Latest news with #JuniorOlympicGames
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Houston shines as premier host for major sporting events, setting the stage for future success
Houston has once again proven itself as a premier destination for major sporting events, most recently hosting the 2025 AAU Junior Olympic Games. The 59th year of the competition brought more than 16,000 participants to the region where they competed in a multitude of sporting events across the 12-day event. This marked Houston and Harris County's fourth time successfully hosting the AAU Junior Olympic Games, welcoming athletes and spectators from all over the country thanks to the partnership with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA). expand 'Houston has built a reputation as a world-class sports destination,' said HCHSA CEO Ryan Walsh. 'We're proud to welcome events like the AAU Junior Olympics that not only showcase our top-tier venues but also bring lasting economic and community impact.' From swimming and track to cheerleading and wrestling, events were held at five different venues across the area, each selected for its ability to accommodate large crowds and elevate the athlete experience. The George R. Brown Convention Center was the epicenter of the Games, hosting a wide range of indoor events including gymnastics, martial arts, and baton twirling. Other venues included Rice University's football Stadium, Humble ISD's Turner Stadium, Cy-Fair ISD Natatorium, and Episcopal High School. The numbers are just as impressive as the performances. Historically, the Junior Olympic Games draw an average of 2.5 spectators per athlete which translates to tens of thousands of visitors booking hotel rooms, dining at local restaurants, and exploring Houston's cultural attractions. In 2021, the event generated more than $66 million in economic impact. Early projections suggest the 2025 Games will top that number. But Houston's sports calendar is far from winding down. Next spring, the city will host the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park. And just a few months later, the world's eyes are on Houston once again as one of the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. NRG Stadium is set to welcome seven matches bringing in more than 500,000 visitors over 39 days and cementing the region's role in what is arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet. expand It's no coincidence that Houston keeps landing these major events. Over the last 25 years, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority has built the city's reputation as a hub for high-profile competitions. From the Super Bowl to the Final Four, and now the World Cup, Houston continues to prove that it has the venues and infrastructure, hospitality, and energy to deliver on a global scale. 'I'm proud of the legacy this organization is helping to create throughout our community,' Walsh said. 'These events bridge neighborhoods, fuel our local economy, and create lasting benefits long after the final kick. They're an investment in the future of Houston and Harris County.' With a packed slate of upcoming events, Houston's sports story is just getting started. And if the success of the 2025 AAU Junior Olympic Games is any indication, the winning streak is far from over. The Harris County - Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA) is responsible for approving upgrades and servicing the debt of the world-class facilities it was created to build. To support this primary mission, HCHSA is a leading proponent in attracting sporting events to Houston and promoting the city as a home for sports-related activities. This ultimately results in enhancing Houston's economic development, improving the quality of life for its residents, and maintaining the city and county as a premier destination for marquee events.
CNN
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
CNN
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Why record-breaking athlete Abdelrahman Elaraby is about more than just swimming
EDITOR'S NOTE: Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world. For all Abdelrahman Elaraby's success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm's length. 'You'll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,' the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports. Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men's 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, ''Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.' 'And he was like … 'How did you not tell anybody?'' Elaraby recalled. For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, 'and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,' he added. 'I'm very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.' Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life. It was Elaraby's mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD. 'So many people told her: 'He's the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?'' Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there. In 2018, he became Egypt's national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games. Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life. He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma. When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a 'mental health hospital,' but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video. In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of 'reclaiming' his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and 'reading more about topics in life,' like the philosophy of Stoicism. And another is by considering: 'Who do I allow in my life?' 'I'm the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other's life is a great honor,' he told CNN Sports. Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men's 50m freestyle. In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training. 'I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I'm going to make this amount of money; if I win, I'm going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,' he said. 'And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.' Last year, he was 'ready to quit' after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn't have a coach. Notre Dame's swim team was suspended for a year due to 'possible misconduct' and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had 'every reason' to stop. Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. 'You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it's because this is what you love,' he recalled her saying. So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was 'absolutely out of shape.' There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that 'being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It's not fulfilling.' Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks. That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby's preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games' history. This news made Elaraby 'so excited,' he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he's previously been denied. But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby's life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it. After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said. '(Some) people were like, 'Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself' … And then a lot of people were like 'We feel seen, thank you, you're so courageous,'' he said. Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it 'to find an excuse not to do things.' 'I don't want to drown a whole generation while I'm trying to save some people,' he said. 'I don't want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I'm just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I'm not asking people to curl up and cry. I'm just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.'
Associated Press
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Largest Youth Flag Football Event Set to Kick Off in Orlando
Teams Around the World Will Travel to ESPN Wide World of Sports for the Youth Flag Football World Championships - an AAU Junior Olympic Games Qualifier ORLANDO, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / February 11, 2025 / ESPN Wide World of Sports is set to host the largest youth flag football tournament ever, starting on Feb. 28, 2025. Super Hero Sports is ready to host the Youth Flag Football World Championships, the first-ever qualifying event in flag and 7-on-7 football for the 2025 AAU Junior Olympic Flag Football World Championships Last year, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and Super Hero Sports (SHS) announced a partnership that would see multiple AAU Junior Olympic Games qualifying events. This will be the first Games to feature Flag Football and 7-on-7 Football in the event's history. And what better way to kick things off than with the largest tournament in youth flag football history? Over 7,000 athletes from 4 to 18 years old will be making the trip to sunny Orlando, Florida, this year. Athletes from across the country and from different parts of the world will meet at the world-class ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resorts. Teams from 29 states, along with China, Mexico, Panama, and Canada, will be representing and are preparing their best touchdown celebrations. 'We're excited for this to be the first AAU Junior Olympic games qualifier of 2025 and will set the standard for teams to advance to the games in Houston,' said Austin Bradshaw, AAU Flag Football Executive Director. 'We expect over 100 teams to qualify from this event alone and another 100+ teams from all our other qualifiers, which will set the stage for the best 200+ teams in the country going head-to-head in Houston!' Over 700 girls and boys teams will compete across 24 divisions, Coed and Girls. Coed will have 5U through 17U, the Girls divisions will have 6U through 17U. The action kicks off on Friday, Feb. 28, at 9 a.m. EST. To see a full schedule breakdown, click here. Eleven (11) championship games will be streaming live on ESPN+ with live commentary. Check out the schedule of ESPN+ live games here. The top four (4) teams from each age division will advance to AAU's culminating summer event, the 59th AAU Junior Olympic Games, happening July 23 through Aug. 2, 2025. This will be the first of 18 total stops on the SHS Tournament Tour, including the marquee event in youth sports, the AAU Junior Olympic Games. To see a full list of events, visit 'The response has been nothing short of extraordinary, with thousands of teams eagerly competing for their shot at Gold in the AAU Junior Olympic Games, Houston 2025,' said Shahab Afsharian, AAU Flag Football National Chair. 'This is just the beginning of an exciting new era.' Stay tuned to AAU's social media pages to follow along with all the content from the weekend. Check out AAU Sports on Facebook and Instagram. Tag us in all of your photos and don't miss a minute of the action.
