Latest news with #DallasCup
Belfast Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
NIFL kids have shown class with historic Dallas Cup triumph in Texas, says Lee Carroll
Team co-ordinator Lee Carroll feels the future is bright for the players in the NIFL scholarship select squad that returned home from America as Under-19 Dallas Cup champions. The side, coached by Cliftonville hero Barry Johnston and former Glenavon ace Mark Patton, made it a first Northern Ireland success in the 45-year history of competition.
RNZ News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Pasifika Sipoti briefs for 30 April
Fiji Flag. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Tiana Haxton Fiji needs at least FJ$3.5 million (US$1.5 million) to send their contingent to the Pacific Mini Games in Palau. FBC reported the majority of the needed funds will go towards payment of athletes' Games levies, which is FJ$3,000 per athlete. Chef de Mission Josaia Tuinamata said they have launched a lottery fundraiser aimed at raising the required funds. Fiji is set to compete in 12 of the 14 sports at the Mini Games. The Games begin on 29 June. Fiji and Samoa will be the Pacific representatives at this weekend's Los Angeles sevens tournament. The Fijians will have their men's and women's teams compete in the World Championship, as part of the top eight finishers from the 2025 series. The Samoa men's sevens will compete in the series playoff, as a top-four finisher from the second-tier Challenger Series. They will be fighting to win back their top-tier spot. Samoa was demoted to the challenger series last year. The Samoa under-17 women's football team has become the first Pacific side to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious Dallas Cup in the United States. The team topped their pool to reach the semi-finals but were defeated 5-0 by FC Dallas who advanced to the final. The Dallas Cup appearance was part of Samoa's preparation for the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco in October. Head Coach Juan Chang Urrea said they are incredibly proud of how far the girls have come. South Pacific Games champion, Yeshnil Karan of Fiji, has broken a 54-year-old national 10,000 metres record. FBC reported Karan set a new time of 30 minutes and 19.92 seconds at the UniSport Australia Nationals Athletics Championships, at the Gold Coast Performance Centre. The old record, of 31 minutes 32 seconds, was set by the late Fijian marathon runner, Usaia Sotutu in Provo, USA, in 1971. Papua New Guinea league international Emmanuel Waine has moved to the London Broncos in the UK Super League on loan. Waine has been named in the squad for the London Broncos' away game at Championship leaders Halifax Panthers. The Post-Courier reported Waine came from the Broncos to join the Bradford Bulls on a two-year deal ahead of the 2025 campaign. He also played a loan game for Hunslet in March. The Vanuatu women's beach volleyball team is in Asia for international tournaments. Sherrysyn Toko and Majabelle Lawac finished 9th equal overall in the Phu Yen Open in Vietnam. They are competing in the FIV-B Pro Tour Futures event from 1-5 May in the Philippines. Three more tournaments in China will follow. Six triathletes will represent the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games which is set to take place in Palau next month. The six were selected by the Triathlon Association of the CNMI over three trials. The Marianas Variety reported association president Robyn Spaeth saying the athletes have demonstrated exceptional endurance, discipline, and determination through rigorous training and outstanding performances. The Games' triathlon competition will have a race course that includes a 750-metre open-water swim, a 20-kilometre bike leg, and a 5km run.
New York Post
22-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Badly behaved parents ruin play—and deserve to be ejected
This article is one of the winning submissions from the New York Post Scholars Contest, presented by Command Education. Remember when youth sports meant fun and teamwork…not a reality TV brawl? These days there is often more action on the sidelines than between the lines, and it is time for a drastic change. While playing in the Dallas Cup, a high-level youth soccer tournament, a disagreement on the sideline over a vuvuzela erupted into a battle royale. We played on as fathers were literally handcuffed to golf carts as police waited for backup. It was real-life chaos, and it was as disturbing as it was ridiculous. But this wasn't a one-off spectacle; it's part of a disturbing trend that's taken over youth sports. At a tournament in Denmark, a parent flipped out over his kid's playing time, verbally threatening the coach at halftime. He was then seen filling his pockets with rocks and stones, presumably to throw at the coach. And after the final whistle blew, players were forced to physically restrain the father who was choking the coach. Danish tournament officials, so stunned by the events, didn't even check in on the safety of the players. Sadly, these are just two of many such experiences I have had while playing soccer. When parents cross the line from supportive fan to harmful provocateur, the very benefits of youth sports—teamwork, resilience and enjoyment—are lost. Instead, young athletes are left disillusioned, and, in the worst cases, pushed away from sports and athletics altogether. It is hard to focus on the game and build comradery with your teammates when your father is handcuffed to a golf cart or being restrained from choking the coach by fellow players! What's fueling this toxic nonsense? Researchers noted in 1995 that heightened competitiveness and commercialization of youth sports had led to a more pressurized environment. Parents increasingly viewed their children's sporting success as a reflection of their own status and aspirations. This led to more aggressive, overinvolved behavior on the sidelines. Youth sports participants know intuitively that the situation has gotten worse, so much so, that it is difficult to find a sufficient number of referees. In a 2023 survey of 36,000 referees, 69% say that sportsmanship is getting worse with 50% feeling unsafe. The introduction of NIL money makes the backdrop even bleaker. Delusional parents, once aiming for college scholarships or pro contracts, now see a path to an earlier payday. The result? Further intensifying competition. Parents are demanding faster success from their children. And they are working overtime to manufacture the likeness, if not the reality, of success on social media in a zero-sum battle for eyeballs. The outcome is a far cry from building a love for the game. Unfortunately, this pressure cooker environment is resulting in fewer athletes sticking with their sports. A six-year longitudinal study showed that only 39% of high school seniors participated in organized sports versus 90% in seventh and eighth grades. And what of the joy stripped from the sport for those that continue playing? It's time to stand up for change. Youth sports should be about the kids and building our school community, not the parents' egos. Here's a two-part game plan to clean up the act: Drew Marturano Courtesy of Drew Marturano First, parents must sign a pledge: Pingry provides a clear set of guidelines for parental behavior at sporting events in the Athletic Handbook. However, the governing body of the high school sport (NJSIAA in the case of our soccer program) should require parents at all schools to sign a contract regarding their behavior as spectators and fans. The contract should detail the benefits of youth sports, the harm caused by toxic sideline behavior, a clear code of conduct and the consequences of breaking the commitment. I think that the contract should be tied to their child's participation in the sport. No contract, no participation. Next, there should be zero tolerance accountability: A signed pledge will accomplish little without real consequences. Any infraction should result in the expulsion of the parent from the premises and the loss of playing time for the child. In soccer terms, if a parent gets a red card, the student athlete should as well. Repeated infractions should result in permanent expulsion from the sidelines, with even harsher penalties, up to and including removal of the child from the team, if necessary. Referees and coaches need to be empowered to enforce these consequences. When a tiger parent risks missing their child's game, the message is crystal clear. At the Dallas Cup, the handcuffed fathers strained necks to watch the rest of their children's games from their incarcerated position. However, when a parent risks their child's playing time, the message is truly unmistakable. In Denmark, the parent that choked the coach later begged the coach to allow his son to continue playing in the tournament. The children's standing on the team is likely the one thing we can put on the line that the worst parents will respond to. Enough is enough. The only battles in youth sports should be on the field. Let's return to prioritizing kids over the egos of parents. A 9th-grader at The Pingry School in Bernards Township, NJ, Marturano dreams of a career in sports management.
CBS News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Dallas Cup kicks off with energy and international participation
The hype for day one of the Dallas Cup was at an all-time high and as players made their way onto the field the energy was electric. The tournament kicked off Sunday at the Cotton Bowl Stadium. It's become known as one of the most prestigious since it began in 1980. This year more than 10,000 players ages 10 to 19 will be participating, and over 30 countries will be represented. "It's really a blessing to be here because our kids love this environment," said Carl Maarman from Cape Town, South Africa. Ivan Camargo Canales with a team from Monterrey, Mexico said, "We have high-quality players coming from all of the Monterrey teams." Coaches, players and parents all said the tournament is great exposure. "We're a small club and we play local so getting exposure to other teams around the world, and how they play it's going to be great for them," said parent Rachel Anderson. Paxton Szymanski who plays for FC Dallas said this is a great opportunity to get the attention of scouts. "It's just a new experience for all of us, and it's really like putting us out there and it's really good for colleges," said Szymanski. Soccer enthusiasts said events like this bring camaraderie to the soccer world and get people excited for the 2026 World Cup , especially with some matches happening in the Dallas area. "It's exciting that it's coming to the Dallas area and other places around the country. It really gives especially girls to see what's available for them," said Paula Szymanski. The week-long event is expected to bring in over 100,000 spectators.
