March Madness, that anxious, exciting and promising time for players and fans alike, is upon us. Like millions of others, I have been really enjoying these three weeks of competitive games full of surprises and awesome athletic feats. However, beyond the thrills, this moment highlights the stakes not just for the players, but also for colleges and their broader missions. While loyal students and alumni have experienced moments of joy and grief as they followed their schools’ progress, and administrators hoped for wins that will increase applications and donations, even more important for the nation is how these colleges enable upward economic mobility for their graduates. 

American higher education is experiencing one of the most challenging times in its history. Since 2017, when 蜜桃影视 began publishing a Social Mobility Tournament bracket composed of colleges participating in the Big Dance, the percentage of surveyed adults who believe a four-year degree is not worth the cost has risen from 40% to 63%. 

This loss in public support that colleges previously took for granted has made them targets of both left- and right-leaning critics and policymakers. They are demanding that schools take greater responsibility not only for educating students, but for ensuring that the education they receive leads to employment with meaningful earnings.

With this in mind, our bracket aims to shift the focus to the broader mission of higher education: advancing economic mobility. Beginning in 2017, each year we have taken the schools competing in the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament and plotted them in a parallel bracket, where winners and losers are determined not by their prowess on the court, but by how well the colleges put students on the road to financial security.

To do this, we employ Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI), created by the former director of the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 College Scorecard, Michael Itzkowitz. This index uses information from the department and the Census Bureau to rank 1,320 bachelor鈥檚 degree-granting institutions by how well each provides economic mobility for its students. Taking into account the key concerns of students, parents and policymakers, the EMI first assesses the return on investment for lower- and moderate-income students at each college by calculating the out-of-pocket costs required to earn a four-year degree. 

The index then considers the added financial benefits students gain from attending one of these schools. This earnings premium is the additional income graduates accrue compared to someone with only a high school diploma. In effect, the lower the out-of-pocket costs and the higher the earnings premium, the quicker a student will receive a return on the investment needed to obtain the degree. Lastly, the index rewards schools for the proportion of financially challenged students they enroll and for the return on investment they deliver. (Click on each school in the bracket to see its Social Mobility score, total net price, earning premium and how long it takes graduates to pay off the cost of their education.)

To make this clearer, consider the following: While the Wolverines of the and the Wildcats of the faced each other in this year鈥檚 NCAA Final Four, neither school went further than the second round in our Social Mobility Tournament bracket. After all, Michigan had a lowly score of 16.9 in the EMI and Arizona only a slightly higher ranking at 25.1. Digging into the data, this disparity shows the importance of each data point that composes the index鈥檚 score.

As a EMI breakdown shows, the University of Arizona, a public institution, has a total price of $41,000 but an earning premium of a mere $23,700 for graduates when compared with someone holding only a high school diploma. This translates into a price-to-earnings premium that allows Wildcat graduates to pay off the cost of their education in 1.7 years. But the University of Michigan enjoys a net price of just $15,850 and a handsome earning premium of $48,800, making it possible for grads to pay down the total cost of their degree in only 0.3 years.

While winning games in a tournament made up of proven champions is a difficult achievement for any college, helping students move up the economic ladder is no less a challenge, especially for schools serving a high percentage of low- and moderate-income undergraduates. That鈥檚 why we believe colleges should be honored not only for victories on the court, but also for earning a high ranking in the Economic Mobility Index.

So, which teams deserve the highest praise this year? Of the 68 teams in the Social Mobility Tournament bracket, only 16 are private universities, and just six of them advanced past the first round. Moreover, by the end of Round 2, just a single private school, , managed not only to reach our Sweet 16, but, as it did last year, to go on to win our Social Mobility Tournament.

The main surprise here is that any private school could go that far, considering that the EMI is based primarily on affordability 鈥� how quickly the cost of a degree can be repaid 鈥� and the percentage of students enrolled who require financial aid. Therefore, beyond producing winning teams that can be invited to the NCAA tournament, private colleges must be inexpensive and serve a wide range of students to move up the Social Mobility Bracket. 

Given these requirements, how did BYU win it all? Though the Cougars were beaten by the in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, they earned their 33rd straight bid by having a 23-12 season in which they defeated eight teams ranked among the Associated Press’ Top 25. In addition, have a price-to-earnings premium that permits them to pay down the cost of their degree in less than a year, a feat made possible through low tuition and generous financial aid. Meanwhile, the school serves a student body in which nearly 37% of students receive Pell Grants.

How about the other three teams that make up our Final Four? How did they get there? The , and all have high EMI scores of at least 35%, giving them rankings that place them in the top 104 out of 1,320 colleges in the index. This translates into graduates who on average can pay down the cost of their degrees in fewer than four years, and all while having student bodies made up of at least 36% Pell Grant recipients. These, then, are excellent examples of schools working to increase the social mobility of their students.

In this highly polarized time, it is good to know that a bipartisan consensus exists around policies that require colleges to do more to help students gain employment with reasonable earnings. This state of affairs supports our nearly decade-long call to praise colleges like those in our Final Four. After all, few athletes will ever make the pros, but all students need to make a decent, family-sustaining living.

Clarification: The Economic Mobility Index is the property of Third Way.

For every aspect of a student鈥檚 life, there鈥檚 a tech company trying to digitize it. Inside the classroom, online tools proctor exams, create flashcards and submit assignments. Outside, technology coordinates school sports, helps bus drivers find the right route and maintains students鈥� health records. 

California has a number of laws aimed at protecting children鈥檚 data privacy, but those laws have exceptions that allow many tech companies to continue packaging and selling students鈥� personal information.

This year, Assemblymember , a San Luis Obispo Democrat, is carrying a high-profile state bill that would add new protections for students. She says it鈥檚 important, especially as the Trump admin is trying to collect data about California residents鈥� , , and their use of certain 

Historically, California has been a leader in data privacy. In 2014, California passed  that prohibited technology companies from selling students鈥� data, targeting students in advertising, or disclosing their personal information. Then in 2018, the state passed another unprecedented bill that required all companies give California users certain privacy rights, such as of data collection and delete some of their information. 

But as technology evolved and proliferated, privacy laws repeatedly fell short in protecting California鈥檚 students 鈥� at the same time that the federal government has tried to collect increasing amounts of personal information, Addis said.   

Her  would restrict how AI companies use student data and create new data protections for college students. Some of Sacramento鈥檚 most powerful players are paying close attention to the measure, including the , which supports the bill, and the , which opposes it. Combined, these two groups spent nearly $8 million on campaign donations to state legislators or other political activities in 2024, according to the CalMatters Digital Democracy database. TechNet, a trade association that represents many of , also opposes the bill. 

The proposal, Assembly Bill 1159, would close certain loopholes in the state鈥檚 2014 education privacy law, but experts say it may not be enough to prevent companies from selling students鈥� data. 

A privacy expert struggles to keep her information private

Jen King is a privacy and data policy fellow at Stanford鈥檚 institute for AI, where she studies the tricks that companies use to gather users鈥� data and prevent them from opting out, sometimes known as 鈥渄ark patterns.鈥� In her personal life, she鈥檚 vigilant about avoiding online data tracking and maintains a landline in her Bay Area home to avoid giving out her cell phone number. 

King doesn鈥檛 want her children鈥檚 information available online or for any company to sell, though sometimes it happens before she can stop it. 

In the fall, King got an email about a platform called TeamSnap, which her 12-year-old son鈥檚 cross country coaches were using to manage the team鈥檚 roster. The company wanted her information, including her name, date of birth, gender, email address, and phone number. Once she logged in to the platform, she could see some of her son鈥檚 information, such as his name, email, and date of birth, were already listed. Photos and personal information from all of her son鈥檚 teammates were also available for her to see. 

鈥淚 was super irritated,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need my birth date 鈥� I鈥檓 a freaking parent.鈥� She acknowledged some personal information could be useful for a coach but said that other questions seem designed to help the platform sell information to data brokers and ultimately, to advertisers. 

Her 17-year-old son鈥檚 data is also on TeamSnap, she later learned, because his robotics team uses it. This month, when King tried to show CalMatters her TeamSnap account, a pop-up appeared, asking her if the company could track her activity across other apps and websites.

Federal law requires companies to get parental consent before knowingly collecting or selling data from , but once a child turns 13, their data is generally treated much like an adult鈥檚 information, especially when that child is interacting with tech platforms outside of school. TeamSnap鈥檚 privacy policy  it doesn鈥檛 knowingly collect personal information about users under 13 鈥渨ithout express parental consent,鈥� though it says in some cases a team or organization may provide information on behalf of the child. 

The policy also says that TeamSnap has 鈥渘ot sold the personal information of any consumer for monetary consideration鈥� in the last 12 months, but that its 鈥渦se of cookies and other tracking technologies may be considered a sale of personal information under the CCPA (California privacy law).鈥� Information sold to advertisers and marketers included users鈥� names, contact information, purchase history and geolocation, the policy says.

California privacy law specifically requires certain large for-profit companies to get consent to collect data from anyone under 16. Often, consent happens when a user first opens a website and a pop-up appears, asking if the website can sell your data or track your cookies. 

If a teacher, coach, or other authority figure tells a student that they have to use a website or an app, then the student cannot realistically opt out, King said. They may be too young to understand how to opt out, she added. 鈥淢ost 15-, 16-year-olds don鈥檛 have any idea what this is about.鈥� 

Even older college students may have little agency in the technology they use, especially if it鈥檚 required for class or residential life. At Stanford, for example, King said her undergraduate students are often required to create Facebook accounts for student groups. 

The same is true for parents. King said she reluctantly gave TeamSnap her personal information, including her name, email, date of birth, and the landline number for her home, because it was the only way to get updates about her son鈥檚 team.

How companies get around California鈥檚 education privacy laws

In 2014, California became the first state in the country to regulate education technology companies directly, but being first comes with its drawbacks. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have examples of what best practice was,鈥� said Amelia Vance, the president of the Public Interest Privacy Center, a nonprofit organization. The law only applies to products that 鈥減rimarily鈥� serve K-12 schools and that are designed and marketed for students. 

Many tech companies argue that their products aren鈥檛 primarily intended for students or at least that they were not designed or marketed that way. The language-learning app DuoLingo, for example, has , but the app is also popular for adults. Apps or technologies serving extracurricular programs or sports teams can claim they weren鈥檛 designed and marketed for the classroom, or that their use isn鈥檛 mandatory, said Vance. 鈥淵ou have this sort of black hole where there haven鈥檛 been protections.鈥� 

Addis鈥� bill expands the number of education technology companies that fall under the state鈥檚 student privacy laws, but the language is murky when it comes to apps or online services used outside of class. 

In the case of TeamSnap, Addis鈥� communications director Alexis Garcia-Arrazola said the company would 鈥渕ost likely鈥� fall under the scope of the bill if its technology is marketed to schools, if schools direct students to use it, and if the sports team is sponsored by the school.  

Public records show that Piedmont Unified School District in Alameda County, Tamalpais Union High School District in Marin County, and Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District all purchased versions of TeamSnap, but only the Santa Monica Malibu district responded to CalMatters questions about any privacy restriction imposed on the company. Brandyi Phillips, the chief communications officer for the Santa Monica Malibu schools, said the district has an annual subscription with TeamSnap, which is only available to sports staff and parents. She said there鈥檚 an agreement with the company 鈥渢o protect District information and to prevent unauthorized access鈥� but did not clarify if that agreement prevents the district from selling students鈥� information. 

Berkeley Unified School District, where King鈥檚 children attend school, did not respond to CalMatters鈥� questions about any contracts, purchase orders or agreements with TeamSnap. 

Locally, school districts and colleges have the power to negotiate the privacy terms of any contract they make with a technology company, but many websites and apps offer free versions that a teacher or coach might recommend without getting formal approval from their district. 

Last year, the California State University system signed with Open AI, the company that operates ChatGPT, including an agreement that the company will not train its models on student data. Advocates for Addis鈥� bill say the same privacy restrictions should apply to any AI company with access to California student data, regardless of whether the company has an agreement with the student鈥檚 school district or college.

Are privacy laws getting stricter or looser?

Addis鈥� bill comes as privacy laws in California and across the country are in flux. In 2020, California voters approved  to create a new state agency to enforce data privacy rules and regulate the businesses that collect data. Advocates for the proposition contributed over $6.7 million to the campaign, compared to just over $50,000 contributed by the opposition, according to . The state agency that the proposition formed, now known as CalPrivacy, released new rules this year, restricting the use of automated decision-making technology, such as the use of AI to make admissions or hiring decisions. Those rules were originally stricter but businesses, lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom pressured the CalPrivacy board to .

In Washington D.C., Congress is considering changing federal law to limit how companies interact with . Separately, Congress is considering a bill that would require social media companies to prevent and mitigate children鈥檚 sexual exploitation, bullying, and self-harm. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is concerned that one version of the social media bill contains language that could  in California law.

Bonta鈥檚 office is responsible for enforcing many of the state鈥檚 existing privacy laws. In November, he said the state worked with Connecticut and New York to reach $5.1 million in settlements against Illuminate, an education technology company that uses data to track and evaluate students鈥� progress, such as their testing scores and developmental milestones. The company had a data breach, exposing 鈥渟ensitive information鈥� from over 434,000 California students, the state attorney general鈥檚 office said in .

It was the first time California successfully went after a company for violating the state鈥檚 landmark 2014 education privacy law.

To increase enforcement, Addis鈥� bill contains a new provision 鈥� the right for students and parents to sue tech companies in certain cases for privacy violations. Business and technology groups have opposed the bill, arguing that the new regulations and the right to sue would stifle investment in AI-powered learning tools.

King said that giving consumers the right to sue is often the only way to increase enforcement. Otherwise, the onus is on individual consumers to find concerning practices and try to opt out. 

Despite being an expert in data privacy, King said that she struggled at first to figure out how to delete her TeamSnap account, only later to discover that she needed to send an email to the company. She laughed at the irony, since it鈥檚 these kinds of dark patterns in user design that fuel part of her research. 

In academia, the strategy of trapping customers is sometimes called the 鈥渞oach motel,鈥� she explained, a reference to a popular television ad from the late 1970s for a cockroach trap. 

鈥淵ou can check in,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut you can never check out.鈥� 

CalMatters reporters Khari Johnson and Ryan Sabalow contributed to this story.

For decades, educators have searched for better ways to answer a question students ask 鈥� sometimes aloud, sometimes silently 鈥� every day: Why does this matter? this summer found nearly half of U.S. middle and high schoolers reported losing interest in math about half or more of the time during class, and three-quarters said they lose interest at least sometimes.

Teachers are echoing a similar sentiment 鈥� three-fourths of educators surveyed in the most recent cited lack of student motivation as a leading challenge for the 2025-26 school year, with half of those respondents saying it is the top challenge students face. In math classrooms, where young people often feel anxious and struggle to understand how the material connects to everyday situations, motivating students is especially difficult.

As a former math teacher and administrator, I know there is certainly no lack of rigor or standards. The real difficulty is in helping students see how mathematical thinking shows up beyond worksheets and tests.

Events that students already pay attention to can help make math feel real. The Winter Olympics, for example, offer ready-made ways to connect math instruction to real-world problem solving, without adding new curriculum or instructional time.

Already top of mind for many students, the Olympics are filled with mathematics hiding in plain sight. The most obvious example is the stopwatch. Who wins gold, silver or bronze is frequently determined by hundredths of a second, making mathematical precision more than an abstract idea. Students analyzing race times can explore decimals, rounding and margins of error while seeing firsthand why accuracy matters when outcomes are this close. Suddenly, numbers start to carry true weight.

Ratios and proportions also emerge naturally in the Olympics. Torch relay data, for example, can teach students to compare distances covered by different runners for each leg, calculate average pace times and compare how they change day to day. These kinds of problems let students practice proportional reasoning and see how math can be used to coordinate complex events.

Data analysis becomes equally meaningful when students examine medal counts, scoring systems or competitors’ performance trends over time. Moving beyond reading charts to interpreting them helps students build the kind of data literacy that is increasingly essential for landing high-paying jobs across many segments of the workforce.

Speed, acceleration and force are no longer abstract ideas when students analyze downhill skiing or bobsledding. Comparing angles of descent or calculating velocity connects formulas to movement that students can see and replay. Math moves from a set of memorization procedures to a way of understanding the physical world.

What makes these approaches powerful is their accessibility. Teachers do not need to overhaul their curriculum to make math relevant. Strong instructional materials, thoughtful task design and real-world examples that students already know about are enough 鈥� and they provide the kind of instruction that reflects what research and classroom experience consistently show. 

Students learn math best when they can , explore it and connect it to something meaningful or recognizable in their everyday lives. Problems that invite different approaches to solving problems, such as drawing models or explaining reasoning out loud, help students build confidence 鈥� particularly those who have learned to fear being wrong. Relevance supports rigor by encouraging deep thinking and a personal investment in finding answers.

The Olympics will eventually fade from the headlines, but the bigger lesson is in recognizing that the world offers constant, mathematically rich moments waiting to be used. 

At a time when schools are under intense pressure to raise achievement and prepare students for a rapidly changing economy, relevance is not optional. students. It plays a direct role in whether students stay engaged and persist through challenging material. When young people can see how math connects to the world around them, they are more likely to participate, take risks and build confidence. When they cannot, math can feel abstract and disconnected, leading students to disengage and view it as a burden rather than a useful skill.

Grounding math in real-world problem solving means looking beyond textbooks to places where students might naturally encounter math in the world outside of the classroom 鈥� like the Winter Olympics. When educators consistently make those connections, math changes from something students endure to something they can use. That shift is essential to improving both engagement and outcomes.

The U.S. Department of Education launched 18 Title IX Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court heard two challenges to state bans on transgender girls competing in sports consistent with their gender identity.

The probes are based on complaints to the Office for Civil Rights that accuse colleges and school districts of violating the law because they allow trans students to participate on girls’ sports teams.

鈥淲e will leave no stone unturned in these investigations to uphold women鈥檚 right to equal access in education programs鈥攁 fight that started over half a century ago and is far from finished,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.

The list includes the New York City schools, the Tacoma and Vancouver districts in Washington and the Hawaii State Department of Education. 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared to support allowing states to decide whether to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports 鈥� an issue that has dominated the Trump administration鈥檚 education policy for the past year.

In two separate cases, attorneys for track athletes from Idaho and West Virginia argued that such restrictions violate trangender students鈥� constitutional right to equal protection under the law. They say that through medication, these athletes have reduced any sex-based physical advantages that would create unfair competition. The West Virginia case also questions whether the state鈥檚 ban violates Title IX鈥檚 right to equal educational opportunities for women and girls.

West Virginia’s law treats Becky-Pepper Jackson, a transgender 10th grader, 鈥渄ifferently from other girls on the basis of sex,鈥� Joshua Block, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, told the court. The Bridgeport High School student, he said, took puberty blockers and went through 鈥渇emale puberty.鈥� It鈥檚 鈥渁bsolutely reasonable,鈥� for states to separate teams based on a biological definition of sex, he said, but argued that the states鈥� position is 鈥渋nvalid as applied to a discrete subset鈥� of people who have mitigated physical advantages.

But the conservative justices seemed reluctant to carve out an exception for trans students, even those who have taken steps to reduce any competitive advantage.  

鈥淚f we adopted that, that would have to apply across the board and not simply to the area of athletics,鈥� Chief Justice John Roberts said.

The court鈥檚 decision in the case could impact all with similar laws that prohibit trans girls from competing on teams consistent with their gender identity. 

Upon taking office, President Donald Trump moved aggressively to place restrictions on trans athletes and highlight the experiences of those who said they were either injured by a trans competitor or put at a competitive disadvantage. Through executive order, he said Title IX only applies to cisgender women and girls, while the Department of Justice is now suing and over allowing trans students to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity. LGBTQ advocates want the court to base its decision on the 2020 majority opinion in in which the court found that transgender employees are a protected class in the workplace. 

鈥淭his is unfair to me and every transgender kid who just wants the freedom to be themselves,鈥� Pepper-Jackson said in a recorded message last week. 鈥淚’ve had my rights and my life debated by politicians who’ve never even met me.鈥�

Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who attended the more than three hours of oral arguments, discussed the stakes for many women outside the court. 

鈥淎mericans have had enough of women and girls losing opportunities and being subjected to the indignity and danger of unfair competition due to the left鈥檚 warped application of federal law,鈥� she said.

The department pressured the University of Pennsylvania, for example, to no longer allow trans women to compete on women鈥檚 teams. As part of a , the university erased trans swimmer and issued apologies to swimmers who lost to her.  

Attorney Kathleen Hartnett, who represents Boise State University student Lindsay Hecox, who takes drugs to suppress testosterone, told the court that some trans students might even be at a disadvantage.  They have 鈥渢his larger frame with weaker muscles and no testosterone,鈥� she said.

But conservative advocates disagree. 

鈥淧hysiologically, males have a larger heart, lungs, more bone mass, more muscle mass and are taller than females,鈥� Beth Parlato, senior legal counsel at the conservative Independent Women鈥檚 Law Center, told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淚t is undisputed that males retain significant physical advantages over females, making sex-based categories essential to fairness and safety in women鈥檚 sports.鈥�

鈥楾reated as individuals鈥�

Inside the court, Hashim Mooppan, principal deputy solicitor general, argued for the Trump administration, saying that denying a 鈥渟pecial accommodation鈥� to a trans woman or girl is not discrimination.

But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the liberal justices, questioned why Hecox didn鈥檛 have a claim. 

鈥淚n equal protection law,鈥� she said, 鈥淲e say all the time things like 鈥楶eople need to be treated as individuals and not as just as members of a group.鈥� 鈥�

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the six conservatives on the court, said he 鈥渉ates鈥� that trans students might be denied an opportunity to participate in sports. He also questioned whether it鈥檚 right to 鈥渃onstitutionalize a rule for the whole country鈥� when the science is still evolving. But making a team or a starting lineup is a 鈥渮ero-sum game,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose things matter to people, big time.鈥�

Observers believe the outcome could rest on how either Roberts or Justice Neal Gorsuch, who wrote the Bostock decision, rule. During Tuesday鈥檚 back-and-forth, Gorsuch asked whether transgender status could be considered an 鈥渋nsular class,鈥� considering the history of discrimination against them. But he joined the majority opinion that allowed Tennessee to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. 

鈥楴ot going to be satisfied鈥�

The court heard the arguments in the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is set to take up another federal case involving trans athletes. , a nonprofit that opposes trans students participating in women鈥檚 sports, sued Minnesota officials over the state鈥檚 policy allowing athletes to compete on teams based on their gender identity.

鈥淭heir argument is that Title IX demands exclusion of trans athletes from girls鈥� teams, which is not going to be our position,鈥� said Brian Dittmeier, director of LGBTQI+ Equality at the National Women鈥檚 Law Center, which filed a brief in support of Minnesota. 

The decision in the Eighth Circuit case, he said, is likely to come before the Supreme Court rules in the Idaho and West Virginia lawsuits, and could 鈥渋nform the narrative鈥� in future cases. The Female Athletes United lawsuit, he said, shows that those opposed to allowing trans athletes to compete with women are 鈥渘ot going to be satisfied with a compromise of letting the states decide.鈥� 

But what if there was a giant, 60-million seat classroom we keep overlooking?

What if there was already a classroom where students are learning how to lead, how to fail and keep trying and how to handle themselves when things don’t go their way?

A place where teamwork wasn’t just a word on a post but rather something kids had to develop and live out in real time?

Youth sports represent that classroom. For decades, youth sports have been considered just a physical outlet that kids participated in to stay healthy and be active. What鈥檚 often overlooked is the depth of learning and development already happening within athletic environments.

According to the Aspen Institute’s , an estimated 54% of all kids aged 6-17 participate in some form of youth sports every year. In raw numbers, that’s over in the U.S. engaging in organized athletics every year. Sports are embedded in the lives of American youth.

With over half of our students participating in sports each year, we have the opportunity to treat their involvement as more than just an add-on. Instead, what if educators and parents viewed sports as another environment where real learning can take place? 

While sports should never replace academics, they should have a place at the table to help kids develop the tools they need to be successful adults.

Before I go any further, I need to name the challenge schools are facing: Administrators, teachers, and coaches are making impossible decisions because of a gross lack of funding. The work already being done is nothing short of heroic.

This conversation isn鈥檛 about funding. It鈥檚 about mindset. Too often, we pit educational tools against each other: arts vs. athletics, STEM vs. P.E. But what if they could work together? 

Some students thrive in traditional classroom settings. My kids fall into that group. School has always come naturally to them. But when the first time they stepped on a soccer field, they had to wrestle with failure in new ways school hadn鈥檛 required.

Because their academics had felt easy, my kids didn鈥檛 know how to respond when things didn鈥檛 come easily in sports. While they were praised for their success in school, their failure on the field brought critique and discomfort. At first, they shut down when they didn鈥檛 get it right. They would get frustrated and self-critical, claiming, 鈥淚鈥檒l never be able to do this!鈥� Then, over time, they learned the lesson we hope every kid learns: They can do hard things if they stick with it.

For other students, the process works in reverse. While they might struggle in the classroom, they light up under the lights. The field becomes the first place they feel confident, focused, and successful. If youth sports were viewed as a partner to education, these students could learn to apply the mindset they鈥檝e already developed through sport to their academics.

The kind of development educators often hope to foster in a classroom is already happening organically on fields and courts. It鈥檚 easy to dismiss these moments as feel-good stories, but they鈥檙e actually meaningful learning experiences. Imagine what could happen if schools were to leverage that development and apply it to our classrooms.

Schools don鈥檛 need to choose between academics and athletics. But they also shouldn鈥檛 pretend that integration will be easy.

To do this well, it will take coaches who care more about kids than win-loss records. Coaches who understand they鈥檙e shaping people, not just players.

It will take teachers who can connect what happens on the field with what鈥檚 being taught in the classroom. Teachers who are willing to leverage the emotional growth sports often bring out.

And it will take administrators who can walk the tightrope of budget constraints, parental expectations, and student needs while still finding a way to lead with intentionality.

This isn鈥檛 about building a sports-first system. It鈥檚 about enhancing our student-first system in a way that recognizes how different environments can shape a child while treating each environment with the respect and thoughtfulness it deserves.

When we dismiss sports as something kids do outside of school, we risk missing one of the most impactful classrooms where kids are already discovering who they are, developing emotional resilience, and learning how to work hard. We also lose the opportunity to reinforce the growth already happening. And we leave too many students without the tools they need in the classroom.

If the goal is to raise kids who can navigate challenges and keep growing when things get hard, we can鈥檛 afford to overlook the role sports already play in the lives of our students. Not as competition to the classroom, but as a partner. 

In two cases from and , trans girls challenged state bans that would have prevented them from competing on women鈥檚 teams. Lower courts sided with the students, allowing them to continue competing on their existing teams as their cases progressed. 聽聽

Encouraged by the Trump administration鈥檚 aggressive actions 鈥� and the court鈥檚 recent ruling upholding Tennessee鈥檚 ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth 鈥� conservatives see the court鈥檚 decision to hear the cases as an opportunity to settle a heated national debate and say definitively that Title IX does not pertain to gender identity. 

The Independent Women鈥檚 Forum called the news 鈥渁 watershed moment for women and girls across America.鈥� 

Advocates for LGBTQ students want the lower court decisions to stand. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth and Ninth circuits said Lindsay Hecox, a Boise State University student, and Becky Pepper Jackson, now in high school, would likely succeed in their arguments against the states.

With its 2020 , Idaho became the first state to bar trans girls from playing sports consistent with their gender identities. Idaho鈥檚 law includes a provision that requires students to submit to a physical exam to verify their sex in the event of a dispute. That鈥檚 a 鈥渂roader concern鈥� for all girls, said Brian Dittmeier, director of LGBTQI+ Equality at the National Women鈥檚 Law Center.

West Virginia鈥檚 came a year later. Twenty-five other states have , according to the Movement Advancement Project; two states, Virginia and Alaska, have regulations that also exclude trans girls from girls鈥� sports. President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have further elevated the issue with efforts to withhold federal funds from blue states and schools that include trans girls in female sports. 

鈥淭he dignity afforded to transgender people is under attack,鈥� Dittmeier said. A ruling in favor of West Virginia and Idaho, he said, would 鈥減rovide opportunities for states to justify discriminatory laws.鈥�

The court鈥檚 decision to hear the cases came the same week the University of Pennsylvania, under pressure from McMahon, to no longer allow trans women to compete on women鈥檚 teams. As part of the deal, the university erased trans swimmer and issued apologies to swimmers who lost to her.  

States not backing down

The administration鈥檚 case against Maine over its will go to trial next year, and California on Monday its trans-inclusive sports policies or issue apologies. The state drew in May when a trans girl took gold in two events at a state track and field championship. 

The state, however, also created a temporary rule that allowed other girls to compete even if they did not initially qualify. The rule allowed cisgender girls to earn whatever medal they would have received if trans athletes had not competed. As a result, A.B. Hernandez, the trans competitor, shared the podium with other first-place winners. 

That鈥檚 the kind of accommodation more states might explore, depending on the outcome of the cases, said Doriane Coleman, a Duke University law professor. She supports , but thinks that elite sports require special consideration.

She argued that while it鈥檚 hard to justify excluding a trans girl from afterschool sports teams, restrictions make sense in competitive athletics. 

鈥淲e’ve been in a period where trans girls, their parents, their doctors and their coaches haven’t been allowed, by the advocates, to want anything other than being in girls and women’s sports,鈥� she said. 

She pointed to showing that while puberty blockers and hormones diminish some of the physical advantage trans female athletes have over cisgender girls, 鈥渢he overall advantage is always retained.鈥� 

Others argue that there鈥檚 to say trans girls have a consistent advantage and that socioeconomic issues, such as access to better coaching and training opportunities, also play a role.

The Biden administration tried to strike a compromise in the debate with a draft of a Title IX sports rule in 2023. It would have allowed elementary-age students and most middle schoolers to play sports consistent with their gender identity. In high school, the plan said districts could make a case for excluding trans athletes if they could show how that decision would have achieved an 鈥渋mportant educational objective.鈥� Officials the proposed rule before Trump took office.

Just days after his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order saying that Title IX 鈥� and the federal government in general 鈥� recognizes only two sexes and that they can鈥檛 be changed. 

Now the Supreme Court, which said in 2020 that discrimination against LGBTQ employees on the basis of sex is wrong in the workplace, will wrestle with the issue. Both Idaho and West Virginia ask the court whether requiring students to compete with the sex they were assigned at birth violates the Constitution鈥檚 guarantee of equal protection. The West Virginia case also asks if Title IX allows states to exclude trans girls from girls鈥� sports.

Dittmeier, at the National Women鈥檚 Law Center, said there are clear differences between the trans sports cases and In that case, the court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth, allowing states to make their own decisions on the issue. Advocates for trans youth argued that the treatments can be medically necessary and that a ban violates the Equal Protection Clause.  

When the court ruled in favor of Tennessee, it didn鈥檛 consider whether the law discriminated against children and teens based on their sex. The court accepted the state鈥檚 argument that the ban was based on age or how puberty blockers or hormones were used.

The court won鈥檛 be able to avoid the issue of sex in the sports cases. The states, Dittmeier said, have to 鈥渕eet a higher burden to justify the discriminatory action.鈥� Pepper-Jackson, for example, has an amended birth certificate and has identified as a girl since the third grade. When the Fourth Circuit ruled in the case last year, Judge Toby Heytens wrote 鈥淥ffering B.P.J. a 鈥榗hoice鈥� between not participating in sports and participating only on boys teams is no real choice at all.鈥�

At Santa Fe High School in New Mexico, two football players following an accusation that they held another teammate down and sexually assaulted him. In Orange County, California, reports surfaced of at least who were sexually assaulted by their teammates at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Mead High School, in Spokane, Washington, fired their coach after filed a lawsuit alleging that white teammates assaulted them. 

Studies show that of all high school students experience hazing, with 25% of respondents saying that it took place in a sports setting. Dr. Elizabeth Allan, the founder of the research group StopHazing, as 鈥渁ny activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them, regardless of a person鈥檚 willingness to participate.鈥� 

Hazing is most common in large groups like sports teams, where individuals are attempting to establish their position within hierarchies shaped by norms of traditional masculinity. These rituals can range from an unspoken tradition of requiring freshman athletes to carry the water bottles of seniors to sexually abusive behavior. 

Researchers fear that in severity and frequency, with sexually degrading acts emerging more often as a shortcut to humiliate and disempower a student. Despite their prevalence in sports, it is vital to recognize that hazing and sexual violence are not inherent to sports; they take hold when a culture of abuse is allowed to thrive.

As a sexual violence prevention educator who has facilitated workshops on building healthy sport cultures, I know firsthand that sports don鈥檛 need to be this way, especially when school districts and coaches prioritize efforts to create healthy and inclusive cultures on their athletic teams.

My journey as an advocate  began when I was a captain of the Melrose High School track and field team in Massachusetts. , a local nonprofit with a mission of raising community awareness of domestic and teen dating violence, has worked closely with the Melrose Public Schools to implement prevention programs at the middle and high school levels since 1998.

In my senior year, I was selected along with other sport captains to participate in a gender violence, sexual harassment, and bullying prevention program called (MVP). The program follows a model in which the social capital and leadership skills common in high school athletes are leveraged to promote a culture of respect and inclusion.

Facilitators lead participants through discussions of realistic scenarios covering a variety of abusive behavior they might witness as bystanders and discuss how they can safely and realistically intervene. Participants also learn how gender stereotypes and dominant cultural expectations of masculinity 鈥� such as telling sexist jokes, catcalling, harassing girls and women, and making homophobic remarks 鈥� contribute to a culture where sexual violence and hazing are allowed to thrive.

Such partnerships with community-based nonprofits can help schools tackle these issues. But, buy-in from coaches is critical as well.   found that 86% of coaches agreed that hazing was an issue in their community, but only 40% had a clear set of standards around appropriate behavior or how and when to intervene when hazing occurs. The study also found that six in 10 of coaches personally experienced hazing when they played a sport, which may lead them to normalize these behaviors unless they are provided with proper education and resources on how to build healthy team cultures.

Given that many high school coaches are volunteers or receive minimal compensation, they cannot be expected to drive change without the support of school districts and policymakers. In 2024, the Virginia Senate took a significant step by requiring the development and implementation of a research-based anti-hazing education program in all high school health and physical education classes statewide. 

This builds on Virginia鈥檚 earlier efforts in the anti-hazing space, particularly Adam鈥檚 Law, passed in 2022 in honor of Virginia Commonwealth University student , who died in a fraternity hazing incident in 2021. Adam鈥檚 Law mandates hazing prevention education at all Virginia colleges, grants legal immunity to bystanders who intervene, and requires universities to publicly report hazing incidents online.

In his last weeks in office, then-President Joe Biden signed the , which requires universities to collect and publicly report data on hazing incidents. While this will improve transparency and awareness, the high number of violent hazing incidents in the past year鈥檚 high school football season shows the need for earlier intervention, as modeled in Massachusetts and Virginia.

School districts can reinforce their commitment to hazing prevention by implementing clear policies that include education for both coaches and athletes on what constitutes hazing, how to intervene safely, and how to foster team traditions and school spirit in ways that promote inclusion rather than harm. Additionally, athletic directors should establish anonymous reporting mechanisms that empower athletes to speak up safely and enforce zero-tolerance policies with well-defined consequences for hazing.

Sports have the potential to teach young people the value of teamwork, resilience in the face of challenges, and principles of lifelong physical fitness. But to truly fulfill this potential, all stakeholders in youth sports鈥攑olicymakers, school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and parents鈥攎ust treat hazing, sexual violence, and abusive behaviors as the urgent, preventable issues that they are. 

If you have experienced sexual violence, hazing, or any form of abuse in a sports setting, you are not alone. is a no-cost call, text, and chat service for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone in sports communities who has questions or concerns about abuse or mental well-being in athletics.

As early as next year, North Carolina鈥檚 public high school athletes could get paid for sponsorship deals. The state Board of Education advanced proposed rules Thursday to allow students to profit from their name, image, and likeness.

NIL deals have been common in college athletics for some time and increasingly, more states have allowed high school athletes to get in on the action.

The State Board of Education initially prohibited NIL arrangements. But the N.C. High School Athletic Association told the board in July that more than 30 states have NIL policies in place, and some students were probably already accepting money on the side without any guardrails.

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The board voted to allow the proposed to move forward with a two-month public comment period commencing October 1. Following a review of those comments, the full board will consider permanent NIL rules for public high school students at its first meeting in 2025.

The proposed rules that advanced on Thursday would allow use of a student鈥檚 name, image, or likeness for commercial purposes in exchange for compensation to the student or an immediate family member.

Permitted activities include:

• Public appearances or commercials
• Autograph signings
• Athletic camps and clinics
• Sale of non-fungible tokens (鈥淣FTs鈥�)
• Product or service endorsements
• Promotional activities, including in-person events and social media advertisements

Student athletes would be prohibited from profiting from certain promotions involving adult establishments or entertainment services. Alcohol, tobacco, vaping, cannabis-related products and sports betting would be prohibited products for teen-athletes with NIL deals.

Athletic directors, coaches, and booster clubs would also be prevented from using an NIL deal as a recruitment tool.

Ryan Collins, Assistant General Counsel for the State Board of Education, said a very small percentage of students are going to be offered these kinds of deals and the state鈥檚 disclosure requirements basically puts local schools on alert.

鈥淭his is probably the most major decision or action that I have been part of since I鈥檝e been on the state board,鈥� said board member Dr. Olivia Oxendine. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty monumental in terms of the ramifications and the consequences.鈥�

Board member Kimberly Jones worried about how the arrangement might impact students active across social media.

鈥淚鈥檓 aware that a number of students, whether they play sports or not, have built up social media personalities. Many of our kids are creating content at school, on the bus, et cetera, and those accounts are then monetized.鈥�

鈥淚 think this would force an examination of that to the extent that the student is wanting to participate in athletics,鈥� Collins answered.

The proposed rules would prevent a student athlete from appearing in their team uniform during an NIL promotion.

Board of Education Vice Chair Alan Duncan suggested that as the rules moved to the public comment phase, the state should include a provision specifying that NIL dollars should be deposited in a fund that would go to benefit of the student whose name, image and likenesses is being purchased.

Oxendine said South Carolina was exploring whether the money should be placed into a trust fund for the high school student.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that every digital NIL deal will be in millions of dollars range where a trust would be a sensible solution, but it certainly is an option,鈥� Collins told the board.

The N.C. High School Athletic Association has recommended that the state adopt a financial education component to help students understand the deals to which they are agreeing. Because money is involved, parents should also be aware of possible tax implications. If a student is under 18, their parent or legal guardian would be party to the agreement.

Ian House, a student advisor to the state board of education, runs track-and-field at Cary鈥檚 Green Hope High School.

House told the board that even without a lucrative contract, there鈥檚 plenty of pressure both on and off the field for high schoolers.

鈥淔or those few students who will benefit from NIL, they may make athletics first and being a student come second. So, they鈥檙e an athlete-student, but not a student-athlete,鈥� House cautioned.

House agreed with the portion of the policy that would prevent students from showcasing a brand while on the field or in uniform.

鈥淚f someone is there not to build those values, but simply there to make money, that鈥檚 defeating the whole point of why athletics are there, why you have the team building.鈥�

Top-ranked high school quarterback the State Board of Education last month over its current ban on endorsement deals. The Grimsley (Greensboro) High School QB has since committed to play for the University of Tennessee.

What鈥檚 next?

The public will have a chance to weigh in on the proposed NIL policy during a comment period that will run from Oct. 1 through Dec. 6th. The state board will hold a virtual public hearing on Nov. 8th, process the feedback it receives, and vote on the final policy at its January 2025 meeting.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com. Follow NC Newsline on and .

At this year鈥檚 summer Paralympics in Paris, earned a silver medal in the F64 shot put. She also competed in the F64 discus event and came in 10th place. F64 is a for Paralympians with limb deficiencies and leg length differences.

鈥淲ith able-bodied kids, they can use their body differently,鈥� Middleton, a sophomore at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, The Daily Bulletin in an interview last year. 鈥淭hey have both of their legs. They can do certain things a lot stronger. But it doesn鈥檛 matter because I can still compete with them.鈥� 

Middleton is one of three inspiring high school Paralympians on Team USA who are competing in Paris this year. Here are their stories:

ARELLE MIDDLETON, 16

Middleton was with a congenital femoral deficiency, which means her left leg is shorter than her right leg and her left hip is underdeveloped. Despite physical challenges, she competes alongside athletes without disabilities in track and field high school meets.

In 2023, when Middleton was just 15 years old, she was named U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Field Athlete of the Year, and also a spot on the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School All-American list.

Her mother, former WNBA player Sandra Van Embricqs, encouraged Middleton to get involved in sports at an early age.

Middleton joined the Challenged Athletes Foundation, or CAF, at age 12 and frequently won competitions. But when she entered high school, her mother strongly encouraged her to join the Los Osos track and field team.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know how I would feel being with able-bodied kids,鈥� Middleton told The Daily Bulletin. 鈥淭hey wouldn鈥檛 really understand as much as kids with a disability would understand, but I met some great people here. It鈥檚 good to be part of something with your school.鈥�

The Paralympian plans to compete in both wheelchair basketball and track and field after she graduates in 2026. She believes cross-training will benefit her performance in each sport.

Several college basketball programs have already Middleton.

JORDAN WHITE, 15

At 15 years old, Jordan White is the youngest archer from the U.S. to for the Paralympics this summer. 

A sophomore at Hill Country Christian School of Austin, White鈥檚 math teacher Christopher Felleisen calls him a 鈥減henomenal student.鈥�

He鈥檚 also a quick learner. The Austin, Texas, native tried archery for the first time less than four years ago when he was looking for a new activity to keep him busy during COVID. He has since won six national records. And less than a year ago, he began working toward competing in Paris.

White was with a right leg that is shorter than the left, challenging his flexibility. He dedicates six to seven days a week to perfecting his form, strength, and mental agility and understands the role he plays in enhancing the representation of people with disabilities in archery. 

鈥淚 really hope that I can pave the way for other young disabled archers,鈥� he Hill Country News in August.

鈥淛ordan is a hard worker, asks great questions and is an extremely high achiever,鈥� Felleisen told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 exciting about having Jordan in class is that he鈥檚 dedicated to doing well and it鈥檚 seen in his athletic performance, but his level of achievement is not very different in the classroom.鈥�

White, who is part of a close-knit group of friends known as the 鈥楲unch Bunch,鈥� takes part in his  high school鈥檚 engineering pathway program, which focuses on engineering and robotics classes. He鈥檚 also a member of the National Junior Honor Society and the yearbook staff. 

鈥淗e鈥檚 known for being incredibly intelligent and he鈥檚 at the top of all his classes, and everyone knows it,鈥� added his academic and college advisor Jessica Pyo.

His teachers say they鈥檙e closely following his performance at the Paralympics.

鈥淚t looks like he鈥檚 having a lot of fun and this is a great story for him to tell, especially with college applications coming soon.鈥� Pyo said.

MAYLEE PHELPS, 17

At just 17, Maylee Phelps has taken wheelchair tennis by storm and has secured a win in the first round of women鈥檚 singles in Paris. 

Phelps, a high school junior in Portland, Oregon, was with spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord does not develop properly. This requires her to wear a leg brace and use a wheelchair.

The Paralympian began competing nationally at age 12, the International Tennis Federation鈥檚 Wheelchair Tennis Junior of the Year in 2023 and she scored the No. 1 position on the Cruyff Foundation Girls鈥� Junior Ranking. 

Phelps her homeschool schedule with at least five days a week of tennis practice and strength training. 

鈥淪he just absorbs,鈥� U.S. national wheelchair tennis coach John Devorss the University of Oregon. 鈥淵ou tell her something and it just takes a few times and she鈥檚 correcting it herself, which is a great characteristic of any athlete is just be really coachable.鈥�

Phelps and Devorss train in Salem, Oregon, which is more than an hour south of Phelps鈥� home in Portland. 

In her free time, the tennis player enjoys puzzles and playing with her dog Otis. She also volunteers at Shriners Hospital for Children, introducing children with disabilities to tennis.

In just a few weeks, these Olympians will be back to learning English and math with a proud story to tell.

Rivera, the youngest athlete on Team USA, a gold medal for the women鈥檚 gymnastics team finals, alongside decorated gymnasts Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee.

鈥淭his was such an amazing experience and just being with the team to support them meant the world to me,” Rivera after receiving her gold medal in Paris. 鈥淚t was so surreal.鈥�

The 16-year-old New Jersey native did not compete as part of gymnastics team’s final competition, however. Rivera failed to qualify for the final based on her performance in two individual events 鈥� the bars and beam. Her overall score still helped the U.S. women鈥檚 gymnastics team advance and clinch the gold.

absolutely loving the commentators talking about how important hezly rivera is to this team and how just because she isn鈥檛 competing, doesn鈥檛 mean she contributed any less to wherever they stand at the end of the night

鈥� aman (@royaltothebay)

Rivera attends Inspire Academy, an online school that allows her the flexibility to balance a rigorous training schedule.

Like Rivera, Wilson in the first leg of the U.S. men鈥檚 4×400-meter relay, helping the team to qualify for the final and making him the youngest male track and field athlete from the United States to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

Although Wilson, who is a rising junior at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, admitted he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 run his best,鈥� he praised his teammates including Rai Jefferson, Christopher Bailey and Vernon Norwood, who helped support him during the run for gold. And he returned the favor as he them on from the stands of the Stade de France as they secured an Olympic-record victory. 

鈥淚 did what people said was the impossible鈥︹�� Wilson on Instagram. 鈥淚鈥檓 the youngest US male track athlete to receive a gold medal at the Olympics!鈥� 

The track and field sensation attention on social media when he his thoughts about the upcoming school year following his performance in Paris. He took to X and said, 鈥淒ang, I really got school in 2 and a half weeks #Gold #OlympicGamesParis.鈥�

Dang, I really got school in 2 and a half weeks

鈥� Quincy 鈥淨鈥� Wilson (@QuincyWilson5)

Jokes in reply immediately came flying in from fans after Wilson made this post.

鈥淲hen the teacher asks for answers, raise your medal instead of your hand,鈥� one fan said.  

鈥淭hem 鈥榳hat did yall do over summer break鈥� conversations gonna hit different lmao,鈥� another added.

Like her high school Team USA counterparts, Shackell鈥檚 preliminary round participation helped earn her and her teammates Olympic medals. She a silver medal in the 4×200 freestyle relay with teammates including Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden and fellow high schooler Claire Weinstein. She also secured gold in the 4×100 medley relay with Regan Smith, Lilly King and Gretchen Walsh.

The 17-year-old, who will begin her senior year at Carmel High School this week, has made history as Carmel鈥檚 first female student to win an Olympic medal in swimming.

Many know her as an Olympian. We know her as a student. Welcome back to our Senior Greyhound ! We are so proud of you. Go Hounds!

鈥� Tim Phares (@Tim4Phares)

鈥淚 was just happy to be there and happy to go as fast as I can, and get the girls the next night a good spot,鈥� Shackell . 鈥淚鈥檝e been wanting a gold medal or like any medal since I was little, like 8 years old and dreaming of that moment. To be able to hold it is crazy, I鈥檝e been looking at it everyday.鈥�

Shackell is also the second female high school student from Indiana to win an Olympic medal in swimming.

For Rivera, Wilson and Shackell, many fans anticipate their return to the Olympics podium in 2028, when the U.S. will host the Summer Games in Los Angeles, California. They鈥檝e just got to finish their homework first. 

Learn more about the other high school students we rooted for on Team USA this summer here. 

Among the athletes competing on Team USA this summer, several are still in high school making their mark in sports ranging from gymnastics to skateboarding. Many of these students are first time Olympians, who will be competing while also managing their class work and other academic responsibilities. 

Young stars on Team USA, such as gymnast Hezly Rivera and sprinter Quincy Wilson, are already rising fan-favorites. 

Meet six high schoolers we鈥檙e rooting for on Team USA. Let the games begin!

PAIGE HEYN, 16

Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at the and is returning this year in Paris. 

All eyes will be on Tempe, Arizona鈥檚 Paige Heyn, one of the fastest rising women in the sport. Heyn is 鈥渁lmost single-handedly responsible for that level of progression in women鈥檚 skateboarding,鈥� John Nicholson, Heyn’s coach with USA Skateboarding, said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny to be a pioneer at 16. In a matter of six months, she has directly influenced her competition.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really do normal 16-year-old stuff,鈥� Heyn said.

Known as a switch skater, Heyn鈥檚 ability to skate with both her left and right foot forward has set her apart as she competes. 

Heyn is a sophomore enrolled in the United States Performance Academy (USPA), an online middle and high school for young elite athletes. Despite constant travel and time zone changes, she prioritizes her academics, according to her USPA learning coach Blair Lunn. 

鈥淪he is really enjoying her World History class,鈥� Lunn told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淪he is also learning American Sign Language.鈥� 

CLAIRE WEINSTEIN, 17

Claire Weinstein became one of the youngest swimmers to for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials at just 13 years old. Now at 17, she intends to keep making history.

With a lifelong record of straight A鈥檚 鈥� which she鈥檚 recently demonstrated at the online Laurel Springs School 鈥� Weinstein鈥檚 teachers and trainers applaud her hard work, talent and focus.

鈥淐laire absorbs information and training like a sponge,鈥� Weinstein鈥檚 former full-time coach Carle Fierro told 蜜桃影视. 鈥淪he is efficient in quickly applying corrections to her technique, and is able to make connections in the water a lot of swimmers are unable to do.鈥�

Fierro praised Weinstein for her remarkable sense of humor and hours of free time spent teaching young kids to swim. The teenager has committed to a decorative career as a top swimming recruit in her class at University of California-Berkeley. 

She is interested in either studying law or medicine, Claire鈥檚 mother Diane Weinstein told 蜜桃影视.

QUINCY WILSON, 16

16-year-old Quincy Wilson a spot on the Team USA relay team, making history as the youngest-ever male U.S. track and field Olympian.

The upcoming junior is also an honor roll student at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

Wilson brings 鈥渁bsolute joy to the classroom through his excitement to learn something new鈥� and a 鈥減ositive, respectful, inquisitive nature to each subject, enhancing the learning of his classmates,鈥� Bullis Head of Upper School Robert Pollinco said. 

Wilson has received an array of prestigious honors at Bullis, including the Freshman Manuel Jos茅 Baca, Jr. Joy of Living Award 鈥� and most recently, the Sophomore Head of Upper School Award earlier this spring. 

When not on the track, Wilson enjoys video games like Fortnite and Call of Duty with his friends. 

Pollinco said Wilson is seen as a 鈥渃onsummate scholar, leader, athlete, artist, explorer and most importantly, true friend at Bullis School.鈥�

ALEX SHACKELL, 17

17-year-old Alex Shackell the first female swimmer from Indiana鈥檚 renowned Carmel High School to make a U.S. Olympic team. Shackell recognizes she is a part of not only the standing history of Indiana sports, but the athletic legacy of her high school.

Carmel鈥檚 swimming program won its consecutive state championship under coach Chris Plumb鈥檚 leadership, who believed Shackell鈥檚 best opportunity at becoming an Olympian was if she competed in the 200-meter butterfly 鈥� and that鈥檚 exactly what happened. 

Shackell is a rising junior at Carmel, but has committed to swimming at University of California-Berkeley, where she will be a conference title contender. There, she will her older brother Aaron Shackell, who鈥檚 also competing in his first Olympic games this year.

THOMAS HEILMAN, 17

Earlier this summer, 17-year-old Thomas Heilman the youngest American male swimmer to qualify for an Olympics team since Michael Phelps.

However, Heilman dismisses comparisons to the Olympic champion, who has a total of 28 medals.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always great to be in the same conversation as [Phelps], but I鈥檓 trying not to worry about that too much and trying to take things day by day,鈥� Heilman during a press conference after earning his ticket to Paris.

Heilman, an upcoming senior at Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, Virginia, and of the greatest high school swimming recruits of all time, has committed to the University of Virginia.

HEZLY RIVERA, 16

New Jersey native Hezly Rivera is the youngest person competing on Team USA鈥檚 roster.

After moving to Texas in 2021, Rivera began at World Olympics Gymnastics Academy. There, she is coached directly by Valeri and Anna Liukin, the parents of Olympic champion Nastia Liukin. The gym has collectively earned 36 World and Olympic medals, having trained Olympians like Carly Patterson and Gabby Douglas.

While Rivera enjoys baking in her downtime (her favorite creations include red velvet and chocolate cakes), spending time with her dog and laying down to rest and recover from six days of training is just as rewarding. 

Rivera attends Inspire Academy, an online school that allows her the flexibility to focus on training full time.

However, a provision in the law designated that no funding could be used to give anyone a 鈥渄angerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon.鈥� Suddenly, the fate of the hundreds of thousands of students across the country who are passionate about archery and learned the sport from coaches in schools was in question. Would this law be interpreted to include bows, arrows and quivers? Would the more than 104,000 adults trained as basic archery instructors need to cease their teachings at schools?   

Understanding that the federal law overgeneralized the guidance of what can be classified as a 鈥渄angerous weapon,鈥� the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) stood behind our 21-year unblemished safety record and worked to get legislation passed to clarify that archery could still be funded and allowed in schools. Regardless of party, the bipartisan array of legislators, parents and educators who spoke up in support of these efforts was truly extraordinary. 

Archery supporters wrote, emailed and called their representatives to tell their stories and share what those lawmakers may not have fully understood: Here鈥檚 all the good that archery does for kids. Banning bows and arrows was not what was intended in that student safety regulation and individuals, education leaders and conservation organizations came together to change that. 

Late fall, H.R. 5110 was passed to allow schools to utilize federal education funds to purchase or use archery equipment and train students in archery. When President Biden signed it into law, I breathed a sigh of relief. 

If you鈥檝e seen the effect learning archery in schools has on kids, you know why this landmark bill was a big deal. If you鈥檙e unfamiliar with archery and are wondering why this matters for students, here鈥檚 why: 

• Archery appeals to a broad base of students. Kids from underrepresented communities are just as likely to participate as kids who are coasting along, otherwise completely unengaged in school. Archery engages kids; in fact, 58 percent of kids who participate in archery say they feel more connected to their school. As a school administrator, I was constantly looking at test scores, talking to educators and trying to figure out what we were doing to reach the kids who weren鈥檛 participating in additional activities for various reasons. Archery often provides the spark that allows those kids, who might otherwise be overlooked, to find their passion and their people.
  
• Archery has a positive effect on school culture. In the words of two of my superintendent mentors, 鈥淐ulture eats everything else for breakfast.鈥� When archery is introduced, I鈥檝e seen kids become more positive about and engaged in school and an overall uplift to school culture.

• Archery gives kids connection and a taste of success, often for the first time in their lives. Maybe they don鈥檛 feel like an athlete or a scholar or one of the popular kids, but they still need to feel success, especially at that critical time in their lives when they are in middle and high school. 

• Archery is presented to everyone, often in PE. Students try it, they like it, they figure it out and they keep at it until they hit the target. They talk about it on the bus, with friends, with their families. The anecdote we hear over and over again is, 鈥淢y kid never cared about anything until they learned archery.鈥� It鈥檚 not the archery, it鈥檚 the opportunity to succeed. 

• Archery is truly equal opportunity. Regardless of gender, race or ability, kids can participate and excel with archery. Kids with learning differences, emotional and physical disabilities and those who are neurodiverse can truly shine through archery. Kids from wealthy home environments use the exact same bow as students from lower-income households. 

NASP is the largest youth archery organization in the world. We require a 10-hour minimum in-school component to introduce new audiences to the sport. Any school anywhere can participate. In fact, nearly 9,000 schools across the U.S. do. More that 1.3 million kids each year are part of the program.

Archery is safe, it鈥檚 beneficial and I鈥檓 so grateful that unintentional overextension in one law gave us the opportunity not only to clarify how safe the sport truly is, but to shine the spotlight on just how much good it does for the kids we all try to reach each and every day. 

Republicans have called on the administration to and are the administration for its interpretation that Title IX covers sexual orientation and gender identity. But Democrats say transgender students need the overhaul to combat discrimination and harassment in school. Excluding trans students from using bathrooms and playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity denies their civil rights, they say. 

The U.S. Department of Education is still reviewing 鈥渁 historic number of comments鈥� from the public on the proposed regulations, according to a department spokesperson, and is now likely to miss its for release.

The department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights received almost 240,000 comments on the primary rule, and more than 156,000 on the athletics rule. The department plans to release both portions at the same time, but the draft rule still faces review from the Office of Management and Budget, a required step that typically lasts 120 days.

While department officials declined to say if they鈥檇 miss the deadline, one expert is skeptical.

W. Scott Lewis, a partner with TNG, a consulting firm that works on Title IX issues, said it鈥檚 possible the rule won鈥檛 come out until spring. That timing, he said, 鈥渨ould be better for school districts and colleges鈥� because it would allow them to make changes in the spring for the 2024-25 school year. 

The initial draft was released in July 2022, followed by the in April.

鈥淲e might miss it; we might not,鈥� a department spokesperson told 蜜桃影视 Friday. 鈥淭he Department is working overtime to ensure that each [comment] is thoroughly read and carefully considered.鈥�

Higher Ed Dive the delay Thursday. Opponents of the rewrite seized upon the news as a sign their pushback has been effective.

The administration is 鈥渞esponding to growing criticisms from many sectors of society,鈥� Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, an advocacy organization, said in a .

But advocates for the revision say they are tired of waiting.

Anya Marino, director of LGBTQI Equality at the National Women鈥檚 Law Center, said trans and nonbinary students are facing 鈥渟taggering rates鈥� of abuse and harassment. A showed that almost 70% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Four in 10 LGBTQ students said they avoided bathrooms, locker rooms and gym class because of concerns for their safety.

鈥淭hese very real harms have been exacerbated by the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation and policies introduced at the state and local level, nationwide,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he Department鈥檚 rule is needed now.鈥�

Biden took office with plans to roll back former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos鈥檚 similarly divisive rewrite of Title IX and, for the first time, extend protections to LGBTQ students. The DeVos rule, which also went through a formal notice and comment period, narrows the definition of sexual misconduct and sets limits on investigating incidents that occurred off campus. The rule also acknowledges the due process rights of students who said they have been unfairly accused of sexual misconduct. 

The Biden proposal would require schools to investigate 鈥渉ostile environments鈥� even if they occur outside of school. 

But the plan to broaden the rule to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation has sparked the most outrage from conservatives, who argue the administration would undo Title IX鈥檚 accomplishments for women over the past 50 years.

Recognizing the sharp divide over trans students鈥� participation in girls鈥� sports, officials handled that part of the rule separately and ultimately issued a draft that in general would allow elementary-age students to play sports consistent with their gender identity, but gives districts the discretion to exclude older trans students from competing with cisgender girls in certain sports. 

now bar trans students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.

The proposal left the argument far from settled. Most advocates for LGBTQ issues say there are no circumstances in which trans students should be excluded.

In a counter move, the GOP-dominated House in April that would make the inclusion of trans students on teams consistent with their gender identity a Title IX violation. The Senate, still in the hands of Democrats, isn鈥檛 expected to take action on the bill.

This would be the second time release of the final rule has been pushed back. The department originally . Despite the procedural delays, the administration is still acting under Biden鈥檚 2021 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. 

鈥淲e continue to enforce Title IX consistent with existing law that protects students on the basis of sex, including LGBTQI+ students,鈥� the spokesperson said.

That interpretation led to a  from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, stating that the order covers school meal programs and that any program receiving Food and Nutrition Service funds 鈥渕ust investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation鈥� and update signs to say nondiscrimination policies include LGBTQ students.

Twenty-two states over the issue, and Republicans in Congress, including Sen. Rob Marshall of Kansas, accused the administration of holding 鈥渃hildren鈥檚 lunch hostage in pursuit of your woke agenda.鈥� 

The department spokesperson did not offer a new timetable for releasing the final rule, saying, 鈥淲e are utilizing every resource at our disposal to complete this rulemaking process as soon as is practicable.鈥�

Department civil rights officials eschewed either blanket inclusion of trans students in teams consistent with their gender identity or banning such policies altogether.

In a sign of the controversy the issue has generated, the department received over by Monday鈥檚 deadline. But if those remarks are any indication, a hoped-for compromise could remain elusive.

鈥淣o young person should ever be excluded just because of who they are 鈥� especially students who just want to play sports,鈥� wrote Tim Turbiak, a board member for the Ballston Spa Central School District, north of Albany, New York. 

North Carolina state Superintendent Catherine Truitt, meanwhile, said the proposal undermines Title IX鈥檚 intent.

鈥淯nder no circumstance can we assume that Congress, when crafting this important law 40 years ago, fathomed a biological male playing competitive sports in an all-female league or competition at any level,鈥� she wrote.

Such views are among the many the department must reconcile before issuing a final rule. The existing draft largely puts interpretation of the policy in the hands of individual districts. But several experts said it lacks clarity on several key issues and leaves school systems in a legal no man鈥檚 land if they鈥檙e in one of with a categorical ban on trans students in sports. 

In a state with a ban, 鈥淲hat does [the Education Department] expect the recipient to do?鈥� the Association of Title IX Administrators, a national membership group, asked in an 11-page comment. 

Nineteen states have already in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit opposing the Biden administration鈥檚 interpretation of Title IX. A involving a transgender West Virginia middle schooler who runs track is before the 4th Circuit.

In general, the draft rule would allow elementary-age students to play sports consistent with their gender identity and likely continue in middle school. In high school, however, districts could make a case for excluding trans athletes if they can show how that decision achieves an 鈥渋mportant educational objective.鈥�

District leaders will need clearer guidance than the department has provided so far to write those policies, according to the Title IX association鈥檚 .

In general, the organization wants a plainly written rule allowing students to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity. At this point, the draft addresses a 鈥減hantom fear鈥� that trans female athletes would dominate competitive sports, wrote board Chair Brett Sokolow and President Daniel Swinton.

If the department fails to heed that advice, the association urged officials to provide examples of restrictions that would and would not comply and offer clarity on specific scenarios that are likely to arise if the draft becomes official policy. 

For example, if a trans student makes a team, but is 鈥渂enched鈥� and never gets to play, would that qualify as discrimination on the basis of gender identity? They want the department to clarify exactly what rights Title IX protects. 

鈥淚s it the right to be on a team, the right to compete, the right to have the opportunity to win or play, etc.?鈥� they asked.

鈥楥ase-by-case basis鈥�

With the issue likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, Max Eden, a research fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute who opposes the change, said the political debate currently favors those who oppose any restrictions on trans students in sports.

Democrats, he said, 鈥渨ill publicly argue that Republicans are going to the Supreme Court to defend sex segregation in mostly non-existent elementary school sports.鈥�

He argues that the administration鈥檚 attempt to bridge the divide over the issue has failed.

鈥淚t appears to concede everything, because high schools can adopt policies that predicate competitive sports participation on biological sex,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut actually, it concedes nothing, because [the Office for Civil Rights] reserves the right to insist that those policies change on a practically arbitrary and case-by-case basis.鈥� 

When Sandra Hodgin, founder and CEO of the Title IX Consulting Group, first read the draft, her initial thought was, 鈥淥h boy, the conservative side is going to have a heart attack.鈥� She said she鈥檚 heard some district leaders in more conservative parts of California, where she鈥檚 based, discuss rejecting federal funds rather than comply.

Progressive districts, she said, seem more willing to balance inclusion with respecting the concerns of conservative parents. 

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to make it seem like they are just jumping on the Biden bandwagon,鈥� she said.

Co-ed teams

While debate over the issue focuses mostly on trans girls, an incident last fall in Florida demonstrates some of the confusion over the issue. The Duval County Public Schools to play on the boy鈥檚 soccer team, citing the state鈥檚 ban on trans girls playing on a girls team. But the district later reversed its decision and apologized.聽

Six states 鈥� Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, New Mexico and Texas 鈥� require students to compete on teams consistent with the sex listed on their birth certificate, according to the advocacy group . Several more require documentation that a student鈥檚 gender has changed before they can play on a team where they feel most comfortable.

Rules for middle school students, who often enter puberty during those years, should be more explicit, the Title IX association said, since only about a third of state athletic associations have policies governing middle and junior high school sports.

鈥淕iven the changes the body undergoes during puberty, educational objectives like injury avoidance or fairness may increase in significance after puberty,鈥� they wrote.

Finally, the association wants the department to explain vague terms such as 鈥渕inimize harms to students鈥� and clarify whether districts would have to organize or pay for alternative opportunities for trans students to play. 

Districts stuck in limbo between the federal government and state law should consider adding a co-ed team, Hodgin recommended. 

鈥淚鈥檝e been saying this for well over a year. It costs money, time and attention. Who is going to coach it? And who are they playing against?鈥� she asked. 鈥淏ut if we鈥檙e really looking at equity and ensuring there’s no discrimination, that would be my suggestion.鈥�

Advocates for LGBTQ students agreed that the draft rule should be more straightforward. While the introduction notes that across-the-board bans in sports would violate the law, Olivia Hunt, policy director at the National Center for Transgender Equality, wants that statement reflected throughout the text.

Any case where a trans student is excluded has 鈥渢o address a well-founded concern and not be based on over-broad generalizations. The regulation should spell that out,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is an issue where there is a lot of confusion among policymakers at the state and district level.鈥�

While large districts may have legal teams prepared to advise board members and administrators as unexpected challenges arise, the final rule, she said, 鈥渘eeds to be something that can apply in large and small districts.鈥�

If adopted, school systems in that “categorically” ban transgender athletes could find themselves caught between state and federal laws, a tension that is likely to play out in the courts.

Under the proposed rule, however, schools and colleges could 鈥渁dopt policies that limit transgender students鈥� participation鈥� in specific sports 鈥� particularly at the more competitive high school and college levels. That would effectively bar some transgender girls from participation.

鈥淪ome sex-related distinctions in sports are permissible as long as the school ensures overall equal athletic participation opportunities,鈥� a senior administration official said in a briefing with reporters, noting the department鈥檚 effort to address the shifting legal landscape on an issue that has sharply divided the country since President Joe Biden took office. 

The rule will be published in the coming weeks, the official said, and available for public comment for 30 days.

“Every student should be able to have the full experience of attending school in America, including participating in athletics, free from discrimination,鈥� Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. 

The proposed rule makes good on a promise Biden issued on his first day as president, when he released an stating that Title IX protections against discrimination extend to students based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. Since then, banning transgender students from competing in girls sports has become a defining issue for Republicans. Just this week, Kansas lawmakers overrode the veto of Gov. Laura Kelly and imposed a ban on transgender athletes competing in kindergarten through college. And 17 states that they would sue if the department went through with efforts to 鈥渞edefine biological sex to include gender identity.鈥� 

But administration officials believe they鈥檝e struck an appropriate compromise. 鈥淭he proposed rule that we offer today is our best judgment,鈥� the department official said. 鈥淲e are confident in our legal opinion.鈥�

The proposal would require schools to carefully balance issues of inclusion and fairness, and nods toward evolving understanding of how children’s bodies develop during puberty. It states that most students in the elementary grades would be able to play sports consistent with their gender identity and likely be able to continue doing so in middle school. At higher levels, schools would have to consider the specific sport and competitiveness level before determining if transgender students should be excluded. Schools would be allowed to decide for themselves, the official said, whether limiting trans students鈥� participation meets an educational goal.

鈥淭his is a high, demanding standard that will be difficult for schools to meet,鈥� said Scott Skinner-Thompson, an associate law professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder. 

The administration鈥檚 measure may not go far enough for transgender student activists or those who think inclusion hinders the goals of women鈥檚 sports.

Conservatives who have opposed the administration鈥檚 stance on the issue said it puts school districts in the middle. The proposal, according to , places 鈥渢he onus on school districts鈥� to determine whether their policy would violate the law.

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. went further, promising in a statement that 鈥渨e will never allow boys to play in girls鈥� sports. We will fight this overreach tooth and nail. And we will stop at nothing to uphold the protections afforded women under Title IX.鈥� 

LGBTQ advocates say conservatives are discriminating against vulnerable students who make up just . 

Some advocates welcomed the proposed rule鈥檚 language that across-the-board bans on trans girls participating in girls and women鈥檚 sports violate the law, but expressed concern that some trans students would still face discrimination.

Title IX 鈥減rotections don鈥檛 stop when a student leaves the classroom to go out onto the soccer field or a volleyball court or into a bathroom,鈥� said Sasha Buchert, nonbinary and transgender rights project director at Lambda Legal, a law firm and advocacy organization. 

The draft rule also comes as the GOP-led House prepares to vote on 鈥� the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act 鈥� that would essentially turn state bans into federal policy. The legislation is not expected to pass in the Senate. 

The state bans have been the subject of numerous legal challenges. The release of the rule late in the afternoon before a holiday weekend coincided with the Thursday of West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey鈥檚 emergency request to allow its 2021 Save Women鈥檚 Sports law to go into effect. Becky Pepper-Jackson, identified male at birth, and her mother Heather Jackson to prevent the law from being implemented, saying that it violates Title IX and the U.S. Constitution. 

The court鈥檚 ruling means that Pepper-Jackson, 12, can continue participating on her school鈥檚 cross country and track teams while the U.S, Appeals Court for the 4th Circuit considers her case.

The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Lambda Legal called the state鈥檚 request 鈥渁 baseless and cruel effort to keep Becky from where she belongs 鈥� playing alongside her peers as a teammate and as a friend.鈥�

The draft is the second part of the administration鈥檚 rewrite of Title IX. Released last year, the initial draft extended Title IX protections to LGBTQ students but left unanswered questions about school sports.

The administration largely aims to reverse a Trump-era rule that required live hearings as part of investigations into sexual harassment and misconduct. The proposed rule also removes a requirement that defines harassment as 鈥渟evere, pervasive and objectively offensive.鈥� 

The department had to review nearly 350,000 comments on Title IX, with many focusing on sports. 

鈥淲e’ve been very grateful to be able to take account of the very wide variety of views on this topic,鈥� the official said. Comments from students, professional athletes, teachers and others were incorporated to 鈥渋nform that proposed law.鈥� 

With its high rates of drug cartel deaths and femicide, Ciudad Ju谩rez has often been described as one of the most violent cities in the world 鈥� if not the single most dangerous city.

鈥淲hen you speak about Ju谩rez, you have to speak about violence,鈥� said Luis Mendoza, who has been living in the city across the border from El Paso his whole life.

鈥淲e have to think about where the roots of the violence are and where we can prevent violent behaviors and situations from happening in the future,鈥� added Mendoza, who serves as the chief operating officer for the Ju谩rez . 鈥淪o you really have to work with youth and children.鈥�

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Now, the foundation鈥檚 Escuelas de Bienestar, or wellness schools, are using sports and play to deter young children from entering a life of violence while helping them develop self-awareness and skills to interact and communicate with others, and teaching them how to manage emotions and build relationships through physical activities.

鈥淲e know that sports and play is a very powerful tool for organizations, individuals, teachers, schools, and other foundations to affect social change,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淭he problem is we have kids at school that are expressing or replicating cycles of violence or unhealthy behaviors. We have teachers that don鈥檛 have a curriculum or they don鈥檛 have tools to connect with the kids. That鈥檚 when we come into play.鈥�

From 2008 to 2012, the city of 1.3 million was widely deemed the most dangerous place on earth. Murders shot above . In 2022, Ju谩rez reported 1,045 homicides, a 26% compared to the previous year.

A by the World Health Organization found that youth violence is a global public health problem that ranges from bullying and fighting and can escalate to severe sexual and physical assault and homicide.

鈥淲orldwide, an estimated 200,000 homicides occur among youth 10 to 29 years old each year, making it the fourth leading cause of death for people in this age group,鈥� the study showed, noting that youth homicide and non-fatal violence often has a lifelong impact on a person鈥檚 wellbeing.

The foundation 鈥� a sister organization to the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation in El Paso that work together to improve the quality of life in the region 鈥� searched through available programs and partnered with to find a way to help the youth of Ju谩rez.

A United Kingdom-based nonprofit, Coaches Across Continents teaches active citizens and strengthens organizations to create sustainable social impact in their communities.

鈥淭hey reach underserved communities, and it鈥檚 not about learning something that鈥檚 in the school curriculum,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about learning topics that are important for their health, human development, communications, and tough topics that sometimes they don鈥檛 have the tools to manage.鈥�

Coaches Across Continents is partnering with FPDN to train physical education teachers in Ju谩rez so that they’re able to meet the needs of their students while addressing challenging topics such as human rights, drug use, drug prevention, sexual health, violence and emotional health and well-being.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a train-the-trainer model to teach teachers on how to use play to develop those life skills and to address social topics that are hard to talk about in other educational settings,鈥� Mendoza said. The teachers are going to talk about nutrition, mental health, human rights, women鈥檚 rights, and other topics, in addition to sports.

Physical education teachers are oftentimes seen as less sophisticated than other educators. However, Mendoza said these educators need to be acknowledged for their impact on their students.

鈥淭he power that PE teachers and coaches have on the development of children and youths is enormous,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have learned that they want more training to diversify their classes, so they鈥檙e not only focused on gym class but on sports and play. They want to be able to use their tools to strengthen abilities and skills.鈥�

Since the inception of Escuelas de Bienestar in 2017, 303 participants have joined the program impacting 77,018 school children in Ju谩rez. About 60% of those enrolled in the program work as PE teachers, while the remainder is church youth groups, community centers and other groups that work with children regularly.

The trainers sign-up for a three-year commitment and receive training on developing games to use with their students while receiving support from the foundation.

鈥淎fter those three years, the data shows us that (the trainers) already know how to make up games by themselves without the accompaniment of the 贵耻苍诲补肠铆辞苍 or coaches and they are able to improvise,鈥� Mendoza said.

As part of the three-year commitment, participants must attend at least one yearly training where Fundaci贸n Paso Del Norte facilitates members of Coaches Across Continents who fly across the globe to offer training in Ju谩rez.

鈥淭hey would work with my program officer and my coach locally, and both of them would deliver the training for teachers,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淚n this four-day training, these two coaches are in charge of facilitating the whole methodology.鈥�

Besides the in-person training, participants have access to an international information hub where members from all over the world upload new games, materials, tools and resources for all to use and incorporate into their classes.

Mendoza said connecting with Coaches Across Continents was an easy process resulting in a fruitful relationship.

鈥淯sually, they want to work with communities that have a challenge in human rights and social development with some sort of a problem that the sports and games could be useful to use as a tool,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was not difficult.鈥�

The lack of resources for teachers is a worldwide phenomenon affecting instructors in lower-income places . Escuelas de Bienestar is conscious of this when offering training to ensure the programs succeed with their available supplies.

鈥淲e would have loved to give every school that we work with a full kit of PE class material,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 do it with every school, but we did invest resources to fully equip 20 schools in Ju谩rez. And every teacher participating in our program gets a donation of soccer balls that (don鈥檛 go flat).鈥�

The organization received 5,000 soccer balls from, 4,200 of which have been distributed throughout the program.

鈥淸Sting, the singer] started this organization with the objective of getting soccer balls to the poorest communities and underserved communities around the world because he believed that playing could change the world,鈥� Mendoza said.

The , the project鈥檚 flagship product, is an ultra-durable ball that doesn鈥檛 need a pump and never goes flat, even when punctured. Its design allows withstanding the most demanding playing conditions.

鈥淭he organization understands that the context of the kids is so different,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淲e have kids that play in the streets.鈥�

In 2023, FPDN is reviewing the previous years of the program and learning how to continue helping the children of Ju谩rez. It plans to survey program participants and other instructors outside of its network to evaluate its impact and identify resources and tools they have. From there, it will make adjustments.

鈥淭his year, we are very excited to explore how the program could be sustained in the community in one way or another,鈥� Mendoza said, adding that the foundation plans to host one workshop in 2023 as opposed to the three it held in previous years.

Based on the findings for this year, the program will be updated and modified to provide support year-round available for every teacher in the country to access it and learn from the years the program operated.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to mention it as an exit strategy or as it is phasing out,鈥� said Mendoza. 鈥淲e prefer to communicate that this year we鈥檙e exploring how the program can become self-sufficient at some point with the help of teachers and community.鈥�

This story was co-published with as part of our joint .

This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

When begins on , it鈥檚 a sure bet that millions of Americans will be making wagers on the annual college basketball tournament.

The American Gaming Association estimates that in 2022, 45 million people – or more than 17% of American adults 鈥� on the NCAA tournament. That makes it one of the nation鈥檚 most popular sports betting events, alongside contests such as . By at least one estimate, March Madness is the .

While people have been , one difference now is that betting on college sports is legal in many states. This is largely due to a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that for each state to decide whether to permit people to gamble on sporting events. Prior to the ruling, legal sports betting was only allowed in Nevada.

Since the ruling, sports betting has grown dramatically. Currently, some form of legalized sports betting. And now, Georgia, Maine and Kentucky are .

About two weeks after sports betting became , someone, disappointed by an unexpected to Virginia Commonwealth University, and against Dayton .

The Ohio case is by no means isolated. In 2019, a Babson College student who was a 鈥溾�� was for sending death threats to at least 45 professional and collegiate athletes in 2017.

Faculty members of are concerned that the increasing prevalence of sports betting could potentially lead to more such incidents, putting more athletes in danger of threats from disgruntled gamblers who blame them for their gambling losses.

The anticipated growth in sports gambling is quite sizable. Analysts estimate the market in the U.S. may reach .

Gambling makes inroads into colleges

Concerns over college athletes being targeted by upset gamblers are not new. and have expressed worry that expanded gambling could lead to harassment and compromise their safety. Such concerns led the nation鈥檚 major sports organizations 鈥� MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and NCAA 鈥� to over a plan to initiate legal sports betting in that state. They argued that sports betting would make the public think that games were being thrown. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that it was if they wanted to permit legal gambling.

Sports betting has also made inroads into America鈥檚 college campuses. Some universities, such as Louisiana State University and Michigan State University, have to promote gambling on campus.

Athletic conferences are also cashing in on the data related to these games and events. For instance, the Mid-Atlantic Conference in 2022 to provide real-time statistical event data to gambling companies, which then leverage the data to create real-time wager opportunities during sporting events.

As sports betting comes to colleges and universities, it means the schools will inevitably have to deal with some of the . This potentially includes more than just gambling addiction. It could also involve the potential for student-athletes and coaches to become targets of threats, intimidation or bribes to influence the outcome of events.

The risk for addiction on campus is real. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, over 2 million adults in the U.S. , and another 4 million to 6 million may have mild to moderate problems. One report estimates that .

What can be done

Colleges and universities don鈥檛 have to sit idly by as gambling grows.

Two faculty fellows at Miami University鈥檚 鈥� former Ohio State Senator William Coley and Sharon Custer 鈥� recommend that regulators and policymakers work with colleges and universities to reduce the potential harm from the growth in legal gaming. Specifically, they recommend that each state regulatory authority:

• Develop plans to coordinate between different governmental agencies to ensure that individuals found guilty of violations are sanctioned in other jurisdictions.
• Dedicate some of the revenue from gaming to develop educational materials and support services for athletes and those around them.
• Create anonymous tip lines to report threats, intimidation or influence, and fund an independent entity to respond to these reports.
• Assess and protect athlete privacy. For instance, schools might decline to publish contact information for student-athletes and coaches in public directories.
• Train athletes and those around them on basic privacy management. For instance, schools might advise athletes to not post on public social media outlets, especially if the post gives away their physical location.

The NCAA or athletic conferences could lead the development of resources, policies and sanctions that serve to educate, protect and support student-athletes and others around them who work at the schools for which they play. This will require significant investment to be comprehensive and effective.

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