Jimmy Fitzner
Community Contributor

On Saturday December 13th, elected officials, corporate sponsors, and youth soccer teams gathered for a ribbon-cutting to mark the opening of the new Visa Street Soccer Park at the 9th & Van Brunt Athletic Fields. This addition marks the latest investment into the park which saw the completion of $3 million dollars worth of renovations paid for with GO Bonds in July.

This event included remarks from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, United States congressman Fourth District Mark Alford, City Manager Mario Vasquez, Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson, and representatives from funding organizations Visa, Bank of America and Street Soccer USA (SSUSA).

A smile beamed from the face of Reginald Francois, Senior Recreation Director with KC Parks and Rec, as he looked across the crowd. When asked what it means to him that Bank of America, Visa, and Street Soccer USA have teamed up with Kansas City to make this project a reality, he immediately responds, “The future is now”.

Francois has coordinated youth programs for kids of all ages at this park long before these upgrades; he knows the challenges of playing on fields that many have called inadequate for organized youth soccer. He’s also heard from the community that adult rec leagues were crowding out kids and adds that this addition will provide space for kids in Northeast to hone their soccer skills for years to come. 

He isn’t the only one who notices the difference either; Jennifer Ruiz and Anthony Pleitez live in the area and braved below-freezing temps to watch the ribbon-cutting. Ruiz recalled playing on these fields in high school, lamenting that they were not well maintained and that the restrooms were in poor shape. Now, she and Pleitez both see this as not merely a playing field but an outlet for everyone of all ages in the neighborhood. Pleitez was impressed that funding from organizations outside of Kansas City had found its way into this neighborhood park, and was happy to see City officials, including Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Mario Vasquez, give in-person attention to Saturday’s event. 

Alexis Rivera, club president for youth club Pantera FC, grew up in Northeast and was excited about the possibilities for future teams and kids growing up here now. Rivera added that he knows kids who come here after school and stay until dark, and feels confident that outlets like this are protective factors in the lives of kids who grow up in so-called underserved communities. 

“Now it’s up to us to care for it,” Rivera insisted. “Kids see that and they’ll care for it too,” adding that his club picks up trash and plastic bottles around the park to preserve its fresh appeal.

Lawrence Cann and his brother Rob, who co-founded Street Soccer USA and spearheaded the initiative to revitalize parks into youth soccer destinations in 26 US cities by the 2026 World Cup, echoed the sentiment of neighborhood residents, saying this is an opportunity for kids in Northeast to get easy access to soccer. The lack of access for generations past was also not lost on Cann, mentioning what once occupied the southeast corner of 9th & Van Brunt.

“We know the history of this park,” said Cann. “Being an old transit center and an underutilized space, it has become an incredible place for the community to come together”.

Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026, the organization responsible for making the World Cup soccer tournament a success in Kansas City next year, made sure to denote the importance of improvements for Kansas CIty kids in light of the incoming spectacle, telling the crowd, “Our Board of Directors has told us we need to think about World Cup differently; it needs to create sustained and long-term impact on the people who live here”.

As for the immediate future, Reginald Francois is ready to roll. He’s heading up a tournament in March at the park for ages 4-6 (boys and girls) and will host what he called “The People’s Tournament” in April for boys and girls ages 8-16. Go to kcparks.org or email Reginald Francois at Reginald.Francois@kcmo.org for more information.

EXTERNAL LINKS FOR FURTHER INFO:

Visa, Street Soccer USA and Bank of America join forces to expand access to soccer in communities across the United States | Visa

Las Vegas police said they believe there may be additional victims of a local youth soccer coach who was recently arrested on suspicion of child sexual assault.

Sergio Reyes Rojas, 44, worked as a youth soccer organization director and coach until earlier this week, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a Tuesday news release.

On Dec. 10, according to police, Reyes Rojas was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on three counts of sexual assault against a child under the age of 16, one count of child abuse or neglect, and one count of kidnapping of a minor.

In a statement sent to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday, Guy Hobbs, president of the Nevada Youth Soccer Association, said Reyes Rojas has been removed from his involvement in youth soccer.

“Sergio Reyes, once we became aware of the arrest and criminal charges, has been suspended indefinitely from all youth soccer activities,” Hobbs said. “We have also been informed by the club that he has been replaced in his administrative and coaching capacities.”

According to a Sunday post on a Facebook page associated with the Las Vegas Diversity FC nonprofit youth soccer organization, Reyes Rojas “stepped down from his roles as Director and Coach due to personal reasons.”

The post, placed on club letterhead, lauded Reyes Rojas for his “commitment to providing opportunities for youth and supporting families throughout Las Vegas.”

A message from the Las Vegas Review-Journal sent to an email address listed on the post was not immediately returned as of Tuesday afternoon.

Per the Nevada Secretary of State website, Reyes Rojas is listed as secretary of the Las Vegas Diversity FC organization.

Because of Reyes Rojas’ “ties to local youth sports programs,” Metro detectives think there could be additional victims that have yet to come forward, the news release said.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.

Three Taunton High School athletes have been selected for the Hockomock League’s Leadership Executive Ambassador Program, or LEAP.

Kennedy MacEarchern, Nevaeh Young and Madison Crowley were chosen for the two-year program, which identifies rising juniors who demonstrate leadership, character and a commitment to strengthening their school communities, according to a community announcement.

Each school in the league can nominate up to four students, and Taunton High had three of its nominees chosen.

Each student brings a unique leadership style shaped by their experiences in athletics.

MacEarchern, a field hockey goalie, describes her on-field leadership as tenacious and vocal, while off the field, she aims to be steady and supportive. Young balances kindness with determination, leading by example in cross country and track and ensuring her teammates feel heard and respected. Crowley focuses on humility and encouragement, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Service is a central component of the LEAP program, and each student already has a vision for how they want to give back.

MacEarchern hopes to introduce field hockey to younger students through after-school clinics, noting that discovering the sport in eighth grade opened new doors for her. Young wants to strengthen connections between Taunton High and local youth sports programs by mentoring younger athletes and teaching them lessons about teamwork and perseverance. Crowley hopes to lead leadership activities with young children, drawing on her experience working with preschool athletes at TYSL and her desire to help young students build confidence.

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) – A Virginia woman is hoping to find the person who helped her survive a scary medical situation last month.

Melinda Pereira says Echo Lake Park normally provides her a peaceful escape from reality, but that quickly changed on Nov. 5.

“Something just felt off,” she said. ”Apparently, I went unconscious.”

The next memory Pereira said she had was her waking up in the hospital, where she later learned she had gone into cardiac arrest.

Pereira said first responders credited the quick thinking of a good Samaritan for saving her life.

“Apparently, I was not breathing, no pulse, and unconscious, and some guardian angel that started the first steps to life-saving measures is why I’m still here today,” she said.

As Pereira continues on her road to recovery, the identity of the mystery bystander weighs heavily on her mind.

“The doctors said if everything wasn’t in alignment, it would’ve been a different outcome,” she said. “Nobody knows her name, they just said she was a nurse and that she did CPR, and I have the sore ribs to prove it, and that her efforts were vital to my recovery, to my survival.”

Standing in the same spot where the woman jumped in to help, Pereira says she is determined to track her down.

“Don’t be a ghost,” she said. “Let me know who you are.”

Pereira’s ultimate wish is to thank her personally for her heroic deed.

“I have three kids, and I have six grandchildren. All who came together during this episode to the hospital. They wouldn’t have me if it were not for you,” she said. “I think you were meant to be in the spot that you were in.”

If you have any information about the identity of the mystery bystander, email Desiree Montilla: desiree.montilla@12onyourside.com.

Copyright 2025 WWBT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

ABOVE: Martin County West students Gracin Hansen and Austin Taylor, of the VEX IQ Challenge Team, “The Penguins,” operate their robot, playing a mix and match game on a 6 x 8 field and scoring points by stacking pins and placing them in corresponding color score zones, during the annual Martin County Know How competition event on Saturday at the Truman Public School gymnasium. Photo by Vanessa Schultze.

TRUMAN – At Truman Elementary Saturday, 60 fifth and sixth graders from Fairmont, Truman, Martin County West and Granada-Huntley-East Chain schools worked together across 27 teams in a Vex IQ robotics competition this past Saturday.

Teams worked in alliances of two to stack pins of the same color or mix and match colors to get as many points as possible in two minutes.

While the task is simple, Martin County Know How Board Member and Fairmont Robotics Coach Sam Viesselman said execution varies depending on experience.

“It’s a claw with an arm, and that’s where we recommend new students go,” he said. “Students who have been doing it for a couple years might opt to do something more advanced, since they built the claw bot before. Even after building the same basic bot, every single team ends up doing their own little version of innovation and ways of making their robots better and differentiated.”

The event was organized by Martin County Know How (MCKH), a subcommittee of Project 1590, which aims to encourage STEM exploration among all age groups in Martin County. It was first put on in 2019. After being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID, it was brought back in 2021 and has returned each year ever since.

“We actually ended up having so many students,” Viesselman said. “It initially was third through sixth grade in one tournament. We have to split it now. We do one tournament in the fall for fifth and sixth graders, and then a tournament in the spring for third and fourth graders.”

To ensure students know about this opportunity and can get involved, Viesselman said each school has either a teacher or staff member who works with robotics.

“We leave it up to each school to figure out how to best advertise in their school that it exists. I know at Fairmont, they do take home folders and post on one of the web forums they have for parents.”

As far as the setup, Viesselman said a lot of the practice is on the students themselves.

“They actually meet at their individual schools and practice building their robots,” he said. “Each school has a field that they can take home and practice the real game on.”

The event was open to the public, meaning parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and all family friends, and community members had the chance to turn out and see what the fuss is about.

In the way this event and robotics as a whole have grown and spread, Viesselman said he feels a great sense of pride in it.

“How many people have come together to make it happen,” he said. “How cooperative the school districts have been, all the volunteers in our committee, all the volunteer coaches, it really takes a village to make it happen. When it all kind of culminates together at that event, looking at all the work that everyone else has put into it really gives you a sense of pride.”

With robotics and technology as a whole developing rapidly in the current age, Viesselman said he feels events like this are really important for future generations.

“We never say, ‘Wow, next year there’s going to be less technology than the year before,’” he said. “It’s a one-way door, so preparing the youth for that ever-changing world. We can see it in their literacy, fluency and technology. As the workforce demands higher and higher skills, more education, just trying to get ahead of that, but also present it in a way that’s fun.”

Fairmont team Hog Riders, consisting of Nolan Harris and Garrett Meier, and MCW team American’s Team of Titus Krusemark and Bronx Geiger finished first with 115 points.

Fairmont team Hot Rod of Tristan Lyons and Jack Fraser, and MCW team i AM Super of Adalie Grupe, Mejta Rohman and Sage Gwin took second with 88 points.

MCW team Lego Masters of William White and Shay Arnold, and Truman team The Fizzlers of Zach Wiens and Liam Werner, took third with 80 points.