From bingo to bocce: Unified Sports, Special Olympics step up for people with intellectual disabilities
PHOENIX – Opportunities and resources were once minimal for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Arizona and Unified Sports are determined to change that.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot: Valley racing fans mourn closing of dirt tracks
PHOENIX – Dirt tracks across Arizona have a deep history in the auto racing world and have been a proving ground for the next NASCAR racers. Once they began to close, communities built within the sport.
Pride of Navajo Nation: Diné College works to rebuild rodeo program amid the pandemic
TSAILE – In the heart of the Navajo Nation lies Diné College, home to a once-prominent rodeo program riddled with issues from COVID. Now the school is trying to return the program to the collegiate rodeo championships.
Flipping the script: ASU gymnastics team eyes bid to NCAA Championship
TEMPE – Even though COVID-19 postponed Wednesday's season opener, the ASU gymnastics team is optimistic about the season and hopes to make a team run at the NCAA Championships. Junior Hannah Scharf is ready to lead the Sun Devils.
Spencer Sanders leads Oklahoma State to Fiesta Bowl win with guidance from Valley’s Tim Rattay
GLENDALE – Spencer Sanders passed for 371 yards and four touchdowns to lead Oklahoma State to a 37-35 victory over Notre Dame in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. It was a standout performance for a quarterback guided by Valley product Tim Rattay.
Game on: In college postseason defined by upheaval, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State set for Fiesta Bowl
PHOENIX – In a postseason defined by COVID testing, coaching changes, transfer portals and general upheaval, the Notre Dame and Oklahoma State football teams welcome a familiar site: the 51st edition of the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
Kurt Warner’s biopic hits theaters on heels of coaching son at Brophy
CHANDLER – Although football fans nationwide will have the opportunity to learn about the life of the Valley’s most popular quarterback on Christmas Day, when “American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story” is release, the Valley has had a front row seat for years. This past fall, his biggest role has included coaching his son Elijah, the quarterback at Brophy Prep.
Arizona bowl organizers look to bounce back from 2020’s fanless games
WASHINGTON – With COVID-19 protocols prohibiting fans at the Fiesta and Arizona bowls, and a lack of eligible teams forcing a cancellation of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl last year, organizers of the three college bowls in Arizona are eager to welcome fans and teams back this year.
Unlevel pitch: The path to professional soccer is tougher for girls than boys
PHOENIX – Pathways to the professional level vary by gender in youth soccer, where girls and boys have disparate opportunities to sign a professional contract as a minor.
Despite football’s popularity among Hispanic Americans, participation rates remain low
PHOENIX – Over 30 million Hispanic Americans consider themselves NFL fans. Despite the numbers, that fails to translate to participation in the sport at all levels.
Brains and brawn: Embry-Riddle women’s soccer team excels on, off field
PHOENIX – At a university known for its aeronautical excellence, Embry-Riddle in Prescott is also known for the standout play of its women’s soccer team.
Kim Cota-Robles breaking barriers as Latina PA announcer for Tucson Roadrunners
PHOENIX – Tucson native Kim Cota-Robles is making history as hockey’s first Latina PA announcer, impressing Roadrunners fans and paving the way for women in sports.
