Throughout his freshman season at Williamsport, Brayden Ungard played center-back defender, spending his time on the field 100 yards away from the opposing goal while doing what he could to protect their own.
Cut to less than a year later, and he currently leads the team in goals.
It isn’t a secret that a switch from one position to an entirely different one would be a difficult adjustment, in any sport really. Going from working to prevent goals to becoming one of the team’s most relied upon scoring sources requires a complete shift in mentality and hard work to establish it.
But Ungard hasn’t let those struggles be known. Through his first seven games, he’s blossomed as a striker, scoring nine goals and posting a hat trick in just his seventh start.
“He is an athlete,” emphasized Williamsport coach Brett Hofstrom on Ungard following the team’s win on Tuesday.
“Through his club, he has played some midfield so he’s shown that he can play it. As long as he continues to grow and make the right IQ plays, he’s going to be one heck of a striker to stop.”
His flourishing at the position couldn’t have come at a better time for Williamsport.
Off the heels of a trip to the District 2-4 Class AAAA semifinals, the team had to deal with the departure of Sun-Gazette Player of the Year Connor Poole, who led the team last season with 16 goals. On top of that, Angelo Casas, Quinten Mazzante and Calder Diakite also graduated, a trio which combined for nine.
In all, the Millionaires lost players that contributed 26 of their 34 goals through last season. For them to have success in 2024, those on the current roster would have to step up and the coaching staff would have to effectively fill those voids.
And though they’ve experienced their fair share of growing pains, they’ve checked both those boxes, with Ungard’s move to striker serving as catalyst to their recent success. After scoring four goals through the team’s first five games, the sophomore has erupted in the past two.
Against Central Mountain (3-4-1), he rattled off two second-half goals to help Williamsport rally from a late 2-1 deficit, playing a key role in the team starting HAC-I play undefeated. Then, five days later, he recorded the first hat trick of his career against Shikellamy (5-4), scoring all three of his goals amidst the first half of Williamsport’s 5-0 victory.
In that win over the Braves, Ungard was decisively aggressive, recognizing when he had a clear shot and delivering with poise and accuracy. He had a chance at a fourth goal before the half ended as well, firing a shot on goal towards the right side of the net that was just thwarted by the fingertips of Shikellamy goalkeeper Nathaniel Allar.
After a brief adjustment period that saw him still consistently produce goals, he’s shown clear improvements and confidence in making the right decisions on the field. As Hofstrom mentioned, more development could spell trouble for other area teams.
“I’m just learning as I go and doing my best,” said Ungard. “It’s really just decision making that’s the hardest part. Just knowing when to pass the ball, knowing when to shoot and just making sure I get the ball to everybody else.”
“He’s getting better and better with his decision-making skills,” said Hofstrom. “That’s one thing he’ll learn.”
Alongside him, his midfield has done an excellent job of getting him the ball in a great spot to score, with each of his three goals against Shikellamy being accompanied by an assist. Dumfer Adjei-Frimpong split two defenders with a pass to lead to his first goal and Spencer Kaar and Parker Johnson dropping in deep passes to set him up for his last two.
“I’m always grateful for the movement of the ball through the midfield. Sometimes it’s not there but today, we did great,” said Ungard. “For it to get to me, it has to go through ten people so I’m very grateful for all my midfielders working hard to get me the ball.”
“Some of those guys have been playing together for years, especially Connor (Hofstrom), Brayden and Spencer Kaar, so they all know what each other’s going to do and it’s good to have that on your team,” said Hofstrom.
It’s been a recipe for success as of late, but Ungard and the team aren’t satisfied with just picking up a few wins. The hope is to carry this momentum forward into a successful season.
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Northern Michigan University’s Brooke Pietila works the ball during a past Wildcats’ game at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)
MIDLAND — The Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team is off to a solid 2-1-1 start after opening the season on the road and coming home to start GLIAC play this week.
The Wildcats traveled to Midland last week and played a pair of games, defeating Cedarville University of Ohio 3-0 and tying host Northwood 1-1 on Saturday.
Northern plays a pair of games at the NMU Soccer Field, hosting Grand Valley State at 3 p.m. Friday and Davenport at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Here is a rundown of the games played in Midland:
——————
NMU 3, Cedarville 0
On Thursday, Wildcats fifth-year senior Brooke Pietila needed all of 70 seconds to break the scoreless tie by being in the right place at the right time, finding a loose ball and taking a shot from the right corner of the box that beat outstretched Cedarville goalkeeper Brooke Ackley on the left side.
Ackley would finish with four saves while NMU’s Sally Patton got the shutout after making three stops.
“We knew what we had to do going into the game, and I think we executed well,” Pietila said in an NMU Sports Information news release detailing the game.
Northern freshman Alyse Daavettila made her first appearance of the match around the 30-minute mark, then proceeded to score her first career goal with just over three minutes remaining before the halftime horn.
That goal was set up when teamamte Hannah Kastamo intercepted a pass and sent a right-footed cross into the box. The ball took a deflection and landed on Daavettila’s right foot as she made no mistake, making the strike to the lower left corner.
The game remained 2-0 until NMU’s Justina L’Esperance put the nail in the coffin with 10 minutes left.
The Wildcats’ Stephanie Trujillo corralled a pass into her body and made a nice move around her defender to generate space and make a perfect pass to find a breaking L’Esperance alone in the left side of the box, according to NMU SI. L’Esperance hit it left-footed and beat the keeper back to the right.
Pietila picked up her first goal and third point of the season, while Daavettila got her first goal on her first shot attempt. L’Esperance now has two goals and an assist for five points, while Patton picked up her first win in her first career start.
——————
NMU 1, Northwood 1
On Saturday, the Wildcats spent more than 50 minutes trailing before L’Esperance’s third goal this season in the 84th minute forced the deadlock.
From the opening whistle, Northern played with tenacity through relentless back-and-forth action, according to NMU SI.
The Timberwolves (1-0-2) took the lead in the 33rd minute with the first goal of the season by Grace Weitzel.
The Wildcats played from behind for more than the length of a half, getting the tying goal with good offensive pressure from Molly Pistorius that resulted in a shot on goal. While her kick didn’t go in, the rebound landed right to L’Esperance, who made no mistake in depositing the ball into the back of the net.
L’Esperance now has seven points as Patton again started in net, making one save. Pietila finished with five shots.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
Northern Michigan University’s Teun Van Gansewinkel, center, gets to the ball before Thomas More’s Tim Stolz, left, and Yalcin Apaydin during their college men’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s soccer team is off to its best start in program history after tying a nationally ranked team and shutting out another opponent at home last week.
The Wildcats are 3-0-1 following a 2-2 comeback tie vs. No. 25 Lewis, then a 3-0 blanking of Thomas More.
This week, NMU plays a single game at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday at St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to open its GLIAC campaign.
The following Friday, Sept. 27, the Wildcats plays their conference home opener at the NMU Soccer Field at 3 p.m. vs. Purdue Northwest.
Here are details from last week’s games:
Northern Michigan University’s Alessandro Scialanga does some fancy footwork to keep the ball in play in a college men’s soccer game played against Thomas More University at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
——————-
NMU 2, Lewis 2
On Thursday in Marquette, Northern battled this nationally ranked team from Illinois to a scoreless draw in the first half before falling behind by two goals and then catching up to forge a draw. Last year, these teams played to a scoreless draw in Romeoville, Illinois.
NMU got its goals, both the first of their collegiate careers, from freshman forward William Uchenna in the 67th minute and from sophomore forward Davian Gumbs in the 83rd minute.
The Wildcats were unable to convert on their chances in a dominant opening half, according to a game account from NMU Sports Information, then the Flyers were able to open a 2-0 lead with just over 30 minutes remaining.
Northern Michigan University players celebrate a goal by Kyle Cameron, second from left, late in the second half during a college men’s soccer game played against Thomas More University at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern outshot Lewis 8-2 in the first half and 18-8 for the game, including 3-1 in shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes and 9-4 for the entire game.
Two of NMU’s first-half shots on goal were quality looks from inside the box that barely missed, including one by Tuen Van Gansewinkel just over 10 minutes in when he trickled a shot toward the left post that Lewis goalkeeper Sebastian Doppelhofer was just able to stretch to make the save, according to NMU SI.
In the final two minutes of the opening half following sustained pressure and possession by Northern, Alessandro Scialanga lined up for a free kick. His right-swinging ball landed at the feet of teammate Luca Rub, who jumped and made a spinning back-heel kick that found its way on goal, but was sent right into Doppelhofer’s arms.
Lewis found its footing at halftime, needing less than five minutes to score in the second half on Carson Czosnyka goal. The Flyers upped the margin to two just over seven minutes later on a goal by Max Widlund, who had assisted on Czosnyka’s tally.
But the Wildcats were credited for staying persistent and clawing back, NMU SI stated, starting with a phenomenal effort by Tomasso Lami to drive into the box and draw a penalty kick around 10 minutes after Lewis’ second goal.
Lami took his own shot from the spot, which Doppelhofer stopped, but Uchenna was on the mark to clean up the rebound and make it 2-1 with just under 35 minutes remaining.
Then about 16 minutes later and with less than eight minutes left, Northern struck again from a set piece to knot the score 2-2.
Northern Michigan University’s Teun Van Gansewinkel, center, gets to the ball before Thomas More’s Tim Stolz, left, and Yalcin Apaydin during their college men’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University’s Alessandro Scialanga does some fancy footwork to keep the ball in play in a college men’s soccer game played against Thomas More University at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Northern Michigan University players celebrate a goal by Kyle Cameron, second from left, late in the second half during a college men’s soccer game played against Thomas More University at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)
Scialanga hit a right curling corner kick into the area that found the foot of Gumbs, who made no mistake, according to NMU SI. Scialanga picked up his second assist in as many games.
The Wildcats also had a chance to take the lead with about a minute left, as Van Gansewinkel shot from the right side and sent a ball by Doppelhofer that just narrowly passed the left post.
NMU goalkeeper Nils Cedergren made two saves as Doppelhofer finished with seven. Northern also held an 8-4 edge in corner kicks as Lewis outfouled NMU 12-8, though the Wildcats were called for five of the game’s six yellow cards.
——————-
NMU 3, Thomas More 0
On Saturday in Marquette, Scialanga, a defenseman, went from two assists in two games to two goals in a single match, scoring the Wildcats’ first two goals barely more than five minutes into the second half.
“This all started two days ago when we were down 2-0 to Lewis and then we fought our way back,” Scialanga said in an NMU SI release about the game. “We didn’t get the result we wanted, so we came together after the game to share ideas on how we can improve, and that’s what you saw (Saturday).”
Kyle Cameron added a goal, his first as a collegian, in the last minute for the final margin.
“That was a complete 90-minute match out there,” Northern head coach Alex Fatovic said. “From the players that started to the reserves that came off the bench, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys. They got what they deserved (Saturday).
“As games go on, our quality starts to come out, and we’ve got it on the bench and in the starting group.
“We’re gonna check the tape and see where we can get better … next week, but right now we’re going to rest up and enjoy this one.”
A truly dominant performance, the Wildcats outshot the Saints 19-8 with nine on target to none for the Saints as NMU now has three shutouts in four games this season.
Scialanga’s scores were the first ones for the NMU sophomore as he has four points this season, and it marked Northern’s first multigoal performance since Lami did it on Oct. 23, 2022, vs. Upper Iowa.
Like two days earlier, Van Gansewinkel almost scored early, this time coralling a ball at his feet just outside the right corner of the box, NMU SI said. RIght-footed he made a good hit, but sent the ball just wide of the left post. Two minutes later, he again found himself inside the keepers box.
Thomas More had a break of its own halfway through the first half as an attacker darted into the Wildcats box. NMU’s Xhoel Lutaj was up to the task defensively, as he made a perfect tackle to win possession of the ball legally and not take a penalty on the dangerous chance.
The Wildcats broke the scoreless tie late in the first half, as Scialanga took a deflection in the box and beat the keeper to the bottom left.
With the Wildcats holding the narrow 1-0 margin at halftime, Scialanga & Co. weren’t about to be done. Lami barely needed five minutes after play restarted by making a nice move around a defender to get into the box before threading the needle to find Scialanga wide open atop the box. The latter gathered the ball, took a strike and beat the goalkeeper to the bottom right corner.
Northern continued to dominate possession and opportunities, as attempts from both Gumbs and Logan Lazar from inside the box both just missed.
Cameron made his Wildcat debut and added an exclamation point to the game, finishing off a pass from Triston Nelson to haul in his first career Wildcat goal.
James Carr, who assisted on the first goal, picked up his first career point, while Lami got his first assist and third point of the season with an assist on goal No. 2.
And Cedergren got his third shutout as he faced eight shots, but none on goal.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
One of France’s most iconic teams in women’s soccer is facing financial difficulties
(FCGB Website)
The French Football Federation confirmed that the Girondins de Bordeaux women’s team will not compete in the professional national championships.
The 2024-2025 season of the French women’s second league has been turned upside down.
A few days before the first weekday of the championship, the women’s section of the Girondins de Bordeaux has been excluded from the national championships.
In a press release, the French Football Federation (FFF) explains that “the club has not appealed this decision and the Second League championship will therefore be played with 11 teams, in accordance with the regulations in force.”
In an interview with the French Football Federation (FFF), the president of the Women’s Professional Football League (LFFP) Jean Michel Aulas regretted this situation: “We strongly regret what is happening with the Girondins de Bordeaux.”
“We tried everything throughout the summer to find private and public funding. Unfortunately, nothing could be achieved within the allotted time.”
The former OL President added that “the economy of women’s sport must be developed with the contribution of private investors, but also with a strong commitment from communities to support the professionalization of women’s football.”
The decision to exclude one of France’s key figures in the world of women’s soccer was taken by the DNCG (National Management Control Directorate) of the French Football Federation (FFF) during the hearing on Thursday morning.
Vanessa Gilles played with the FCGB. (Photo by MEHDI FEDOUACH / AFP)
AFP via Getty Images
It comes as the club attempts to transfer the management of its women’s team to the English investment fund Sphera Partners.
Present at the hearing were Thomas Jacquemier, the general manager of the Girondins and a representative of Sphera Partners, testifying to the initial agreement between the two parties.
However, the DNCG rejected the file submitted, citing inadequacies in the financial guarantees necessary to ensure the viability of the teams, according to our colleagues at Sud Ouest.
Without an appeal, the women’s team must resume the season in Regional 1 (an amateur level in French soccer).
This exclusion affects the first team, which was due to start the championship on September 15 against Nice, as well as the U19 team.
An exclusion represents a major blow to the development of women’s soccer in the Bordeaux region, further weakening a section that was already in financial difficulty.
The players and staff find themselves in an uncertain situation, while the investment fund must determine the next steps to try to maintain the presence of the women’s team in the national competitions.
Ada Hegerberg – The First To Criticize
In a post shared on X, Ada Hegerberg was one of the few players to show her support for the women’s section of the Girondins de Bordeaux.
No surprise here. Once again, Ada Hegerberg is present to criticize and demand better playing conditions.
Sud Ouest Girondins wrote on X that “the Girondins players were informed this evening (Thursday) that, due to a lack of buyers, the club will not appeal the DNCG decision. This is the end of the Bordeaux women’s team at the professional level. The association will have to keep the section going at the amateur level (R1 for seniors)”
A post that captured the OL striker’s attention:
“D1 needs Bordeaux. Great players played there. They brought honor to their club for years. Seeing a women’s section disappear in indifference, in 2024, the year of the Olympic Games in France, is a shame. I give them all my support,” the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner posted on her account.
That’s the first question you should ask yourself if you’re a parent of a teenager who plays for a club or travel sports team and your kid wants to play that sport in college.
You’re likely paying thousands of dollars per year. Maybe even $10,000. Or, in this case, more than $20,000 for a 13-year-old.
Our club and travel sports system in America is broken in many ways. A number of parents and coaches with whom I have interacted refer to scene as a racket.
But we can select the club and travel programs that work for us, find the coaches who care about our kids and stay away from the sheer moneymakers.
“Paying for club soccer for the purpose of helping pay for college is a horrendous investment,” Joel Rutherford, a youth referee for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for three decades and a high school ref for 17 years, tells USA TODAY Sports. He’s also a parent of former club, recreational and high school players.
“Chances for a college scholarship are minuscule,” he says. “If a parent is trying to help pay for college, you’d be far better off taking the money for club soccer and setting it aside in a college fund, or pay far less for a few ACT or SAT prep classes or private tutoring to raise grades.”
But these teams aren’t the only artery for college recruitment. You need to know what you’re getting into, but also that there are a number of ways to catch the eye of college coaches.
Here’s a checklist of what to look for in a club or travel program for a kid with college athletics aspirations:
1. Will you get enough playing time? At this point, your primary goal is not to win tournaments but to be seen.
If you are in high school, you have reached the showcase level. The top clubs will market that goal. Don’t play for one that doesn’t play you at least relatively equally to your teammates.
Don’t get lured to the “top” team in your area or region without an assurance, and follow through, from the coach of playing time. And be skeptical if your son or daughter is put with a group of players of equal or lesser ability at a tryout but the coach tells them they will have a chance to move up to the top team within the organization. This might be a money grab.
2. You need to play in front of college coaches. But is your coach well-connected?
Finding out which colleges will be at your showcases is a good indicator you will be playing against top competition.
However, college coaches often come to these events to see specific players and can miss you if you aren’t on their radar. Choose a team whose coach knows or has direct pathways to college coaches and will tell them to watch you, too.
You are paying for these connections on a club team. If you’re not getting them, you might be better off playing on a less expensive team and investing in a well-connected personal coach.
3. Is your coach narrow-minded? Don’t play for one who says club is the only way to make it.
James Tysz is the father of a U14 soccer player for an Elite Club National League (ECNL) team based in Williamsburg, Virginia. The ECNL is one of many feeders from soccer’s club circuit to colleges, along with MLS Next, which pulls out top players in states and regions across the country.
Tysz estimates he plays at least $6,000 per year in club fees, uniform and equipment costs and travel, which includes hotels, gas, food and airfare.
“Club is almost the only way to play at college level,” Tysz tells USA TODAY Sports. “High school soccer is a mix of rec level up to club level players and scouts don’t have time or interest for that lottery. The U.S. is a pay to play system and is broken, but it’s all we got.”
It’s not uncommon for soccer parents to pay thousands more per year than he does. Check out the amounts listed the comments section of this video of how to fix youth soccer. You see higher prices but also more reasonable ones. (It’s worth a view):
Volleyball, hockey, lacrosse (and sometimes baseball) have similarly exorbitant fees. The club system pushes out players who can’t afford it, and it pushes out good players.
A former coach, who told me he has worked with the Italian national teams and now lives in the states, says a club coach who claims club soccer is the only way is narrow-minded and is just looking for profits.
Play for a coach, instead, who is committed to using all avenues (not just his or her team) to get you to that level.
The most important scouting aspect of soccer, the former Italian coach tells me, is how well you play in a system. Can you play with flash, make that incisive pass or create shots by pulling defenders away? A coach that can identify your child’s best role on any team is a keeper.
Coach Steve: Rutgers coach, DI daughters offer tips to keep competitive sports fun
4. Is your kid doing legwork on his or her own? Don’t pay for a team because you think it guarantees college placement.
No club coach can promise you a spot on a college team. There is heavy turnover in college coaching and a transfer portal that allows coaches to pull in existing collegiate athletes on top of high school recruits.
Your kid will need to promote himself or herself to coaches in addition to playing on a team. Get a social media handle on X or Instagram or elsewhere and post clips or highlights that showcase your skills. List relevant metrics you have reached within your sport.
Post videos that exhibit a number of skills – not just goals, baskets touchdowns or strikeouts but clips that show your speed, strength and versatility. Coaches love intangibles such as getting a good lead off first base and making it to third on a single or diving for a loose ball and calling a timeout. Find something that makes you stand out from the others.
Email coaches with a short introduction, followed by your specific interest in their school and one or two short clips.
You may not hear back, but coaches could give you a follow on social media. You never know. A couple years ago, forward Steve Settle told me Howard men’s basketball coach Kenny Blakeney gave him an offer after watching his 15-secon clip.
5. Have you considered your region of the country before shelling out?
College coaches with limited budgets pinpoint areas with lots of talented players. A longtime high school varsity lacrosse coach in Atlanta told me you probably need to play club to be seen if you live in non-traditional areas for his sport like Kansas, Idaho or Montana.
Do your research. If you live in hotbed for your sport – such as population dense areas of Texas, Arizona, Florida, California or Virginia for baseball; Texas and Georgia for football; or cities like Memphis, Baltimore, Chicago, New York or Washington, D.C., for basketball – you may not need to play club, or at least on a top-tier club.
You can attend showcases coaches hold on college campuses for a fraction of what it costs to play for a travel team. Ask your high school coach to call the college coach before you attend their showcase and get feedback on your from the college coaches at the showcase on your next steps.
6. Is your time and money investment taking away from improving your grades?
Only about 2% of high school athletes are given athletics scholarships to play in college, according to the NCAA. The percentage of high school athletes who play in college athletics varies from about 3 to 14 percent, depending on the sport.
Balance your time and investment with improving your grades and test scores, which play a large part in your recruitment and can get you scholarship money.
Getting into the school may be a prerequisite for getting on the team. Having better grades can not only separate you from other candidates, but get you scholarship money. And don’t be Division 1 or bust. If you play Division II, Division III or in junior college, you will have an opportunity to transfer if you are good enough.
7. Is your coach flexible with you and your schedule?
Your coach should understand if you need to skip a game or a tournament (with enough advance notice from you) to go to showcase on a college campus or study for exams or standardized tests.
His or her goal is to help place you in a college program, which helps the club team’s reputation.
Have an up-front conversation about your college strategy with the coach before you join the organization and if, once you join it, you don’t feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
8. Do you know your skills and metrics? They give you negotiating power and a sense of reality.
Find out the key tools and metrics for your sport that will get you recruited regardless of your club team. If it’s baseball, it means you throw in the mid-80s or higher as a pitcher (and are accurate and vary your speeds with other pitches) and hit with a exit velocity well above 90.
If you play volleyball, it’s whether you can touch 10 feet or higher as a girl and 11 to 12 feet as a boy.
If you are football player, can you run a mid-4s 40-yard dash despite weighing over 200 pounds?
Evan Gerish, an assistant track and field coach at the University of Dubuque in Iowa, says these numbers would make coaches pay attention:
Gerish suggests you check out whomever finished eighth and above at the most recent conference championships of schools in which you are interested and compare yours. You can check on player metrics for other schools and sports, too.
“Recruiting standards vary across divisions and conferences, but there is a lot of overlap,” Gerish tells USA TODAY Sports. “A school like mine, blue blood D3 powerhouse, is recruiting the same athletes as a mid-level D1 team.”
9. Have you weighed the amount of travel and events against the investment in getting better?
Pick an organization that mixes games and skill development to hit those metrics and improve the skills that will get you noticed.
If a team has excessive travel, ask yourself if it is getting in the way of making you better. Showcases show off your ability but you improve through conditioning and practicing, too.
A private coach, even in just a few sessions, can get you on a skills and strength development plan that you can mix with your game play.
Use the early years of high school to get in the best possible shape to showcase yourself. If you are a freshman, maybe it means taking a season off from your main sport to play a different one that makes you stronger or faster.
Also from USA TODAY: Homophobic speech in youth sports doesn’t just harm gay boys. It harms straight boys too.
10. Are you all in for the journey?
This past summer, I traveled to Atlanta for a showcase baseball tournament with my rising junior. His brother, 14, came along. We shared laughs at YouTube clips, and more serious discussions, along a 10-plus hour drive.
We spent valuable time together watching movies in the hotel rooms, sharing meals and watching a Braves game.
If you are a travel athlete and parent, you need to embrace the ride. Along the way, your athlete might discover playing a sport in college is too time consuming. But in the process, he or she might discover the school they truly love outside of sports.
Maybe all of you will discover more about yourselves.
“Consider the time,” says Rutherford, the three-decade referee and soccer dad I mentioned earlier. “What else could the evenings and weekends be used for? Maybe it’s riding bikes, playing basketball in the driveway, family meals, attending church, having a nap, letting non-sports kids have time to do their thing and more.”
“Kids drop out of sports by the time they become teens. Usually it’s because it’s not fun. Parents and coaches are too intense. There’s yelling at the players and officials. Sometimes the more you spend, the more pressure there is on everyone to get ‘results.’ “
Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.
Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@usatoday.com
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual with a net worth of $251 billion has been assigned the codename “Voyager” by his security team.
What Happened: Musk’s security detail functions similarly to a small-scale Secret Service. The tech billionaire is protected more like a state leader than a corporate executive, with up to 20 security professionals accompanying him at times, reported the New York Times on Friday.
They frequently carry firearms and have a medical professional on hand for the tech mogul’s assistance.
As Musk’s wealth and popularity have increased, so have the threats against him. His security team has had to evolve to handle stalkers and death threats, a significant departure from the harmless fan messages he used to receive.
The report indicates that Musk’s security expenses amount to millions of dollars each year, paid to various security firms including Gavin de Becker & Associates and his own private security company, Foundation Security.
The report also detailed an incident where a man was apprehended near Tesla’s Austin factory, accused of planning a “mass casualty event.” Musk’s security was fully mobilized for the event, with over three dozen Tesla security officials stationed throughout the room.
The report suggests that the threats to his safety have led Musk to become more fearful and his lifestyle more isolated. He is rarely without bodyguards, even when he is at his social media company, X, formerly Twitter.
Why It Matters: Musk’s security concerns have been escalating over time. In December 2022, he expressed agreement with a post on Twitter that he had become “public enemy number one to some very very bad people.”
Previously, Musk has also revealed that his son X’s vehicle was followed by a “crazy stalker” who jumped on the car’s hood, thinking Musk was inside.
In January 2023, Musk posted a seemingly sarcastic tweet about his possible death under mysterious circumstances after sharing an alleged note by Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin that mentioned him and the Pentagon.
Bangladesh women’s football team will get direct opportunity to compete in FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) yesterday introduced a separate qualifying competition for 2031 Women’s World Cup, according to a statement from the continental body.
The AFC announced it would create a three-round preliminary competition, starting in 2027, to determine the continent’s qualifiers for the finals though the host nation for the 2031 tournament has not been decided yet.
AFC previously organised Women’s World Cup Qualifiers with the teams being decided through performance in the Women’s Asian Cup or Asian Games, but this time there will be a standalone competition that will give lower-ranked sides more opportunities to play against higher-ranked sides.
The new format will be held in three rounds with the bottom-ranked teams — based on FIFA ranking – playing in the opening round. Subject to the number of entries, these teams will be grouped to compete in a single round-robin centralised league format.
Then the top teams, based on the group results, will advance to Round 2 which will feature 24 teams including the top eight ranked sides in line with FIFA ranking.
Teams will then be divided into six four-nation groups to face off in a single round-robin centralised league format with the top-two finishers advancing to the third round.
Three groups of four teams will then compete in a home-and-away group format with the number of qualifiers for the finals determined by the continent’s allocation.
The next edition of the Women’s World Cup will be played in Brazil in 2027, with the Women’s Asian Cup — to be hosted by Australia a year earlier — acting as the continent’s qualifiers for the finals.
A new two-phase qualifying competition for the 2029 edition of the Women’s Asian Cup, to be played in Uzbekistan, has also been launched, meaning Bangladesh will get more competitive matches in coming days.
Round 1 will feature participating teams ranked ninth and below in the as the AFC aims to draw teams into eight groups of three or four, with the top 16 teams progressing to Round 2, subject to the number of entries.
Then, 16 teams will join the top eight FIFA-ranked sides and the 24-team second strong cast will be divided into six groups of four teams and the winner of each group and the five best second-placed team will advance to the finals of Women’s Asia Cup.
Bangladesh, however, will miss the matches of Olympic Qualifiers with AFC abolishing the previous three-round qualifiers for Olympic Games by introducing a new format in which the top eight teams of Asian Women’s Cup will battle for the right to reach the Olympic Games.
CHEBOYGAN – Friday is a huge opportunity for the Cheboygan Chiefs in more ways than one.
First, the Chiefs (1-1) can keep building early-season momentum if they knock off Elk Rapids at Western Avenue Field. Another would be if the Chiefs do prevail, a 2-1 record would be their best start to a campaign since 2013.
So, with the Chiefs ready to host the Elks (1-1) at 7 p.m. tonight, here’s some keys to the game for Cheboygan.
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Stay aggressive on both sides of the ball
What’s really stood out about the Chiefs is the type of aggressiveness they’ve played with under first-year head coach Bill Nesbitt during the first two weeks.
While the Chiefs were unsuccessful in their season opener two weeks ago, the play calling from Nesbitt was diverse and aggressive, something that should excite Chiefs fans. I know it’s only been a few games, but Cheboygan’s already shown an ability to create plays in the passing game, making them more versatile and dangerous than previous seasons. It also helps to have an offensive line that’s playing well, a young quarterback in sophomore Nolan Schley who had a breakout game last week, and playmakers like Luke Hoskins and Jeremiah Huntley who have stepped up.
The same goes defensively for the Chiefs, who really took over with their physicality during last week’s win at Sault Ste. Marie. One of the lasting images I saw was senior Luke Munger delivering a ferocious hit on one of the Blue Devils, which was a perfect microcosm of a dominant final two quarters.
If the Chiefs stay aggressive, they’ll have a great chance to earn win No. 2.
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Finish drives
Throughout these opening games, it’s almost been Jekyll and Hyde when it comes to Cheboygan’s offense.
Yes, they put up 35 points on the Blue Devils, but it could’ve been even more had they not committed multiple turnovers. The Week 1 loss to Saranac was also similar in the sense the Chiefs’ mistakes denied them of what would’ve been a much more successful night.
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The key for Cheboygan is sustaining drives, ball control and delivering big plays, something they improved on during the win over the Blue Devils. If the Chiefs can do those things, the Elks will be in for a very long night.
Play a clean game
Speaking of what plagued Cheboygan at times last week, penalties were at the forefront. Holdings, false starts and other infractions became a problem for the Chiefs, who committed double-digit penalties. I can assure you that it didn’t make Nesbitt happy and was likely addressed in practice this week.
Discipline is so key, especially in football, and the Chiefs will need to have a ton of it if they want to improve to 2-1. Sure, penalties will likely be committed, but Cheboygan must keep it at a premium to ensure it doesn’t halt their chances of scoring or getting off the field defensively.
Clean things up and get the job done.
WHAT
Elk Rapids (1-1) at Cheboygan (1-1)
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE
Western Avenue Field, Cheboygan
HOW TO LISTEN
WCBY 1240 AM, and 100.7 FM. Mike Grisdale and Nate King will call the action for the Chiefs, starting at 6:40 p.m.
Chelsea have appointed a former media professional as their women’s team new chief executive officer in a bizarre move by the club, according to reports.
The Blues are the reigning Women’s Super League champions after winning the English top-flight title for a record-breaking seventh time under Emma Hayes last season.
Hayes later made the decision to leave Chelsea in favour of becoming the next United States women head coach in a move that sparked several changes at Stamford Bridge.
The women’s team is now running entirely separate to Chelsea’s men’s squad and have taken the decision to appoint former Athletic general manager Aki Mandhar into the top director role, as reported by the Guardian.
Mandhar doesn’t boast any football management experience, but has been tasked with delivering success both on and off the field for the Blues women’s team moving forward.
Chelsea have appointed Aki Mandhar (pictured) as the new women’s team chief executive
Chelsea are about to embark on their Women’s Super League campaign as reigning champions
She previously fulfilled the role of chief operating officer at the Daily Telegraph having initially embarked on a career in public relations.
Chelsea is a new project for Mandhar and will reportedly be tasked with improving matchday attendances after the club struggled to fill out seats at Stamford Bridge last season.
The Blues struggled while Arsenal in contrast generated huge home crowds when they moved to playing WSL and Champions League matches at the Emirates.
Mandhar is expected to be tasked with improving attendances for women’s games at Stamford Bridge
Meanwhile, Mandhar’s arrival comes at a time when there is disparity between investors at the top of the club amidst a souring in the relationship between co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
50-year-old Boehly has been the face of Chelsea that was formerly represented by ex-owner Roman Abramovich, who oversaw the club’s greatest period of success prior to being forced to sell after the UK Government imposed restrictions amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Now there are suggestions that Boehly and Eghbali both want to buy each other’s shares to gain a greater controlling portion. Mail Sport previously revealed that Clearlake Capital have no intention of selling their stake.
Clearlake own a 61.5 per cent majority in Chelsea, but all key decisions are made as a collective process between a group of four main investors.
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Chelsea appoint new CEO for their women’s team with ‘no experience of running a football club’ in surprise move amid ownership tension at Stamford Bridge
It’s been clear skies so far for ASU football as they’ve begun their season 2-0 for the first time since 2021.The current season has been an improvement for the Sun Devils after two consecutive three-win seasons.
ASU prepares for takeoff as it goes on the road for the first time this season. Its first landing will be in San Marcos, Texas. The Sun Devils are booked for a showdown with the Texas State Bobcats, who aren’t new to upsetting Big 12 competition.
In 2023, his first year as the Texas State head coach, GJ Kinne led the Bobcats to an 8-5 record and their first bowl game in program history. In his first game as Bobcat head coach, the team upset Baylor 42-31 in Waco. He also led the Bobcat offense to almost 6,000 yards alongside 57 touchdowns.
“He’s one of the youngest head coaches in college football,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “I think he’s put together an incredible football team.”
Offense
The Bobcats’ new quarterback is Jordan McCloud, 2023 Sun Belt Player of the Year. McCloud has been in college football since 2019 and has a career 7,455 yards with 63 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
“He played well last year before he transferred,” Dillingham said. “He can extend plays and keeps his eyes downfield when he extends plays. He’s got a quick release, super quick release doesn’t get hit very much because his release is fast and he knows where to go to the ball.”
Junior running back Ismail Mahdi earned First Team All-American by CBS Sports and 247Sports with over 1300 rushing yards in 2023. With a running back like Mahdi, the Sun Devils might expect to see confidence in the Bobcats’ run game.
“They’re very, very physical,” Dillingham said. “You can tell obviously GJ, he’s a head coach of the football team, and he’s worked for Gus Malzahn and they run almost every run scheme available.”
The Bobcats welcomed back the leading receiver from a year ago, senior Joey Hobert, who had almost 900 yards. Sophomore Chris Dawn, Jr. received a chance this year in the Bobcats offense and he leads the team in receiving after two weeks of action with 163 yards.
Last week, the Sun Devil defense had their hands full with senior Blake Shapen of Mississippi State, who similarly to McCloud, has the experience of being a college athlete for numerous years. The team knows what they can do to try and get McCloud off his rhythm which is something the team did last week against Shapen in the first half.
“It’s about the pictures being the same,” Dillingham said. “And if we can give identical pictures, right, then it doesn’t matter how long he’s played college football, the pre-snap picture he’s getting is the same over and over and over again. And I think for some guys, you can give so many pictures that it overwhelms them.”
Defense
One weakness for the Bobcats is defense. They could not stop opponents on third down letting them convert 46.3% of the time and gave up 32.8 points per game. As a result, they were looking for a new defensive coordinator in the offseason and hired Dexter McCoil Sr., the team’s now former safety coach.
The five-down lineman within the bear fronts has helped the Bobcats hold opposing rushing attacks to 66.5 yards per game which is tied for 18th best in the nation. They’ll be tested this week as ASU comes in with a top-10 rushing attack in the nation, a key matchup to watch on Thursday night.
“Blitz. They’re going to blitz like they’re going to blitz and they’re going to blitz a lot on early downs,” Dillingham said. “Their D line is athletic. They create chaos, and that’s their MO.”
The Bulldogs’ defensive line is led by senior Ben Bell. Bell made the All-Sun Belt second team with 16 TFLs and 10 sacks a year ago.Some of their transfers in the offseason were junior Tunmise Adeleye who comes from Michigan State and senior Steven Parker who came from the University of Incarnate Word.
“Technique is everything as offensive linemen. We firmly believe that the defense doesn’t win anything, we lose it,” ASU offensive lineman and graduate, Ben Coleman said. “And the reality is do you give them space? Do you allow them to make a play on you? Is your set wrong where your eyes are, where your hands are? So as long as you’re disciplined you’ll be able to take care of it.”
The Texas State secondary is also finding early success defending the pass with an 18.4% success rate on pass plays which ranks second in the nation.
“This is a football team that is a power four football team, in my opinion, this team could go win a lot of games and compete in the Big 12 conference,” Dillingham said.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Ramirez and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at danielr1102@gmail.comand follow @daniel_rios72 on X.
Daniel is a senior studying sports journalism. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at WCSN, OC Riptide, 1550 Sports and AZPreps365.
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