and staff at Jubilee Manor and Mountain Lakes Senior Center for helping keep Chuck comfortable and safe during his last few years as he battled Alzheimer’s disease.

The family will hold a small Celebration of Life on July 20, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the beach he loved across the lake in Nelson.

For more information and to leave a message of condolence, please see the Thompson Funeral Service website at https://www.thompsonfs.ca

Thompson Funeral Service Ltd.