From July 23-26, the Scouts held their annual camp at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Players in the sophomore, junior, and senior classes are invited to participate. The camp is a series of two-a-day practices with team activities at night, capped with a Sunday scrimmage and cookout. Saturday, July 25, publisher Jon Kerr spent five hours at the camp with the team and provides a first-person account from his time there.

10:35 a.m. I walk down the hill towards the field and encounter a group of players not participating in regular practice. Instead, they work out with strength coach Larry Lilja in what is rhetorically referred to as “Camp Wonderland.”

“It’s a wonder how quickly they get better,” Coach Spagnoli said.

11:15 a.m. The Scouts wrap up the morning session of practice with a “team tie up” segment of plays. This is 11-a-side, including lineman. Coaches are evaluating personnel and including these abbreviated segments (16 plays) allows for more complete appraisals. As keeping with the always-competing ethos of the program, the coaches assign a winner to one side of the ball after each play and encourage non-participants to be vocal and loud.

11:32 a.m. After a brief schedule update from Coach Spagnoli, the midday break begins. Players change shoes, grab their scooters, and head to the dining hall for lunch.

11:38 p.m. On the walk to lunch, I tag along with senior wide receiver Jack Burger (that’s him in the above photo to the right, carrying a backpack).

Jack had terrific July practices and is well prepared for a fantastic 2026 season.

We start talking about his health (good, after a rough 2025 Parkside camp and season) and how he got through his injury-plagued junior year.

Q: I know you read the David Goggins book “Can’t Hurt Me.”

A: I read it. I told my mom (Libby) I’ve never been a big reader, but that was one of the few books I’ve actually enjoyed reading.

Q: What are the messages you took from the book?

A: The path to where you want to get may not always be a straight line. All the obstacles (Goggins) went through kind of reminded me of my injury and improving. I might not be where I want to be in a year, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be there in four years. Just keep going.

Q: How hard was dealing with that injury? (Jack broke his leg in Week 1 and missed seven games)

A: The injury hurt, but it was more the emotions. I kind of realized that my recruiting would mostly be shut down for most of the big programs I was talking to at the time. I was pretty much in a dark headspace for a few weeks. I think that happens after every major injury, you go into a bad mindset. I just moved on and focused on working hard in PT (physical therapy) and trying to help out the team as much as I could and get back as fast as I could.

Q: On the recruiting front, where does that stand?

A: It’s not as if those programs completely shut down. It’s more of a ‘let’s keep in touch, keep an eye on you’ kind of thing. My mindset is I have to have the best season possible and hope a program takes a chance on me (Jack said Denison, Washington-St. Louis, and Valparaiso are amongst the most active colleges).

Q: I know the team votes on captains tonight. You applied for one of the captaincy spots. What does being a captain look like to you?

A: I wasn’t always the most vocal person, but I’ve tried to become more vocal. My biggest thing is leadership by example. As seniors, we have to set an example to the younger guys and get the younger guys to follow the seniors. Coach Spagnoli always says, ‘Do things the right way and the little things the right way.’ Those are my biggest things.

Jack added a few other comments about his message to the wide receiver room this season: “know all positions” and an emphasis on scheme vs. plays.

All great stuff. Excited to see his development as a player and leader this fall.

1:45 p.m. Time for classroom study.

The guys move indoors to Ranger Hall for offensive and defensive segment meetings.

Coach Spagnoli offers up a three-question quiz that includes how many rushers in a defensive pressure call. The consequence for a wrong answer? Updowns at the next field practice.

One Spags-ism from the meeting when discussing where players’ eyes should be and how what they see determines where they move on the field: “Keys are like your mom. She’ll never lie to you.”

The offensive emphasis this day is the goal line. Offensive coordinator Dylan Johnson tells players, “We want to score touchdowns” rather than kick field goals.

2:50 p.m. Before the team heads out to the practice field, Spagnoli gathers the seniors for a quick meeting and pep talk. Saturday afternoon represents the final practice session of the Parkside camp.

Said Spagnoli:

You guys, you guys have to make sure this practice is not (messed) up. You guys have to make sure the enthusiasm level, the effort level from everybody is at a high level for this practice. You’ve done a great job… do you want to screw it up by having one (bad) practice? You know me, I don’t lie to you, and I don’t B.S. You guys are going to be the reason that we are not going to let that happen, or you’ll be the reason it does happen, one or the other.

Message received.

3:26 p.m. One piece of technology that did not exist in 2005, the first Parkside year, was field drones.

Team manager Noah Friedlund plays around with the controls before he sends the gadget in flight.

The purpose of the drone is to give the coaches and players another aerial view of practice film. One of many truths about football: there can never be too much tape!

Lake Forest has camped in Kenosha since 2005. This year, 77 total players participated from the upcoming sophomore, junior, and senior classes. Including coaches and support staff, the total number of people at Parkside approached 100.

It’s a massive operation for a high school program. The constant through it all is Spagnoli.

“Our team’s personality gets defined during that week. It really does. Whether it’s doing it the right way or sometimes the wrong way,” Spagnoli said. “The whole itinerary is laid out for a reason so kids understand this is how we are going to do it. This is when we are going to do it. This is what we are going to do when we get there, and not only are you responsible for yourself but your roommate and the two of you have to work together and be responsible for each other. There are a lot of things we put on their plates with regards to following direction and being responsible and doing things the way they need to get done.

“In addition to that there’s the football part. And the football part is not secondary but it’s not why we go there.”

There is something to be said for an isolated, distraction-free environment, more than ever in the intrusion-filled years of our times. That’s what the Scouts have for four days, and it truly is, IMO, one of the best culture-building trips not just within the LFHS athletic department but the entire North Suburban Conference, in any sport.

Parkside does not guarantee the Scouts will have a winning season. It does ground current players in a structured frame of mind and gives them a unique collaborative experience that transcends the sport of football.

“We can do the football part here. It gives us a chance to get away with them and spend a lot of time with them and for them to spend a lot of time with each other, which is crucial,” Spagnoli said.

Thanks for reading. I recorded this podcast to add some context to the post and Parkside trip:

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

This week marks an early milestone in the 2026 season.

The Scouts complete the “summer camp” portion of their practices at Varsity Field. Next is the Parkside camp, going on this weekend up in Kenosha.

As players and coaches practice up north, we count down the days until Week 1 kickoff (as of this writing, it’s 29 days). Wednesday, the Illinois High School Association released the official football schedule for the 2026 season.

Lake Forest plays nine regular-season games—two non-conference, seven North Suburban Conference—and opens the schedule at home vs. Deerfield.

Let’s break down all nine games.

Week 1 — Aug. 21 vs Deerfield

A rematch from last season’s Week 1 drubbing of the Warriors by the Scouts at Adams Field. The 2025 season was a reset for Deerfield—new head coach, new scheme (triple option), and it showed in a disappointing 1-8 campaign. With one more full offseason, the Warriors should be improved in 2026, but hard to predict how much better they will be. Quarterback Jack Agran and wide receiver Ethan Weiner return. This might be the first opening night game in Lake Forest program history to be played before classes begin. Deerfield begins classes August 12, a full two weeks before Lake Forest. Before last season’s one-win record, the Warriors qualified for the postseason seven out of 10 seasons. Please, schedule-maker Gods, give us more of these regional non-conference games involving programs with similar profiles (enrollment size, winning history, etc.). It’s great for players, fans, and school communities.

Week 2 — Aug. 28 at Carmel

This is Year 6 of what has now become an annual Week 2 matchup with the Corsairs. We can stop short of calling Carmel a “rival” of the Scouts, as Carmel has won four of the five meetings and the games haven’t been that closely contested. Last year’s 51-7 defeat was one of the worst losses in the Coach Spagnoli era. A more competitive game this year is a fair prediction. The Corsairs have a new signal-caller; Power 4 recruit Trae Taylor has taken his talents and NIL cash to a high school in Lincoln, Nebraska. Taylor pledged his college services to the Cornhuskers, a tenuous pledge at best with Ohio State reportedly interested in poaching Taylor. One transfer out, another comes in for Carmel: former Warren quarterback Reed Dangel takes over for Taylor. Scouts fans may remember Dangel as a sophomore who replaced the Blue Devils' starter in Lake Forest’s 38-7 win over Warren in 2024. Carmel retains plenty of talent on both sides of the football, especially at linebacker. Junior linebacker Jameer Miles (6-foot-4, 195) is a Top 60 national recruit, with eight Big 10 offers including Indiana and Ohio State.

Week 3 — Sept. 4 at Zion

The Scouts open the North Suburban Conference portion of the schedule at Zion. These matchups between the Scouts and Zee-Bees are often close, including 2025’s thriller won by Lake Forest. The Zee-Bees began that season 3-0, only to lose five in a row and tumble out of playoff contention. They return two outstanding skill players: senior Jamere French (RB) and Rashad Love (WR). French is an Ohio University commit, while Love has received college offers. The quarterback situation is uncertain at Zion; it dipped into the transfer portal a year ago and found a one-year rental, Monchie Gunter. Regardless of the outcome at Carmel, the Scouts cannot overlook the Zee-Bees.

Week 4 — Sept. 10 vs Libertyville

A Thursday night home game against your biggest rival? I’m in! The last time the Scouts and Wildcats played a Thursday night game was 2023. That game was a wild ride, with Lake Forest prevailing in overtime. Libertyville managed a 5-5 record in 2025, a rebuilding year after an NSC title run in ‘24 (a run that memorably included two losses to the Scouts). All-USA tight end Brock Williams is back for the Wildcats, taking his talents to the University of Texas starting in 2027 (and cashing big checks for his services). The Lake Forest game concludes a brutal first four weeks for the Wildcats: at Geneva, at Naperville North, home vs. Warren, at Lake Forest. This series yo-yo’s back and forth, with the Wildcats whipping up on the Scouts in Week 8 a season ago.

Week 5 — Sept. 18 vs Warren

The Friday game schedule resumes with a home date against the Blue Devils. A datapoint that can’t be ignored when analyzing schedules is when teams play each other. By Week 5, Lake Forest will have played two likely playoff teams in Carmel and Libertyville. Warren’s first four games are as follows: home vs. Loyola, at Maine South, at Libertyville, at Mundelein. There are three comfortably certain postseason teams in that grouping, two of which—Loyola and Maine South—expect to finish their seasons Thanksgiving weekend. The Blue Devils will be running the same run-oriented attack they have in 13 seasons under head coach Bryan McNulty. The bodies are reshuffled this fall, most notably at running back as record-setting running back Aaron Stewart has finally graduated and taken his talents to the University of Illinois.

Week 6 — Sept. 25 at Waukegan

After four physically challenging games, the Scouts get a soft bye week in facing the Bulldogs. Most teams in the conference would agree on when to face Waukegan: midseason, when bodies are beat up, and rest is needed. If the Scouts manage to be above .500 at this stage of the season, a Waukegan win would put them at the 4-win (or best-case scenario, 5-win) mark and that much closer to a sure playoff berth. Waukegan hired a new head coach this off-season, Darrell Thomas.

Week 7 — Oct. 2 vs Lake Zurich

After seven seasons as head coach, Ron Planz left the Bears program in the spring to take an assistant job at Barrington. His replacement, Dragan Teonic, has been a head coach at Hersey, Larkin and South Elgin. By October, we’ll know how much of an impact the coaching change had on the Lake Zurich program. A safe bet is not that much—the Bears always run the football well and play good defense. When Lake Forest struggles against Zurich, it’s usually in stopping the run game.

Week 8 — Oct. 9 at Stevenson

Stevenson won 16 games the past two seasons only to have each end in a blowout playoff loss to Lincoln-Way East. The core group of those teams—including three-year starting quarterback Aidan Crawley, defensive lineman Anthony Adams and tight end Zach Becker—has graduated. Expect to see quite a few new faces suiting up for the Patriots this season. By the time this game rolls around in early October, Stevenson will have played the toughest portion of its schedule, except for the Lake Forest game. The Patriots close out the regular season against Waukegan but open with two non-conference bangers—Prospect and Wheaton North.

Week 9 — Oct. 16 at Mundelein

Poor Mundelein. Multiple times in recent years, they’ve entered a Week 9 matchup needing one win to qualify for the postseason. But unfortunately for the Mustangs, the Scouts were noncompliant, winning the season’s last game and eliminating Mundelein from playoff contention. There’s a good chance the same scenario could happen again, assuming the Mustangs win their first three games, all against beatable opponents (Grant, Grayslake Central, Waukegan). Most NSC fans are rooting for Mundelein to qualify for the postseason this fall, and with the playoffs expanding to add more teams, 4-5 may be enough to sneak in this season.

PREDICTION: On paper, this team is reminiscent of a few 2010’s-decade Lake Forest teams that featured key senior returners and talented—yet unproven—incoming juniors. When seniors play at peak levels and juniors develop quickly, there are seasons like 2012 (semis), 2013 (second round), and 2016 (quarters). The 2012 semifinal team was motivated by exterior forces (a teacher’s strike that cancelled a game). The ‘12, ‘13, and ‘16 squads featured senior quarterbacks who developed at the lower levels and played outstanding in their one starting season. Bottom line, a lot has to go right for the 2026 Scouts to match the success of those teams. But the roster makeup is there. If healthy, motivated, and enough first-year varsity guys play well, this is easily a playoff team and one that can play deep into October.

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

The Scouts hosted a 7v7 passing clinic and lineman challenge Saturday at Varsity Field.

Here’s a quick reaction pod.

I snagged senior quarterback Rafi Karam and senior George Holland on the field after the event:

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

Hi there, Scoopers! How y’all been?

Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop,” our newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

A reminder for new readers and subscribers: if you want to customize your experience on The Athletic Scout, go to the “Start Here” page.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• Youth Sports Spotlight

• Kai Kroeger talk

• Let’s Get Social

Hope everyone is having a great summer! Let’s get to it:

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YOUTH SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

A few Jr. Scouts football players participated in the TCYFL all-star game this weekend…

That’s Jameson Dooley, a Deerpath 8th grader, flanked by his parents, Mindy and Brendan, on the field at Carmel Catholic High School on Saturday.

Jameson was one of three Jr. Scouts football players to be selected for the TCYFL All-Star game. The others: Ryan McCarney (8th) and Hunter Dixon (8th).

The boys suited up for the East team that played against the West team. Jameson and Ryan played for the varsity team, while Hunter participated in the lightweight game. The East squad for both Varsity and LW won the game, with all three boys seeing significant playing time.

Speaking of Hunter… he was named captain of the East team!

Many thanks to another Jr. Scouts football player and 8th grader, Tanner Sawant, who made this awesome highlight video featuring Hunter from Saturday’s game.

Amazing stuff… Tanner may have a future as a content creator!

We’re happy for the boys for their achievement and they should be more than ready for the start of official preseason practices Monday (July 20).

THE BIG THING

Texas Sports Academy is bringing the AI academic model to girls volleyball — and it’s going big on leadership

A new sport-specific school opening in Frisco, Texas, this fall pairs two hours of AI-powered academics with championship-level volleyball training—and it’s backed by some of the biggest names in the sport.

Why it matters: Texas Sports Academy recently announced the launch of its first-ever Girls Volleyball School, combining AI-powered academics with championship-level volleyball development, opening this fall at Elite Performance Training in Frisco, Texas. It’s the second sport-specific school the academy has launched in the Dallas area this year, following its recently announced girls’ flag football academy.

The location: North Dallas has emerged as one of the nation’s premier destinations for girls’ volleyball development, and the academy is launching just steps from The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters, and is surrounded by one of the country’s highest concentrations of elite athletic training facilities.

The leadership lineup:

• Jason Nicholson, Executive Director of Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV)—one of the most prestigious volleyball clubs in the nation—will serve as founding advisor.

• Strategic Advisor Jerritt Elliott is a three-time national champion and nine-time conference Coach of the Year who will help shape the academy’s volleyball curriculum and establish the standards for player development.

What they’re saying: Nicholson described it as more than a school: “Building elite volleyball players takes more than reps. It takes the right standards, the right environment, and the time to develop the whole athlete.”

How it works: Students complete academics in two highly focused hours each morning, freeing afternoons for more than three hours of pro-level sports training and life-skills development. The academic model is personalized and mastery-based, using 1:1 learning plans and spaced repetition to ensure students master every concept before moving on.

The scale: Year 1 enrollment will be limited to about 20 families in grades 6-12—the same founding-class structure used for the flag football academy—positioning early families as co-creators of the program’s culture and standards.

The bigger picture: Malekai Mischke of the Texas Sports Academy founding team summed up the philosophy: “Great academics and great athletics don’t have to compete with each other—they actually reinforce each other.”

The bottom line: Texas Sports Academy is executing a sport-by-sport expansion strategy across North Texas, using elite club partnerships and high-profile coaching advisors to signal credibility in each new vertical it enters. TSA was the first with girls’ flag football; now volleyball is just the latest—and likely not the last. Will we see more of these “microschools” pop up across the country?

KAI KROEGER TALK

We were fortunate to have a recent conversation with former Jr. Scout, LFHS Scout, and now NFL punter Kai Kroeger…

In case you missed it—we understand, it’s the summer after all—we have the full interview and a few select clips saved up for you:

FULL INTERVIEW:

CLIPS:

Many thanks to our Scoop co-editor, Emily Ryan, for organizing the event!

SUMMER EVENTS

While we’re at the tail end of camp season, Emily’s got a few notable events for you to check out:

Talking Football with Bears President Kevin Warren

When: July 16

Where: Gordon Community Center

Cost: $30 (adult), $15 (student)

Join Gordon Center for an unforgettable night with Chicago Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren. In a live conversation with acclaimed interviewer and author David Sweet, Warren will share an inside look at Bears football, NFL leadership, and the future of the Chicago Bears organization.

Discover how the Bears are evolving on and off the field. Hear Warren discuss the changing landscape of the NFL, the business of professional football, and the role sports play in shaping culture, community, and leadership in Chicago and beyond.

Whether you are a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, a football enthusiast, or interested in sports leadership and NFL culture, Talking Football with Kevin Warren promises an engaging evening filled with compelling stories, expert conversation, and exclusive insider perspective.

More Info

WIN Youth Sports Performance — weekly class

When: Tues/Thurs, 5 pm

Where: WIN Sports Performance, Highland Park

Ages: 11-13

Cost: $40 per session

The Youth Performance Program is tailored for athletes ages 11-13 and is set up to build the foundation for a healthy athletic career. The program will work on improving speed, agility and plyometrics with a big focus on proper technique and injury prevention. We want our youth athletes to build good movement patterns and increase strength while also having fun doing it.

More Info

Monday (July 20) is the first day of summer practices for Jr. Scouts football.

We’ll see many of you at Deerpath Community Park!

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Some recommends from Emily:

Fantastic (must-watch) interview with Novak Djokovic about his mindset shift that ends any self-doubt. Great advice for any sport!

For youth football players: first day in pads? No worries… If you fall, just get up.

“Nerves are totally normal but try and get your first hit out of the way early.”

Facts.

On the subject of facts… former Chicago Bear and broadcaster Greg Olson shares his #1 survival kit item for youth sports dads. Think kicks.

Are you a Jr. Scouts parent or have an athletic son or daughter you and want us to feature?

Drop us a note here or send an email to info@theathleticscout.com.

We read them all!

That’s it for this week… We’ll see y’all next time!

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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This story is part of Scout Summit, The Athletic Scout’s vertical covering leadership and the mental side of sports.

Kai Kroeger is a former Lake Forest High School all-state punter and an all-SEC punter at South Carolina. Signed by the New Orleans Saints in 2025, he was traded to Houston earlier this year and will punt for the Texans this fall.

There were two moments that I’ll never forget.

The first was when I got signed to my first NFL team. I called my family, I was ecstatic, I’m telling everybody—I’m in the NFL. Dream come true, right?

But here’s the thing. It was still the spring. Another guy was competing for the same spot. And deep down, I knew that signing didn’t guarantee anything.

The second moment hit different.

I’m standing in a team meeting. The head coach looks at me and says, “You’re our punter. You earned it.” One week before the regular season opener.

That’s when I lost it. I called my parents. I called my coach. I let myself feel every single thing. Because that was the moment I knew—not just that I was in the NFL, but that I was going to play in the NFL.

Everything I’m about to share with you is what got me from that first moment to that second one.

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Step 1: Don’t Just Do What Your School Provides — Go Find More

I want to start here because I think this is the thing most young athletes get wrong. They work hard at practice. They do everything the coaches ask. And then they go home and stop.

That’s not going to get you to the next level. I promise you.

• The athletes who make it do things the average athlete won’t do. They find extra reps. They seek out outside training. They show up on Sundays during the season when nobody told them to. They find a facility, a trainer, a partner—anybody—and they put in extra work that doesn’t count toward any team practice.

• School strength and conditioning programs are a starting point, not a ceiling. They’re designed for the whole team. But if you have a specific goal—playing in college, playing professionally—you need specific training that goes far beyond what a general program provides. Seek it out. Find the specialists who work with specialists.

• The sacrifices are real—make them anyway. Getting to extra training costs money, time, and energy. I had to make sacrifices to get to my outside sessions. There were times it wasn’t easy. But I can tell you straight up: if I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have the career I have. The sacrifice was worth every bit of it.

• Common mistake: Assuming that working hard at school practice is enough. It’s not—at least not if your goal is to compete at the highest levels. Everyone at the top worked hard at practice. The ones who made it did more on top of that.

• The better approach: Find the best outside training available for your specific position and skill set. Commit to it. Show up consistently. And do it starting earlier than you think you need to.

Step 2: Play Every Sport You Can — Seriously, All of Them

Here’s something people didn’t expect me to say: one of the sports that helped my football career the most wasn’t football.

It was rugby.

• Rugby taught me things football practice never could. When you’re learning to tackle without pads—when you have to wrap up someone who outweighs you by 100 pounds—you figure out real fast how to use your body correctly. The technique you learn transfers directly into football, and it transfers in ways that are incredibly hard to teach in a traditional practice setting.

• Every sport teaches you something different. Basketball develops court vision, spatial awareness, and the ability to read moving defenders. Rugby builds toughness, body control, and proper contact technique. Wrestling teaches you how to compete one-on-one, how to handle failure, and how to keep going when everything hurts. No single sport gives you all of that.

• Multi-sport athletes develop athleticism that specialists miss. When I was going through the draft process, NFL teams weren’t just evaluating my punting. They were evaluating me as an athlete—my movement, my instincts, my versatility. All of that got built across multiple sports, not just football.

• Common mistake: Specializing in one sport too early because it feels like the fastest path to a scholarship or a professional career. For most athletes, it’s actually the slower path—because it limits your overall athletic development during the years when your body and brain are most adaptable.

• The better approach: Stay multi-sport as long as you possibly can. Specifically seek out sports that develop skills your primary sport doesn’t emphasize. The athletic toolkit you build will compound in ways you can’t predict.

Step 3: Learn Every Position You Can — Versatility Is Your Insurance Policy

One of the biggest things I brought to the NFL wasn’t just punting. It was everything around punting—the fake kicks, the holding, the throwing, the different types of kicks depending on field position and game situation.

None of that happened by accident. I built it on purpose.

• Versatility doesn’t just make you better—it makes you harder to cut. A punter who can only punt is replaceable. A punter who can punt, hold, throw, execute fakes, and change the entire strategic picture of a special teams unit? That’s someone a coaching staff thinks twice about letting go.

• Playing different positions in your youth teaches your brain to process the game differently. When I played quarterback, I learned to read coverage. When I played receiver, I learned to run routes and track the ball. When those skills showed up later in fake kick situations—reading where the defense was overcommitting, hitting a receiver in stride—it wasn’t luck. It was the accumulation of years of playing different positions.

• Coaches at every level notice athletes who can do more than one thing. During the combine, during private workouts, the first thing teams brought up wasn’t my hang time or my distance numbers. It was my ability to do things nobody else in the draft class could do. That’s what got me talked about in draft rooms.

• Common mistake: Athletes who identify their primary position early and then stop learning anything else. They get very good at one narrow skill—and then fragile when that skill alone isn’t enough.

• The better approach: Even if you know your primary position, keep learning adjacent skills. Know the whole game, not just your piece of it. The athlete who understands the full picture is always more valuable than the one who only understands their own role.

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Step 4: Celebrate the Big Moments — Then Get Back to Work Immediately

This is something I had to consciously practice, and I think a lot of athletes struggle with it.

When I won the starting job, and the head coach called me out in that team meeting, I let myself feel it. I called my parents. I celebrated. I cried a little, honestly.

And then I got back to work.

• You have to let yourself feel the big moments—they’re the whole point. If you don’t pause and actually absorb what you’ve accomplished, the wins become hollow. The milestone you worked years for deserves a real reaction, a real celebration, a real moment of gratitude with the people who helped you get there.

• But the window is short. The difference between athletes who sustain success and athletes who plateau after achieving something is how quickly they transition from celebrating to competing again. The job doesn’t stop when you make the roster. It starts.

• Full-circle moments are worth recognizing. Some of my most memorable athletic memories weren’t even the biggest games—they were the moments when my whole journey connected. A touchdown pass in a bowl game against a former high school teammate. A comeback win in my senior year that nobody saw coming. Recognize those moments for what they are: proof that everything you did was worth it.

• Common mistake: Athletes who either skip the celebration entirely (burning out silently) or stay in celebration mode too long (losing their competitive edge right when it matters most). Both extremes cost you.

• The better approach: Give yourself a defined window to celebrate—genuinely, fully. Then close it. Your next competition doesn’t care about your last one.

Step 5: Give Back — And Start Earlier Than You Think You Should

Here’s something I wish someone had told me when I was younger: the most valuable resource for a young athlete isn’t a coach or a trainer.

It’s someone who just went through exactly what you’re trying to do.

• Peer mentorship is underrated at every level. When someone who is two or three years ahead of you tells you what the recruiting process actually feels like, what college really demands, what it takes to make a professional roster—that’s information no coach or parent can give you. They haven’t lived it from the inside.

• If you’ve made it to a high level, you have something to offer. You know things that would have changed your path if you’d known them earlier. Share those things. Answer the Instagram DMs. Give out your number to the kid who’s asking how you did it. Be the person for someone else that you wish you’d had.

• Giving back keeps you connected to why you started. It’s easy to get caught up in the business of being a professional athlete. Talking to a 12-year-old who just wants to know how to get better at punting—or catching or pass rushing or anything else—reminds you that you’re still just a kid who loved the game and got to keep playing it.

• Common mistake: Waiting until you’re “established” to start giving back. You don’t need to be a 10-year veteran to have something valuable to share. If you’re one step ahead of someone, you’re already qualified to help.

The Big Idea: Do the Things Average Athletes Won’t Do

If I had to reduce everything to one sentence, it would be this:

The gap between good and great isn’t talent. It’s the extra work nobody sees, the sports nobody expected you to play, and the skills nobody told you to develop.

I played rugby in middle school because a family friend was into it and it sounded fun. I stayed after practice to get extra reps when nobody asked me to. I played receiver and quarterback when I could have just punted. I said yes to things that seemed unrelated—and every single one of them showed up later in ways that mattered.

That’s the whole formula. It’s just not easy to execute.

Here’s your action plan:

1. ✅ Seek outside training beyond what your school provides. Find specialists. Commit to the extra work.

2. ✅ Play multiple sports—especially ones that develop skills your primary sport doesn’t.

3. ✅ Learn every position and skill adjacent to your primary role. Build the complete toolkit.

4. ✅ Let yourself feel the big moments fully — then close the celebration window and get back to competing.

5. ✅ Give back as soon as you’re in a position to. You don’t have to be famous to be helpful.

6. ✅ Do the things the average athlete won’t do. That’s always been the difference.

The dream is possible. But it requires doing things differently—starting right now, with whatever you have in front of you today.

—as told to Jon Kerr

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For story ideas, article comments/feedback, drop a note to info@theathleticscout.com.

Hope everyone had a terrific July 4 weekend… Now we turn our thoughts to the start of the 2026 football season.

This month is a busy one for the Lake Forest High School Scouts. The state allots 20 “contact” dates in the summer period (June and July), and the Scouts take all of their time in July. Beginning today (July 6) through July 26, 21 total days, they will practice/scrimmage on 16 of those days. The off-season is officially over. Let’s go!!!

As the Scouts launch this season’s campaign, here are five questions to chew on before the July period ends with the Parkside scrimmage (and cookout).

Who is going to play quarterback?

Quarterback is just one position, and in football they all matter. But without consistent quarterback play, no team can reach its full potential. For the second season in a row, the Scouts head to camp without an experienced varsity triggerman. The two candidates presumably are senior Rafi Karam and junior Colin McMahon, although other candidates may emerge. Karam was the third wheel in a two-man platoon (Braden Hoskins, Sufyan Hussain) in 2025. McMahon started for the JV squad, a team that finished last season with a winning record. While it’s way too early to handicap the competition, it’s fair to say a clear QB1 to emerge from the preseason would be best for this year’s group. If it’s between Karam and McMahon, the competition will be one of the more intriguing ones of the next three weeks and into August.

How much bigger and stronger are guys up front?

The Scouts got pushed around up front often in 2025. Watch the games against the Big Four (Libertyville, Stevenson, Warren and Lake Zurich) and Carmel. Those were all playoff teams, and Lake Forest did not match up physically. It’s been almost nine months since the Week 8 Libertyville game from last season, a loss that eliminated Lake Forest from the playoffs. We’ll see early this summer how the returning juniors who played in that game have used that time to transform their bodies. Among the senior linemen to watch in camp are Charlie Hornberger, Michael Heman, Rowdy Greenlees, and Nathan Tunney.

Who are the skill guys that we missed last year?

The Scouts’ disappointing playoff-less 2025 season was due in large part to the rash of injuries at the skill positions, specifically wide receiver. Those guys are healthy and ready to go. The most recognizable name of the group is Jack Burger. After a breakout sophomore season in 2024, Burger broke his leg in Week 1 vs. Deerfield last August and missed six games. He’s a difference-maker and a future college player. Senior Emmet Lee is another “that guy” type who missed eight games in 2025 due to injury. A Division 1 lacrosse player, Lee possesses game-changing speed and tremendous leadership skills. Another senior, Jack Dacy, adds another pass-catching dimension and missed a chunk of 2025 with various injuries. A healthy 2026 season for this group means options for an offense that stagnated all too often a season ago.

Where will George Holland play?

Holland, a senior who played linebacker in 2025, is one of the more interesting stories heading into this season. A season ago, Holland played linebacker, forced inside after injuries ravaged the group. He and Burger are the two Scouts seniors most active on the recruiting circuit. Listed at 6-4, 235 pounds, Holland’s size and versatility are the envy of defensive coordinators. Chuck Spagnoli, the team’s head coach and d-coordinator, prefers a 3-4 base scheme. Holland has the size to play either as an edge rusher or as an inside defender. Holland is a rare talent for the Scouts program, and how he is deployed will be a fun plotline to cover throughout the summer and into the fall.

Will we see a sense of urgency this month?

Two reasons to pose this question: last season’s finish and the shortened calendar. For the seniors, getting back to the postseason must be top of mind. Many of them were in the Varsity Field locker room late last October and watched the 2025 senior class walk out in a daze, their season and Scouts’ careers over after a Week 9 win over Mundelein. No one wants to feel that emotion again, that of missed opportunities. Throw in this dispassionate stat: as of today, July 6, we are 46 days from Week 1 vs Deerfield. That’s the shortest timeframe from the start of summer camp to opening night in decades. Every practice, every drill, every rep counts more than ever. All programs in the state are in the same boat as Lake Forest, with the IHSA calendar being moved up. Who manages the compressed calendar most optimally is another on the list of intriguing storylines this summer. My bet is the Scouts will handle it just fine, and that work begins today.

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Chuck Spagnoli is the all-time winningest coach in Lake Forest High School football history. But his impact on the program and larger community goes way beyond victories on the football field.

This past winter, Coach Spagnoli reached a career milestone few in the profession achieve: he was named to the Illinois State Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

I figured it was a good time to ask him to appear on the podcast. He agreed (reluctantly at first, but I got him).

I think you’ll enjoy this lengthy conversation with “Spags.”

Topics discussed:

• Recent changes to the summer calendar and how it impacts the 2026 season

• His being selected for the Hall of Fame and its meaning for his career

• How his head coaching career began in the Catholic League almost 40 years ago

• What the state of the LFHS program was like upon his arrival in 2003

• How he’s managed to maintain a level of excellence in the program for so long

I could have gone another hour with coach, but cut it off at a little over an hour. I think it’ll be worth your time.

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Here are a few clips from the interview…

How he got his first head coach job at 26 years of age:

How coaching in the Catholic League influenced his career:

Why relationships matter more than wins:

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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The 2026 graduating class is enjoying their summer before heading off to college.

One member of the class has a shorter summer than most. But there’s a very good reason for that.

James Elliott, a two-year varsity football player, heads off to Annapolis, Maryland, later this month and to the Naval Academy.

Elliott shares his journey from Scout to Midshipman in this episode of The Athletic Scout podcast.

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Topics discussed:

• The day he learned he’d been accepted into the Naval Academy

• The arduous application process and when he decided to pursue it

• What’s required from a physical fitness perspective

• How he defines leadership and being a captain

• How playing in the LFHS football program helped lead him on the path to a military academy education

Really good stuff with James. Such a unique story, and I couldn’t be happier for him.

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Here are a few clips from the interview:

How Athletics Built His Leadership Skills:

What Being A Captain Taught Me:

How the Navy Offer Played Out:

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hi there, Scoopers!

Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop,” our weekly newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

For new readers and subscribers: if you want to customize your experience on The Athletic Scout, go to the “Start Here” page.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• School Sports Spotlight

• Camp Reminders

• Let’s Get Social

Let’s get to it!

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SCHOOL SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Recognition for memorable state spring seasons…

BOYS TENNIS 🎾🎾🎾

What a spring for this group… the Scouts completed their season with a third-place team finish at the Class 1A state meet this past weekend. Lake Forest completed the three-day tournament with 27 points, behind second-place Chicago Latin (29) and champion Deerfield (40).

Congrats to the Scouts’ doubles team of seniors Nick Schweitzer and Owen Kuehnle, who placed runner-up at the tournament. Schweitzer and Kuehnle lost a three-set nail-biter to Deerfield’s tandem of Ryan Chernawsky and Blake Drexler in the title match (6-1, 3-6, 6-3).

BOYS TRACK 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

And what a season for the boys’ track 4x400 relay team!

Seniors George Thomas, Will Fox, Gabe Donnez, and junior Jack Burger completed their historic season with an 18th-place finish at the Class 3A state meet last weekend at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Their time of 3:21.21 was the second-fastest 4x400 time in school history.

The above picture was taken in Charleston on Friday.

Heckuva season fellas!

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THE BIG THING

Public money is quietly funding the next generation of sports academies—and families are primed to spend

Four forces have converged at exactly the right moment to make the localized sports academy model not just viable, but scalable

Why it matters: What is new is the speed at which smaller, local operators are copying the destination academy format in single buildings closer to home, and the reasons they can suddenly make the numbers work. Four forces have converged at the same moment: artificial intelligence is compressing the school day, state voucher dollars are subsidizing tuition, NIL and early specialization are pulling elite-training demand younger, and alternative K-12 schooling has gone mainstream.

The blueprint at the top: IMG Academy sold for an enterprise value of $1.25 billion, with boarding tuition now running near $93,900. SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio runs $62,475 to $68,800 across an 800-acre campus. Those prices and that billion-dollar exit told operators two things: families will pay a premium for an all-in-one environment, and institutional capital will pay a steep multiple to own it.

The four forces, explained:

1. AI is collapsing the school day. Alpha School’s “2-Hour Learning” model delivers core academics in about two hours a day through adaptive software. For the youth sports market, Alpha built Texas Sports Academy, which keeps the two-hour academic block and devotes the afternoon to sport-specific training, NIL readiness, recruiting, and sports psychology.

2. Vouchers pay the tuition. Texas’s Senate Bill 2 created the Education Freedom Account program, paying $10,474 per private-school student starting in 2026-27. By early May 2026 the state had selected about 96,000 students and committed roughly $820 million. Texas Sports Academy launched a statewide online version marketing tuition as fully covered by the voucher for eligible families—and within weeks of opening applications, thousands of parents had applied.

3. NIL is driving families to invest earlier. As of late 2025, 45 states plus D.C. allowed some form of high school NIL activity. Per the Aspen Institute, roughly two in ten youth sports parents believe their child can play Division I, and about one in ten believe their child could reach the pros or the Olympics—that belief, multiplied across millions of families, pushes specialized training earlier and justifies a premium environment.

4. Alternative schooling has gone mainstream. The National Microschooling Center reported in May 2025 that microschools serve about 750,000 students, with 74% charging tuition at or below $10,000, right at the voucher award. A sports academy is, in business terms, a specialized microschool built around a training facility.

By the numbers: Average family spending on a child’s primary sport reached $1,016 in 2024, a 46% jump from 2019, running at roughly twice the rate of general inflation. Across multiple sports the figure climbs to about $1,500 per child, with hockey topping the list at roughly $2,583 a year.

Where the model is scaling: Total Package Hockey now runs 16-plus academies built inside existing ice rinks with a 17th opening fall 2026—almost every campus sits inside a partner rink, keeping the model capital-light. The GRIND Academy opened its first Las Vegas campus in 2025. Unrivaled Sports, backed by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, raised $120 million led by DICK’S Sporting Goods, and was valued at more than $650 million, reaching more than 600,000 athletes across 30 states.

The critical risk: Any state that tightens accreditation rules or restricts ESA eligibility for sports-focused schools removes the subsidy that makes the math work. For operators, the practical takeaway is simpler: the model converts dead weekday daytime hours into recurring, often voucher-backed tuition, and the price point that wins is the one the voucher covers.

The bottom line: Texas releases its first full year of Education Freedom Account enrollment data in late 2026, and strong uptake at sports-focused schools would likely trigger fast replication in other voucher states. The question is no longer whether the localized academy model can work—it is how fast the money, the software, and the regulatory environment let it scale.

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SUMMER CAMPS

More information on a new camp this summer and a few reminders.

Emily’s got ‘em organized here, with links for each camp:

Jr. Scouts Gear Up Days

When: June 6 and 13 from 8 am to 12 pm

Where: Deerpath Community Park

Ages: 8-14 (all tackle football sign-ups)

Little Scouts Football Camp

When: Dates in June, July, and August

Three current LFHS football players, juniors George Holland, Charlie Hornberger, and Michael Knight, are holding camps for middle school kids this summer.

Go to the camp sign-up page for more information or check out their IG page:

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Emily with her Instagram follow of the week: @coris_corner_

A great way to learn the game! This account is great for understanding NFL rules and strategy made simple from Cori Middletown. He also has a fantastic podcast..

Jr. Scouts IG follow of the week:

Parker Dacy, @parkerdacy15

Parker is a 2031 QB (and also LAX player), heading into the 8th grade. He was on our Middleweight Big 10 team last year and is a fantastic player and teammate.

Give him a follow!

As you graduate this week and take the next step into high school, we want you to know how proud we are of everything you've accomplished. Thank you for being part of the Jr. Scouts Football family and for representing our program with hard work, sportsmanship, and that Scout spirit.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for each of you at LFHS and beyond! We'll be cheering you on every step of the way!

Thank you, Jill Pearre, mother of just-graduated CJ, for providing this photo from a weekend bash.

Recognize, anyone? That’s Coach Johnny from EAT in the middle… we’ll see you all this summer and this fall at the next level!

Are you a Jr. Scouts parent or have an athletic son or daughter you and want us to feature?

Drop us a note here or send an email to info@theathleticscout.com.

We read them all!

SCOUT SNACKS

And finally… a few links to “snack” on before the weekend.

We’ll see y’all next time!

• Youth Sports Complex Coming to Bannockburn

• More School Sports Participation an Antidote for Rising Costs

• World Cup Takes Over the U.S., but Soccer Moms Are in Charge

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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This story is part of Scout Summit, The Athletic Scout’s vertical covering leadership and the mental side of sports.

David Hone attended Villanova University and played on the men’s lacrosse team. He remembers one of the more famous Villanova teams in school history, the 1985 men’s basketball national championship team that, as a No. 8 seed, knocked off superpower Georgetown in the national title game.

But what the Lake Forest High School boys’ lacrosse coach references the most in an interview is the Wildcats’ more recent success on the hardcourt.

In the past decade, Villanova won two national championships, in 2016 and 2018. Its head coach for both titles was Jay Wright.

“I look at him as someone who is a great coach and an inspiring coach and try to adopt his on-court approaches,” Hone said. “I’ve always been a fan of (basketball). There are a lot of schemes and elements that are directly relatable to (lacrosse).”

In his 2017 book “Attitude,” Wright writes about a program moniker that became a popular catch phrase with Wildcat faithful: “Shoot ‘em up and sleep in the streets.”

Wright is referencing Villanova’s fearless culture and encouragement of players to take big shots regardless of the moment or eventual dips in production over a long season. Hone has applied that philosophy to a Scouts boys’ lacrosse program in search of their third consecutive state championship.

“We’ve had some great shooters here, guys like Lucas Kroner,” Hone said of the 2025 LFHS graduate now at Lafayette College. “Like (Wright), I give them full confidence knowing they will have slumps.”

Every good lacrosse team has a “point guard,” or initiator of the offense. Villanova’s basketball title teams had Ryan Archiediacono (2016 team) or, in 2018, current New York Knick and NBA finals participant, Jalen Brunson.

The lacrosse equivalent of a point guard is the attack position, one of four main positions in the sport (midfield, defense, and goalie being the other three). Without a dynamic attackman, possessing a multifaceted skill set, an offense can never synchronize to optimal levels.

And there’s much more to it than shooting.

Watch Brunson, who won a state championship at Stevenson High School in 2015, in the NBA Finals that begin Wednesday. Observe his ability to read defenses, to play “off” and “on” within the system while also improvising based on what he sees in real time.

A spectator viewing Hone’s lacrosse teams will see similarities in design and execution, with different actors.

“Off-ball and pick (plays), those are two areas with communication and non-verbal and knowing where to space, it’s very much like basketball,” Hone said.

Take Friday’s sectional final game against Libertyville.

Leading 3-1 early in the second quarter, junior attack Emmet Lee and senior Cole Pezza were behind the net. They ran a pick play, only with a twist: go the opposite way of what the defender anticipates.

The play led to an easy pass-and-shoot goal (Lee passing, Pezza shooting) and a 4-1 Scouts lead. Lake Forest would score three more goals in less than two minutes on its way to a decisive 13-2 win over the Wildcats.

You can hear them discuss the play here:

Watching it, you could imagine a basketball point guard at the top of the key, initiating a pick and roll. If defenders are confused on who to guard, the advantage goes to the offense. That allows for elite athleticism to take over. But coaches need both—scheme and talent—to run effective offense.

“You want that QB1 at attack, great point guards that gives (the offense) heft,” Hone said. “That is similar to what Villanova has success with and the one thing you always hope for, to have someone like that.”

In the Scouts’ first state championship team, in 2024, Graham Garrigan (now at Bucknell) was that guy. Currently, it’s the incomparable Lee, a 5-foot-8 dynamo of artistry and propulsion. Hone leans heavily on Lee, not just for production but for leadership.

This year’s Scouts roster is large—36 players—but short on experience, having graduated 15 seniors from the 2025 state title team. Each season, Hone works off a “4 Pillars” methodology for culture building:

CHEMISTRY

LACROSSE I.Q.

CONDITIONING

MENTAL STRENGTH

A season ago, the Scouts were supremely conditioned. This spring, team chemistry and lacrosse intelligence are an emphasis.

“There are times those two pillars (chemistry and lacrosse intelligence) are on the field, where it does materialize,” Hone said.

Lee typically leads the charge, whether it's a pass to Pezza off a pick play or drawing defenders to free up space for open shots for other players, such as junior Hudson York or freshman Neason Lui, who both scored against Libertyville.

Trust is also a characteristic of a strong player-coach relationship.

Hone, the team’s offensive coordinator, engages in running dialogue with Lee throughout the game. There are directives from Hone on where to space away from the ball, to set up a sequence during an offensive set. Lee will chime in to his coach with what he sees, make suggestions, and more often than not, the set results in a Lake Forest goal.

“I’m a lacrosse rat and love the sport. I’ll say, ‘try this or try that,’ and he usually executes and does it,” Hone said of Lee. “When you see it at eye level, it’s really impressive.”

Said Lee: “It’s all about the communication.”

Spoken like a true point guard.

The Lake Forest boys’ lacrosse team plays Tuesday night against St. Viator in the supersectional. Game time is 7 pm at Varsity Field

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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All college athletes are living a dream. But for Finn Goodman, that dream is more prescient.

The 2025 Lake Forest High School graduate was an all-conference defensive end in 2024, recording 10.5 sacks. After initially committing to Dayton, Goodman accepted a preferred walk-on offer at Purdue University. As a fan, the Boilermakers were his favorite program. Now, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Goodman gets to suit up every day for his dream school.

Goodman enters his second season this fall at Purdue after a redshirt freshman season in ‘25.

I really enjoyed this conversation and catching up with the ex-Scout sackmaster and developing college football player. His best days are ahead of him.

Topics discussed:

• His first season at Purdue and expectations moving forward

• How he manages his schedule as a finance major and football player

• The importance of nutrition and how that impacts performance

• Whether the success of in-state rival Indiana motivates or frustrates

• Maintaining a connection with teammates from the great ‘24 Scouts team

Really good stuff with Finn. We went for almost an hour, and I hope you enjoy the entire interview.

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Here are a few clips from the interview:

The Grind of Earning Playing Time at a Big Ten School:

How Finn Views the Transfer Portal:

How the Rise of Indiana Football Impacts Purdue:

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hi there, Scoopers!

Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop,” our weekly newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

For new readers and subscribers: if you want to customize your experience on The Athletic Scout, go to the “Start Here” page.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• School Sports Spotlight

• One Big Thing

• Let’s Get Social

Let’s get to it!

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SCHOOL SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Who: Boys Track and Field, 4x400 relay team

What: Friday at the Class 3A Grayslake Central sectional meet, the Lake Forest High School 4x400 relay team reached a milestone every track athlete works for in the spring: to qualify for the state meet. The relay group, made up of seniors George Thomas (captain), Will Fox, Gabe Donnez, and junior Jack Burger, left no doubt as it won the 4x400 event with a time of 3:22.54.

Details on the race from head coach John Brumund-Smith:

Senior captain George Thomas got the Scouts off to a great start, making up the stagger easily on the three competitors to his outside and passing off the baton just 51.4 seconds after he started. He passed to senior Will Fox, who burst around the curve and hit the cut-in point with enough of a cushion to ease into lane one with a comfortable lead. Fox put the pressure on the field by burning around the oval in a lifetime best split of 50.5 seconds, giving the Scouts a full second lead over their nearest pursuers from Wauconda. Senior Gabe Donnez ran all alone the whole way around the track, buoyed by the raucous Lake Forest crowd around the second corner. By the time he finished his lifetime best split of 51.55 seconds, the Scouts were winning by over 2.5 seconds, and the race was effectively over. Junior Jack Burger churned around the track in a lifetime best of 49.01 seconds to give the Scouts their first-ever sectional title in the 4x400m Relay. Their time of 3:22.54 won the race by over two seconds and has them ranked as the second-best foursome in school history.

The Scoop: What an amazing accomplishment for this group of athletes. The sectional title was the relay team’s fourth straight first-place finish, and they head to the state meet this weekend with tons of momentum. Thomas, Fox, Donnez, and Burger will compete in Friday’s state meet prelims at Eastern Illinois University.

Another Scouts squad is state-bound this weekend….

Who: Boys Tennis

What: The LFHS boys tennis team qualified for the Class 1A state meet this weekend by winning the Saturday Lakes Sectional. The Scouts won the meet by a large margin, scoring 34 points while runner-up Wauconda scored 14. Senior Andrew Harris won the singles bracket with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Tyler Batt of Johnsburg in the championship match. Freshman Gino Ventura also qualified for state as an individual with a top 4 finish at Lakes. In doubles, seniors Nick Schweitzer and Owen Kuehnle took the first-place trophy after a straight-set win over Chris George and Aidan Munday of Grayslake Central. Scouts pair Max Marijanovic (senior) and Lucas Axente (sophomore) earned a state bid with a third-place finish at the sectional.

The Scoop: The Scouts’ tennis program has a rich history of success, having won over two dozen North Suburban Conference championships, over 20 sectional titles, and three state first-place trophies. But this is the program’s best finish in years. Of the 16 1A sectionals, the Scouts’ 20-point winning margin is the largest of all but one other champion. This team is poised to have a terrific state meet, held this Thursday through Saturday at Palatine High School and District 211, 214, 220, 128 tennis courts. Best of luck to the guys this weekend!

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THE BIG THING

Schools cracked the brand sponsorship code—and youth sports should copy them

A company already embedding national brands into K-12 schools is now turning its sights on youth sports organizations.

Why it matters: Everyone talks about what brand sponsorships could do for youth sports, but the details of how they make a tangible impact can be hazy. The blueprint may be down the road from the industry—in education.

What’s happening: Schools are increasingly embracing sponsorships in everything from high school football games to proms to elementary school field days—partnerships that provide added resources for schools and help brands make authentic connections with communities. Campus Multimedia, a company with over 84,000 schools in its network, is now beginning to work with youth sports organizations as well.

What the data shows: Campus Multimedia surveyed K-12 parents and teens and found an overwhelming appetite for brand involvement:

• 97% of school leaders said their school is open to community sponsor and brand support.

• 73% of parents and 70% of students wish a brand would “adopt” their school.

• 71% of parents think brands that support schools are more deserving of their business, and 69% are more likely to buy from a brand that supports their kid’s school.

The value proposition: Campus Multimedia imagines ways that brands like DoorDash, Kleenex, Costco, and Jersey Mike’s can embed themselves organically—not by adding clutter, but by coming alongside schools and providing something of value they already need.

The connection to youth sports: The brands working with Campus Multimedia through schools are the same brands that want to engage with their communities through youth sports. The goal is to make it easier for them to support both financially and with resources, so brands doing the right things can build trust.

The bottom line: The brands that start spending in schools and youth sports now are the ones that will build genuine trust with a community made up of students, parents, staff, and teachers. High school football teams have been sponsored by the local diner or radio station forever. But what about DoorDash or Uber? There’s no reason youth sports organizations can’t consider doing the same.

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SUMMER CAMPS

A new camp and a few reminders this week.

Emily’s got ‘em organized here, with links for each camp:

Free Baseball Clinic at The Farm

When: Sunday, May 31 and Sunday, June 7

Where: The Farm in Lake Bluff

Ages: 7U-10U

Cost: Free!

More Info

Eddie Scheidler Workouts Are Back!

Former Notre Dame football player and LFHS grad (class of 2019), Eddie Scheidler, is back in town from June 2-6 and hosting some workouts after school for Jr. Scouts (grades 4-8)!

If interested, please email Eddie at escheidler12@gmail.com.

Jr. Scouts Gear Up Days

When: June 6 & 13 from 8 am to 12 pm

Where: Deerpath Community Park

Ages: 8-14 (all tackle football sign-ups)

Little Scouts Football Camp

When: Dates in June, July and August

Three current LFHS football players, juniors George Holland, Charlie Hornberger, and Michael Knight, are holding camps for middle school kids this summer.

Go to their Instagram page for more information.

Colston Loveland Spring Football Camp

When: May 30

Where: The Dome/Parkview Sports Complex, Des Plaines, IL

Ages: Ages 7-15 (boys and girls)

Cost: $186 ($252 for meet & greet)

Join Chicago Bears Players Colston Loveland & Luther Burden for an Unforgettable Football Experience!

Play with the Pros! Chicago Bears TE Colston Loveland & WR Luther Burden Youth Football Experience—at The Dome! This elite camp offers a high-energy, hands-on experience designed to elevate your game and inspire football dreams!

Camp Highlight:

• Expert Coaching: Train alongside Loveland & Burden and a team of elite coaches.

• Skills & Drills: Develop your techniques with dynamic drills, competitions, and game-day scenarios.

• Exclusive Photo Opportunity: Group photo with Burden & Loveland

• Limited Edition Gear: Receive the official player T-Shirt

• Parents & family members are welcome and encouraged to stay and enjoy the event at no additional cost.

More Info

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Emily has her pick for Jr. Scouts Instagram follow of the week:

Craig Glatty, @cglatty14.

Craig is a rising 8th grader and Lake Forest Jr. Scouts football player (#21, free safety) who also plays lacrosse. We love following Craig on Instagram because he’s always the first to celebrate his teammates’ accomplishments and share their successes. He’s a true team player, and we can’t wait to watch him compete in his 8th-grade season!

Give him a follow!

SCOUT SNACKS

And finally… a few links to “snack” on before the weekend.

We’ll see y’all next time!

• Mental Health and the Young Athlete

• Greg Olsen Commencement Speech at the U

• Life Advice From a Two-Sport College Athlete

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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This story is part of Scout Summit, The Athletic Scout’s vertical covering leadership and the mental side of sports.

Cade Nowik is a senior football and baseball player at Denison University. He is a 2022 graduate of Lake Forest High School who played three sports—football, basketball, and baseball—for the Scouts.

Let’s say this right up front.

When I showed up to college as an 18-year-old freshman, I thought I was ready. I thought I was good enough. I thought I’d walk in and contribute right away.

I was wrong.

I wasn’t good enough. Not yet. And learning to sit with that—to keep showing up anyway, to wait my turn, to trust the process even when it was frustrating—that ended up being the most important thing I ever did as an athlete. And honestly, as a person.

Now I’m a senior on the number-one-ranked team in the country, finishing up a season none of us will ever forget and getting ready to graduate and step into the real world. So let me share what I actually learned. Not the highlight reel version. The real stuff.

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Step 1: Understand That Not Playing Is Part of the Process

Here’s the thing nobody tells you before you get to college: there’s a really good chance you won’t play much your freshman year. And that’s okay.

I came in thinking I was ready. I wasn’t. Simple as that. The guys ahead of me were just better. And instead of sulking about it or looking for an exit, I made a decision that changed everything for me.

I watched. I learned. I leaned on the older guys and paid attention to how they worked every single day.

• The athletes ahead of you are your best teachers. Forget the playbook for a second. Watch how the seniors carry themselves in practice. Watch how they handle a bad day. Watch what they do in the weight room when nobody’s telling them to be there. That stuff doesn’t show up in any coaching manual.

• Getting into the postseason as a freshman—even if you barely play—changes your perspective. I got a taste of what it feels like when the games really matter. And I thought to myself, I want to be on the field when it counts. That moment lit a fire in me that never went out.

• Common mistake: Freshmen who expect to play right away and then check out mentally when they don’t. They stop absorbing. They stop developing. They fall behind the very guys they’re trying to catch.

• The better approach: Treat your freshman year like a graduate program. You’re there to learn. Show up early. Stay late. Ask questions. Make yourself impossible to ignore—not by complaining, but by outworking everyone around you.

The guys who wait their turn and keep grinding are the ones who end up being the heart and soul of a championship team. Every time.

Step 2: Build Your Body Like It’s Your Job—Because It Is

I came into college too light to compete. I knew it. My coaches knew it. Everybody knew it.

So I did something about it.

• Physical development is non-negotiable at the college level. The gap between high school and college athletics is real. The players are bigger, faster, and stronger. If your body isn’t ready, your skills won’t matter—because you won’t stay healthy long enough to use them.

• The weight room is where careers are built. Over four years, I put on about 20 pounds of functional muscle. My bat-to-ball skills were always there. But my power numbers went up every single year as I got stronger. The work I did in the offseason showed up in my stats during the season.

• Injuries are part of the journey—how you handle them defines you. I broke my fibula early in my sophomore year. Four months of recovery. I had to start all over again. And coming back from that, I learned something important: your body is more resilient than you think, but only if you put in the work to rebuild it right.

• Common mistake: Athletes who focus only on sport-specific skills and neglect strength and conditioning. They plateau early. They get hurt more often. And they leave results on the field that they could have had.

• The better approach: Treat physical development as a year-round commitment. Not just in-season. Not just when the coaches are watching. Every single day.

Step 3: Play Multiple Sports—Your Future Self Will Thank You

I played three sports all four years of high school and two sports all four years of college. Everyone thought I was a little crazy. I’d do it again without hesitating.

Here’s what nobody tells you about playing multiple sports: the skills transfer in ways that are almost impossible to explain until you experience it.

• Each sport teaches you something the other one can’t. Changing direction. Reading a defense. Staying calm under pressure. Managing a long season. Competing when your body is tired and your mind wants to quit. None of those things belong to one sport. They belong to athletes.

• Multi-sport athletes are more adaptable. When something unexpected happens—a new position, a new role, a new challenge—multi-sport athletes figure it out faster. Because they’ve been figuring things out their whole career.

• Playing multiple sports keeps you mentally fresh. I said it when I was in high school, and I still believe it: if I only played one sport, there would be too much time to sit and overthink. Staying busy keeps me sharp, keeps me competitive, and keeps me connected to teammates I wouldn’t have otherwise.

• Common mistake: Parents and coaches pushing young athletes to specialize too early because they think it gives them an edge. Sometimes it does. More often, it produces one-dimensional athletes, burned out, and fragile when things don’t go their way.

• The better approach: Let your kids play everything they love for as long as they love it. The skills will sort themselves out. The character that gets built through multiple sports? That lasts a lifetime.

Step 4: Master the Art of Compartmentalization

This one took me a while to figure out. But once I did, everything got easier.

When I’m on the field, I am only on the field. When I’m in class, I am only in class.

That sounds simple. It’s not.

• Being present is a skill—and you have to train it. My brain doesn’t wander to assignments during practice. And it doesn’t wander to the game during class. I made a conscious decision years ago to operate that way, and now it’s just how I function.

• The field is a getaway. Practice isn’t a burden—it’s the best part of my day. It’s where I joke around with my teammates, compete, and completely detach from everything else. That mental reset makes me more focused when I sit back down to do schoolwork.

• You’re never too busy to get your work done. Sometimes that means being up until 1 a.m. Sometimes it means waking up at 6 a.m. That’s just life. The work gets done. The key is knowing when you’re going to do it so you’re not carrying it around in your head all day.

• Common mistake: Athletes who bring the stress of school onto the field and the stress of athletics into the classroom. They’re never fully present anywhere. Their performance suffers in both places.

• The better approach: Create clear mental boundaries. When you step into the athletic facility, leave everything else at the door. When you sit down to study, put the phone away and lock in. Practice being present the same way you practice your sport.

Step 5: Choose Your Program Based on Fit, Not Just Level

Here’s something I think about a lot now that I’m on the other side of the recruiting process.

When I talk to younger athletes who are trying to figure out where to go, I always tell them the same thing: find the place where the values match yours. Everything else is secondary.

• High-character programs produce high-character athletes. The culture of a program shapes you. If the guys around you are selfish, you’ll develop bad habits. If they’re team-first, gritty, and committed to winning the right way, that rubs off on you whether you realize it or not.

• You probably won’t play much as a freshman—so choose a place where you’re okay with that. If you’re coming in with a chip on your shoulder and an “I need to start right away” mentality, you might be setting yourself up for a bad experience. The programs that build championships are built on guys who wait, develop, and eventually take ownership.

• Academic fit matters as much as athletic fit. If you can’t hold your own in the classroom, your athletic career is going to be cut short. Period. Your high school transcript tells coaches a lot about whether you can handle the academic load. Take that seriously before you ever set foot on a campus visit.

• Don’t chase a logo. Chase a coaching staff. I have had the same coaches for all four years. That continuity changed my career. I learned their system. I earned their trust. I grew into a leader within their program. That doesn’t happen when coaches turn over every year or two.

• Common mistake: Athletes who choose a school based on level, rankings, or name recognition—and then find themselves miserable because the culture is wrong for them. A great fit at a lower level beats a bad fit at a higher one. Every single time.

Step 6: Lead From the Front—Especially When It’s Hard

Toward the end of my career, I started to understand something that I couldn’t have grasped as a freshman.

Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a daily decision.

• Hold yourself to the highest standards first. Nobody respects a leader who asks more from others than they ask from themselves. If I want my teammates to grind, I have to be the one grinding hardest. If I want them to be coachable, I have to be the most coachable guy in the room.

• Be the voice younger players can trust. When I talk to recruits who are considering our program, I tell them the truth. Not the sales pitch. Not the version that makes everything sound perfect. The real version—what to expect, what it demands, how hard the first year is going to be. Because I didn’t have that when I was coming in, and I wish I had.

• Winning is more fun when you bring other people with you. Watching a teammate who didn’t play much finally break through and have a big moment in a postseason game—that hit differently than anything I did for myself. Because I knew what it took for him to get there. And being part of that environment felt like the whole point.

• Common mistake: Senior players who check out mentally once they feel secure in their role. They stop pushing. They stop leading. And the younger guys notice immediately.

The Big Idea: Fall in Love With the Process

Here’s what I know after four years of doing this:

The record is amazing. The ranking is incredible. The wins are something I’ll tell stories about for the rest of my life.

But none of that is what I’m actually going to miss.

I’m going to miss the bus rides. The early morning workouts. The guys in the dugout who have been with me through all of it—the injuries, the slumps, the grind of a long season. That’s the stuff that makes a career worth having.

Fall in love with the process. Not just the outcome.

Here’s your action plan:

1. ✅ Embrace your freshman year—even if you’re not playing. You’re learning. Let yourself learn.

2. ✅ Invest in the weight room year-round. Physical development is what separates good athletes from great ones over time.

3. ✅ Play multiple sports as long as you can. The skills transfer. The character transfers even more.

4. ✅ Train your brain to be present—on the field and in the classroom. Compartmentalize everything.

5. ✅ Choose your program based on culture and coaching fit, not just level or name recognition.

6. ✅ Lead by example every single day. Be the player younger athletes want to watch and learn from.

7. ✅ Enjoy every single moment. The games are counting down. Value every single one.

You’re going to blink, and it’s going to be over. Make it count.

—as told to Jon Kerr

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Cade and the Big Red baseball team are ranked No. 1 in NCAA —evenDivision 3 and are competing in the Division 3 Super Regionals this weekend in Granville, Ohio

For story ideas, article comments/feedback, drop a note to info@theathleticscout.com.

Hi there, Scoopers! Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop,” our weekly newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

For new readers and subscribers: if you want to customize your experience on The Athletic Scout, go to the “Start Here” page.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• Youth/Sports Spotlight

• One Big Thing

• Let’s Get Social

Let’s get to it!

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YOUTH SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

What a spring season for one of our community 7v7 football teams!

Who: Lake Forest Jr. Scouts 4th & 5th grade 7v7 team

What: Playing in the competitive Chicagoland Youth Football League spring season, the boys finished with an unblemished 8-0 record. From head coach Rush Holson:

Our quarterback, Finn Holson, had 25 touchdowns on 25 drives. Bear Ryan and Grant Gordy both caught 10+ touchdowns. Miles Steinbach was another key piece, catching multiple touchdowns and getting multiple (interceptions) at safety. We won every game by 4+ TD’s and never scored under 35 points.

Wow. That’s an impressive stat line for this group. Heckuva season, boys, and we’ll see most of you later in the summer for tackle season!

The Scoop: We featured a group of 7th and 8th-grade 7v7 kids a few weeks ago and how success trickles down. The cool thing about this story is how this group of boys are just starting their football (and athletic) journeys and are doing so together. The more fun and success athletes have as a unit at a young age, the more likely they are to stick to playing a sport. We want to keep attrition rates low, and seasons like this one are what motivate kids to keep playing a sport.

Check out more action shots here:

(Thanks to Coach Rush and Emily Ryan for the write-up and photos!)

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SCHOOL SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Who: Lake Forest High School Girls Track and Field

What: The Scouts’ girls’ track and field team qualified two athletes for this weekend’s state meet. They are: sophomore Portia LeGrand in the 400-meter dash and in the long jump, senior Mallory Gohsman. LeGrand qualified with a time of 57.93 in the May 13 Class 3A sectional meet, held at Vernon Hills. Gohsman cleared a jump of 1.57 meters, also at Vernon Hills. The Class 3A state meet begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.

The Scoop: A terrific achievement for LeGrand and Gohsman. LeGrand is a repeat qualifier, having competed in the state meet in 2025. Her 57.93 time at the May 13 sectional was a PR. That’s the mark of a winning track athlete—reaching personal best milestones at the end of the season. Best of luck to the girls in Charleston!

THE BIG THING

AI is about to make every young athlete their own personal coaching staff

The convergence of sports, education, and artificial intelligence isn’t a future trend — it’s already reshaping how athletes train, learn, and get recruited.

Why it matters: What used to be fragmented—school, sports, personal development—is now becoming one unified, intelligent system with AI. Prep schools, academies, and club programs are already racing to implement these tools.

The big idea: 1:1 tutoring and training have always been the gold standard of education. AI now makes that available 24/7 at low cost—superintelligent, personalized to your learning style, and continuously improving based on your behavior. By the year 2035, every student from kindergarten to college will likely have their own AI tutor tailored to their passions and pace—think geometry through football formations, or economics through NBA trade scenarios.

What changes for athletes specifically:

• AI-generated training plans will adapt in real-time to performance data, injuries, and energy levels—optimizing every rep and every session.

• Instead of passive video reviews, athletes will engage in real-time conversations with AI assistants that break down plays, suggest alternatives, and quiz them on situational awareness.

• Coaches won’t just evaluate highlight reels—they’ll see AI-curated profiles showing learning agility, progression curves, mental toughness, and quantified “potential.”

• The old tension between school and sports dissolves, as students can dual-track—studying for the ACT in the morning and mastering zone coverage by the afternoon.

The trickle-down effect: Just like sports science filtered down from the pros, this will start at elite academies like IMG, Spire, and Montverde—and quickly reach local club teams and high school programs.

Three bold predictions: Private schools and academies will see hockey-stick growth as AI helps kids find their optimal sport; athletes will increasingly skip college to transition directly from prep academies to emerging leagues like Unrivaled; and junior colleges will likely fade as sports academies expand their scope from middle school through the sophomore year of college.

The bottom line: When software meets athletes where they are, becomes tailor-made for them, and taps into what makes each person unique, they become significantly more capable and confident—and that’s one of the real arms races now underway in youth and college sports. NIL is making headlines now, but AI and its use in developing the next generation of athletes will be a bigger story for years to come.

SUMMER CAMPS

OK, so we’re branching out a little this week, featuring camps other than football (yes, we know there are other sports!)

Emily’s got ‘em organized here, with write-ups and links for each camp:

Future Scouts Boys Basketball Summer Camp

When: June 15-July 17

Where: LFHS and Deerpath Middle School

Ages: grades 3-8

Cost: $175-$225

Future Scouts camps are offered to athletes who have the dedication and desire to further their athletic ability. Lake Forest High School's Head Varsity and/or Assistant Varsity Coaches direct each camp for their own sport. The camps will provide participants with new skills; improvement of existing skills; application of various strategies; and an opportunity to showcase their talents. A 10-student minimum required for all camps to run. A non-refundable $25 registration fee is included in the camp cost. Fees are not prorated at any time.

More Info

Free Softball Clinics at The Farm

When: May 31 and June 7

Where: The Farm in Lake Bluff

Ages: 8U-13U

Cost: Free!

8U-10U

More Info

11U-13U

More Info

You know we had to squeeze one football camp in this week…

Rise & Fire Memorial Weekend Camp

When: May 23 & 24

Where: Brother Rice High School

Ages: 8th grade and under

Cost: $81-$316

Join Rise & Fire Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th at Brother Rice HS on their turf field for their Youth & Middle School Showcase Camp—an elite training and competition experience for top-level quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers. This showcase is designed for athletes who want to compete against the best of the best and elevate their game in a high-energy, high-exposure environment.

More Info

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Emily’s IG Follow of the Week:

@martamathews

Try this challenge football players… 10 minutes, 100 catches.

Like Marta said, “Let’s work!”

We were out at a cool event at Stevenson High School last week… the site of the first-ever spring football showcase. Current high school juniors, sophomores, and freshmen had an opportunity to work out in front of a large group of college coaches.

A bunch of Lake Forest High School guys were there, and we grabbed a few for interviews.

Here’s Jack Burger, a wide receiver in the ‘27 class:

Charlie Hornberger, an OL/DL, also in the ‘27 class:

And we chatted it up with Colin McMahon, a quarterback in the ‘28 class:

Here’s a write-up on the event.

Jr. Scout Follow of the Week: @jake.zilka

Jake is a rising 7th grade Jr. Scout player and has played QB for the last 3 years. We’re excited to watch him play over the coming years - go give him a follow!

Are you a Jr. Scouts parent or have an athletic son or daughter you and want us to feature?

Drop us a note here or send an email to info@theathleticscout.com.

We read them all!

SCOUT SNACKS

And finally… a few links to “snack” on before the weekend.

We’ll see y’all next time!

• Meet The Mom Negotiating One of the NFL’s Biggest Contracts

• Let Kids Play Act Proposed in Congress

• If Sports Parents Got Trophies

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hey everybody… Hope all is well and everyone is having a good spring season (although we won’t miss the spastic weather).

There’s much to catch up on with football… it being a busier “off-season” than typical.

Let’s get right to it with Scout Shorts, spring style:

Spring football comes to Stevenson

OK, not true football—no pads or live hitting—but the closest thing to actual competition was seen at Stevenson High School Tuesday night.

A few hundred kids from about a dozen area schools—including several from the North Suburban Conference—worked out in front of college coaches at the newly-branded IHSA Spring Showcase.

Players from three different graduating classes—‘27, ‘28, ‘29—ran through “combine”-style drills while also competing in individual and running “live” 7v7 plays.

Under a cloudy but dry sky, the event lasted a tight two hours and, by all accounts, was a hit.

“There were guys who got here early, at 4:05 pm (the showcase began at 5 pm) and didn’t want to leave,” said Stevenson coach Brent Becker, who hosted and was the lead organizer of the event. “They were like, ‘we got daylight; we want to work.’”

Becker said he received a call a few months ago from Sean Drendel, the head coach at Naperville North High School. Approved this past winter by the Illinois High School Association, Drendel had hosted similar events in DuPage County for a few years. He was seeking Chicagoland locations for the expanded showcases.

Stevenson agreed to become the hub facility for NSC participants and a few out-of-conference schools (Antioch, Hersey, and Barrington, to name a few). Over two weeks, there were around 20 showcases, with New Trier and St. Viator also hosting suburban Cook County programs. Hundreds of college coaches from all over the state, region, and country attended the events. The only level restricted from being present: Division 1.

The IHSA capped the number of participants per school at 20, and there were many that reached that limit or were close to it.

“We took the approach that we wanted to get as many kids here as possible and as many colleges to get eyes on kids,” Becker said. “It was a great event for high school kids, coaches, and college coaches. Everybody is excited about football.”

Said former Lake Zurich coach Ron Planz, who just this past week took a teaching and coaching job at Barrington: “It’s access for the kids. Not everybody can afford to fly out to these schools, not everybody can afford to go to camps. This allows them to be seen, and it turned out really, really good.”

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Lake Forest players show out on rival field

Normally, we Scouts fans would be skeptical if there were so many smiling faces on a Stevenson football field. But Tuesday night was an exception.

A large contingent of Scouts players not only went through the physical workouts but also got mental reps, chatting it up with college coaches after the combine.

“It was a chance for the (players) to showcase their ability, not necessarily in a football way but a vehicle to show their athletic ability,” Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli said. “Anything to get the kids’ exposure is a good thing, and if (the showcase) helps them with it, what can be a negative?”

Spagnoli was on site Tuesday night, along with a few Scouts’ assistant coaches.

They saw two juniors participate, George Holland (edge/LB) and Jack Burger (WR), who are the most active in the ‘27 class. Punter Reding Pruitt, with an offer from Colgate, Michael Turelli (LB/RB), Michael Hemen (DL) and Charlie Hornberger (OL/DL) were other juniors in attendance.

You can hear from Jack and Charlie here:

And a nice turnout from ‘28s and ‘29s: sophomores Colin McMahon (QB), Luke Hoffman (DL/LB); freshmen Hunter Stewart (RB/LB), Jack Ruzila (K), Ra’Zhon Alston, and Sebastian Berry (TE/LB) all competed at Stevenson.

I also talked to Colin for a few minutes after Tuesday’s workout:

My take: it’s impossible to know exactly how a combine event like the one at Stevenson changes the recruiting trajectory of a high school athlete. There are so many variables in college recruiting—academics, scheme, coaching philosophy—where five coaches can evaluate one player and have five different opinions. But here’s one simple truth: everyone who attended is better for it. Participating players put themselves in an environment that might have been a little outside their comfort zone… well, welcome to growing up. The event was as much an exercise in leadership growth as football development. It was super cool to be there in person, and the guys handled themselves extremely well—nothing but good vibes, and I think they would tell you the event turned out to be a quality team-building outing in advance of the 2026 season.

I hope there are more of these events in the future.

Let’s hear from the college coaches

I talked about a half dozen college coaches at the showcase.

Here are some notable quotes:

CORNELL U ASSISTANT COACH JEFF DITTMAN

“We like Chicago-area kids. There are a lot of high-academic high schools, and the kids work hard at their craft. It is a good blend of what the Ivy League is looking for.”

“(Showcases like the one at Stevenson) have been occurring all over the country, at prep schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This model is becoming the new norm for spring recruiting, as there’s a need to evaluate in person for coaches. It fits exactly what we are looking for—that one-stop shop, rather than having to travel from school to school all day.”

WASHINGTON U ASSISTANT COACH JEFF FISHER

“We come into this with a good sense of the guys we want to talk to. I connect in advance with coaches like Spagnoli and Becker and ask who might be a good academic fit for us. So for me, it makes it a little bit easier as I can isolate those guys, but there might be a few guys you meet today, somebody who meets the eye test.”

INDIANA STATE ASSISTANT COACH BRAD JARMAN

“The ability to see kids from 8-12 schools in one setting is huge for us. If you tried to drive around and hit all these schools in one day, you are not going to get it done. It’s about two days’ worth of work in two hours, and you can get live evaluations on these kids, which is really important in recruiting right now, especially at the high school level.”

ANONYMOUS DIVISION 3 COACH

“California has a program where they waive all JUCO tuition. It’s hard to recruit out there, as kids just go to JUCO schools as they get their tuition paid for. California has another program where if a student goes to a certain college on the West Coast, the state will pay for it. There are a lot of things happening in California that are not happening in Illinois.”

ANONYMOUS DIVISION 3 COACH

“A lot of the kids we see here think they are still going to get a scholarship. Hard to blame them for that. I tell them, ‘That’s OK, I’ll still be here in November.’”

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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There aren’t too many athletes in college sports quite like Cade Nowik.

A starting infielder for the Division 3 No. 1-ranked Denison University Big Red, Nowik and his baseball Big Red teammates begin postseason play Friday. Denison has won a remarkable 39 games in a row and is the top seed in the D3 baseball playoff tournament.

In the fall, the 6-1, 195-pound Nowik plays wide receiver for the Big Red football team. He is a rarity in college sports today—the multi-sport athlete.

A few days before Denision plays its opening round postseason baseball game, Nowik sat down with The Athletic Scout podcast and talked about Denison’s incredible regular season run, juggling football and baseball at the college level, the impact of the transfer portal at the D3 level, his time at Lake Forest High School, and much more.

A terrific conversation with a young man who embodies what it means to be a student-athlete.

Topics discussed:

• How Denison baseball managed a 40-1 regular-season record

• The secret to playing two sports in college at a high level

• How the transfer portal impacts a school like Denison

• What leadership means to him and being a role model for younger athletes

• How his time in Lake Forest prepared him for his college career

Really good stuff with Cade. We went for almost an hour, and I hope you enjoy the entire interview.

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Here are a few clips from the interview:

This ‘26 Denison Baseball Team Has Tons of Grit

Thoughts on the Transfer Portal

How Cade Balances School and Sports

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hi there! Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop”, our weekly newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

For new readers and subscribers: if you want to customize your experience on The Athletic Scout, go to the “Start Here” page.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• School Sports Spotlight

• One Big Thing

• Let’s Get Social

Let’s get to it!

Share

SCHOOL SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Who: Lake Forest High School Boys Track

What: The Scouts’ boys’ track team competes in the postseason portion of the schedule beginning Thursday (May 14) at the North Suburban Conference meet.

Before the conference and state series meets, Lake Forest achieved a milestone in one of the relay events. On May 7, while competing in the Lake County Invitational at Vernon Hills, the Scouts’ 4x400 relay team finished first for the first time in school history.

Details on the event from the boys’ head coach John Brumund-Smith:

After a relatively disappointing meet, the Scouts prepared for the final event. Coming into the meet, one goal was to get better seed times for the Sectional meet in the 4x100m and 4x400m Relays. That did not happen in the 4x100m Relay, where the foursome of senior George Thomas, senior Will Fox, junior Alex Richards, and junior Jack Burger had subpar handoffs and could only manage a 44.24 for ninth place.

But that was the only event heading into the 4x400m Relay for Thomas, Fox, and Burger, while senior Gabe Donnez had waited all meet for the opportunity to run in just the final race.

Thomas was out of the blocks fast and got the Scouts a lead with his 51.9 split on the lead-off leg. Fox took off and extended the lead, his split of 52.0 actually building up nearly a 2.5-second lead at the halfway point. Donnez was all alone but managed to race to a lifetime best of 52.06 seconds. Antioch crept back into the race when their third leg split 49.62, meaning Burger caught the baton less than a half second ahead of Antioch - who anchored the 800m champion Carson Lanners. Racing totally alone but with Lanners’ footsteps behind him, Burger never faltered. He extended the lead, with his 49.47 split giving the Scouts the win in 3:25.60.

It was the first time any foursome from Lake Forest had won the Lake County Invitational in the 4x400m Relay, and their time now ranks at the 10th-best in school history.

Here’s a picture of Jack Burger—a starting wide receiver for the Scouts’ football team—crossing the finish line in the 4x400 (photo courtesy of Lake Forest Boys Track and Field):

Solid lean, Jack!

The Scoop: If they can post fast times at the NSC and sectional meets, the 4x400 relay team is the team’s best shot at getting a group down for the state meet, May 28-30 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Best of luck to the fellas on Thursday and May 22 at the Grayslake Central sectional meet.

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THE BIG THING

A new shadow economy of “clippers” is quietly taking over your social media feed

Thousands of freelancers are getting paid per view to chop up long-form content — and platforms can’t decide whether to stop them or feed them.

Why it matters: Thousands of clippers are inundating social media platforms with bite-sized clips of podcast interviews, sports games, films, and other long-form content—and whether you’re scrolling TikTok, Instagram, X, or YouTube, it’s hard to avoid the snappy videos churned out by this army of people trying to exploit algorithms.

How it works: A new breed of online marketplaces like Content Rewards and Vyro are fueling demand, offering a space where marketing agencies can advertise clip-for-cash campaigns. Recent examples include an agency offering $1 per 1,000 views of MLB clips and an AI startup paying $25 per 1,000 views for clips about its product.

Who’s doing it: Among one clipper’s network of 40,000 freelancers, the average age falls between 16 and 24. One 19-year-old college freshman in the Chicago suburbs says he earns roughly $4,000 a month clipping for influencers and tech founders.

The business case for brands: The co-founder of AI startup Cluely said he hired more than 700 clippers, generating tens of millions of views, noting that the people running these accounts are “hungry” and almost always respond to outreach.

The shift in how content is consumed: Analyst Ed Elson argues that the measure of success is no longer how many people watched or streamed a given episode of a show but how many people consumed the clips. He experienced this firsthand when strangers recognized him from clips but said they’d never listened to his actual podcast. His conclusion: clips aren’t the promotional content material anymore—clips are the content.

The problem: Marketing consultant Lou Paskalis says arbitrage players repackaging content as clips don’t satisfy consumers, don’t deliver value to advertisers, and strip original creators of their ability to monetize their work—calling it “a perfectly terrible problem.”

The platform dilemma: Social media platforms are on both sides of the clipping rat race—giving clips algorithmic advantages while also cracking down on pages dedicated to clips, where countless duplicates of the same moment can appear spammy or bot-like.

The bottom line: The clipping economy isn’t a fringe hustle anymore. It’s reshaping how content is distributed, who profits from it, and what people actually watch. From a sports-viewing perspective, we’ve evolved from watching full games to SportsCenter highlights to a TikTok “infinite scroll” style feed. Every league, team, athlete, and company… needs distribution. The smartest operators won’t just post clips but incentivize others to do it for them.

FEATURED SUMMER CAMPS

If still looking for camps this summer… Our resident camp expert, Scout Scoop co-editor Emily Ryan, rounds up another curated list of football sports camps.

We organize a few of them here, with write-ups and links for each camp:

Jr. Scouts Gear Up Days

When: June 6 & 13 from 8 am to 12 pm

Where: Deerpath Community Park

Ages: 8-14 (all tackle football sign-ups)

Notre Dame Middle School Football Camp

When: June 18

Where: Notre Dame Football Facilities, South Bend, IN

Ages: grades 6-8

Cost: $150

This camp is designed to introduce the fundamentals of football to developing football players. The camp is a fun, competitive, and informative camp that will teach each camper the skills that are necessary to playing the game of football, including passing, receiving, tackling, coverage, pass rush, ball security, blocking, snapping, punting, and kicking. This camp will allow the camper to learn from the best coaches in the country and allow them to compete in skills and challenges against their peers. It is the goal to help each camper improve their football IQ and help them build the confidence they need to continue successfully on and off the field.

More Info

LET’S GET SOCIAL

TAS is now on Instagram… Be sure to give us a follow:

@theathleticscouthq

Emily gives her Instagram Pick of the Week:

@cstrevy5

From Emily: “When you’re with a team, it’s all about the value you can add. This (clip) is such an important lesson to hear from Chris Streveler (8-year pro QB) and a must-watch.” Steveler is a Chicago-area guy—went to high school at Marian Central Catholic in Woodstock—and a charismatic speaker. Worth a follow!

Jr. Scout Follow: @hunterdixon_10

Keep an eye on Hunter Dixon, an exciting receiver and a Jr. Scouts player who played on our Lightweight team last season as a 7th grader. Hunter plays spring 7v7 for TNT Ignite and is the type of player that will be fun to track the next several years!

Are you a Jr. Scouts parent or have an athletic son or daughter you and want us to feature?

Drop us a note at info@theathleticscout.com!

SCOUT SNACKS

And finally… a few links to “snack” on before the weekend.

We’ll see y’all next time!

• Lord of the Rinks: the Hockey CEO Cashing in on Youth Sports

• 2nd Grade Flag Kids Mic’d Up — Hilarity Ensues

• Let’s Ditch School For Cubs Game

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hey there!

Welcome to The Athletic Scout: the No. 1 home for youth sports and community athletics news in Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, IL.

There’s a lot of content on the website, and we want to help you sort through it.

First off, for subscribers who want all of the newsletter emails, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive articles from our four verticals—Scout Scoop, Scouts Summit, Scouts Football, and the TAS podcast. But we understand not all of you want that. If so, we've got you covered.

Watch this short Loom video on how you can customize The Athletic Scout for the best experience possible.

We’d also encourage you to download the Substack app, which will make for a better reading experience on mobile.

Get more from Jon Kerr in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

👋 Who Are We?

Let us introduce ourselves!

We are the publisher and editors of The Athletic Scout:

• Jon Kerr (publisher): Jon started goscoutsfootball.com, a website that covers the LFHS football team, in 2016. For two decades, he worked in television and print media for Fox, Tribune, Sinclair, and the Pioneer Press. He has written four books and his work has been featured in Sports Illustrated and Coach/AD magazine. He is a Lake Bluff resident, and this fall will be Jon’s 11th season coaching in the Lake Forest Jr. Scouts tackle football program. Go Scouts!

• Emily Ryan (Scout Scoop co-editor): Emily is a Lake Forest mother and founder of email marketing agency, Westfield Creative. Her work in email has been featured in the WSJ, Inc. Magazine and Entrepreneur (as well as on the Mailchimp blog). She’s designed emails for brands such as Sparkling Ice, Columbia University, Intuit, WellBeing Brewing, and even the AZ Super Bowl Host Committee. She also happens to be the mother to Jr. Scouts player Bear Ryan (5th grade) and is just a huge fan of the Jr. Scouts program. She loves how working on this weekly email brings together her love for football and email!

✍️ Have a Story Idea?

Do you have an idea for a story or blurb? A person or team you’d like to see featured in our “Scout Scoop” newsletter? Here’s how:

Fill out this short form.

We’d like to hear from you!

⭐️ Popular Posts

Want to get a taste of the sort of content you can expect?

Here are some of our most popular posts based on reader engagement:

• Scout Scoop Newsletter #001

• What Two State Championships Taught Me About Winning the Right Way

• What I Learned Raising a Super Bowl Champion

• Scout Scoop Newsletter #002

• TAS Podcast: Coach Brian Ginn

If you ever have an idea for a post or story or know someone local that we should feature, just drop us a note. Or send an email to info@theathleticscout.com.

We read all of them :)

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

Almost two years ago, in late 2024, Brian Ginn made a significant life change.

He accepted an offer to return to college coaching with the Temple Owls.

Brian had spent 16 years in the college ranks, all at Delaware University. In 2018, he joined the staff of Matt Nagy when Nagy was hired as Chicago Bears head coach. Brian moved to Lake Forest with his wife, Rachele, and three children.

After a few years out of football, Brian joined the staff at Temple, starting with the 2025 season.

Ginn joins us on “The Athletic Scout” podcast. Speaking from his home in Lake Forest, Brian and I touch on several subjects.

Topics discussed:

• The life of a college football coach and his role at Temple

• What he looks for in a recruit and the prototype that fits Temple culture

• How NIL and the transfer portal have changed the sport

• His time with the Chicago Bears and what he carries over from the NFL

• How he’s able to juggle family life while living in Philadelphia

Really good stuff with Brian. We went for almost an hour, and I hope you enjoy this conversation.

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Here are a few clips from the interview:

The Secret To Being Recruited: Be A Great Student And Multi-Sport Athlete

On The Biggest Problem Created By The Transfer Portal

On Playoff Expansion: It’s A Money Grab

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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Hi there! Thanks for reading “Scout Scoop”, our weekly newsletter from The Athletic Scout, where we bring you the straight scoop on youth sports and community athletic happenings in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

Scout Scoop is part of a retooling of the Scouts Football newsletter. We have folded SFN into a larger publication titled The Athletic Scout.

If you are receiving this email, you are already a subscriber to the Scouts Football newsletter. Stay right where you are and enjoy the content.

In this issue of “Scout Scoop”:

• Community and School Sports Spotlight

• More Summer Camp listings

• One Big Thing

Let’s get to it!

COMMUNITY SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Who: Deerpath Middle School 7th graders & Coach “Dad” Adams

What: Exploration Day

The Scoop: A few of our Jr. Scouts visited Sheridan Elementary as part of their recent Exploration Day event. They taught 3 football sessions, and the kids had a blast. Any opportunity to teach the great game of football to our young people, everybody wins. Thank you to Jr. Scouts Coach Brad Adams, 7th-grade son Duncan Adams, and fellow 7th-grader Luca Bozic for doing this fantastic community presentation!

SCHOOL SCOUT SPOTLIGHT

Who: Lake Forest High School Baseball

What: The Scouts’ baseball team continues their stellar spring as we roll into the month of May.

Lake Forest extended its winning ways with a sweep of Waukegan Monday (May 4) and Tuesday (May 5) by a combined score of 30-0. The Scouts are 9-1 in the North Suburban Conference and 19-4 overall. Against the “Big 5” NSC rivals Libertyville, Stevenson, Lake Zurich, Libertyville and Warren, the Scouts are 4-1, with doubleheaders against the Wildcats and Mustangs later this month.

From head coach Mike Nilles on the Waukegan sweep:

It was a different day and different location, but the Scouts took care of business just the same on Tuesday as they did on Monday. Using a balance of hitting patience, quality pitching, and situational hitting, the Scouts defeated Waukegan 15-0 in 4 innings.

Senior starter Callum Morrison, who tied the all-time career wins record, pitched 2 innings, striking out 5 Bulldog batters. Senior Luka Tupanjac pitched the 3rd inning and struck out 2, and junior Alex Turan closed out the game in the 4th inning and struck out 3 hitters.

Offensively, the Scouts jumped on the Bulldog pitchers in the first inning thanks to a 2-RBI double from Luke Pasquesi that hit the top of the left field fence. Sophomore Josh Kim had 2 hits and 2RBI, senior Charlie Quick knocked in 2 runs, and Morrison added a 2RBI double in the 4th inning. Junior Nate Robbins didn’t record a hit, but that’s because he was walked and was hit by a pitch. Robbins did score 3 times though. Lastly, senior Max Hill went 1-1 in the game with 3 walks and 4 runs scored.

Next up is Woodstock North Friday, followed by a home showdown vs. Libertyville May 11 and 12.

The Scoop: The Scouts are not just winning; they are bludgeoning opponents. One-sided scores of 15-0 and 19-2 are not uncommon. While they are putting up runs, they are also consistently winning with pitching and defense. In its last nine victories, Lake Forest has allowed a paltry six runs. Expect the Scouts to be a high seed when the postseason brackets come out May 13.

THE BIG THING

Congressional Democrats are taking aim at private equity in youth sports

A new bill targets rising costs, pay-to-play tournaments, and corporate consolidation — and it has some heavyweight backers.

Why it matters: Youth sports costs have become a flashpoint in Washington, and a trio of Congressional Democrats plan to introduce legislation aimed at youth sports costs later this month.

What’s happening: The Let Kids Play Act will be sponsored by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, and Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio — all three of whom have previously spoken out on youth sports matters.

What the bill would do: The legislation calls for a ban on private equity involvement in youth sports, seeks to prohibit “stay to play” practices, and aims to redirect financial resources back into community sports.

The policy architect: Katherine Van Dyke of the American Economic Liberties Project — a former FTC attorney who represented private gyms in a lawsuit against Varsity Brands that secured a $43.5M settlement — has called on Congress to use antitrust law to curb private equity’s involvement in youth sports. She testified before the House last year and is set to speak at this week’s Project Play Summit in Boston.

Meanwhile, at the state level: The Michigan attorney general’s office has reportedly opened an antitrust investigation into the state’s youth hockey industry and stay-to-play tournaments, with Black Bear Sports Group named as a subject of the probe — though not the sole focus. BBSG told a local radio station it was unaware of any investigation.

The Scoop: The Let Kids Play Act signals that youth sports affordability and corporate consolidation are no longer just industry concerns — they’re becoming a legislative priority. Last month, Alabama became the first state to pass a version of the bill. It’s too soon to tell if there’s enough congressional support for a federal law this year, but momentum is building at both the federal and state levels.

FEATURED SUMMER CAMPS

Once again, for all the moms filling out the summer calendar… If there are any open dates, we've got your back! Scout Scoop co-editor, Emily Ryan, rounds up another curated list of sports camps.

We organize them here, with write-ups and links for each camp:

Jr. Scouts Summer Football Camp

When: July 13-17

Where: Deerpath Community Park

Ages: grades 3-8

Cost: $250 ($125 if registered for tackle)

Join the Lake Forest High School football coaching staff for an exciting one-week football camp. The Jr. Scouts football camp is for kids who have completed 3rd - 8th grade, is specifically designed to introduce and teach football in a fun, interactive and instructive environment. This non-contact camp will build each camper’s confidence and self-esteem as they develop and improve their skills, while teaching good sportsmanship and teamwork. Kids will be split into age-appropriate groups for safety. The camp will feature guest appearances and coaching from current and/or former LFHS football players.

More Info

Colston Loveland Spring Football Camp

When: May 30

Where: The Dome/Parkview Sports Complex, Des Plaines, IL

Ages: Ages 7-15 (boys and girls)

Cost: $186 ($252 for meet & greet)

Join Chicago Bears Players Colston Loveland & Luther Burden for an Unforgettable Football Experience!

Play with the Pros! Chicago Bears TE Colston Loveland & WR Luther Burden Youth Football Experience—at The Dome! This elite camp offers a high-energy, hands-on experience designed to elevate your game and inspire football dreams!

Camp Highlight:

• Expert Coaching: Train alongside Loveland & Burden and a team of elite coaches.

• Skills & Drills: Develop your techniques with dynamic drills, competitions, and game-day scenarios.

• Exclusive Photo Opportunity: Group photo with Burden & Loveland

• Limited Edition Gear: Receive the official player T-Shirt

• Parents & family members are welcome and encouraged to stay and enjoy the event at no additional cost.
  

More Info

WHERE TO TRAIN

Saturdays with QB Coach Alex Nunez @nextlevelqbs.

TAKE YOUR QUARTERBACK TRAINING TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

Unleash your true potential with cutting-edge QB training that breaks boundaries and redefines limits. Elevate your skill SET and SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE COMPETITION WITH US.

Saturdays at Arena41 in Lake Bluff: Youth 12 pm, MS/HS 1 pm. QBs… bring a WR buddy. They catch for free!

More Info

LET’S GET SOCIAL

TAS is now on Instagram… Be sure to give us a follow:

@theathleticscouthq

Emily gives her Instagram Pick of the Week:

@ross500

From Emily: “This is a great account for your athlete to follow, Kayaune Ross. He is one of the top football creators on Instagram right now, blending high-level athleticism with entertaining, competitive content. A former college player at Kentucky who also spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, his Instagram is built around insane catching ability, one-on-one challenges, and creative football scenarios that make training feel fun and competitive. His content reinforces fundamentals like hands, body control, and effort, which is exactly what younger players should watch.

Jr. Scout Follow: @cjpearre510

Each week, we’ll feature a different IG account of an area youth athlete.

This week, it’s CJ Pearre, who played QB last year for our Jr. Scouts Varsity team and will head to Lake Forest High School next year. CJ has worked super hard this offseason, and we’re excited to follow his journey to HS.

Watch this incredible scramble and throw by CJ from last weekend:

SCOUT SNACKS

And finally… a few links to “snack” on before the weekend.

We’ll see y’all next time!

• To Play or Not To Play: The Price of Travel Softball

• Youth Coaching — The Happiest I’ve Been

• What I’ve Learned Coaching 17 Years at One D3 School

For more youth sports and community athletic news, go to theathleticscout.substack.com.

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