Sports
The FFT and host broadcaster Whisper target a younger audience with data and graphics
New host broadcaster for the French Grand Slam, Whisper, is helping advance the Fédération Française de Tennis’ (FFT) goals of increasing the number of younger viewers watching Roland-Garros. One of the aims for the new team over the next five years is to bring a more youthful demographic to screens to watch the tournament, and […]
New host broadcaster for the French Grand Slam, Whisper, is helping advance the Fédération Française de Tennis’ (FFT) goals of increasing the number of younger viewers watching Roland-Garros.
One of the aims for the new team over the next five years is to bring a more youthful demographic to screens to watch the tournament, and this involves broadening coverage out further into digital media.
Content creators
Since the tournament began on 19 May through to its epic conclusion on 8 June, Whisper has been working closely with the FFT’s squad of content creators from its digital team, who are roving around Roland-Garros to capture this new digital content.
Says Amandine Tyl, head of production and broadcast services at the FFT: “We have a team of content creators that are capturing content around the grounds everywhere in order to be able to deliver this content to our rights holders, because now we consider that digital is part of what the broadcasters are needing; it’s not only about linear channels, but also digital.
“We want to make sure that broadcasters can get access to wide range of content in terms of Roland-Garros production, and not only what we all expect, like live coverage of matches, but on top of that, digital coverage.”
Graphic focus
Another step towards that younger audience is a new focus on data and graphics. Says Tyl: “In order to get a new audience of not only tennis experts around the table, and this is new for this year, we have now an agreement with TennisViz.”
Read more Roland-Garros 2025: Bringing the passion and drama with new cameras for storytelling at the French Grand Slam
TennisViz’s automated artificial intelligence (AI) software processes ball and player tracking data in real time to calculate shot type, shot quality, situation, phase of play and tactic for every shot. This data is presented as a collection of performance metrics known as TennisViz Insights.
Tyl continues: “[TennisViz] are in charge of data. This is something new at FFT for this year because we are capturing players and ball tracking data around all courts. I think we were the only Slam not to cover this, because we don’t have the official line calling, so this year for the first time we are capturing all this data on all courts, and based on this data we will use TennisViz in order to deliver some insights which should help to reach a younger audience, and a different audience from the one we currently have for tennis.”
Deltatre is running the graphics for the FFT. Tyl says: “We will have some specific insight graphics, which are used also on the ATP tool. These kind of graphics give more easy to understand data for generic viewers – not tennis experts – because tennis is very complicated to understand for a mainstream audience.”
Roland-Garros’ Court Simonne Mathieu
Top Trumps
This is all about serving the rights holders to this prestigious Grand Slam. Tyl says: “At Roland-Garros we have many different kinds of broadcaster, from very mainstream broadcasters like France Télévisions, to very specific sports or tennis broadcasters,” continues Tyl. “We wanted, through TennisViz, to give easier access to the data for the viewers. So for example, they are providing on a scale from zero to 10 the quality of shot of the players, so player serve, player backhand, player forehand, etc.”
Read more Roland-Garros 2025: Whisper on getting into the psyche of the FFT as the new host broadcaster for the French Grand Slam
Sebastian Tiffert, account director at Whisper, likens the new comparison graphics ‘cards’ to the game, Top Trumps. Tyl continues: “Basically you can get some kind of player’s ‘cards’, where when you have a head to head between two players, instead of having the traditional head to head [graphic] we have all been used to seeing over the last decade with how many times they have been fighting against each other and that sort of thing, we get data comparisons between the strengths and weaknesses of the two players.
“This is typically the kind of data we think will make it easier for a wider audience to understand tennis better, and get a little more storytelling [into the production], because I think storytelling around tennis is really key and this is what we are trying to achieve through these kind of new services,” she says.
The French Open takes place in Paris from 19 May to 8 June 2025
Sports
Chavez named head volleyball coach at GRHS
Glen Roses Kelsi Chavez was named the new head volleyball coach at Glen Rose HS last month, replacing Sandy Langford, who accepted the head volleyball position at Nocona. Photo Credit: Jay Hinton photo Jay Hinton Glen Rose Reporter GLEN ROSE — When Kelsi Chavez was named the head volleyball coach at Glen Rose High School […]
Sports
Transgender runner repeats as Washington high school (WIAA) state track and field champion
Amid spectator boos and jeers, and fellow student-athletes’ protests, East Valley of Spokane transgender senior Veronica Garcia accomplished what she set out to do – win another Class 2A girls 400-meter dash at the WIAA championships in Tacoma. As the defending champion, Garcia led from near-start to finish Saturday afternoon in winning the race in […]
Amid spectator boos and jeers, and fellow student-athletes’ protests, East Valley of Spokane transgender senior Veronica Garcia accomplished what she set out to do – win another Class 2A girls 400-meter dash at the WIAA championships in Tacoma.
As the defending champion, Garcia led from near-start to finish Saturday afternoon in winning the race in 55.70 seconds at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
League rival Lauren Matthew, of West Valley of Spokane, finished second at 56.75. Cedarcrest’s Lydia Swenson was third at 57.72.
And yet, what should’ve been a joyous occasion for any repeat state-meet winner, Garcia was met by a wave of loud boss and leave-girls-sports-to-girls remarks from spectators sitting in the grandstands and standing around the infield fences, according to observers.
On the awards’ stand afterward, a couple the podium finishers refused to share the spotlight with Garcia as the event champion.
Another group of competing athletes wore T-shirts that read, “Keep Women’s Sports Female.”
After Garcia finished her day in the girls’ 4×400 relay, she spoke to a group of media members, including reporters from the (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, (Vancouver) Columbian, The Seattle Times and the (Tacoma) News Tribune.
“I’m really proud of myself,” Garcia told reporters. “I did what I came to do, and that’s good enough for me.”
For nearly two decades, the WIAA has allowed transgender students to compete in athletics, and in the gender-specific divisions in which they identify personally.
In other words, Garcia broke no rules Saturday. But that didn’t stop the loud sirens of disapproval shown by others in the stadium.
“I’ll be honest, I kind of expect it,” Garcia told reporters. “But it maybe didn’t have their intended effect. It made me angry, but not angry as in, ‘I wanted to give up,’ but angry as in, ‘I’m going to push.'”
—
Sports
Mars, Seneca Valley and more first-round matchups – Butler Eagle
Mars’ Sean Brennan (19) with a shot on goal against Bethel Park in a WPIAL Class 2A boys lacrosse quarterfinal game Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Mars wins 18-0. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle The PIAA released the 2025 state baseball, softball, boys volleyball and boys and girls lacrosse brackets this weekend. […]
Mars’ Sean Brennan (19) with a shot on goal against Bethel Park in a WPIAL Class 2A boys lacrosse quarterfinal game Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Mars wins 18-0. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
The PIAA released the 2025 state baseball, softball, boys volleyball and boys and girls lacrosse brackets this weekend.
Four Butler County teams have made states, which begin Monday. Nine-time WPIAL champion Mars boys lacrosse is seeking a fifth straight PIAA title game appearance, and is joined by the girls team, which just won its third straight WPIAL title.
This marks the eighth time that Seneca Valley’s baseball team has made the state tournament and the first since 2014. The Raiders’ boys volleyball team is aiming to make a run after falling short in the WPIAL title match.
Here are the first-round matchups, sites and times for every Butler County team.
PIAA baseball tournament: Local matchups, sites, times
Monday, June 2
4 — Class 6A first round: McDowell at Seneca Valley
PIAA boys lacrosse tournament: Local matchups, sites, times
Tuesday, June 3
6:30 — Class 2A first round: Lower Dauphin at Mars
PIAA girls lacrosse tournament: Local matchups, sites, times
Tuesday, June 3
5 — Class 2A first round: Twin Valley at Mars
PIAA boys volleyball tournament: Local matchups, sites, times
Tuesday, June 3
5:30 — Class 3A first round: Seneca Valley at Central York
Sports
Michigan State Athletics
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay has rounded out her staff for the 2025 season, announcing the additions of Matt Jackson as an assistant coach and four-year Spartan letterwinner Julia Bishop as a graduate assistant Sunday. “I am thrilled to add Matt and Julia to our staff,” said Kelsay. “Matt is […]
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay has rounded out her staff for the 2025 season, announcing the additions of Matt Jackson as an assistant coach and four-year Spartan letterwinner Julia Bishop as a graduate assistant Sunday.
“I am thrilled to add Matt and Julia to our staff,” said Kelsay. “Matt is a welcome addition to our Spartan family and the perfect piece to round out our coaching staff. Julia is a Spartan through and through and I cannot wait to see her coaching career flourish, starting with her alma mater.”
Big time in the 517!
Completing our coaching staff is Matt Jackson as our assistant coach and Julia Bishop as our graduate assistant!#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/BP8AEGITiM
— Michigan State Volleyball (@MSU_Volleyball) June 1, 2025
Jackson arrives in East Lansing after serving as a club coach at Winter Park Volleyball Club in Winter Park, Florida, since 2014. At WPVC, Jackson worked as a head coach for players between the ages of 12 and 18 and also worked as WPVC’s lead mentor, leading a group of 25 mentors.
Since 2023, Jackson has served as the program lead at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, coaching both the varsity and freshman volleyball teams.
Jackson, who hails from Ococee, Florida, holds VertiMax and USA Volleyball IMPACT certifications. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in December 2018 with a degree in sport and exercise science and was a setter on UCF’s club volleyball team.
“I am thrilled to be joining Michigan State at such an exciting time with the return of head coach Kristen Kelsay to the program and such an amazing staff,” said Jackson. “I am looking forward to joining MSU at a time where things are on the up and can’t wait to see where we can take this program. I would like to thank Coach Kristen for giving me an opportunity to join this staff and Coach Aaron and Shawna from WPVC for giving me a platform to grow as a coach and be ready for this opportunity.”
Bishop, a setter at MSU from 2021-24, finished her career as one of just five three-time captains in program history. In four seasons, she logged 1,761 assists, 572 digs, 131 kills and 56 service aces. Last October, Bishop was named one of 18 recipients of the American Volleyball Association (AVCA) Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship, awarded to young coaches and recent college graduates who have interest in coaching volleyball. She was the only active undergraduate student-athlete to earn the scholarship in 2024.
The Dearborn, Michigan, native is the owner of Zone1 Volleyball Training, where she attends and coaches interscholastic volleyball camps throughout the state of Michigan.
Bishop graduated from MSU with a degree in computational data science this spring. She is a three-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree, three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and 2023 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to be joining the Michigan State volleyball staff,” said Bishop. “It is a privilege to come back in this new role and contribute to a program and university that have given me so much. I’d like to thank Coach Kristen Kelsay and the entire staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am thrilled to start this next chapter! Go Green!”
Sports
Transgender track and field athlete makes history after winning at California championships
Keep up with LAist. If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. A transgender female student athlete competing at California’s high school track and field championship finals took home first place […]
A transgender female student athlete competing at California’s high school track and field championship finals took home first place in the high jump and triple jump, and second place in the long jump.
It marked a historic moment at the 2025 CIF Track and Field Championships held on Saturday at Buchanan High School in Clovis. There has not been a known transgender student reach the state finals in the competitions until this year.
The participation in the track and field championships by Jurupa Valley High School junior AB Hernandez has in some ways pushed the limits on how the broader participation of transgender student athletes in sports can look.
It forced the state agency that oversees high school sports to grapple with how to address when a transgender student athlete participates in games, but the agency did so in the face of heavy criticism over the fairness of allowing a transgender female to compete against non transgender females.
The championships even drew national attention, including from President Trump – who threatened to withhold federal funding from California over the student’s participation in the games. The federal Department of Justice also announced it would investigate whether California was violating the landmark civil rights laws known as Title IX. The investigation centers on a state law passed in 2013 that allows students who meet certain requirements to compete on sports teams that reflect their gender identity, rather than their biological sex.
CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls long jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California.
Kirby Lee/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
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AB Hernandez gets to keep her wins, but so do the female athletes that came in just behind her in the jumping events. This is the case after the CIF changed the rules to allow for an additional female competitor to get a medal if they are beaten by the transgender female athlete.
While Hernandez secured wins in her jumping events, the changes put her virtually in a league of her own.
The CIF initially expanded the eligibility for more “biological females” to compete in the championships than had previously qualified, and later made another change to the rules to allow a girl who placed second to a transgender athlete to also share the medal and spot on the podium.
The change is an experiment that came after mounting pressure and protest by some residents and public officials in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom and some coaches and spectators at the championship events said they thought the rules were a fair compromise.
But in what was a clamorous week of outrage, there were stronger calls to have Hernandez eliminated from the games altogether. Local officials held a press conference in Clovis on Thursday to speak out against Hernandez’s participation, as well as to call for the protection of girls’ sports.
CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA – MAY 30: A plane tows a sign that reads No Boys in Girls Sports in protest to transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (not pictured) during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California.
Kirby Lee/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
)
On Saturday, cheers erupted when Hernandez’s name was called as she stood on the track before her competition. In the distance, a small crowd of protesters tried to form a chant as her name was called. They stood outside the stadium as they had a day before.
The small protest was largely drowned out by the cheering and focus on the competitions inside the stadium. A day earlier one person was arrested for allegedly striking another during the protest. And a small airplane flew over the stadium with a banner that read “No boys in girls’ sports.”
Inside the stadium Saturday, there were no apparent disruptions or major displays of political infighting. Some spectators wore T-shirts that displayed words against the transgender athlete’s participation in the games.
There was a brief pause in one moment, when an announcer asked spectators to respect the athletes who were there to compete, including Hernandez.
Sports
Memorial Tournament 2025 prize money
Scottie Scheffler successfully defended his title at the Memorial Tournament and bagged another $4 million in official earnings. Runner-up Ben Griffin collected $2.2 million, which was more than he earned in victory last week at Colonial. Sepp Straka and Nick Taylor also earned seven figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here’s a look at how the $20 […]
Scottie Scheffler successfully defended his title at the Memorial Tournament and bagged another $4 million in official earnings.
Runner-up Ben Griffin collected $2.2 million, which was more than he earned in victory last week at Colonial. Sepp Straka and Nick Taylor also earned seven figures.
Advertisement
Here’s a look at how the $20 million purse was paid out in the signature event at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
|
FINISH |
PLAYER |
EARNINGS |
|
1 |
Scottie Scheffler |
$4,000,000 |
|
2 |
Ben Griffin |
$2,200,000 |
|
3 |
Sepp Straka |
$1,400,000 |
|
4 |
Nick Taylor |
$1,000,000 |
|
T5 |
Maverick McNealy |
$800,000 |
|
T5 |
Russell Henley |
$800,000 |
|
T7 |
Brandt Snedeker |
$603,200 |
|
T7 |
Tom Hoge |
$603,200 |
|
T7 |
Rickie Fowler |
$603,200 |
|
T7 |
Jordan Spieth |
$603,200 |
|
T7 |
Keegan Bradley |
$603,200 |
|
T12 |
Patrick Cantlay |
$415,000 |
|
T12 |
Taylor Pendrith |
$415,000 |
|
T12 |
Harris English |
$415,000 |
|
T12 |
Sam Burns |
$415,000 |
|
T16 |
Ludvig Aberg |
$319,000 |
|
T16 |
Tommy Fleetwood |
$319,000 |
|
T16 |
Akshay Bhatia |
$319,000 |
|
T16 |
Sungjae Im |
$319,000 |
|
T20 |
Collin Morikawa |
$250,666 |
|
T20 |
Robert MacIntyre |
$250,666 |
|
T20 |
Ryan Fox |
$250,666 |
|
T23 |
Ryan Gerard |
$208,000 |
|
T23 |
Shane Lowry |
$208,000 |
|
T25 |
Max Greyserman |
$159,000 |
|
T25 |
Viktor Hovland |
$159,000 |
|
T25 |
Cameron Young |
$159,000 |
|
T25 |
Matt Kuchar |
$159,000 |
|
T25 |
Corey Conners |
$159,000 |
|
T25 |
Xander Schauffele |
$159,000 |
|
T31 |
Jacob Bridgeman |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Matt Fitzpatrick |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Sam Stevens |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Adam Scott |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Si Woo Kim |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Tony Finau |
$114,857 |
|
T31 |
Justin Thomas |
$114,857 |
|
38 |
Hideki Matsuyama |
$94,000 |
|
T39 |
Alex Noren |
$82,000 |
|
T39 |
Thomas Detry |
$82,000 |
|
T39 |
Stephan Jaeger |
$82,000 |
|
T39 |
Mackenzie Hughes |
$82,000 |
|
T39 |
Bud Cauley |
$82,000 |
|
T44 |
Justin Rose |
$62,400 |
|
T44 |
Michael Kim |
$62,400 |
|
T44 |
Nick Dunlap |
$62,400 |
|
T44 |
Jhonattan Vegas |
$62,400 |
|
T44 |
Eric Cole |
$62,400 |
|
T49 |
Min Woo Lee |
$53,000 |
|
T49 |
Davis Thompson |
$53,000 |
|
T51 |
Harry Higgs |
$49,500 |
|
T51 |
Andrew Novak |
$49,500 |
|
T51 |
Max Homa |
$49,500 |
|
T51 |
Adam Hadwin |
$49,500 |
|
55 |
Denny McCarthy |
$47,000 |
|
56 |
Wyndham Clark |
$46,000 |
|
57 |
Austin Eckroat |
$45,000 |
Chavez named head volleyball coach at GRHS
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