“Our Christian principles — of respect, forgiveness, and service to others — are the foundations of our community, where athletes feel supported not only physically but spiritually. Families are reassured by knowing their children are in a safe environment where faith is as central as fitness. This framework has helped parents see FightLife as more than a gym; it is a trusted institution shaping future leaders with discipline, compassion, and resilience,” said Ayvazyan.

As a sanctuary, FightLife is a healing outreach to those traumatized by the grave losses during the 2020 war, and Azerbaijan’s consequent ethnic cleansing in 2023, which forcibly displaced over 120,000 indigenous Armenians from their ancestral homeland. The displaced refugees were resettled across neighboring Armenia and other countries. Fifteen-year-old Erik Bagiyants’ displaced family settled in the city of Vanadzor. One of eight children, Bagiyants, who lost his father in the 2020 war, found it challenging to be among strangers in Vanadzor. When he found FightLife’s community, he found “strength and purpose” which encouraged his faith.

“I have chosen to fight harder, grow stronger, and carry the memory of my father as a motivation. For me, FightLife is a second family and the path toward reaching my dreams,” said Bagiyants.

A Ray of Hope Amidst Dire Social Challenges

Two of FightLife’s three gyms in Armenia are in Vanadzor, a city of 100,000, and one of the country’s most socially and economically challenged cities. Over the past five years, they city’s crime rates have reached nearly 40 percent. Petty theft, substance abuse, and street violence disproportionately impact the young population, who face higher unemployment and limited access to constructive social outlets.

“FightLife offers an alternative path: a place where discipline and sport can counteract the exterior social pressures, transforming potential vulnerability into strength and leadership,” explains Ayvazyan.

While most members at the Vanadzor gym are local youth, many travel long distances daily from the surrounding regions. Among them is fifteen-year-old Hamlet Darchinyan who travels 14 miles daily from his northern hometown of Spitak.

As the epicenter of the December 1988’s 6.8 magnitude earthquake, Spitak, Armenia, was leveled into rubble. The 11,000-populated city still carries the traumas of the devastating aftermath of the most destructive earthquake in the Soviet Union’s history, which left 25,000 dead, 20,000 injured, and half a million inhabitants in the region homeless.

“Hamlet’s parents work as bakers in Russia and sacrifice a significant portion of their earnings to cover his daily taxi fees, so he can maintain his training. This sacrifice is worth it for his parents, who see FightLife’s positive impact on their son’s faith, character, discipline, and future,” Ayvazian said Hamlet’s father didn’t take his son to Russia seeing how FightLife’s impact on his son’s growth has made him “a stronger, better version of himself.”

This March, FightLife opened a third gym in the northern rural village of Tsaghkahovit. With just over 2,000 in population, the village sits on the slopes of the 4090-meter-high Mount Aragats — the highest point in the Republic of Armenia.

Guided By Personal, Lived Challenges

Born in Russia, Georg Ayvazyan and his mother moved to Vanadzor when he was 3, having just lost his father in a car accident. With the city steeped in youth drug and alcohol addiction and street violence, Ayvazyan took up martial arts at age 13 for self-defense and to stay clear of the crime-ridden influences.

Following the 2020 war, Ayvazyan saw the younger generation’s demise into the “darkness of addiction and street violence.” Leading a team, he established the first “Christian martial arts gym” in Vanadzor, naming it FightLife. It provided the youth training and guidance for a healthier lifestyle, away from addiction and violence–forces which Ayvazyan withstood as a youth.

Ayvazyan is also the father to two daughters and an 11-year-old son who is a mixed martial arts fighter at the FightLife Vanadzor gym. He proudly recounted his team’s faith-based sportsmanship at a recent international competition when a FightLife athlete defeated his Azerbaijani opponent and celebrated the win without too much fanfare. When Ayvazyan noticed the young Azerbaijani fighter’s coach harshly reprimanding him for losing the match, he approached the young athlete, and extending “a true spirit of sportsmanship” assured him of future victories.

“In choosing compassion, we demonstrated that even in the midst of national conflict, humanity and respect must prevail,” said Ayvazyan.

With emphasis on “Sport, Nation and Faith,” Ayvazyan hopes 10 additional FightLife gyms will soon sprout across rural regions “where youth lack spiritual direction and safe, structured environments.”

“Greater participation in international competitions will give young athletes the exposure and experience needed to elevate their careers and demonstrate the unbreakable spirit of the Armenian people. At its core, FightLife is not simply a set of gyms — it is a movement that provides young Armenians the tools to overcome trauma, build character, and find hope amidst difficulties. Every punch, every training session, every victory in the ring carries a larger meaning: that strength, when guided by faith and respect, can transform lives and communities,” Ayvazyan cited the transformational powers of FightLife in Erik Evoyan’s life.

Following his army service completion, Evoyan got involved in alcohol abuse and destructive behaviors to cope with his trauma as a veteran. Finding the FightLife community gave him a fresh start, a new direction with intense discipline, training, a newly discovered faith in God, and unconditional support from the FightLife community. Replacing alcoholism with boxing, Evoyan reinvented his lifestyle, and focusing on perseverance, earned the 2024 and 2025 Suzuki Boxing Championship in Poland.

“No matter how dark your past, there is always a way forward through hard work, discipline, and faith,” said the twenty-four-year-old Evoyan, now one of FightLife’s inspiring coaches who shares his story of resilience, motivating other young athletes.

(This article originally ran in euronewsweek.co.uk in November. Jackie Abramian is committed to amplifying the work of women peace-builders, change makers and social entrepreneurs. She is a social enterprise advisor and the founder of Global Cadence consultancy.)

Looking Back, Looking Forward: De facto Segregation in South San Pedro

When I returned home to San Pedro from Korea in 1960, San Pedro was still the town of my youth. Not much had changed from when I left. Today, Oliver Street is still cooking. The old housing projects (except Rancho San Pedro) are gone, and old Beacon Street has disappeared. But thankfully, God’s country on North Meyler Street is there except for those I knew who lived there from the 1950s through the 1980s.

The de facto segregation in San Pedro—particularly south of 6th Street toward the ocean—remained unchanged. It had always been that way. With very few exceptions, African Americans were unable to buy or rent homes near San Pedro High School.

This exclusion was baked in from the start when this land was developed after Rudecinda Sepulveda de Dodson sold that 880-acre portion of the old Sepulveda ranch to the Averill-Weymouth company during the first decade of the 1900s. Herbert Averill promised then that “they would enforce restrictions sufficiently rigid to ensure the development of the property along attractive and substantial lines and declare they would make it the sightliest part of the harbor region.”

These legal restrictions remained until the political and legal battles over redlining in the late 1960s struck them down with the passage of the Rumsford/Unruh Act, its reversal by Proposition 14, and the proposition’s reversal by the US Supreme Court decision in Reitman v. Mulkey.

But even with this bit of progress and other steps taken through the 1970s, the facts remain: I am a longtime Pedro resident. My family members had attempted to rent property in South San Pedro, and we were still given the cold shoulder and deemed not “good enough” to live here.

Race is a social construct that prioritizes in access to power, wealth, and resources. In this system that prizes whiteness, black folks are automatically deemed unworthy, unqualified, and ineligible, despite all of us being God’s children.

Will de facto segregation always exist in San Pedro? Nobody knows. It appears that the attitude: persona non grata (thanks but no thanks) will always be part of the rules. Of course, there is also something called NIMBY (not in my backyard). We may be friends, but not in my backyard. The attitude appears to say: we are not a television show like “The Neighborhood,” and there is no ideal or happy ending here.

At best, Black Americans are bearable to those in Southwest San Pedro, and at worst, condescended to. Residents in San Pedro know the problem of de facto segregation exists in Southwest San Pedro, and hide it by suborning or gaslighting. This is identified as head turning and being part of the problem. Can you find the word hypocrisy in your dictionary? If you continue to turn your head from this reality, you are enabling de facto segregation.

John R. Gray, Wilmington

U.S. Army South Korea, Joint Security Area

728 Military Police Honor Guard Platoon

Narbonne High Girls’ Basketball Team Targeted in Van Burglary After Tournament

My daughter’s high school basketball team (Narbonne High School, Harbor City) was participating in a tournament at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra. Shortly after they finished their game, I received a phone call from my daughter that no parent ever wants to receive. She was screaming and sobbing so hard she couldn’t get her words out. For a moment, I thought they had been in a car accident or that someone had been seriously hurt. The last time I heard that kind of terror in her voice was in 2020, when I learned my father had been in a fatal car accident.

After the tournament, the team went to the local Raising Cane’s restaurant to have dinner. When they returned to their van, they found it broken into and completely ransacked. Everything was stolen: their game jerseys, basketball shoes, warm-up sets, personal backpacks, school laptops, Beats headphones, iPads, homework, clothing, and other personal belongings.

My daughter even had an open-book final exam coming up. All her notes and materials were in her backpack, and they are gone.

These girls are distraught. They have worked so hard this season, and now they face another heartbreaking setback. They have a tournament game tomorrow (Wednesday, 12/10) at home, yet they have nothing to wear, no uniforms, no gear, nothing. The assistant coach filed a police report with the local police department, but understandably, the girls are devastated.

This is more than a story about theft. It is about a group of young student-athletes who had their hard work, their sense of safety, and their personal belongings taken from them in minutes. They deserve community support, and attention to what happened may help lead to answers – or at least rally people around them so they can continue their season.

A GoFundMe page has been created to raise $5,000 to support Narbonne’s girls’ basketball team. More information is available at gofund.me/c63c0362f.

Virchus Ferguson

San Pedro

Military Grade

I was 11 years old on May 4,1970 living 12 miles from KSU. Later my siblings and I graduated from there.

The national guard used military grade ammunition. Two students were killed directly. Two others from a ricochet and piercing through a car trunk 300 plus feet away. That ammunition was considered lethal at 5 miles.

This sculpture is about 70 feet away. The sheets are 1/2 inch thick.

The idea of giving military grade arms to civilian police who do not require them, much less have training or the recertification required in the military is an anathema.

May 4,1970 should be a lesson to be heeded and not forgotten.

Michael A Rolenz

Harbor City

Related

Langdon P. Walper, at 74

Langdon Paul “Wally” Walper, age 74, born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully on December 8, 2025, surrounded by his loving family, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

Born on May 7, 1951, to Elizabeth Frances Walper and Donald Wayne Walper, Langdon – known affectionately throughout his life as “Walking Wally” or simply “Wally” – lived a life defined by service, generosity, faith, and unwavering devotion to the people around him.

Following his graduation from high school, Wally proudly served his country in the United States Army. After completing his military service, he made Hull his home for more than four decades. Here, he built a long and respected career in the carpenters’ union and became a true cornerstone of the Hull community.

A dedicated member of St. Ann’s Church, Wally’s faith guided him throughout his life. Whether he was coaching youth sports or serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission for more than 20 years, Wally poured his heart into every effort. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he rarely missed the chance to cheer on his favorite teams and nothing brought him more joy than watching his grandson take the ice for hockey games. His dedication, warmth, and natural ability to bring people together made him a beloved figure to generations of families.

Above all, Wally cherished his family. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and grandfather. His love for his wife, Rosemary, was steadfast and deep; together they shared 44 years of partnership, laughter, and unwavering support. Their bond was the foundation of his life, and he often spoke of how fortunate he felt to walk through the world with her by his side. After retiring, Wally and Rose embraced a new chapter in New Bern, North Carolina, enjoying the warmth and a snow-free life together.

He is survived by his loving wife, Rosemary; his two children, Katie Walper and Langdon Walper III; his daughter-in-law, Marie Walper; his cherished grandson, Langdon Paul Walper IV; his sisters Donalee Davie, Laurey Walper, Mary Bass, and Linda Walper; and many extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Walper.

A celebration Mass of Wally’s life will be held at a later date in Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the form of a check to the Jason Mazzeo Scholarship Foundation, 11 Roosevelt Ave, Hull, MA 02045, Attn: Bill Mazzeo – a foundation to which Wally dedicated many years of support and fundraising effort.

Wally leaves behind a legacy of kindness, dedication, and love a life.

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Walper family.

Youth athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to compete for their countries at international events again, says the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC’s executive board has recommended athletes from the two nations should compete at both individual and team youth events under their country’s flag and national anthem, with the proposal supported at its Olympic summit meeting in Switzerland.

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The next step involves international federations discussing the move with a view to it being in place by the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

Russia and Belarus were banned by the IOC following the former’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“The summit supported the IOC EB’s recommendation that youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports,” said an IOC statement issued about the summit meeting.

“The summit participants committed to take these discussions back to their organisations for their consideration. It was recognised that implementation by the stakeholders will take time.

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“In addition, the standard protocols of the international federation (IF) or the international sports event organiser regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organisation concerned is in good standing.

“The above principles should apply to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and are recommended for adoption by all IFs and international sports event organisers for their own youth events.”

It added: “With its considerations today, the Olympic Summit recognised that athletes, and in particular youth athletes, should not be held accountable for the actions of their governments – sport is their access to hope, and a way to show that all athletes can respect the same rules and each another.”

The statement added that while Russia should still be barred from hosting international events, “this recommendation no longer applies to Belarus”.

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The move follows nine Russian and Belarusian athletes being granted permission to compete in qualifying events for next year’s Winter Olympics as neutral athletes following the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a ban.

• Hundreds of youth laxers across Long Island are without a team after the abrupt shutdown of Rebels Lacrosse, one of the region’s largest travel lacrosse organizations.
• The collapse has left families out thousands of dollars and high school juniors scrambling to salvage their college recruitment prospects.

When Craig McElwee’s 15-year-old son Brady worked a 10-hour shift at a Rebels Lacrosse tournament at Stony Brook last year, the teenager earned $150.

When he tried to cash his pay check, it bounced, his dad said.

“A league that collected one and a half million dollars in freaking dues… bounced a $150 check,” said McElwee, a Bethpage attorney whose son plays on the Raiders ’27 team, a squad of high school juniors that was affiliated with Rebels Lacrosse until the organization’s shutdown last week.

That bad check, McElwee said he now realizes, was an early warning sign of what would become a devastating collapse affecting hundreds of Long Island youth lacrosse players and their families.

On Thursday, the owners of Rebels Lacrosse LLC and its parent company Blatant LLC, Mike Brennan and Joe Potenza, announced that the company after 15 years in the travel lacrosse business had filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations, leaving dozens of boys and girls teams — ranging from elementary school through high school — without an organization, and families out of thousands of dollars in paid fees.

The outfit additionally has training programs for kids as young as 3 years old.

“You stole some kid’s dream,” McElwee said, expressing his frustration with Brennan and the organization’s collapse.

Brennan, in a statement to Greater Long Island, said the shutdown was not planned and happened quickly — right after several teams dropped out of the organization.

“We never had any intention of shutting down our business after 15 years, as we were currently in the middle of our 8th season with Rebels Lacrosse,” Brennan wrote. “Once we had a few teams get poached, and all file disputes, we realized we could no longer operate and immediately made the decision to close and consult a bankruptcy attorney.”

He added: “We have received an outpouring of support from former athletes, parents, and those who truly know us best, for the last 15 years of our work.”

The business of youth sports

Travel youth sports has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry nationwide, with club lacrosse representing one of its most expensive sectors.

On Long Island, where lacrosse is deeply embedded in suburban culture, families routinely invest $3,000 to $6,000 per child annually for the privilege of playing on elite travel teams — and to increase their chances of earning scholarship money to play in college.

The investment extends far beyond tuition. Families pay for specialized equipment, tournament travel, and — for high school-aged players — premium recruiting services designed to attract college coaches.

For many families, particularly those in middle- and lower-income brackets, these expenses represent significant financial sacrifice, justified by the promise of college scholarships and opportunities their children might not otherwise access.

“The unfortunate truth is nowadays, if you don’t play club, you don’t play school ball because everybody is so far ahead of you,” McElwee said.

The stakes are particularly high for high school juniors, who face their most critical recruitment window. This is when college coaches attend tournaments and exposure events — often paid by travel organizations to do so — to evaluate prospects, when highlight videos are assembled, and when recruiting relationships are cultivated.

Losing a season — or even part of one — while in 11th grade can effectively end college athletic aspirations, parents said.

For the Raiders ’27 team, composed entirely of juniors from communities across Nassau and Suffolk counties, the Rebels collapse came at the worst possible moment.

But the team over the weekend received a lifeline of sorts from Team 91 lacrosse. The parents voted to stay together as a team, keep the same coaches and play under the Team 91 banner, albeit with renewed costs for things they had already paid for with Rebels, parents said.

But families tolerated the dysfunction, clinging to the relationships their children had built with teammates and coaches, hoping the organization would stabilize — or in the Raiders ’27 case — at least make it through next summer’s key recruitment period.

Kim Libertini, whose son Matthew, a junior at Locust Valley High School, plays defense for the Raiders ’27 team, paid for a Rebels helmet and equipment package when he joined the team as an eighth grader in 2022.

The helmet took a year and a half to arrive, she said. The gloves, bag, and sweats never came, she added.

“That tells you something was wrong,” said Libertini, an assistant superintendent with Cold Spring Harbor Central School District. “So, Matthew ended up playing with his Locust Valley helmet.”

Parents said that this past March — eight months before the shutdown — Brennan began pressing families for early payment for the following season, despite families having already paid in full for the current year.

“He reaches out in March saying, ‘We’re just trying to gather up and solidify next year.’ And I said, ‘You’re looking for payment in March?’” Libertini said. “At that point, I had already paid in full for the whole year.”

Parents said they later learned from people familiar with the situation that unpaid officiating fees were the cause.

When Rebels attempted to place teams in a tournament operated by Team 91, a competing lacrosse organization, the teams weren’t added to the tournament registration app, said John Peragine, a Patchogue restaurateur whose son played on a seventh-grade Rebels team.

When some of the moms with Peragine’s son’s team called to complain, Peragine said, a Team 91 staff member delivered a blunt message: “Instead of you calling me and yelling at me, why don’t you call your directors and tell them to pay the bill?”

“That was the first time somebody actually spoke about what we’re all feeling,” Peragine said.

Not all families waited for the collapse to act.

Click Page 2 to keep reading.