The Betty Wold Johnson Foundation (BWJF) has announced a $1 million grant to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) to help create the largest collegiate women’s flag football league in the nation, launching in spring 2026. 

Directed by Woody Johnson, son of the late Betty Wold Johnson, who owns the New York Jets football team, the initiative aims to establish a league featuring seven-on-seven gameplay. As part of the Jets and BWJF commitment, each school will receive a grant to offset costs associated with fielding a flag football team. So far, 14 colleges and universities—mostly in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—have committed to fielding a team. 

“The ECAC is thrilled to be partnering with the New York Jets and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation to provide a premium intercollegiate flag football league for hundreds of young women athletes interested in pursuing their athletics dreams,” said ECAC commissioner Dan Coonan. “We couldn’t be happier to be selected for this partnership. With 88 years of experience sponsoring first-rate intercollegiate athletic competition, we believe we are uniquely suited to bring this bold initiative to life.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Courtney Hale)

From under the skirt to the top of the bill.

When the community comes out to take in the 2025 rendition of the Christmas classic show “The Nutcracker” at Russell Auditorium Dec. 12-14, they will see Gatewood School student Isabelle Rocker’s journey to the lead role of Clara reach its fruition.

What began almost three decades ago at Georgia College & State University under director Amelia Pelton continues, and for the second year Director of Dance Natalie King and Dance Lecturer Juliana Freude present the story of Clara, a nutcracker doll come to life and their experiences with the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy and many others.

For 15-year-old Isabelle, this will be her eighth time in “The Nutcracker” cast going back to age 7. She is one of several students in the GCSU Department of Theatre and Dance’s Community Dance Program who begin tireless work all the way back in the summer preparing for the wintertime show.

“I love this program,” she said. “I have made really good friends. It’s like a completely different life than my school life.

“I just fell in love with (‘The Nutcracker’). I have so much fun on stage. A little kid running around in circles.”

“She is a beautiful dancer,” said Freude. “I have been able to work with her a year-and-a-half now. I have seen her abilities improve consistently. She is taking all the feedback I am providing her, and I see it is creating her into a beautiful dancer and artist. I am excited to see her put that on stage for everyone to enjoy.”

Tara Rocker is Isabelle’s mother, and she has two daughters — including 10-year-old Eleanor — in the community program. She can recall her child actually giggling while running in circles playing a Polichinelle. That’s a role Eleanor, in the program since age 3 and perhaps Isabelle’s biggest fan, has this year as well as being a solider and part of the dragon.

“I was laughing so hard at Mother Ginger. I thought it was hilarious that a man was dressed up,” said Isabelle.

“Mother Ginger has this huge skirt that the little dancers come running out from underneath,” said Tara. “It’s adorable.”

Isabelle has also played a Harlequin doll, a solider, a poinsettia, a reindeer, a dragon, a candy cane and just a little girl in “The Nutcracker.”

And now Clara. She is at a Christmas party in a white dress and is seeing her friends for the first time since Easter. She receives the gift of a nutcracker and falls asleep with it. This leads to a “terrible” dream of being chased by rats, but the nutcracker comes to life and saves her. They proceed to travel through a “winter wonderland” with various fairies.

“All these people come and present her as a princess and dance for her,” said Isabelle. “I will never forget when I was a little girl it was really the first time I saw it up close, people dancing on point shoes. I loved it. I started ballet to be on point shoes. Now I realize I’m at that age I wanted to be when I was that age. Getting used to being the role model for the little girls.”

“That’s one of the greatest parts of this program,” said Tara. “The exposure Isabelle has had when she was little. Now that she is maturing into a role model, she also has role models still here. College students, parents. Instructors are fantastic. It presents itself on “The Nutcracker” stage.”

“This is the first year I’ve worked with college students, being in choreography with them,” said Isabelle. “They do my hair. Annie is the Snow Queen, and I have a lot of fun with her.”

Isabelle is now getting to where she can hear a song on a ride home and think it would make a good dance.

“I guess I have a mindset for choreography,” she said. “I make up dances with my friends now that I’ve gotten older. I do a lot of dancing anywhere. Come up with something on the spot. I think it’s funny sometimes, emotional.”

“I’ve grown up watching these beautiful girls dance,” Tara said, who is not in “The Nutcracker” herself like other moms and dads she knows. “Get to be backstage and watch them grow as dancers.

“It is a whole family affair. Whether you are on stage, backstage, this is a community program. My son and husband are great supporters. We have family members who come from all over to see it. It sets the Christmas tone for our family and a lot of families.”

Putnam County’s Avery Owens and Jasper County’s Destiny Peete are high school seniors playing Dew Drop Fairies. Avery explains this as the queen of the flowers, the biggest and the brightest. She also has her own “funny story” to share about being an 8-year-old Polichinelle in a previous show.

“There’s this big table, metal underneath,” she said. “I got up before I was supposed to and hit my head on the table before I got out on stage. It was very disorienting. I got through it, continued on, did my dance. It was a pretty hard head hit.”

Destiny skipped that role, but has had just about every other one imaginable. She loves the idea of performing in front of multitudes in Milledgeville.

Rehearsals begin in September after the cast list comes out in August, Avery said that is an exciting time to be thinking about a Christmas show even before Labor Day. In fact, it’s spring time when they start wondering what roles they will land in “The Nutcracker.” One day that could be Snow Queen or Sugar Plum Fairy.

“As the director of GCSU Community Dance, what I enjoy most is watching the magic of ‘The Nutcracker’ unfold for both the performers and the audience,” said King. “It is a true honor to guide dancers of differing ages, witnessing their growth, excitement, and passion on stage. GCSU’s production uniquely blends classical ballet with jazz, tap and contemporary movement, giving familiar scenes a vibrant new perspective while honoring tradition.

“We also incorporate elements inspired by our local culture and history, such as The Dance of the Peacock, a tribute to Milledgeville’s famed writer Flannery O’Connor and her love for these majestic birds. This year, we’re elevating the experience even further with new set pieces and immersive digital projections, designed to transport the audience into the enchanting world of ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Freude, originally from Ohio, joined GCSU’s dance faculty last school year after extensive experience in the art in performing and instructing.

“This year we are trying to create a different, even more magical holiday atmosphere,” she said. “With a lot of our props and sets on top of all the choreographic choices. We hope it will be a more surprising and exciting moment for audiences. It will have a bit of a different approach to it, but that doesn’t mean the storyline has changed. It’s just the visuals we hope to portray this year.”

Ethan Rogers returns in the title role, and Freude said they worked to make sure it is a different challenge for him, another level attached to it so that he can grow as a performer.

In the second act, Clara and The Nutcracker will watch candy canes, the return of the peacock, angels, flowers and others. King said the GCSU golfers, coached by Ben English, make their stage debut in the Dance of Trepak.

Rising star Mitchell Lawrie fell short in his bid for darting history as Jimmy Van Schie fought back from three sets down to claim a 6-3 victory in the WDF World Darts Championship final.

The 15-year-old had beaten Luke Littler’s record as the youngest player to ever compete at the event, with the Scot then looking to draw further comparisons with ‘The Nuke’ by becoming a teenage world champion at Lakeside.

Lawrie took the opening set in a final-leg decider then won five of the next six to race into a three-set cushion, only for Van Schie to battle back in an absorbing contest where both players averaged over 93 and fired 21 maximums between them.

Van Schie took out an 86 finish to claim the fourth set in a final-leg shootout before coming agonisingly close to a nine-darter on his way to closing out the fifth, shaving the D18 wire after eight perfect darts.

The Dutchman continued to build momentum after the interval and broke Lawrie on his way to winning the next two sets, before racing through the eighth in straight legs to open a two-set buffer.

Lawrie – who won the youth title earlier in the day – saw his hopes ended in another final-leg decider, where he found the wrong bed when having a set dart and allowing Van Schie to secure victory on double five.

“He is such a phenomenal player,” Van Schie told S4C. “He’s a power scorer, so mature for his age and the sky is the limit for him. I had to keep fighting (from 3-0 down), I had to keep believing in myself. He’s such a phenomenal player and he’s the future of darts.

“I was 3-0 down and I know the crowd was a little bit in Mitchell’s favour, and I understand that because he’s such a great talent. I had to believe in myself because I know I can do it, and I’ve just proved it. I’m very happy with the win.”

Lawrie had beaten Florian Preis 4-2 in the WDF World Youth Championship final earlier in the afternoon but was left disappointed not to convert his lead against Van Schie into a second title of the day.

“I went three sets up and then just couldn’t hit anything,” Lawrie told S4C. “It was terrible, to be honest. Getting here in the first place was a lot. I’m not happy, but it is what it is.

“He [Van Schie] hit everything. I just couldn’t hit a thing. Hitting a big 11 going for a double (in final set) is just unbelievable, to be honest. It’s a great achievement to have got here, the crowd were great, but I just wasn’t good enough in the end.”

Hedman claims elusive maiden world title

Deta Hedman, 66, won her first WDF Women’s World Championship after beating Lerena Rietbergen 4-1 in the final on Sunday afternoon.

Hedman avenged three previous losses in world finals by battling back from a set down to beat the top seed and an opponent 43 years her junior.

Rietbergen took out finishes of 72 and 64 on her way to taking the opening set before Hedman levelled in the second, with the veteran winning five straight legs before closing out the third set with a 112 checkout.

The Dutchwoman recorded four maximums in the final but couldn’t keep up with Hedman, who won the next two sets and posted a 72.01 average as she became the oldest-ever World Champion on the iconic Lakeside stage.

Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match exclusively live from December 11 to January 3 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky channel 407 from December 10). Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.

STORRS — It began innocently, randomly enough, as these indelible connections of athletes and uniform numbers sometimes do. Sue Bird’s sister wore No. 10, and as she followed her in youth sports, she naturally picked that number, too.

“My sister’s five years older, Jen, and she was born in October,” Bird said. “She was doing all the sports before me, so I was really just following her. She chose No. 10 because she was born in October, and I just stuck with it.”

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Sue, 45, was also born in October, so it was a natural, and as the years, the decades, the assists and accolades rolled by, the No. 10 became more than something stitched into a basketball jersey, it became Bird’s signature. It fit her to a T, and vice versa. UConn, her alma mater, joined the Seattle Storm, her WNBA address, and retired the number in her honor on Sunday.

“So now it belongs to all of us,” she told the crowd at Gampel Pavilion, before UConn routed DePaul, 102-35.

The number hasn’t always been available, as Bird played in Syosset, N.Y., college, in the pros, overseas and in the Olympics five times.

Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: Killingly makes ruckus in CT’s ‘quiet corner;’ UConn ace joins Chisox, more

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“I never had to pay anybody to get it,” she said. “There were times, in junior high school the No. 10 jersey was too small. There was an AAU team I joined, someone else had it and I had to wait it out. The only other time, Tamika Catchings, she joined the national team before me and she was wearing No. 10. So when I got there, I was like, ‘Soooo, how does this work?’ But it was locked in, so I wore No. 6 for USA Basketball. That was just given, I didn’t have a choice.”

Said Geno Auriemma: “You do get the feeling there is something special there. It was a weird coaching her on the Olympic team when she was No. 6.”

The more famous an athlete becomes, the more their uniform number becomes iconic. It can be overdone, some places retire too many and are running out of numbers. The UConn women only retire the numbers of Naismith Hall of Famers, a ridiculously high bar, Auriemma noted. This September, Bird and Maya Moore joined Rebecca Lobo and Swin Cash in Springfield, with quite a few more to follow, so at some future date UConn stars could be wearing numbers like 74, 83 or 91 on the court at Gampel.

“Everyone wanted to wear 10 because you wore it,” Lobo said, in her video message to Bird.

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None will wear No. 10 again.

“Larry Bird wore 33,” Sue Bird said. “Michael Jordan, obviously anybody my age, it’s going to be Michael Jordan and 23. It slowly gets put on your radar, and for me, the No. 10. I wanted that to be, like, synonymous. I wanted that to be my basketball identity.”

Even Jordan experimented with other numbers, wearing No. 9 on the first Olympic Dream Team, and No. 45 when he played minor-league baseball, keeping it briefly when he returned to the NBA. Ultimately, though, No. 23 is his.

Jersey No. 10 became an icon in international soccer. The Great Pele wore it, and a succession of playmakers on the pitch have worn it through the years, like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. In the NFL, it’s closely associated with Fran Tarkenton or Eli Manning. The number is in the rafters — forever-afters — at Madison Square Garden for Walt Frazier.

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“With Sue, I had no idea her picking No.10 was going to become iconic,” Auriemma said. “For me, one of the best ones was when Nykesha Sales visited (in the 1990s) and she asked me, ‘Could I wear No. 42?’ That’s when I knew she was coming here because her real number of 24 at Bloomfield (High), but she knew Kerry Bascom wore No. 24 here and she didn’t want to wear a former All-American’s number. So some people have tremendous respect for other people’s numbers.”

For generations of women’s basketball players and fans, Sue Bird represents the game’s growth and entry into the mainstream of sports in the U.S., and young kids often gravitate to point guards — they’re the ones with the ball in their hands, and doing something with it. And for them, wearing No. 10 will be the jersey of choice, just as young shortstops still ask for No. 2.

Dom Amore: UConn’s Sue Bird made pathways possible, made things happen along way to Hall of Fame

Like Derek Jeter and Jordan in their venues, Bird can see her number up with the tiles at Gampel Pavilion, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, where there is also a statue of her, and on the backs of young kids chasing all she achieved wearing No. 10.

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Which gives her more satisfaction?

“Both,” she said. “Both can be true, both are true. It’s really such an honor. I mean, you look at all the names above me, all the plaques, so much history. Right now, I’ll just be the third. It’s really special. The further you get away from a career, the more you can really sit in it realize how special it is, what you achieved, and at the very same time knowing I was part of a generation that paved the way for other players.”

The UConn women were stamped on the map with Lobo and the undefeated 1995 team. Bird, who arrived in 1998, was part of the wave of players that came to Connecticut in the aftermath and launched a dynasty. No one was asking her, in those says, “legacy” questions. Numbers weren’t taken out of circulation back them, like they are now. Fun fact: Auriemma retired zero himself; he wouldn’t let Diana Taurasi, or any other player, wear it.

After the NFL Draft, top pick Abdul Carter asked the Giants for No. 56, and Lawrence Taylor offered some sage advice, to go make a name and a number for himself. Could there ever be a player, if she asked to honor Bird by wearing her number in Storrs or Seattle, who would be given blessing to do it?

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“Now that’s it’s retired?” Bird said. “… Can I just enjoy today? I’m sure I’d consider it, but I haven’t thought about it.”

Auriemma never told a subsequent Husky she couldn’t wear No. 10, and a few have. But he calls Bird “one of one.” The jersey just won’t fit anyone else, not any more.

The ReliaQuest Bowl will bring national attention to Tampa Bay on New Year’s Eve when Iowa and Vanderbilt play each other for the first time.

Bowl officials announced the matchup Sunday and noted that both teams arrive after milestone seasons and strong finishes in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Vanderbilt enters the game ranked 14th after its first 10-win season. Iowa comes in at No. 23 and returns to a bowl that has become a familiar stage for the Hawkeyes.

“We are absolutely thrilled to extend invitations to The University of Iowa and Vanderbilt University to play in this year’s ReliaQuest Bowl,” said ReliaQuest Bowl Chair Glenn Fasani. “These are two teams that we expect will produce a great match-up that fans are really going to be excited about. We look forward to hosting the teams and their fans and ensuring they will have an unforgettable experience in the dynamic Tampa Bay area.”

READ: For the Bay turns Tampa fandom into a family-built brand

For Vanderbilt, the game marks a big moment in a season that changed expectations inside the program.

“Playing in this game represents an important step for our program as we look to build upon our historic season,” said Clark Lea, E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Football. “We are grateful to have one final opportunity to compete as a team, and to be able to do that in such a prestigious bowl in a great city and against a respected opponent is all very meaningful.”

Lea said the chance to face Iowa raises the bar. “We will need our best performance to complete the mission against an Iowa program that has come to represent the level of sustained success we aspire to at Vanderbilt.”

Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor for Athletics Candice Storey Lee said the team’s rise this season brought energy across the university. “Clark Lea’s Commodores have set records, brought our community together and done the hard work of correcting outdated narratives about what is possible at Vanderbilt,” she said. “We are just getting started, and I look forward to seeing Commodore Nation in Tampa to cheer on this remarkable team.”

Iowa arrives in Tampa with long experience at Raymond James Stadium and a fan base that has made this bowl a favorite.

READ: Demolition to begin for $125M mixed-use project in downtown St. Pete

“We are excited about the opportunity to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl,” said Iowa Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. “This allows our players one last chance to play together in a city and Bowl that is a Hawkeye favorite for its hospitality and game day experience.”

University of Iowa Athletics Director Beth Goetz called the invitation a mark of consistency. “This marks the seventh time Iowa will compete in this bowl game, a testament to the consistency and excellence of our program. We are also deeply thankful for our passionate and loyal fan base. Your support makes moments like this so special.”

The 40th anniversary ReliaQuest Bowl will kick off at noon on December 31 at Raymond James Stadium. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or directly from the bowl office for priority seating.

Why it matters

A national audience. The New Year’s Eve time slot brings strong viewership for Tampa Bay.

Strong economic impact. Since its start, the bowl has brought more than 1 million out-of-market visitors to the region and created an estimated $1.2 billion in economic impact.

Support for local nonprofits. The game has donated more than $4.5 million to over 220 charities since 2016.

Continued momentum for sports tourism. Big matchups help Tampa stand out as a prime site for college football and major events.

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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.

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As a former competitive gymnast and someone who covers stories in the city of Shawnee, this story was made for me!

I’d heard that the Mill Creek Activity Center was renovating its space to take on more gymnasts. The center has more than 200 people on its waitlist!

Mill Creek Activity Center to increase gymnastics space to help meet demand in Johnson County

I also knew the state of Kansas discontinued its high school gymnastics program, so I honestly thought this was a perfect potential solution for any up-and-coming gymnastics lovers like me.

“I think there’s a little bit of a push just in youth sports across the board, trying to get kids active, trying to get them involved, giving them an outlet for socialization,” said Kendra Martiny, the Mill Creek Activity Center gymnastics program recreation coordinator.

Elyse Schoenig / KSHB

Mill Creek Activity Center… I’ll show up to your practices any day you’ll have me!

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