The Miller family and Miller Sports + Entertainment announced the addition of a group of Utah investors to Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals and Real Monarchs on Tuesday.

The addition of new investors “emphasizes a commitment to elevating soccer in Utah, while deepening investments in youth sports and local community initiatives,” according to the press release.

“Our family believes in the power of sports to unite, uplift and inspire,” Steve Miller, chairman and governor for RSL and the Utah Royals FC, said. “Bringing in local partners who share our love for Utah will help ensure our clubs continue to thrive both on and off the field.”

The Miller family purchased controlling ownership of the teams from David Blitzer in April, as the Deseret News previously reported.

Blitzer remains part of ownership as the second-largest owner, according to the Miller family.

Who are the new RSL and Utah Royals investors?

The new investors “will focus on fostering excellence on the pitch, while investing in facilities, programs and community outreach,” per the statement.

The new RSL Football Holdings investors are:

• Matt Hawkins.
• Nick Greer.
• Jeremy Andrus and Kristin Andrus.
• Don Berman, Matt Berman and Erica Berman.

The new ownership group members “have a proven track record of leading world-class organizations and are committed to building championship teams,” Steve Starks, the CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company, said.

Hawkins is the CEO of cloud-based software company Waystar.

“I’m thrilled to join this incredible group of leaders,” he said in a statement. “I believe in building organizations that create positive, lasting impact, and RSL is exactly that — a platform to support athletes, young players, fans and Utah families.”

Greer is the founder and CEO of BUILT Brands, known for its protein bars.

“This is about more than sports,” he said. “RSL, the Utah Royals FC and our affiliated teams showcase the possibility for young athletes to dream big, work hard and become resilient. It is the ethos of our great state, and I couldn’t be more proud to join the Club.”

Jeremy Andrus is the CEO of Traeger Grills, which has its headquarters in Salt Lake City.

“Sports are a catalyst for connection and confidence,” he said. “We’re honored to be part of an organization that brings energy and passion to fans and families across Utah.”

Don Berman is the chairman and founder of Merrick Bank, which is based in Utah.

His daughter, Erica Berman, is an executive at CardWorks, which Merrick Bank is a subsidiary of, and led the Berman family’s bid to bring the WNBA back to Charlotte, according to Davidson College.

His son, Matt Berman, is also an executive at CardWorks, and is an assistant general manager for Davidson’s basketball program, alongside NBA star Steph Curry.

“Being part of the Club is more than an investment — it’s a commitment to our future,” Matt Berman said in a statement. “This is about building something generational for Utah, where soccer is not just a game, but a shared source of inspiration and joy.”

Class of 2026 guard Prince-Alexander Moody became IU’s first commitment in the rising senior class last month.

The 6-foot-4 combo guard plays at Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland and for Team Takeover on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit.

Moody is regarded as a three-star prospect and the No. 180 player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Watch extensive highlights of Moody from the final EYBL session in Augusta as well as the Peach Jam below:

See More: Video, Prince-Alexander Moody

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has become the latest governing body in the sports world to enact a policy change around transgender athlete competition. Here’s a glance at the most prolific of those that have clarified or altered such rules this year:

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee

Effectively barring transgender women from competing in women’s sports, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced on Monday that it has an “obligation to comply” with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The decree has threatened to rescind funding from organizations that don’t obey.

The USOPC oversees about 50 national governing bodies, most of which have some influence over youth sports all the way up to the elite levels, raising the possibility rules might need to be changed by local clubs to retain memberships.

International Cycling Union

The global governing body for cycling announced earlier this month that transgender women who transitioned after male puberty will no longer be able to compete in women’s races. The decision followed American rider Austin Killips becoming in May the first openly transgender woman to win an official cycling event.

University of Pennsylvania

Penn modified three school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in a decision earlier this month to settle a federal civil rights investigation, including an apology to female athletes “disadvantaged” by her participation on the women’s swimming team.

Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title when she last competed for the Ivy League school in 2022. The Trump administration’s broader attempt to block transgender athletes from female sports included the Penn case. The Philadelphia university agreed to restore all individual records to female athletes who lost to Thomas.

World Aquatics

The global governing body for swimming, formerly known as FINA, announced in June a new “ gender inclusion policy ” that only permits transgender athletes who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events. There are not currently any transgender women competing in elite levels of swimming.

World Aquatics also proposed a new “open competition” category, designating a committee to explore over the rest of the year the most effective guidelines for such events.

World Boxing Organization

The global governing body for boxing declared in May that all athletes would be subjected to mandatory sex testing in order to compete in sanctioned events. World Boxing’s announcement specifically mentioned Olympic champion Imane Khelif, the Algerian who won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year amid international scrutiny.

The previous governing body for Olympic boxing, the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association, disqualified Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, another Paris gold medal winner, from its 2023 world championships after claiming they failed an unspecified eligibility test. Association officials have declined to answer basic questions about the test.

Khelif has said she was born a female.

British sports

Following a U.K. Supreme Court ruling in April, the British governing body for soccer issued a ban that took effect in June on transgender women playing on women’s teams in England and Scotland. Previously, the British Football Association allowed such participation if the athletes had reduced testosterone levels. The England and Wales Cricket Board also instituted a ban.

World Athletics Council

The governing body for track and field banned transgender women from international competition in March, while adopting new regulations that could keep South African star Caster Semenya and other athletes with differences in sex development from competing.

The World Athletics Council issued its edict in March, barring athletes who have transitioned from male to female and have gone through male puberty. No such athletes currently compete at the highest elite levels of track.

Another set of updates for athletes with differences in sex development raised the potential to impact up to 13 current high-level runners including Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion at 800 meters, who has been barred from that event since 2019. Her discrimination case is still moving through the court system.

Semenya and others had been able to compete without restrictions in events outside the range of 400 meters through 1 mile but now must undergo hormone-suppressing treatment for six months before becoming eligible.

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA, which oversees the vast majority of U.S. college athletics, announced in February — the day after Trump’s order — that competition in women’s sports would immediately be limited to athletes assigned female at birth. The NCAA has about 1,100 member schools with more than 500,000 athletes.

High school sports

Nebraska in June became the latest state to ban transgender students from girls’ sports, following similar bans by the high school associations for at least 24 other states. The Trump administration has clashed with multiple states over the allowance of such participation.

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When the opportunity cam along to give back to the community of New Iberia, Dylan Vincent didn’t hesitate.

ROGERS — Ozark United FC on July 17 announced its inaugural Youth Academy founding partners: Unilever, Arkansas Children’s and America’s Car-Mart.

As part of the club’s youth development program and pathway, these community-minded organizations will support efforts to expand access to soccer, elevate player development, and strengthen community engagement across Northwest Arkansas, according to a news release.

Earlier this year, Ozark United FC and Sporting Arkansas announced a joint effort to launch six boys’ academy teams competing in MLS NEXT’s new competition tier. The teams, ranging from U13 to U19, will play under the Ozark United FC banner in the Pioneer Conference, attend USL Academy showcase events such as USL Pathway Classic and other elite competitions. Players will receive high-level training, access to national showcase events, and opportunities for exposure to college and professional scouts. A girls’ program is also in development, with more details to be announced in the coming months, according to the release.

Each founding partner will support both Academy operations and community-focused initiatives designed to break down barriers and increase youth participation in soccer, particularly in underserved areas. This collective commitment represents a shared investment in the health, growth, and opportunity of the next generation across Northwest Arkansas, according to the release.

Highlights of each partner’s involvement include:

Unilever will feature its Degree brand on the front of the boys home and away kits, while Dove will appear on the girls kits, as part of Dove’s self-esteem project initiative to help keep girls confident and playing the sports they love.

Arkansas Children’s will appear on the sleeve of all home and away match kits, reflecting its commitment to youth sports as a powerful way communities help kids thrive physically and mentally.

America’s Car-Mart will support grassroots youth clinics and community engagement initiatives, with a focus on underserved youth.

All three partners will also participate in hosting regional ID camps and clinics aimed at identifying and developing local talent, according to the release.

“We’re fortunate to be building this club in a region where community-minded, high-impact organizations thrive,” said Chris Martinovic, co-founder of Ozark United FC. “These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to using soccer as a vehicle for good — on the field and in the community.”

The partnerships are already making an impact, starting with a free youth soccer clinic from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, July 26, at Mt. Hebron Park. Sign-up details will be available soon at www.ozarkunited.com.

I spend the majority of my time thinking and talking about two things: Politics (obviously) and youth sports.

I write a whole lot about politics in this space. But I haven’t written as much about youth sports. I am aiming to fix that glitch — starting today.

(Never fear, politics lovers. Eighty percent — or more — of the content here is still going to be about politics!)

Below you’ll find my 5 rules for being a good youth sports parent. This includes rec sports but will be especially useful for parents who have kids in the Travel Sports Industry. (And, yes, it is absolutely an industry…more on that below.)

I have spent more than a decade in this world. My 16-year-old son plays soccer at a very competitive club level. My 13-year-old boy is deep in the world of both travel baseball and basketball.

While I only have boys, I have talked to loads of girl parents over the years — and have found that these same rules apply.

Before I go any further: You may not want to hear (or read) some of the rules below. Because your kid is the exception to the rule — the one who is going to “make it,” whatever that entails to you.

Read to the bottom anyway. Trust me, it will make your experience — and, more importantly, your kid’s experience — better.

This post is behind the paywall. I think this is the sort of advice that is WORTH your investment. Plus, you get all sorts of other goodies if you become a paid subscriber today! That includes exclusive access to my weekly live chat with Chuck Todd as well my Sunday email with great recommendations of what to watch, read and listen to!

Here. We. Go.

No matter your own level of athletic ability, there is something about being a parent watching your kid play sports that instantly turns you into Bill Belichick (in your own mind).

Like me, for example. I couldn’t hit a baseball to save my life as a kid. Just could never do it. And yet, when my younger son was in Little League, I all of a sudden became a hitting coach for a major league team. I have shouted — without irony or any sense of self-awareness — “Short to it, long through it” at my son when he is at the plate. I have also shouted “Throw a strike!!!” when he was on the mound.

Surprisingly enough, these critical insights didn’t help my son perform his best. In fact, it often unsettled him — at the plate or while pitching.

What I learned is this: Your kid — whether it’s t-ball or he is playing on the top Canes travel baseball team at the 17U level — has ZERO interest in your technical tips. Especially during the game. Or, really, ever. (Don’t think because you silently stewed during the game and then let loose on all of the mistakes the kid made when you get to the car that you have accomplished something.)

Your child already has a coach. Or, usually, coaches. Let them handle the advice-giving. It may not be perfect! It may not be what you would say! But, in my experience, kids listen far more to a non-parent than a parent anyway.

What your kid really wants is to feel supported. Your opinion matters hugely to them. Make sure you are aware of that AT ALL TIMES. Your default setting should be pure and unadulterated support. Ask questions like “Did you have fun?” or find something they did really well in the game and ask about that.

They want you cheering for them, not coaching them.