NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Frederick Richard is taking the fight to make men’s gymnastics matter to a new front: his wardrobe.

The charismatic 21-year-old Olympic bronze medalist switched out the stirrup pants that have long been a staple of the men’s uniform for shorts with compression leggings at the U.S. Championships this weekend, firm in his belief that the three-tenths (0.3) deduction he receives every day of competition that he breaks the rules is worth it if it makes his sport more accessible.

Even when those tenths add up. Richard edged Fuzzy Benas by less than a quarter of a point for second place behind two-time national champion Asher Hong. If Richard had worn the traditional uniform, his margin over Benas could have been a little more comfortable.

Yet asked if the statement he is trying to make — that it’s time for men’s gymnastics to modernize its uniforms — is worth the risk to his potential placement during a given meet, he didn’t hesitate.

“It’s 1,000% worth it,” Richard said. “If you look at these kids in the crowd, I’m thinking about them and I’m thinking about when I was younger.”

Finding an alternative

While Richard quickly fell in love with gymnastics as a kid growing up in the Boston area, the stirrup pants worn by the guys on pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, and high bar were another matter.

“If I left the gym to go to the gas station, I didn’t want anybody to see me in my pommel horse pants,” Richard said. “Kids would say, ‘Do you do gymnastics?’ I’d say ‘Yeah.’ But I didn’t want them to search ‘gymnast’ and see the uniform. I didn’t feel like it was cool.”

His solution was to design an alternative. With the help of the apparel company Turn, Richard debuted the look earlier this year and “refined” it ahead of nationals.

During the opening night of competition on Thursday, the rising Michigan junior wore maize-and-blue colored zebra-patterned leggings with (almost) matching blue shorts. On Saturday, Richard swapped the maize and blue for gray.

Both times, there was a “ND -0.3” next to Richard’s score on the first event in which the traditional pants were required. Yet Richard wasn’t as focused on the ribbon board where his score was posted, but on the young boys in the stands below them.

“(I want them to) see this, and they’re like, ‘This is cool. I want to wear this. This kid is trying to make the sport cool, he looks cool,’” Richard said. “And that’s the stuff that gets kids into the sport, that’s stuff that keeps kids in the sport.”

Even if it’s a largely American conversation.

Fighting for relevance

While the popularity of men’s gymnastics in the U.S. has declined for decades (though there is optimism that the bronze medal Richard and his teammates captured at the 2024 Olympics could help stem the tide), there are no such issues overseas.

They’re not talking about stirrup pants in China. Or Japan. Or Russia. Places with dominant programs whose stars become champions and national heroes in the process.

The challenges men’s gymnastics faces in the U.S. are many. The number of Division I programs that offer it as a scholarship sport is a fraction of what it was decades ago. And the impact of the recent House settlement could make opportunities at a level that has long served as a feeder system to the U.S. national team even scarcer.

At the Olympic level, the men have long competed in the shadow of the star-studded (and highly successful) women’s program.

Richard has long understood this. He’s seen the attrition firsthand. While the uniform didn’t stop him from pressing on, he believes he might be the exception, not the rule.

Countless young boys dabble in multiple sports growing up, gymnastics included. Richard thinks tweaking the uniform requirements into something he considers more modern could remove what he thinks might be a roadblock to sticking with it for some.

“It does add to what makes a 12-year-old boy decide, ’Do I want to keep doing this sport? Or should I play football or soccer, because my friends think I’m cool when I play with them?” he said.

The rules do allow for a little latitude. Some German female gymnasts opted for full-body unitards at each of the last two Olympics, though the design does not run afoul of FIG regulations.

What Richard is doing does.

Pushing the limits

And while he stressed he would never wear his outlawed uniform in a team competition — he wore regulation pants while helping lead Michigan to the NCAA championship this spring — that might not be the case the next time he competes internationally.

“We’ll see about the world stage,” Richard said. “We’ll have to talk and see what they allow, but I want to keep pushing it. I’m having fun. I feel more free.”

He’ll have some time to think about it. When the six-man roster for the 2025 World Championships was announced late Saturday night, Richard’s name wasn’t on it. The decision had nothing to do with Richard’s uniform but the uniqueness of this year’s world meet, which does not include a team event and is largely designed for event specialists.

At his best, Richard is one of the top all-arounders on the planet. Yet even he admitted he was at about “80%” at nationals following a whirlwind stretch that included traveling to places like Uganda. Richard is partnering with the African nation to open a facility for boys there interested in acrobatics.

The joy he felt during the trip was palpable. So has the criticism he’s received back home for his uniform choice, with some telling him if he wants to look like a basketball player, maybe he should go play basketball.

While Richard’s modified look wouldn’t look out of place on the court, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik — who won a pair of bronze medals in Paris and became a breakout star in the process (all while wearing stirrup pants) last summer — agrees with his Olympic teammate that there “should be a certain level of flexibility” when it comes to uniforms, though he also pointed out that having everyone wear identical outfits is designed to help the judges do their jobs.

“So like, you can’t wear like super baggy clothes, obviously,” Nedoroscik said. “But I do like there should be maybe a little bit of wiggle room.”

That’s all Richard says he is asking for, though it seems highly unlikely the FIG would eliminate the deduction for a uniform violation anytime soon. That is not going to stop Richard from pressing on.

“I’ll wear it for the next 10 years if I have to,” he said. “So eventually, if I keep succeeding and winning, and eventually on the international stage do the same thing and keep winning, (the FIG) will see how people like it (and) the younger kids will start wearing it … and the trend is going to grow.”

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Football season is upon us. Unfortunately, sports – especially tackle football – are one of the most common causes of head injuries among children and adolescents. Head injury is an umbrella term that refers to anything from bumps and bruises to concussions, fractured skulls and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

As a neurosurgeon, I cannot stress enough the importance of head injury prevention and education. The statistics are alarming: tackling is responsible for more than 60% of concussions in high school football. Additionally, research conducted at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows a correlation between head impacts during youth football practice and changes in brain imaging over multiple seasons.

Head injuries can have devastating effects. A split second during a game or practice can lead to lifelong consequences. As parents and community members, what can we do to make youth football safer?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed evidence-based recommendations to increase sports safety as part of its HEADS UP campaign, which offers resources for parents, coaches, athletic trainers, sports officials and athletes.

First, know that prevention is the best possible protection. Make sure your child always wear their helmet during practices and games but understand that no helmet fully protects against brain injury. Teach and regularly reinforce good sportsmanship with your child.

Seek out opportunities for your child to participate in noncontact football. An American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine study reported youth tackle football athletes had 15 times the head impacts compared to flag football athletes. Youth tackle football athletes sustained a median of 378 head impacts per athlete during the season and flag football athletes experienced a median of eight.

Youth football coaches should be educated on head impact prevention measures and teach safe, age-appropriate tackling and blocking methods. Reducing the number and frequency of contact can also go a long way in limiting injuries.

It’s important both you and your child can identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion or brain injury, which include:

• Feeling off after head impact
• Having a headache or feeling pressure in their head
• Becoming nauseous, which can result in vomiting
• Experiencing confusion
• Having trouble concentrating
• Exhibiting clumsiness
• Answering slowly

After a head injury, your child should no longer play their sport until they are seen by a health care provider. In extremely emergent cases, your child may experience loss of consciousness, worsening headache, slurred speech, weakness and repeated vomiting, which warrant a trip to the emergency room as soon as possible.

A health care provider will develop a personalized plan for your child’s return to school and sports based on the severity of the head injury since the brain needs adequate time to heal.

Being informed and prepared in the event of a medical emergency will help make this football season safer for everyone.

Dr. Daphne Li is a pediatric neurosurgeon at Advocate Children’s Hospital.

Are you trying to find a pediatrician? Find one in Illinois or Wisconsin. 

It’s not uncommon for a brand to hang onto the same slogan for years, or even decades. Nike has used “Just Do It” since 1988, for example. McDonald’s has embraced “I’m Lovin’ It” since 2003. And, for its part, Snickers has been telling Americans that they’re just not themselves when they’re hungry for the last 15 years.

Today, Mars’ candy-bar colossus will remind them yet again with a pair of spots starring Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Of course, the tricky part about sticking with a longtime slogan is finding fresh interpretations of it, and that’s especially true in Snickers’ case. “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” came storming out of the gate at the 2010 Super Bowl with a 30-second spot from BBDO featuring the incomparable Betty White playing football in the mud with a bunch of bros straight out of central casting. After White gets sacked and decides to take a time out with a Snickers bar, she metamorphoses into a strapping young jock.

Those final few seconds created not just the a-ha moment, but a template that’s served the snack brand for a generation.

Following the White spot (still considered among the best Super Bowl ads of all time) was no mean feat. But Snickers managed it by adapting its transmogrification formula to an all-star cast that over the years has included Robin Williams becoming a football coach, Joe Pesci transforming into a frat boy, and Danny Trejo turning into… Marsha Brady.

The latest ads (still from BBDO), hold fast to that formula. The twist this time is that Allen transforms into… himself.

The cornerstone spot shows us Allen’s father dozing off while reading his adult son-in bed, wearing his Bills uniform-a bedtime story. With a bite of a Snickers bar, delirious dad blinks and he’s again reading to Allen as a boy.

The second features Allen rescuing a heat-exhausted construction worker by snatching a Snickers bar from an ice chest he has handy. There’s no sugar-fueled metamorphosis in this one, but Allen’s delivery of a self-referential punchline (“Still stressed about the Bills game next week, huh?”) furnishes the requisite denouement.

BBDO also shot quick-cut verticals for social channels, featuring Allen blowing his lines and holding the candy bar the wrong way-until, of course, a restorative nibble on a Snickers returns order to the universe.

“Even Josh Allen isn’t immune, fumbling lines and forgetting sponsors until he gets his Snickers fix,” helpfully chirped a company statement.

That these crisply-produced snippets feel like outtakes and bloopers spotlights Allen as one of those rare pro athletes who’s actually a natural on camera. Who knows? If Allen doesn’t get his Super Bowl ring before retirement time, there’s always marketing as a second career.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San José State Athletics is partnering with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation to offer free heart screenings to youth and young adults, ages 12–25, on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Yosh Uchida Hall, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192.

As students head back to school and prepare for another year of classes and sports, these two organizations are joining forces to ensure San José State University students are healthy and safe.

This event is part of a community-driven mission to combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a leading cause of death in young people. Studies show that approximately 1 in 300 youth unknowingly live with a heart condition that puts them at risk for SCA—conditions that routine physical exams often fail to detect. These standard exams fail to detect 90% of at-risk youth.

“We are grateful to partner with San José State University to provide these life-saving services to our community,” said Jennifer Sarmento, Executive Director of the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation and mother of Kyle. “Before losing my son, I never imagined that a healthy-looking young person could die from an undiagnosed heart condition. No parent should have to endure that kind of loss—especially from something that can be found with a simple heart screening. Our mission is to make sure other families never face the same heartbreak.”

“San José State Athletics and Sports Medicine is honored to be able to partner with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation and its mission to bring awareness to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. We are happy to be able to help support our local San José community through cardiac awareness and education, as we share the same purpose and goals of KJTF,” shared Stephen Bartlinski, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine.

Where: San Jose State University – Yosh Uchida Hall. One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192

Date:  Sunday, September 21, 2025

Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Pre-registration is required. To sign up for an appointment, visit:

https://kylejtaylor.app.neoncrm.com/event.jsp?event=545&

Media Contact: Kylie Clark, Kyle J. Taylor Foundation, kylie@kylejtaylor.org

About The Kyle J. Taylor Foundation: The organization was founded in 2018 in honor of Kyle Taylor, who passed away at the age of 18 from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. His family established the foundation to bring awareness to and stop Sudden Cardiac Arrest in three critical areas: proactive prevention, raising awareness, and effective response.

For more information: www.kylejtaylor.org  

#AllSpartans

Over the past two summers the Red Wing Aces roster has gradually gotten younger in age. Fifteen players on this year’s team are 22 years old or younger.

It was those players that supplied much of the energy and results on the field that led to the Aces claiming the Region 2B title at The Ath on Saturday with a 7-3 win over the Austin Greyhounds.

They led 2-0 through four innings, but were wanting to add on after scoring in the first and second. Leading off the fifth inning, Tyler Rodgers hit a solo home run to left field. The home run was key in getting the Aces rejuvenated. 

Reid Hartmann followed with a sharply hit single, his third hit of the game to that point, which prompted pitcher Aaron Johnson to say “The Aces youth movement has arrived.”

“We’ve always looked forward to playing with the year ahead of us growing up. We were always really excited about getting the chance to play together,” Rodgers said. “Now, here we are. It’s been special to be a part of.”

Rodgers reached safely twice, scoring in the second after a walk, then a stolen base. His fifth-inning home run was his second of the summer, but first at The Ath.

“To be honest, I thought that was a pop up for sure. Thought I didn’t get all of that ball. I think I got a little gust of wind from the man upstairs,” he said. “I kind of blacked out around the bases there, as soon as I came across the plate is when I felt (my teammates) all erupt.”

Hartmann had a productive day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a walk. He stole two bases, drove in a run on a double in the second and scored three runs.

He said after the game, he hadn’t had a day like that in a while. His swing has improved greatly and the results this summer have been rewarding. Hartmann made slight adjustments to both his load and stance, both allowing him to swing with more power and keep the barrel of the bat in the zone longer. His RBI-double in the second inning was a few feet short of a home run, hitting near the top of the fence in the left field gap.

“It was good to get a couple different perspectives to help me with my swing that I’ve taken here to the Aces,” Hartmann said of his time at Augustana in the spring and at Spearfish last month. The Spearfish Sasquatch are an independent collegiate league. “I feel like I picked up where I left off. Even being gone for three weeks, I felt comfortable in the box and felt like I was seeing pitches well. Felt like I was going to put good swings on the ball.”

The other adjustment for Hartmann has been moving up to the leadoff spot in the lineup. He never really was a leadoff type growing up, but has thrived in the role.

“I like it a lot. My approach was just to get on base,” Hartmann said. “Get on base for the guys behind me because we have a lot of really good hitters in our lineup. If I can get on base, maybe steal a couple bags, they can knock me in.”

Following his terrific complete game against Stewartville, Drew Ball got the start against Austin. He pitched into the sixth inning with little issues, working around a hit or two, but maintaining control once again of his offspeed.

Ball got two outs in the sixth before being pulled. He finished with 11 strikeouts, two walks and three runs on six hits. The only cause for concern was the three-run home run hit by Austin’s Jordan Hart.

Seventeen-year-old Brodie Gibart came in to pitch in relief. Johnson and Aidan O’Brien were also getting ready later in the game just in case, but Gibart brought about a mound presence far better than most others his age. He stranded two on with two outs in the sixth. Gibart got the ground ball that began a double to end the seventh inning.

Gibart struck out a pair in 3 ⅓ innings, getting a double play to end the game. It was the third turned by the Aces.

“He’s got some great stuff,” Hartmann said of Gibart. “Basically I was there to calm him down and frame his pitches to make him look good. Honestly, he did all the work. He was on point today, pretty calm and collected.”

Hartmann summed up how the team values the younger players and what it has been like to feel that value, then prove it on the field.

“The knowledge and reps that I gained from the first year at college. This is my third year playing and I’ve had family members play. It feels good to be one of the guys and help this team go to state, and give this community a show,” Hartmann said.

“We definitely have the pitchers and we definitely have the hitters to win,” Rodgers added. “Any given day can be ours.”

Red Wing swept its way to the No. 1 seed to come out of Region 2. The Aces earned a bye in the Class B state tournament and will face the winner of the Cold Spring Springers and the Union Hill Bulldogs in Hutchinson on Saturday, August 23.

After defeating the Auston Greyhounds, the Rochester Roadrunners lost 6-2 to the Northfield Knights. The third and final game of the day at The Ath, which began at 9:30 p.m. and ended after midnight, was won by the Knights. They came back in the late innings to snatch an 8-6 victory over the Greyhounds to get the No. 2 seed out of the region.

The Aces drafted Tyler Schmitz and Brendan Baxter from the Stewartville Sharks to join the team at state.

Upcoming schedule

Saturday, Aug. 23 – vs Cold Spring or Union Hill (Hutchinson), 11 a.m.

Water polo players briefly left the pool after shots were fired near an under-20 World Cup game in Brazil.

Brazilian police have said there were no injuries after shots were fired near an under-20 World Cup water polo women’s game between China and Canada in the city of Salvador.

China won 12-8 on Sunday – the opening day of the tournament – but footage showed the game being briefly interrupted as players got out of the pool, lay down and took cover by a small barrier after hearing gunshots outside the water polo venue in the Pituba neighbourhood. China led Canada 3-2 at the time.

“The match stopped for about a minute. Our team saw that the police were taking care of it,” Marco Antonio Lemos, head of the Bahia state water sports federation, said in a statement on Monday.

Police said the cause of the shots was a confrontation with an alleged local thief who was outside the venue and tried to escape. No more details were given.

Spectators were told about the incident after the game had resumed.

Brazil is hosting the 16-team tournament for the first time.