New York Soccer Latin Academy empowers next generation of players
By Melinda Rolls and Christina Arlotta As the sun dipped behind the trees in Uniondale on a recent Thursday, the rhythmic pulse of soccer balls colliding with cleats mixed with the sharp calls of coaches in Spanish. On the well-worn grass, athletes lined up one by one in familiar ritual, launching powerful kicks into the […]
Champions Classic ushers in new women’s basketball era at Barclays Center
By Dylan Brett The anticipation within the concourses of the Barclays Center was palpable as the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic took center stage in front of a crowd of 9,114 fans Dec. 7. The event marked the beginning of a new era for women’s basketball, as viewership continues to skyrocket and the sport navigates the […]
UConn dominates at inaugural Women’s Champions Classic during Bueckers’ big week
By Olivia Hillestad The Barclays Center in Brooklyn was electric Dec. 7, with the lower bowl packed and buzzing with excitement. Fans erupted in cheers and chants, laughter echoed through the arena, and the stands trembled under the rhythmic stomping of feet. The occasion was the inaugural Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic, featuring two matchups […]
Digital spaces, real lives: How social media shapes Black womanhood
By Alarice Gooden This video story dives into the ways that social media affects Black women, especially when it comes to beauty standards and athletic goals. It looks at how platforms like Instagram and TikTok often push certain beauty ideals, pressuring Black women to look a certain way to fit in. Personal stories from Black […]
Long Island show highlights booming sports card business
By Dylan Brett Thousands of sports card and memorabilia collectors recently descended on Hofstra University’s Mack Sports Complex for the J.P.’s Sports Fall Classic festival, an event that demonstrated the soaring growth of the sports card industry. The arena floor buzzed with transactions and trades amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars over two days. […]
Yankees World Series run brings New Yorkers together
By Joe Pergola and Michael Dent This year was the first time since 2009 that the New York Yankees made the World Series, and fans did not take the appearance for granted. With star players such as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, many optimistic New Yorkers hoped for the franchise’s first major league championship in […]
Brooklyn FC opens historic season amid women’s sports surge
By Olivia Hillestad With the train running behind the stands and the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline, the atmosphere at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium in New York City was electric. Fans draped in Brooklyn Football Club merchandise filed the stands, buzzing with excitement for a piece of history. As the final whistle blew […]
Pro boxer Tommy Rainone, a Plainview native, reflects on his career
By Peter Nicolino Growing up in Plainview, Tommy Rainone often had trouble staying in school and off the street. However, once the now 44-year-old retired professional boxer, known professionally as “The Razor”, discovered boxing as a youth, he found discipline and structure in his life. By channeling his energy and talents into boxing, Rainone amassed […]
Long Island boxing — How it got here and where it goes xext
By Michael Malaszczyk Editor’s note: Part two in a two-part series. It’s called Strong Island for a reason. The toughness and tenacity of Long Island fighters is something Joe DeGuardia picked up on during Star Boxing’s earlier days in the 1990s, when most cards played in New York City or in Westchester County. The Pioneers […]
Never counted cut: Boxing’s Long Island comeback
By Michael Malaszczyk Editor’s note: Part one in a two-part series. Since 2011, three boxing world champions have come from Long Island, and that’s not a coincidence. Those champions are Joe Smith Jr., a light heavyweight from Mastic Beach, Chris Algieri, a welterweight from Patchogue, and Jamel Herring, a lightweight from Rockville Centre. It’s a statistic that seems […]
Kiwanis bike Challenge aids children’s charities
By Scott Brinton 2015 was the last time Eddie Giron rode the Nassau Bicycle Challenge, which winds through a string of waterfront and forested neighborhoods in Sea Cliff, Glen Cove, Bayville, Oyster Bay, Locust Valley and Glen Head. He was new to cycling and feeling anxious at the time. “It was nerve-racking because I had […]
NUMC summit stresses cyclist, pedestrian safety
By Scott Brinton The following is part four in a series. Retired high school teacher Martin Buchman, 65, was talking up the Long Island Greenway Trail June 20 outside the amphitheater at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, a table full of maps, charts and pamphlets before him. The cycling advocate and enthusiast, a […]