This week, we were particularly interested in this study about Tommy John surgery and what it says about youth baseball culture.

Also, it was pretty cool to see Sydney Schmidt, a former soccer player at Jacksonville FC, selected to join the US U16 Women’s National Team for the upcoming UEFA Tournament in Turkey!

All of that and more in this week’s Youth Sports Highlight Reel

Youth Sports News

1. A couple in Clermont County was indicted for allegedly stealing over $2,000 from a local youth sports organization.

2. [VIDEO] The Men’s Final Four Dribble drew over 3,000 kids to downtown Phoenix — where girls and boys dribbled basketballs nearly a mile through the heart of downtown Phoenix.

3. [VIDEO] This Indianapolis group is combating youth violence with a basketball league built in partnership with the local police, with the goal of building early, positive relationships between police officers and local youth.

4. [VIDEO] The Cincinnati Bengals are sponsoring the first all-girls flag football league.

5. [VIDEO] The Massachusetts Attorney General launched a youth sports betting coalition to prevent addiction and debt.

6. The Barrington Girls Softball League in New Jersey is celebrating 70 years of inspiring girls in sports.

7. Kim Kardashian shared a video of her son Saint West sinking the game-winning shot in his basketball game.

8. Leveling the Playing Field is helping give kids an equal opportunity in youth sports by collecting both new and used sports equipment to distribute to kids in under-resourced areas.

9. A study by Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center finds the biggest age group needing Tommy John surgery in the US to be between 15–19 years old — in other words, kids whose arms have not yet fully developed account for 57% of all surgeries nationwide.

This Weekend’s Wins

1. Generation Adidas Cup showcased the country’s premier youth soccer talents — here are the 12 most talked-about prospects.

2. Five Athletum Elite teams qualified for the round of 16 in the State Cup competition!

3. Congrats RockCity Volleyball 14.3 on coming in third of 30 teams at the Breakout Bash Tournament at Cedar Point!

4. Congrats Juliann Pimentel of Gwinnett Soccer Academy on your commitment to Piedmont University!

5. Nice work Blue Steel Volleyball on all of your wins this weekend at the Asics ShowMe Qualifier and Gateway Regionals!

6. Caledon United FC 2009 Boys are the Oshawa Turul Spring Classic champs! Gotta love a penalty kick thriller.

7. Congratulations Ella and Alyssa of Wisconsin Juniors VB Club on your JVA World Challenge Sportsmanship Awards!

8. Beach Elite Volleyball 18 Adidas Red finished in the top-5 in Louisville this weekend — nice work!

9. Congrats Southwest MO Rush 2011 Azul on winning the Presidents Cup Semi Final game this weekend!

10. Let’s go Top Select Volleyball 13 Elite on your 9–0 finish this weekend and bid to Nationals!

11. Mizuno Long Beach 12 Rockstar, congrats on your double qualification!

12. Congratulations River City Juniors Volleyball 15 Red on winning the Silver Bracket at JVA World Challenge!

13. Congrats SC Elite 16 Excel for winning your bid in Salt Lake City!

14. Big commitments this week for Jacksonville FC — Congratulations Bemanzi Alibaruho on your commitment to play D1 soccer at the College of Charleston and Sydney Schmidt who was selected to join the US U16 Women’s National Teamfor the upcoming UEFA Tournament in Turkey!

15. Congratulations Skyline Juniors 18 Black — 18U Division Dallas Open Champs! Also, congrats to Skyline 11 Royal — 11U Division Dallas Open Champs!

Youth Sports Resources

1. What Little League Baseball taught me about succeeding in male-dominated environments

2. How to be a good loser: 4 tips parents and kids can take from Caitlin Clark

3. Youth Sports Safety Month: Preventing Bullying in Youth Sports

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