Rec Sports

Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel advocates for Black youth, water safety

Published

8 months ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Simone Manuel will be at the grocery store, and someone might stop her and ask: “What sport do you do?”

“Sometimes I entertain them a little bit and I let them guess,” she says with a slight laugh, “and swimming is never their guess. When I end up telling them I swim, I kind of get some crazy eyes. I’ve gotten laughed at. I’ve gotten, ‘There’s no way that you’re a good swimmer,’ even though they look at my build.”

“Actually,” she will tell them, “I’ve won Olympic medals.”

Manuel was 20 in 2016 when she became the first Black woman to win an individual gold at Olympic swimming. Nearly 10 years later, she sometimes still feels dragged down by the heft and responsibility of the moment, and she still faces the stereotypes that are assigned to her race and sport.

“The most common one is that Black people can’t swim,” Manuel tells USA TODAY Sports. “I still hear that to this day, unfortunately. I’ve gotten comments from the Black community as well that we can’t swim.”

Manuel, 28, has won seven Olympic and 16 world championship swimming medals. She is seeking more, but spoke of another opportunity ahead of International Water Safety Day on Wednesday. In 2023, Manuel launched the Simone Manuel Foundation, with a goal of increasing opportunities and water safety in communities of color.

“It’s about bringing swimming into spaces where people may not feel like they’re welcome, or they may not even feel like it’s an avenue for them to pursue,” she says.

According to a report by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last May, nearly 64% of Black children have little to no swimming ability.

The statistic is decades in the making, reflecting America’s long history of racial intolerance at pools that conflicted a little girl in Sugar Land, Texas.

“I began to question if swimming was the sport for me,” Manuel says.

She shared how getting her mind around her identity within her sports was a process filled with doubt. But she has acquired lessons from an often-excruciating athletic journey that might help parents and young athletes.

(Questions and responses are edited for length and clarity.)

Validating emotions can build a stronger athlete

Manuel tried other sports, but something came alive inside of her when she got in the pool. The water not only cooled her from the sweltering Texas heat, but filled her with confidence, pushing her up into training groups with older swimmers.

Then a voice in her head told her she should quit. Sharron and Marc Manuel helped their daughter understand what she was hearing. Sharron also would scroll the Internet with her young daughter, pulling up photos of past Black swimming champions like Olympic silver medalist Maritza Correia McClendon.

USA TODAY: How did your parents support you in swimming?

Simone Manuel: I think the biggest tangible thing was just continuing to allow me to be authentically myself, to continue to validate my experiences as a Black woman in this sport. Being one of a few is a really tough journey, and I know that as parents, they dealt with their own experiences and they were able to recognize that my journey was gonna be unlike other swimmers’ just because of, unfortunately, the color of my skin.

So a lot of their support came from encouraging me. When I would come home from practice and tell them, “Oh, someone said this,” or, “This happened,” that alone helped me feel empowered. It allowed me to (feel) that I wasn’t crazy, that what I was experiencing was real, but then to use that as motivation to continue to fight for my goals and dreams.

Sports unify the world, but often isolate the athlete

When you swim, you spend a lot of time by yourself in the water, propelling toward the wall and not knowing if you will get there first. After Manuel touched the wall in Rio in 2016 to win the 100-meter freestyle, she realized how solitary a sport it can be.

USAT: You have felt pressure to be an example. Can you expand on that?

SM: I found out that I made history when I did the interview. At that moment, I just was trying to win a medal, but then for that moment to be really historic, nobody can prepare you for that. I think it was, in some sense, a heavy weight that I wasn’t prepared for. It’s not like I dive in a pool every day and I’m like, “I want to be the best Black swimmer.” I want to be the best swimmer that I can be. I can inspire my community (and) people beyond my community who may not feel like they fit into whatever particular endeavor that they want to pursue, but there is pressure that comes with it. I have learned that I will be my best when I focus on trying to be the best Simone, and that comes with my competition, with my advocacy. And the rest, even if it feels lonely at times, it’s really important for me to just try to stay true to myself.

It’s really important for me to continue to compete and do what I love to do, because hopefully there’s a young Black child watching me on TV, and they look at the screen and they say, “Hey mom, hey dad, I want to learn how to swim too.”

Again, a supportive family can make all the difference. Manuel’s older brothers played college basketball, Chris at Oklahoma Christian and Ryan at SMU.

“They always would encourage me,” she says. “They would ask me to come out and play, but they would show no mercy (laughs), and I appreciated that. I didn’t need them to take it easy on me. I had to take a couple of elbows and maybe lose by 20 points. But I mean, beyond that, they’re like my biggest supporters.

“At the end of the day, I’m just their little sister. It reminds me that I am a swimmer, but it’s not who I completely am.”

It takes courage to believe in yourself when you don’t fit the mold

Public pools dominated the American landscape for much of the 20^th Century. These could be intimate spaces shared by friends and competitors, but also ones charged with racial strife.

Federal judges began declaring pool segregation unconstitutional before the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, but waves of American communities pushed back in the 1950s and 1960s. Instead of complying with desegregation, they closed pools, affecting generations of potential Black swimmers.

“And then on top of that, you have the rise of private pools, country clubs, people no longer going to public pools and having the access,” Manuel says. “The accessibility to backyard pools, in the Black community, is not something that we typically had in the past. Discrimination and racism have created these consequences.”

USAT: What was it like growing up in a primarily white sport?

SM: I didn’t feel like I fit in. I think it’s kind of normal to, at a young age, look around and not see other people that look like you. I don’t see any other Black children doing this, but when I’m on the soccer field, I see them. When I’m on the volleyball court, I see them. When I play basketball, I see them. So I really began to question if it was a sport group that I could be good at and successful in. But I think on top of that, just some of the experiences, some of the comments from teammates, parents, that make you doubt yourself, tacked on with what you’re already feeling, makes it very difficult to feel like the pool is a welcoming space.

I had supportive coaches who helped a lot with that. I learned that it was really important for me to own my dream, and that, unfortunately, this was a journey that I was going to have to go on. I was going to have to deal with these obstacles. We all do in life, and this was one of them that I had to hopefully conquer.

USAT: What would you say to young swimmers who look up to you?

SM: Believe in the power of your dreams. Believe in yourself and don’t let anyone keep you from pursuing your passion, because if it’s yours, it’s for you, and it’s not for them to take.

‘Drowning epidemic’: Swimming can help shed stereotypes

Recent CDC data indicates Black children ages 10-14 drown in swimming pools at a rate that is almost eight times higher than white children.

“So many people are so terrified of the water,” said Naji Ali, a long-distance swimmer who has hosted a podcast promoting swimming in the Black community. He spoke as a featured voice for a 2021 Philadelphia museum exhibit known as “Pool: A Social History of Segregation.”

“Whether you go in or not, you should know how to swim,” he said. “And not just survival swimming, I’m talking where you are comfortable in the water.”

The Simone Manuel Foundation seeks better education – through water safety awareness workshops, swim lessons, clinics – in BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) communities.

And it offers possibility.

USAT: What message do you want to share about the work that you’re doing?

SM: It would be great to see other Black swimmers on the podium. I don’t know if I will see that in my lifetime. But above that, I think it’s really about empowering the Black community to learn how to swim, because the drowning epidemic is so staggering.

USAT: What has sports done for you and for your life?

SM: Sports has allowed me to grow into a stronger, more resilient person. It’s given me some of my greatest achievements, but also some of my lowest lows. Sports (is) a microcosm of society, it’s a microcosm of life, and the experiences that I’ve had through have helped me handle difficult situations. I believe that swimming has really given me all the tools to be able to handle whatever comes my way.

Coach Steve: What the brash ex-swimmer learned about his career when he lost everything

Sports careers often remain ‘unfinished,’ no matter who we are

Manuel says that before Rio, she faced undisclosed “major health issues” that forced her to significantly modify her training.

“There were times where I didn’t think I could go any further,” she says.

Before Tokyo, she developed overtraining syndrome. She spent six months out of the water recovering from mental and physical exhaustion, depression, anxiety, soreness and other symptoms.

She returned to win a bronze in Tokyo and a silver in Paris. She has described her career since Rio as not a comeback but unfinished, a perspective on how sports continue to teach throughout athletes’ lives.

USAT: You’re hoping to compete in Los Angeles in 2028. How is that going?

SM: It’s probably been the hardest training that I’ve ever done in my career, but it’s been really fun. I’m really excited what hopefully the next four years has to come.

My goal is always to win medals. I’m never been someone that sets low goals. But I also think it’s really important to be realistic. The last couple years have been really tough for me, so I just want to continue to improve, not put too much pressure on myself, and just see where my results land, and then adjust from there. So it’s hard to kind of give a definitive goal when something is four years away. I ultimately see my best results staying in the present.

USAT: You said your goal is to be able to compete without the weight of expectations. Do you think you’ve gotten to that point yet?

SM: No, I haven’t, unfortunately, I feel like I’m getting there. I’m starting to learn how to swim more for me. I do think it is gonna take some more work on my part, but expectations are good. Hopefully I continue to become more confident in what I’ve accomplished and what my resume says about me, that I can just step up on the blocks and not feel like I have to prove anything.

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com

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Rec Sports

Panther alums show up against varsity

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

ANAHUAC— Dusting off old sneakers, Anahuac High School alums joined in a friendly game of basketball against the new generation of Panthers, taking a couple of wins while raising funds for a worthy cause.

The Anahuac High School Gym was packed on Saturday, Dec. 20, for the 2025 Anahuac Panther Alumni Basketball Game, hosted by the Anahuac Youth Sports Organization in partnership with the Anahuac Independent School District.

“We are so proud of how this event turned out,” AYSO Communications Officer Samantha Humphrey said. “There was so much joy in the Panther Den, and it was incredible to see multiple generations come together for such a special night.”

Generations of Panther basketball players and fans enjoyed a day of basketball, with nearly 300 in attendance, all gathered for some lighthearted competition that served as a fundraiser supporting local youth sports.

With graduating classes dating back to 1998, a total of 28 men and 10 women returned to the court to see if they still had their skills.

Two men’s alum teams, coached by Tristan Lewis and Deray Williams, played in the opening game, followed by the women’s alum team, coached by Samantha Humphrey and Tori Lewis.

As for the game results, the 4 p.m. game saw Williams Alumni defeat Lewis Alumni.

At 5 p.m., Women’s Alumni faced Girls Varsity, with the alum team taking the win. At 6 p.m., the Men’s Alumni took the victory over the Boys Varsity.

Fans also competed during some three-point contests throughout the evening.

Winners included Meagan Perry, Women’s Three-Point Contest; Zachary Childress, Men’s Three-Point Contest; and Cullen Cotton, Open Three-Point Contest.

Perry received a prize of $110, Childress earned $170, and Cotton was awarded $250.

The evening was full of energy and Panther pride as alumni, current students, families and friends came together to support a sport they hold dear.

AYSO wishes to share a special thanks to AISD, the alum players, coaches, volunteers, referees and the community for making the evening a great success.

For more information about upcoming events or to find out how to get involved with AYSO, contact AYSO, follow the organization on social media, or join the group on Facebook at Facebook.com/groups/AnahuacYouthSportsOrg.

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Rec Sports

A Look Inside: Canton Citizen’s January 8 edition

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

By Canton Citizen

Check out this week’s issue of the Citizen for the latest in Canton news, sports, events, and more. Highlights from the January 8 edition include:

* The Citizen’s annual Year in Review, featuring a look back at the top news and sports stories of 2025

* Notable deaths and retirements from the past year

* Highlights from the January 6 Select Board meeting

* Meet Canton’s new police chief (click here for excerpt)

* Canton High seniors organize bike giveaway

* Ponky Rink public skating photos

* Good News: “The Nose Knows” by Jane Eagles

* Beantown Buckaroos to perform at Open Book Coffeehouse

* Details on town of Canton’s Annual Census and more News Notes by Mike Berger

* Athlete of the Week and more winter sports coverage

Also, don’t forget to check out our many weekly features, including:

* Police & Fire News Notes

* Senior Corner and letters to the editor

* Cable Guide, Citizen Around Town, and much more

* House of the Week and more local real estate resources

Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today, or check out our new digital edition, the e-Citizen.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=133147

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Rec Sports

Watsonville boys’ soccer extends win streak to three

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

PAJ2602 WHS boys' soccer - weeklys roundup - WEB-1 — Watsonville High senior forward Anthony Guido, left, and junior Alan Alonso currently have the Wildcatz boys’ soccer team on a three game win streak following a 4-1 victory over Salinas High on Jan. 6. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian)

Watsonville junior Justin Alfaro recorded a hat trick to help lift the boys’ soccer team to a 4-1 victory over Salinas in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division opener Jan. 6.

Alfaro finished with a game-best three goals, while teammate junior Jesus Contreras-Barboza notched one goal for the Wildcatz, who are currently riding a three game win streak.

Damien Mora, Anthony Guido, Diego Guillen and Contreras-Baroboza each had one assist, while goalkeeper Adrian Fernandez tallied six saves in front of the net.

Watsonville (6-1-1, 1-0-0) plays at Seaside (2-6) in league play on Jan. 12 at 5:45pm.

At Monte Vista Christian 2, Pacific Collegiate 0: Enzo Owens and Ryan Noyes each notched one goal in the Mustangs’ shutout victory over the Pumas in PCAL Cypress Division action Tuesday afternoon.

Teammate Patrick Tracey finished with a pair of assists, while Sai Patel and Owens each had one assist for MVC (5-3-1, 1-0), which hosts Rancho San Juan in league play on Jan. 12 at 5:45pm.

Girls’ soccer

St. Ignatius 4, Aptos 3: Isabella Hartnett, Emilie Santigao and Aubrie Ford each notched one goal in the Mariners’ narrow loss to the Wildcats at the SoCal High School Classic in Oceanside on Dec. 31.

Teammate Maddie Redding and Hartnett each recorded one assist, while goalkeeper Tayanna Bonilla came up big with a pair of key saves to keep the Mariners within reach.

Aptos (4-4-1) will begin Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play at Santa Cruz on Jan. 13 at 7pm.

At Pacific Collegiate 3, MVC 2: Ashley Drago and Tea Knowles-Osmeni each had one goal in the Mustangs’ loss to the Pumas in PCAL Mission Division play Tuesday.

Goalkeepers Charlotte Groves and Cloe Morrow had two and one saves, respectively, for MVC (3-4-2, 0-1-0), which plays at Watsonville in league play on Jan. 12 at 6:45pm.

Alvarez 2, at Pajaro Valley 1: Scarlet Gomez recorded the lone goal for the Grizzlies in Tuesday afternoon’s loss to the Eagles in PCAL Gabilan Division action.

Teammate goalkeeper Aniah Federico tallied six saves for Pajar Valley (2-3-1, 0-1-0), which plays hosts Soledad in league play on Jan. 14 at 3:30pm.

Boys’ basketball

At Watsonville 60, Aptos 36: Gabe Castillo had a team-best seven points in the Mariners’ loss to the Wildcatz in non-league play Jan. 2. Teammate Madoxx Diaz added six points, one rebound and one assist.

Levi Race, Diego Mejia and Sam Penera each contributed five points for Aptos (4-10), which begins SCCAL play at Santa Cruz on Jan. 9 at 7:30pm.

At MVC 60, King City 49: Matteo Vidal finished with a team-best 18 points in the Mustangs’ win over King City in PCAL Cypress Division play on Tuesday evening.

Vidal added eight rebounds and four assists, while teammate Jeremy Silver added 17 points, three rebounds and four assists. Go Kamishita contributed 10 points and six assists for MVC (7-3, 1-0), which plays at Harbor in non-league play on Jan. 10 at 2pm.

Alvarez 68, at St. Francis 62: Robert Gomez Jr. finished with a team-best 24 points in the Sharks’ loss to the Eagles in PCAL Mission Division play Tuesday evening.

Teammate Jacob Jimenez tallied 20 points, while Isiah Villalobos contributed 11 points for St. Francis (5-7, 0-1), which plays at Marina on Jan. 12 at 7pm.

At Watsonville 64, Salinas 53: Senior Max Aceves recorded a team-best 20 points in the ‘Catz’s victory over the Cowboys in PCAL Gabilan Division action Monday evening.

Teammate senior Yahir Cisneros contributed 15 points for Watsonville (5-6, 1-1), which hosts Carmel on Jan. 9 at 7pm.

Girls’ basketball

At Salinas 55, Watsonville 33: Stephanie Martinez finished with eight points five assists and three steals in the ‘Catz’s loss to the Cowboys in PCAL Gabilan Division play on Tuesday evening.

Teammate Leilani Yasin had seven points, four rebounds and six steals for Watsonville (5-6, 0-1), which plays at Hollister on Jan. 12 at 7pm.

Editor’s note: Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to submit results and highlights to jr****@*****ys.com. Follow sports editor Juan Reyes (@jmreyes831) on X/Twitter for scores and news updates.

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Roundup of news from Hull’s wide world of sports — The Hull Times

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

• The Hull High Boys Varsity Basketball team also split its last two matchups, losing a close game, 48-47, to Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School in Boston on Friday, January 2, and defeating Falmouth Academy at home, 60-20, on Monday. Up next for the 3-2 team are a rematch with Academy of the Pacific Rim at home on Thursday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. and a road game against Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School on Friday, January 9 at 6:30 p.m. The JV squad defeated the Academy of the Pacific Rim team, 54-35, on January 2 and will play the Dragons again on Thursday at 5 p.m. before the varsity game.

• The Girls Varsity Basketball team is 0-6 on the season after losses to Ursuline Academy in the Scituate Holiday Tournament, 40-19, on December 31, and a 44-37 loss on the road to New Heights Charter School in Brockton on Monday. Next up for the Pirates are a road game against Boston Latin Academy on Friday, January 9 at 6 p.m. and then home matchups against Excel Academy Charter School on Monday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Abington High School on Wednesday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m.

• The Hingham-Hull Cooperative Gymnastics squad’s next competition will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 6 p.m. against Scituate High School at the South Shore YMCA Gymnastics Training Center.

• The next meet for the Boys and Girls Indoor Track teams will be against Mashpee on Monday, January 26 at 4 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

• For the full schedule for each Hull High team, visit www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10611.

• Hull Pirates In-Town Youth Basketball begins this weekend. Programs include a skills and drills co-ed session for grades 1 and 2 from 8-9 a.m., a co-ed program for grades 3 and 4 from 9-10 a.m., as well as an open gym program (also co-ed) for grades 5-8 from 10-11:30 a.m., all at the Jacobs School gym. Some travel teams are on the road this weekend, but there are home games as well:

Saturday, January 10 at the Jacobs School: Girls Grade 6 vs. Hingham at 2 p.m.; Girls Grade 7 vs. Marshfield at 3 p.m.; Girls Grade 8 vs. Cohasset at 4 p.m.

Sunday, January 11 at the Jacobs School: Girls Grade 7 vs. Halifax at 12 p.m.

Sunday, January 11 at the Hull High: Boys Grade 8 vs. Hanover at 1 p.m.; Boys Grade 4 vs. Scituate at 2:15 p.m.; Boys Grade 3 vs. Norwell at 3:30 p.m.

For more information, visit http://hullbasketball.leagueapps.com/camps.

• A combined Girls 3/4 travel basketball team competes at the fourth-grade level and has a record of 1-3. Next games are against Kingston on Saturday, January 10 at 6 p.m. and against Sandwich on Sunday, January 11 at 2 p.m. All games are played at Indian Head Elementary School in Hanson, so fans have to travel to take in a game. The full schedule of game times and weekly opponents is at this link: www.oldcolonybasketball.org/team/hull/4/1.

• Registration is open for Hull Youth Lacrosse – two travel teams and the in-town programs – through January 22. For more information, visit www.hulllax.com or email hullyouthlax@gmail.com if you have any questions.

• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

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Rec Sports

Century standout travels through Europe with Northern Lights Volleyball club team – Post Bulletin

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The Northern Lights Volleyball 16-1 club team spent the holidays traveling through Europe and competing in two tournaments abroad Dec. 25-Jan. 5.

The team won the 18U Youth Alpen Tournament in Innsbruck, Austria and took third place in the 19U SV Dynamo International Youth Tournament in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

The 16-1 team out of Burnsville, Minn., is made up of players from high schools around the state, including Rochester Century’s sophomore Laney Stellmaker. Other players on the roster attend Eagan, Prior Lake, St. Paul Academy, Lakeville North, East Ridge, Thomas Jefferson (Bloomington), Waconia and Chanhassen.

According to its website, the SV Dynamo tournament “guarantees three days of top-level volleyball with the best youth teams from the Netherlands and beyond. For many clubs, the youth tournament has been the ideal preparation for the Open Club (national championships for club teams). Foreign top youth teams see the tournament as a unique opportunity to measure their strength against European opponents.”

The NLV 16-2 team also traveled and competed in the tournaments, finishing third in Apeldoorn and sixth in Innsbruck.

Players from both teams documented their travels with

journals and videos.

Stellmaker, an All-Big Nine selection, recorded 493 set assists, 200 kills, 313 digs, 61 ace serves and 20 blocks during her sophomore campaign with the Panthers. She also reached 1,000 career set assists during the 2025 season.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Rec Sports

Introducing Community Coach | USA Ultimate

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 8, 2026) – USA Ultimate has recently made available a new, free resource for adults teaching young, beginning ultimate players. This new program, titled Community Coach, offers a learning experience targeted to individuals who have an interest in coaching but limited experience with the sport of ultimate.

The effort — led by USA Ultimate’s Youth and Education Program Manager Sam Callan — was developed in collaboration with Youth Programs Director Dan Raabe and Grant Boyd of USA Ultimate Affiliate, California Ultimate, with input from others in the ultimate coaching community.

The program went live with a soft launch near the end of last year and is currently available through the USA Ultimate’s Mobile Coach website and app.

The course is aimed at those looking to start middle school programs and includes:

An introduction to coaching, including advice from elite ultimate coach Matty Tsang.
A module covering the basics of the game and how to facilitate a learning environment with videos covering how to teach skills, including throwing and catching.
Videos featuring longtime ultimate coach Libby Cravens explaining how to teach offensive and defensive plays.
Four introductory practice plans with equipment lists and advice for how to change things up to fit different groups and spaces.
A kid-friendly rules introduction and additional resources.

“We are excited to introduce this new coaching program for adults who are newcomers to ultimate,” shared Callan. “Making ultimate accessible is an ongoing goal of USAU and getting parents and teachers involved is a great way to extend the availability of ultimate programming to youth who are exploring new sports.”

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