RICHMOND, Va. (JULY 17, 2025) – The ECNL is proud to announce that Chris Leahey has been promoted to ECNL Girls Commissioner, Andy Coverstone has been promoted to ECNL Regional League Boys Commissioner, and Mikayla Hampton has been promoted to ECNL Regional League Girls Commissioner. 

Leahey joined the league in 2023 as the ECNL Associate Commissioner after a career as a coach and Executive Director at Matchfit Academy (NJ), and was promoted to be the first-ever ECNL Regional League Commissioner in 2024. During those periods, the ECNL Regional League saw an unprecedented period of growth and success expanding to include nearly 700 clubs in 24 boys leagues and 23 girls leagues for the 2025-2026 season, cementing the impact of the league on top players, clubs and teams nationally.  Leahey oversaw the integration of top-performing ECNL RL teams into selected ECNL national events throughout the season, and the creation of the ECNL RL Leaders Cup which will debut in 2026.  Under Leahey’s leadership, the ECNL Regional League also introduced the Continental Tire ECNL Regional League Selection Games, awarded the first Kwik Goal ECNL Regional League Boys and Girls Coaches of the Year, and saw thousands of players reach their dreams of playing collegiate soccer. 

Leahey will replace Ralph Richards, who will step down from his position as ECNL Girls Commissioner at the end of the month to return to his former club St. Louis Scott Gallagher as their Elite Girls Program Director. 

“The ECNL and the ECNL Regional League work closely together to serve all the clubs and to enhance the experiences and outcomes for every player, team and club,” Leahey said. “This collaborative approach will facilitate a seamless transition into my new role, for which I extend my sincere gratitude to (ECNL Boys Commissioner) Jason Kutney and to Ralph. I am honored and enthusiastic to be a part of the ongoing innovation that has defined ECNL Girls since its inception 15 years ago and established the ECNL Girls as the undisputed pinnacle of female youth soccer in the nation.”

With Leahey’s promotion to ECNL Girls Commissioner, the ECNL will split his former role into two new positions, so that both the ECNL Regional League Boys and ECNL Regional League Girls will have full-time executive leadership to provide the same level of professional and administrative support to all clubs in all leagues. Andy Coverstone and Mikayla Hampton will step into their roles as ECNL Regional League Boys and Girls Commissioners, respectively, after years of success within the ECNL’s League Services and Operations departments. 

Hampton joined the ECNL in 2022 as an Events Manager, was promoted to Senior Events Manager in 2023, and then promoted again to Associate Commissioner of Events in 2024. In those roles, Hampton has led the charge on countless ECNL and ECNL Regional League national events, helped with restructuring ECNL and ECNL Regional League conferences and leagues, and also assisted in the launch of the ECNL Coaching Education Center, powered by The Coaches’ Voice. An alum of the league, Hampton played for Ohio Elite Soccer Academy for 10-plus seasons and played collegiate soccer at Northwestern and Louisville. 

“During my time working at the ECNL, I’ve seen the ECNL Regional League grow significantly in size, strength and quality through strong leadership, great club support, and a steadfast commitment to bringing the league’s mission and vision to life,” Hampton added. “I’m honored and excited to step into this new role and eager to work alongside club leaders and league operators across the country to continue that growth and to reinforce the ECNL Regional League as a leading national platform for player development where competition, innovation, and opportunities for player and team growth are prioritized.”

Coverstone began working with the ECNL in 2018 as a part of the league’s social media team. At events, Coverstone served as the social media MC, interacting with players and broadcasting games live from the field. In 2023, Coverstone joined the ECNL League Services department, working with clubs in the South territory. While a part of the League Services team, Coverstone continued his broadcasting duties, calling games with Dean Linke at both ECNL and ECNL Regional League Boys National Playoffs and Finals. He also has served as a coach for LV Heat Surf since 2018, coaching in ECNL Boys, ECNL Girls, and ECNL Regional League Girls. 

“The ECNL Regional League’s tremendous success and impact over the past several years is attributed not only to the competitive opportunities it provides to both clubs and players but also our commitment to elevating the standards of youth sports,” Coverstone said. “The decision to create two new commissioner roles to focus on the ECNL Regional League Boys and ECNL Regional League Girls shows a commitment to maintaining the integrity and the quality of all ECNL RL competition. I plan to work closely with club leaders to continue to raise the standards of the ECNL Regional League in order to provide the highest quality experiences in the best environments for young athletes in any sport.” 

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About the ECNL:

The ECNL is the nation’s leading youth soccer development platform. The ECNL respects and celebrates the unique individuality of every youth soccer player and club, supporting and enabling them to unleash their unfettered passion and fierce tenacity in striving to achieve their potential. 

The ECNL mission to Raise the Game is a total commitment to create the best possible environment for players, coaches, referees and administrators, with a determination to constantly question convention and challenge the status quo in youth sports.

The ECNL Commitment:

We will lead, set our eyes on new horizons, and pursue them relentlessly. Born out of the belief in a better way. Continued in the ever-evolving pursuit of excellence.

www.TheECNL.com 

ECNL FB: @TheECNL  |  ECNL IG: @TheECNL  | ECNL X: @TheECNL 

Milwaukee-based developer Cobalt Partners on Thursday announced plans to acquire a 16-acre site in the Village of Brown Deer, along North Arbon Drive just south of Brown Deer Road, to build a $50 million youth sports-anchored development.

The proposed development centers around a sports and events complex that includes two hockey rinks; courts for basketball, volleyball, and futsal; a turf field; wellness-focused medical services; food and beverage offerings; and additional sports and fitness uses. The goal is to create a walkable district combining sports, recreation, hospitality, retail, and community gathering spaces, according to a Thursday press release.

“This project is about more than sports—we see it as a reliable catalyst to bring the community together around health, activity and entertainment, while also attracting regional tourism and supporting local business,” said Scott Yauck, president and CEO of Cobalt.

Cobalt has enlisted The Sports Facilities Companies to lead the complex’s programming, design, and financial modeling. The Florida-based firm specializes in high-performing sports and recreation venues.

The Brown Deer Village Board is scheduled to consider a letter of intent for the project at its July 21 meeting.

Under the letter of intent, Cobalt would handle the acquisition, planning, and development, while the Village of Brown Deer would support the project through a tax increment financing (TIF) district. The village also plans to conduct a market study, assist with infrastructure and zoning, and may consider using hotel room tax revenues to help make the project financially viable.

Yauck acknowledged the financial challenges typical of similar developments but expressed optimism about this site.

“Over the last several years, we’ve been approached to lead similar efforts, but have often struggled to bridge the financial gap,” he said. “This opportunity feels different. We have strong demand, a highly supportive and forward-thinking municipality, an easily accessible location central to the North Shore, a clear void in the market—and a growing list of stakeholders and prospective sponsors aligned with our vision.”

Village President Wanda Montgomery said the project could position Brown Deer as a leader in experience-based development.

“As communities across the country harness the power of youth sports and experience-driven design, Brown Deer is poised to become a regional leader in this next wave of dynamic placemaking,” Montgomery said. “Cobalt brings a strong track record of executing transformative public-private developments across Wisconsin and we look forward to working together on this exciting effort.”

Cobalt, known for its large-scale, mixed-use projects, is behind the 84South and Loomis Crossing developments in Greenfield, OneNorth in Bayside and Whitestone Station in Menomonee Falls. The firm also recently purchased a water park in Mequon to redevelop and is partnering with other local firms on apartment projects in Greenfield and Wauwatosa.

In the press release, Cobalt said this development will further the momentum of nearby developments in Brown Deer’s commercial corridors, which include the redevelopment of an abandoned office building, a new mixed-use project anchored by Target and multiple apartment complexes.

As the Daily Herald reported last month, Eagle Mountain leaders said they are considering the measure and, if approved by voters, would implement a dedicated funding source for community-enhancing projects like trails, parks, splash pads, arts programming, youth sports, and local cultural events.

However, city officials are making it clear that the tax will not fund a recreation center.

“A rec center may be something the public and council consider in the future, but it’s not something we’re pursuing now,” Eagle Mountain City Manager Benjamin Reeves said in a city-issued media release Tuesday. “We don’t want to lose the RAP Tax over a misunderstanding. It would be a significant loss for our community.” 

The recreation, arts and parks tax, or RAP, is a 0.1% local sales tax that cities can use to fund various items and projects, which is roughly one cent for every $10 spent, or 10 cents for every $100 spent, on qualifying purchases within the respective city limits.

Eagle Mountain leaders project that the tax could generate around $600,000 each year annually. If approved by voters in November, a RAP tax advisory board would be established to work with the City Council to review, approve and award funding to eligible municipal and public entities for cultural and recreation opportunities.

“These funds would be legally restricted and cannot be used for general city operations, nor will they provide sufficient funding for large-scale construction projects like a recreation center,” the release states.

Eagle Mountain city leaders say that a recreation center would require significant upfront costs, likely through bonds associated with property taxes, and long-term operational budgets that typically rely on user fees. 

The idea of building a recreation center in Eagle Mountain has been a frequent topic for more than a decade.

Residents in Eagle Mountain have longed for the city to fund its own rec center. The city attempted to work towards that goal by proposing a $7 million aquatic center in 2010, but residents voted against it.

Eagle Mountain tried another approach in 2018.

The Daily Herald reported at the time that the city was considering a plan to build an $5.2 million aquatic center, which would be the first in a multiphase project, and would eventually progress to include a fitness and exercise space, a gymnasium, and a competition pool.

That plan also has yet to come to fruition.

In a November 2019 podcast, Mayor Tom Westmoreland, along with then city administrator Ifo Pili, discussed the implications of finding creative ways to build a recreation center that can support a growing community without being a burden on tax payers.

The city had considered crowdfunding to cover some of the costs at one point after a majority of residents who responded to a February 2018 city survey said they’d be willing to contribute up to $250 towards needed funds for the effort.

Currently, neither Eagle Mountain nor neighboring Saratoga Springs have their own recreation center.

The closest is the Legacy Center in Lehi, which charges roughly an additional 8% in fees to non-residents who use the facility. 

Tyler Maffitt, communications manager for Eagle Mountain, said that while a recreation center remains a popular request amongst residents, the city is eyeing other needs at this time.

“The City is prioritizing the enhancement of roads and regional transportation improvements, continued development of water and sewer infrastructure, and working to meet the community’s demand for energy solutions,” he told the Daily Herald, in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Maffitt reiterated that Eagle Mountain could revisit the opportunity to build a rec center sometime in the future, but it won’t be through the RAP tax funding mechanism.

Despite the presence of a recreation center in Eagle Mountain, Reeves said the RAP Tax still provides a greater opportunity to invest in the city’s quality of life without compromising essential services or raising property taxes. 

“When council members have to choose between adding three police officers or putting that same $600,000 into parks, they’re almost always going to choose public safety,” he said. “That means parks, trails, and arts programming often fall to the bottom of the budget. The RAP Tax solves that by creating an alternative revenue source with dedicated funds that can’t be diverted to other city priorities.” 

The Eagle Mountain City Council is expected to make a final vote to place the measure on the November ballot next month.

I was not a model Boy Scout. From a merit badge perspective, I did just about the bare minimum required to achieve Eagle. I never participated in the high-adventure outdoor hiking and canoeing experiences offered through my troop. I grudgingly attended summer camp, where the smell and summer warmth of those WWII-era canvas tents will never quite leave my senses. But despite these hurdles, Scouts had, and continues to have, a significant impact on my life.

And that’s the promise of Scouting. It’s a promise of dividends that far exceeded my personal investment of time and energy. The skills and leadership-building opportunities that Scouting provided affected me profoundly; I can never repay that.

Instead, I’ve focused on ways to make this same experience available to youth in northeast Mississippi. It started with my son, finding a Cub Scout home in Starkville in kindergarten just before the COVID pandemic. Like me several decades ago, he’s this generation’s typical video game playing, TV watching, Rec League soccer kid who is searching for himself among all the distractions and stimuli today; distractions that are much louder than when I was his age.

But he’s found friends in Scouts. He’s found role models in Scouts. He’s found fun and adventure in scouts. And he’s starting to find himself in Scouts. This is the promise of scouting.

It’s a promise that isn’t offered in travel ball, or a PlayStation, or nearly any other activity provided for kids today. The promise of Scouting – that you’ll get more from it than you put into it – has been a defining characteristic of the organization for over a hundred years. This is also the beginning of the Natchez Trace Council’s centennial year, recognizing the longevity of our predecessor councils’ impact in northeast Mississippi. So many of us in the Golden Triangle have been impacted by scouting; rest assured that our council staff and volunteers spend every day working to create that same impact in kids like my son and his Scout brothers.

As an Eagle, I am so proud of what I was able to achieve in Scouts. As a parent, I’m excited at the possibilities that will be presented to my son as he embarks on the second chapter of his scouting experience. And as an adult volunteer, I am so, so grateful at the support our community provides to Scouts across northeast Mississippi.

Your gifts of time and money are difference makers in the lives of our youth. I encourage you to get involved in your local Scouting units or through the Natchez Trace Council. For information on ways you can help, visit us at NatchezTraceCouncil.org.

David Garraway

Starkville

It’s been a rocky start for the Manhattan Parks and Rec Department after taking control of concessions earlier this year at its facilities.

At Monday’s Parks and Rec advisory board meeting, Director Aaron Stewart noted the challenges the 41 staff members have faced as they navigate shifting sales and attendance trends at various events and activities.