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Who is Marie-Louise Eta? Champions League winner blazing a trail in men’s game

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By Megan Feringa | Mirror

Union Berlin are familiar with making history, so while Urs Fischer’s departure as a head coach might mark the end to the club’s most successful chapter in its history, it simultaneously brings forth a new chapter of history to write.

The club’s former under-19s assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta is poised to become the first female coach in the Bundesliga after being appointed first team assistant coach with under-19s coach Marco Grote taking over as interim manager of the senior side.

Fischer was dismissed following a nine-game losing streak that leaves Union rooted to the bottom of Germany’s top-flight, a stark collapse in position for a side that qualified for the Champions League last season.

Eta, 32, will be tasked alongside Grote to lead Union out of those depths starting with Augsburg on November 25, before taking on the Champions League against Braga the following week.

Eta is more than familiar with the joys and woes of life in German football. A former defensive midfielder, Louise-Eta plied her trade in the Frauen Bundesliga with Turbine Potsdam with whom she claimed three successive league titles and the Women’s Champions League.

Her playing history, conducted mostly under her maiden name of Bagehorn, also includes spells with Hamburg, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen and saw her become an under-20 world champion with Germany.

A self-confessed “football manic”, the former European champion developed her passion for football as a small child while growing up in Dresden. Her latent talent went undiscovered for only so long, and by the age of 13, Eta was fielding various entreaties from interested clubs, including Potsdam, with whom she eventually signed.

(L-R) Marie-Louise Eta, assistant coach and Germany women under-15s head coach Bettina Wiegmann

Eta didn’t need long to prove how prescient the signing was as she helped the club’s under-17s to successive league titles in 2005 and 2006, and eventually again in 2008. Her impressive performances were rewarded with a call-up to Germany’s under-15s side in 2006.

Two years later, Eta broke into Potsdam’s first team, with whom she promptly won the league on the season’s final matchday. Two more championship titles followed, as well as the Champions League title in 2010 as the German side defeated French giants Lyon in a dramatic penalty shootout that finished 7-6.

That same year, the under-20s World Cup was held in Germany and 20-year-old Eta relished the euphoria of a tournament on home soil. The hosts eventually won after a 2-0 victory over Nigeria in the final in front of a crowd just under 25,000, with goals arriving from Alexandra Popp and an own goal from Osinachi Ohale.

Marie-Louise Eta of Bremen is presented with the championship trophy for the Second Bundesliga Nord after the match between Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg II

Marie-Louise Eta is presented with the Bundesliga 2 championship trophy during her time at Bremen ( 

Image: Photo by Lukas Schulze/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Eta eventually moved to Hamburg for two seasons before gaining promotion to the women’s Bundesiga with second-division club BV Cloppenburg. A move to Werder Bremen followed, where Eta, who eventually captained the side, experienced an extreme gamut of emotions, from promotions and relegations.

Aged just 26, however, Eta decided to end her playing career after the 2017/18 season in order to concentrate fully on her coaching career, beginning with Bremen’s under-15s boys team. While doing so, Eta worked with the age groups of the German women’s national team.

After completing her pro-coaching licence, Eta stepped up to Germany’s under-17s before being brought onboard at Union to work with Grote as assistant coach with the club’s under-19s side.

Erin Matson, 23, becomes the youngest college head coach to win a national championship

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By Ben Church, CNN

Erin Matson became the youngest college head coach to win a national championship, according to the NCAA.com, after the 23-year-old guided the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC) to the field hockey title on Sunday.

In what one US newspaper touted as “arguably the greatest story in college athletics,” the Tar Heels needed a double-overtime penalty shootout to beat the Northwestern Wildcats 2-1 at the Karen Shelton Stadium, securing the program’s 11th national championship and its fifth in six years.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” Matson said, having won the same competition as a UNC player last year.

“I don’t know what more you’d want in a national championship matchup than tied at the end of regulation, two overtimes, sudden death shootout, just a phenomenal atmosphere.

“Northwestern gave it their all. It was a great game, so props to them.”

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 19: Head Coach Erin Matson of the North Carolina Tar Heels can't look after defeating the Northwestern Wildcats for the national title during the Division I Women's Field Hockey Championship held at Karen Shelton Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The Hollywood storyline started during Maston’s five years as a player, where she won four national championships at UNC, before taking up the head coach role this season shortly after graduating.

She replaced Karen Shelton who retired in December 2022 after a successful 42 years in charge of the program.

The 23-year-old’s coaching journey comes off the back of an impressive playing career, in which she was part of three undefeated seasons with the Tar Heels.

She had played for the US national team since she was 17 and was awarded the Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey – given to the best female collegiate player – three times.

Matson has sporting success very much in her blood. Her mother played softball and hockey at Yale University, her father played baseball for Delaware and her younger brother plays baseball at Havard, according to UNC.

Tense night

According to the UNC, 3,200 people – the biggest crowd in the program’s history – were in attendance to watch the nail-biting encounter.

Freshman Charly Bruder opened the scoring for UNC in the third quarter, but the Wildcats hit back through Peyton Halsey’s penalty stroke.

The scores remained 1-1 through two periods of overtime as the match went to a penalty shootout.

The tension racheted up with the shootout heading into sudden death. UNC goalkeeper Maddie Kahn then made an important block to allow sophomore Ryleigh Heck to win UNC a consecutive national championship.

“Right then and there my mind just went blank,” Heck said.

“I don’t even remember spinning or scoring, I just remember being with my teammates just cheering. One of the greatest feelings ever.”

Like CNN, NCAA.com is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Greving Named USAFL International Program General Manager

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The USAFL is proud to announce that Cari Greving has agreed to become the new General Manager of the USAFL’s International Program. The Program includes the USA Freedom and the USA Revolution, the respective National Women’s and Men’s international teams.

Cari has been involved in the USAFL since 2018. She is a member of the current USAFL’s National Tournament team and the current Manager of the USA Freedom. Cari is looking forward to her expanded role to drive the reset of the USAFL International Program. “It has always been an honor to be part of the USAFL. I would do pretty much anything to support and grow this organization and it’s people. Being the General Manager of the International Programs is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am honored and I am ready,”

The role of one General Manager overseeing the international program has newly been established by the USAFL. This role is designed to provide management support for the international teams and to relieve the coaching staff of the administration layer that is required to have an international representative team. We are excited that Cari will be the first person to lead the program and to drive the systems and process that will support the international program over the next decade.

USA Lacrosse Launches Speaker Series for Women’s Game Officials

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USA LACROSSE

USA Lacrosse has announced a new speaker series designed to offer excellent information and insights for women’s game officials. 

Coordinated by the Officials Development Program (ODP), the series features 10 live online presentations that discuss varied topics aimed at supporting the continued growth and development of women’s game officials at all levels.

Covering both on-the-field and off-the-field issues, topics range from eating healthy to penalty administration. Each presentation will be hosted by a highly-accomplished women’s game official, including Jodi Michna, Barb Martinichio, and Hall of Famer Lynn Bowers.

Early registration for the speaker series is being offered via a $45 Season Subscription, which provides access to all 10 presentations.  The series will also be available shortly as an a la carte option, with participants able to register for individual presentations of interest.

● Get Season Subscription Here

Following the purchase of the Season Subscription, individuals will receive registration links for each session. Each session includes a speaker-led presentation followed by live questions and answers with the presenter.

The series begins on Monday, December 11 and continues through February. Dates, topics, and speakers are listed below. All presentations begin at 8 p.m. EST.

The Schedule

12/11/2023 — Eating Healthy to Stay Fit on the Run (Anne Carr)

12/18/2023 — Sportsmanship in the Girls’ Game (Barbara Martinichio)

1/15/2024 — Penalty Administration: Simple to Complex Scenarios (Karen Blaine)

1/18/2024 — 2024 Girls’ Points of Emphasis (Barbara Martinichio)

1/22/2024 — A Closer Look at Shooting Space (Colleen Spiegelhoff)

1/25/2024 — Teamwork for a Successful Crew (Jodi Michna)

2/1/2024 — The Draw (Lynn Bowers)

2/5/2024 — Managing Repeated Fouls (Colleen Spiegelhoff)

2/19/2024 — Goal Circle and Goalkeeper Play (Karen Blaine)

2/27/2024 — Attack Fouls  (Lissa Fickert)


Questions regarding the Season Subscription may be directed to [email protected]. 

Cricket stadium in Oswego? Developer proposes massive pitch and open air stadium complex

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By: John Garcia | ABC7 Chicago

OSWEGO, Ill. (WLS) — It may be relatively unknown in the United States, but cricket is actually the second most popular sport in the world after soccer. Now a developer wants to bring a pitch and stadium to a large plot of vacant land in Oswego.

Developer Paresh Patel has released drawings of the 24,000 seat, open-air stadium he has planned for the western suburb.

“It certainly was an impressive looking facility and one that would bring a lot of attention to Oswego,” said Village Administrator dan Di Santo.

Cricket is growing in America. Illinois State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro has sponsored a resolution asking the Illinois High School Association to recognize the sport.

“I know there is a demand for it. They’ve got cores of people and it’s growing. It’s very popular,” she said.

The proposed stadium, however, is not popular with some Oswego residents, many of whom will speak at a zoning board meeting Thursday night. Some are also circulating a petition in opposition. They cite concerns including noise from the crowds, lights during evening events, a big increase in traffic on area roads and limited parking, as well as the possibility of an increase in crime near the facility.

“With a stadium of that magnitude coming here in our back yard, the quality of life will be impacted greatly,” said resident David Fisher.

“We share some of those concerns,” said Di Santo. “We’re very early in the process and how we address some of the issues and concerns.”

According to the city, the developer expects there to be a professional cricket league in this country and Oswego would be the Chicago area franchise.

After Thursday night’s meeting, it could still be several months before the full city council considers the proposal.

MoCo Native Dominique Dawes Becomes First Gymnast Inducted Into Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame

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The MOCOShow

The first gymnast in the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame (MDSAHOF), Montgomery County native Dominique Dawes, 46, won 15 U.S. Championships between 1991 and 1996.

Per the MDSAHOF: Born in Silver Spring, MD, she also broke ground as the first African-American gymnast to ever qualify for and compete in an Olympics and in 1996 became the first African-American to win an individual medal in Olympic gymnastics with a bronze medal in the floor exercises. A three-time Olympian, Dawes was a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” the first American team to win gold in women’s gymnastics at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. “Awesome Dawesome” retired after the Sydney Games in 2000 (team bronze) and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2002, appeared on Broadway in a revival of “Grease” and became an advocate for young women in sports.

She served as president of the Women’s Sports Federation from 2004 to 2006, was appointed by President Obama to join football star Drew Brees as co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition in 2010 and in 2020 opened the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academy in Montgomery County, MD, to create a healthy and nurturing environment for all children, including her four children, two of them twins. She has two locations- in Clarksburg and in Rockville.

Dawes is a member of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame (2009) and USA Olympic Hall of Fame (with the Magnificent Seven in 2008). She became the first woman to be inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame this past week.

FIFA launches Football for Schools Program in Burundi

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 North Africa Post

World football governing body FIFA will roll out its “Football for Schools Program (F4S) in Burundi, making the African country the 100th worldwide to benefit from the initiative.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino inaugurated the program Saturday October 21 at the Urunani Stadium in Buganda, outside capital Bujumbura. The ceremony was attended by the Burundi Minister of Youth & Sports, Gervais Abayeho, and the President of the Football Federation of Burundi, Alexandre Muyenge, FIFA Inside reports. “Thanks to this wonderful Football for Schools project, FIFA and Burundi are uniting the world. We’re uniting the world with a football project, with an education project, with a project that gives chances and opportunities to the youth, to the boys and girls of this wonderful country, Burundi”, the FIFA Chief told the crowd.

F4S launched in mid-2019 in collaboration with UNESCO is considered an ambitious program, meant to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of around 700 million children. FIFA also argues that it seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Around 1.5 million footballs have been distributed since the project’s inception and more than 23 million children are using the Football for Schools app. FIFA has trained 62 educators and master trainers from Burundi’s 18 regions and Bujumbura on the operational implementation of F4S program.

At Huntingdon College, the Gulf South’s 1st NCAA women’s wrestling team is ready to roll

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WWNO – New Orleans Public Radio | By Joseph King

On a Saturday evening in mid-October, a standing-room-only crowd packs the James W. Wilson Jr. Gymnasium at Huntingdon College to witness history.

The wrestling team at the liberal arts school in Montgomery, Alabama, is hosting its annual Scarlet and Gray intra-squad scrimmage to kick off the season with a new addition — a women’s team.

Across 17 matches, the 11 women split into two teams and held an “intense live practice,” as sophomore Shelby Fugate described it. Fugate used the scrimmage to work on perfecting her favorite move.

“A Granby is where you roll out, and you can either roll out while grabbing something on [the opponent] or just roll out to escape something,” Fugate, a native of Fort Mitchell, Alabama, said following her match. “In folk style, I use it a lot. To get a pin, I would roll out from bottom and get on top.”

For many on the team, like Fugate, the season kickoff was the start of a dream come true.

“I’ve wanted to wrestle since I was in kindergarten or first grade,” she said. “My sister wrestled, and after she started that, my entire family started wrestling.”

Wrestlers from the Huntingdon Hawks women's wrestling team get ready to kick off the season in an intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.
Wrestlers from the Huntingdon Hawks women’s wrestling team get ready to kick off the season in an intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. The women’s team will be competing for the first time this year.

The Hawks’ fielding of the NCAA Division III team is a first for Alabama and the rest of the Gulf South, with no other programs operating in Louisiana, Mississippi or Florida. With over 150 women’s collegiate wrestling programs in North America, the National Wrestling Coaches Association says the sport is the fastest growing in the U.S. right now, but that number gets significantly smaller the deeper you go into the southern part of the country.

Huntingdon’s athletic director, Eric Levanda, said he was inspired to start the women’s wrestling program after seeing the growth of the sport at the high school level. He also said he knew that other schools would look at the women’s wrestling program at Huntingdon when thinking about starting a team of their own.

“If we are going to do it, we’re going to do it right,” he said. To be the first women’s collegiate program in the state, we want to be a magnet for girls that want to take the sport seriously.”

Freshman Myna Estrada cheers her team on during an intra-squad scrimmage to begin the 2023-2024 wrestling season for the Huntingdon Hawks women's wrestling team on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.
Freshman Myna Estrada cheers her team on during an intra-squad scrimmage to begin the 2023-2024 wrestling season for the Huntingdon Hawks women’s wrestling team on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. The Hawks have the only collegiate-level women’s wrestling team in the Gulf South.

Hawks’ coach Lillian Humphries, who leads the women’s wrestling team, knows what it’s like to be part of a trailblazing team. Before coaching, she wrestled at Presbyterian College in South Carolina where she was a member of the first Division I women’s wrestling program in NCAA history.

During her time both as a player and a coach, Humphries has witnessed the disparities between men’s and women’s programs — issues such as women having to get dressed for matches in a restroom or being the only woman wrestler on her high school team — and is appreciative of the buy-in she’s seen from Huntingdon College’s athletic department.

“I got hired on June 1 of 2022, and by June 9, they started building our women’s locker room, which is a huge investment,” she said.

Humphries spent her first year on the job without an important part of the team — wrestlers. She used that time to recruit and build relationships with her athletes.

Freshman Shonticia Taft (left) wrestles during an intra-squad scrimmage to begin the wrestling season for the Huntingdon Hawks women's wrestling team on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.
Freshman Shonticia Taft (left) wrestles during an intra-squad scrimmage to begin the wrestling season for the Huntingdon Hawks women’s wrestling team on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. The Hawks have the only collegiate-level women’s wrestling team in the Gulf South.

Shonticia Taft, a freshman from Marietta, Georgia, sees her time on the team as a chance to be a trailblazer, just like her coach.

As one of only two Black women on the team, she feels an added sense of pressure to prove herself more, but also to encourage other young Black women who are interested in getting on the mat but find themselves wrestling with the idea.

Humphries’ relationship-building also impressed eventual team members like Tristin Robinson.

“I had the chance to visit some other colleges, too, and seeing those colleges made me realize how much I really do love Huntingdon,” Robinson, a freshman from Dothan, Alabama, said. “I love how the staff really cares about you.”

Robinson is relatively new to the sport — she started wrestling in 10th grade when her high school’s women’s program formed — but loves the feeling of exhaustion and reward after a match or training session.

“I love competing, I love working hard, and I like feeling like I’m dying sometimes and then being able to — at the end of it — be like I just did that and I’m proud of myself for that,” Robinson said.

Robinson said her love for wrestling was cultivated by her father, Travis Robinson, who was present at the scrimmage. He is excited to cheer his daughter on and see how the Hawks stack up against the other teams they face, but he also wants to see the sport continue to grow regionally.

“I want everybody to get onboard just like they would for Alabama football,” he said.

The Huntingdon Hawks’ next time on the mat, and their first official match, will be on Nov. 11 in Georgia against the Life University Eagles.

McFadden, Pike, Scaroni, Romanchuk become first athletes named to Team USA for Paralympic Games Paris 2024

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Highland County Press | United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Press Release

Four of Team USA’s top marathoners became the first athletes selected by name to the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 roster for the U.S. after earning their spots via results from the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. The iconic marathon served as the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field marathon team selection event for Paris 2024.

Paralympians Daniel Romanchuk (Mount Airy, Md.) and Susannah Scaroni (Tekoa, Wash.) won the silver and bronze, respectively, to qualify in the top overall spot for Team USA, while six-time Paralympian Aaron Pike (Park Rapids, Minn.) placed fourth and was the second American male finisher in the field behind Romanchuk. Rounding out the women’s marathon squad will be 20-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden (Baltimore, Md.), who earns the second women’s spot with a sixth-place finish.

Per the team’s selection procedures, the top two American men and top two American women finishers are named to the Paralympic Team, provided that they rank within the top-20 of the World Para Athletics World Rankings in the T54 marathon event.

“As a program, it’s extremely exciting to have our first athletes named to the Paris team, and especially to see these four leading the charge for Team USA as we approach the Games next summer,” Sherrice Fox, Director, U.S. Paralympics Track & Field, said. “All four of them have been constants on our Paralympic teams over the past decade and beyond, and we are looking forward to watching them continue that legacy in Paris.”

One of the most prolific wheelchair marathoners in recent years, Romanchuk is set for his third Paralympic Games after a breakout Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in which he won the men’s 400-meter T54 race and also claimed bronze in the marathon. The 25-year-old is the youngest-ever winner of the New York Marathon’s wheelchair event, in which he claimed victory in 2018. In his marathon career, which began in 2014, he also has won the London, Chicago and Boston Marathons.

The silver medal finish came behind only Switzerland’s Marcel Hug. Romanchuk finished the race in 1:30.07 to punch his ticket to Paris.  

“I’m so thankful for these opportunities I’ve had,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to have a little more of a solid plan for the next year. It’s really great to finish on a note like this for the season. I’m hoping to get some solid training in and make some equipment adjustments this winter and look toward the next year.”

Joining Romanchuk in Paris will be the two-time Paralympic medalist Scaroni, who, since winning her first Paralympic title in Tokyo, has been on a tear, piling up the most marathon wins of any Team USA athlete in women’s wheelchair racing.

After a training accident in which the three-time Paralympian was hit by a car in late 2021, she bounced back to win the 2022 Chicago and New York City Marathons and earned her first career Boston Marathon title in 2023. She is also dominant in the 5-kilometer race, the event in which she won her Paralympic gold in Tokyo.

Scaroni held the second-place position for the majority of the New York City Marathon, trailing only Swiss athlete Catherine Debrunner. She was passed only in the last miles of the race by Manuela Schar, who claimed silver. Scaroni snagged a podium spot with bronze in 1:48.14.

Being one of the first four athletes to qualify for Team USA for Paris 2024 was an honor, Scaroni said.

“It’s never easy to make the Paralympic Team, so it’s such a privilege,” she said. “The Paralympic movement, especially in this country, I feel the energy, I feel recognized, and it’s largely because of how well we’ve done showcasing Para athletes. It makes me excited for the next generation of Paralympians.”

One of the greatest wheelchair racers the sport has ever seen, the 20-time Paralympic medalist McFadden has officially qualified for her seventh career Paralympic Games roster after placing sixth in the marathon with a time of 1:53.31. The result earns her the opportunity to compete alongside Scaroni for Team USA in the women’s marathon in Paris.

For the 23-time world championships medalist who also has 24 World Major Marathon titles, qualifying for Paris was her primary objective for the race.

“I’m so excited,” McFadden said. “To be on the 2024 Paris Paralympic marathon team was really the big goal for today’s race. I’ve had a really great season. To come home with three world championship events in sprinting events and then make the marathon team is a really great package to bring home this year. Hopefully I can put everything together next year and bring home some medals in Paris.”

Rounding out the first four athletes named to Team USA for the 2024 Paralympic Games is Pike, who is also earning his seventh Paralympic berth. A dual-sport athlete who also competes in Para Nordic skiing, Pike has now finished in the top-five in his past four New York Marathon competitions after a fourth-place finish in the men’s race.

In Tokyo, Pike finished sixth in the marathon, and earlier this year earned his first career world championships title in biathlon.

“It’s something you never take for granted,” Pike said. “It’s crazy to say it’s your seventh Games. I’m happy that the training is still inspiring. I’m pumped. It’s just really relieving to know that it’s done already and we can just focus on training.”

Pike has a quick turnaround before getting on snow to start his Para Nordic skiing season. He plans to head to Canmore, Canada, to join the national team in just a few days.

“As soon as I get on snow, it’s actually reenergizing for me,” he said. “I like having two sports, and I’m actually really excited to go jump on snow in a couple of days. Everyone thinks it’s crazy, but for me it’s refreshing. I always feel the same way in March when I get back in the chair. It just works for me.”

Other U.S. highlights in the competition included up-and-coming athlete Evan Correll (Waukee, Iowa), who placed sixth in the men’s event. Correll is set to make his international debut for Team USA later this month at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Paralympian Jenna Fesemyer (Ravenna, Ohio) was eighth in the women’s race, followed by Michelle Wheeler (Boalsburg, Pa.), Yen Hoang (Vancouver, Wash.) and Hannah Dederick (Mead, Wash.), who finished 11th, 13th and 14th, respectively.

Coming off his first two career world championships medals on the track, three-time Paralympian Brian Siemann (Champaign, Ill.) recorded a strong ninth-place finish for the men, and Herman Garic (Utica, N.Y.), Wyatt Willand (Northwood, Iowa) and Philip Croft (Spokane, Wash.) were 11th, 12th and 13th.

The remaining U.S. Paralympics Track & Field roster slots for the Paralympic Games will be filled at this summer’s U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Team Trials, set for July 18-21. The Paralympic Games Paris 2024 run Aug. 28-Sept. 8 and are expected to feature more than 4,400 athletes.

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