Fourth Graders Go Viral for Cheering on High School Basketball Players in Their Own ‘Mini Student Section’ at Every Game

A group of 4th-grade basketball players has been enthusiastically cheering on the Alta High School basketball team for the past couple of years

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• After the team advanced through the playoffs, one of the elementary students asked a high school player to come to his team's game

• The high school senior not only showed up, but made sure to bring the entire team to support their biggest fans

A group of 4th-grade basketball players in Salt Lake City went viral after creating their own cheering section for their local high school team — and now the teens are returning the favor.

One of the elementary school boys' mothers, Abby White, toldTODAY.comthat the group has been attending Alta High School's basketball games for the past couple of years. But this year, things shifted when the boys received their own Alta jerseys.

"I think that kind of fueled their fandom a little bit — they felt like a part of something bigger," White said.

She explained that the boys first sat with their parents, but they soon decided to sit together on the opposing team's side of the bleachers. It was then that the boys were "very, very invested" and wanted to have a "bigger" presence than the opposing team.

In addition to bringing in nearly 30 elementary school students, the boys arrived decked out in spiritwear, "waving their posters," and then took off their shirts.

After the Alta team's playoff win on Feb. 20, White's son Owen and a friend congratulated senior Dash Reiser on the game. During their conversation, Owen asked Reiser to come to his 4th-grade game on Feb. 21, and Reiser obliged.

White explained in anInstagrampost that she and the other parents were unsure if Reiser would attend.

"The boys kept saying they knew he'd show up," she wrote. "We didn't hear their conversation & didn't even know if our boys gave him the right game info because #4thgradeboys."

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Meanwhile, Reiser told his coach about the request, who then told the rest of the team. He explained that he "knew as soon as we made that announcement that everyone was going to come because we have great kids in our program that love supporting others," per TODAY.com

The game started with no sign of the teenagers until they "slowly" began walking in, White told the outlet.

"Once the whole team was there, they just started going wild for the boys: any steal, any foul shot, any basket, they just were on their feet and not just clapping, but screaming and jumping up and down."

The young team also came out victorious.

White reflected on how this experience has given her "hope."

"As a parent, you're teaching your kids what matters in life, you're hoping they're going to be good people and be kind, and you hope other parents are teaching their kids the same things," she said. "This experience gave me hope in all of that paying off."

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PEOPLE reached out to White and Reiser for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

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February 25, 2026

Fourth Graders Go Viral for Cheering on High School Basketball Players in Their Own ‘Mini Student Section’ at Every Game

A group of 4th-grade basketball players has been enthusiastically cheering on the Alta High School basketball team for th...

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West contenders face big questions in sprint to playoffs: Which teams have fatal flaws?

There is a beauty in the basketball we see after the All-Star break. The fun is in the sprint toward the playoffs when we can see and feel the urgency from teams, identity against identity, working to sprinkle in more game plans. There is a separation from howgoodyou are as a team and a pivot into how much can yousustainthat good. Teams are working to put each other in a box and they have to problem-solve their way out of it.

How much do you believe in what you do? How many different ways can you get back to it?

With that in mind, I've been sitting and thinking about the Western Conference, where the Oklahoma City Thunder have fallen off their early historic pace and now have company at the top of the conference.

OKC and San Antonio: Battle for West's top seed

Injuries have defined this stretch for OKC, but the team has found a way to stay on the right course. We all have someone in our lives who looks out their window on the weekend, takes a deep breath and admires their work. That's the feel I've gotten from Mark Daigneault during this stretch.

OKC's focus on next man up, executing on offense and harassing teams defensively has held steady no matter who has been on the court. Casually adding Jared McCain's playmaking and shooting has helped, but the Thunder have been able to play through Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to balance things on both ends of the floor with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams sidelined. Meanwhile, the lights may be brighter on Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and a host of others, but they have kept the ball (and effort) moving.

The tricky part for the Thunder isthatteam in San Antonio refuses to go away. It's one thing for the Spurs to have beaten the Thunder four out of five times this season, it's another for the Spurs to have not lost a game in the month of February (nine straight wins), meaning they are now only three games behind the Thunder for the top spot in the West.

It's easy to point to the play of Victor Wembanyama on both ends of the floor, but when you see the Spurs you see a team that is playing with more poise, more composure and more belief in what they are doing on both ends of the floor. Stephon Castle is willing to defend anyone on the planet, De'Aaron Fox has brought a consistent presence, and when you watch them you see a team that understands the assignment.

The Spurs may not have everything they need, but they have positioned themselves as a real threat that can make a run with how they defend and how they attack offensively.

That brings me to the rest of the playoff teams.

Big questions for rest of West contenders

The Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have had me in a headlock for the last few days. If you look at the Western Conference standings you can see just how tight things are between them. With every night, a win or loss could send them to a different position in the standings.

At a time of year when you're supposed to be sharpening who you are as a team, the discomfort of the Western Conference delivers an alternate reality: two of these teams will advance and knock on the door of a conference finals run, two will go home early and disappointed, and there is a high likelihood they face each other to determine their fates.

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It does not help that this is also the time of year where the feeling of a fatal flaw begins to stick to you as a team. It could be an inability to perform in the clutch, an inability to defend consistently, an inability to put enough lineups out there to navigate difficult moments.

Houston Rockets:They are currently the 3-seed in the Western Conference and, at times, it doesn't feel that way. This is one of the top defensive units in the NBA, and they have used that as a base to put themselves in this position. But will that be enough to make up for the question marks they have offensively?

This is a team that is comfortable playing methodically in the half-court, but is that what hampers them in clutch time? Kevin Durant has accelerated their path and has the ability to take and make all of the shots that can throw a defense's scheme over the top rope, but what can boost that? How much does this team need Alperen Şengün to not only make plays, but be the type of offensive player that draws help from defenses? How will Amen Thompson adjust to alternating between spacing in the dunker spot and being an on-ball attacker when defenses are willing to switch and go under? Will Reed Sheppard, who has continued to grow, be able to find a consistency on offense to stay on the court when teams look to attack him defensively?

Denver Nuggets:They would seem like the team to elevate from this group on paper. Years of talking about the "non-Jokić minutes" have turned into a balanced roster that could thrive in those moments and went 10-6 when he was out due to an injury. That would be an unbelievable boost in most years, until you realize their recent 3-6 stretch has come with him back on the court.

This feels like a team that needs to get healthy more than anything (Denver is 8-2 with the starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić), but what do the Nuggets do in the interim? How do they push themselves to prepare for the playoffs?

This stretch could be a reminder that, while they have worked to add more things defensively to adjust, they do not have the wiggle room on that end of the floor. An inability to contain dribble penetration, rough transition defense and breakdowns against cutters are things their defense simply can't afford. As good as Murray and Jokić are, the absence of Gordon has taken a bite out of their ability to punish teams in clutch moments. And as high as the highs have been for the Nuggets, how many little things are chipping at their ceiling as we approach the playoffs?

Minnesota Timberwolves:They have made back-to-back conference finals which should have themoutof this group, but questions remain. This is a team led by Anthony Edwards — who should have the Clutch Player of the Year sent to him by now — that features improved play from Julius Randle and Jalen McDaniels and the defensive presence of Rudy Gobert. The formula is there. The Wolves can beat anyone in the NBA. But it also feels like they can lose to anyone in the NBA.

Effort and focus should be raised come playoff time, but can they put themselves in a position to capitalize on it? Are they secretly a team built for the playoffs that understands the assignment, or do they have a fatal flaw as a team destined to knock on a door they are not meant to open?

Los Angeles Lakers:They boast Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, a trio that I maintain you don't want to have to deal with come playoff time. Availability has been the toughest part as they have waited for most of the season to have all of their big three healthy to find a level of consistency to match the potential. While most will point to the defensive end of the floor with this group, my eyes remain on the offense.

This is a group whose top players not only have to score, but have to score at a high enough level that defenses feel the need to help, which opens up plays for everyone else. When teams feel they can pressure and stay at home, will the Lakers be able to keep pressure on teams? When the offense slips, is that when you truly feel how little the defense can make things up in the moment?

This team has a high ceiling and a lot of firepower, but little margin for error. The Lakers have mixed in zone, switching, help and activity to disguise their defensive woes, but if the offense is not firing at 100%, they have a tough time masking those issues. The talent will always give them a shot, and a playoff game plan should open things up, but they have to make defenses blink consistently.

All of these teams have strengths, most have weaknesses. The question becomes: How can they poke at each other on their journey toward a championship? To navigate this conference you will have to do it on both ends, with the versatility to get back to who you are and an identity you can lean on. Only time will tell which teams are sharp enough to find a way come spring.

byAdministrator

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February 25, 2026

West contenders face big questions in sprint to playoffs: Which teams have fatal flaws?

There is a beauty in the basketball we see after the All-Star break. The fun is in the sprint toward the playoffs when we...

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Monken on Deshaun Watson, Browns QB battle: 'Players decide who plays'

Todd Monken isn't rushing into a quarterback decision for theCleveland Browns.

The new head coach is taking over a team that currently hasDeshaun Watson,Shedeur SandersandDillon Gabrielall hoping to move up the depth chart to the starting job before Week 1. While Watson is the most experienced and successful of the bunch, availability has been a problem for the quarterback.

Even with that in mind, Monken told reporters ahead of the NFL combine that it would be unfair to count him out of the competition at this point.

"I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skillset at an elite level, I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of them again,"Monken said at the NFL combine on Feb. 25. "And I think that's how you should look at every player."

The coach added that he will let the situation play out, comparing it to taking a test in school.

"I think it'd be completely unfair, just like it would be in any classroom setting," Monken said. "Be it a history exam and all the students walk in, and before they're actually given the exam, you give them a grade. Well, how would you give them a grade? Based on male, female, race, how they look, how they're dressed, I think that's unfair."

2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl

Of course, there is plenty of time before Week 1 with the2026 NFL Draft,free agencyand more still to come. It's unclear what the Browns can expect from Watson this offseason, especially after the quarterback missed the entire 2025 season recovering from a torn Achilles.

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Aside from the drop in production, the former Houston Texans star has barely been on the field since being acquired by Cleveland ahead of the 2022 season. He has played in only 19 of the Browns' 68 regular season games during that time.

Monken acknowledged that there will some bias based on what they already know, that won't impact the final decision.

"Now you're going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence, but I don't decide who plays.

"The players decide who plays."

Todd Monken on Shedeur Sanders

Monken is expected to navigate a tricky situation with the Cleveland quarterback room, including whether or not Sanders should be the unchallenged QB1.

While Sanders might not have the inside track to start, the new head coach said he does see unique traits in Sanders, and named one on Wednesday.

"I think what you see is elite playmaking ability, that's in him," Monken said of Sanders. "You've seen it, we've seen it, you saw it in college, you saw it on tape last year. Sure there's a ways to go, but what rookie isn't? What first-year player doesn't have a long way to go?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Browns' Todd Monken says it's unfair to count out Deshaun Watson

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February 25, 2026

Monken on Deshaun Watson, Browns QB battle: 'Players decide who plays'

Todd Monken isn't rushing into a quarterback decision for theCleveland Browns. The new head coach is takin...

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New Browns coach Todd Monken has praise for QB Shedeur Sanders

The question of who will start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns has a wrinkle to it: There's a new coaching staff.

The staff that gave Shedeur Sanders seven starts last season when Sanders was a rookie is gone. Todd Monken, who was the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator last season, was hired to become Cleveland's new head coach.

There's a full offseason to go, in terms of acquiring new players in trades, free agency or the draft. The quarterback landscape in Cleveland could change. But Monken, meeting with the media at the NFL scouting combine on Wednesday, had positive things to say about Sanders.

[Get more Browns news: Cleveland team feed]

"I think what you see is elite playmaking ability," Monken saidat the combine. "That's in him. You've seen it, we've seen it, you saw it in college, you saw it on tape last year. Sure there's a ways to go, but what rookie isn't? What first-year player doesn't have a long way to go? I'm excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and all of our players."

Sanders was up and down as a rookie after a highly publicized fall in the draft. He had seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and general manager Andrew Berry pointed out at the combine on Tuesday that hehad to cut down on mistakes.

That progression, and the Browns' offseason moves, could determine if Sanders gets more starts next season. Monken said he didn't think it was necessarily important to add more quarterbacks in the offseason, but he said the team will do it's due diligence at the position.

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As is, the team's three options seem to be Sanders, fellow 2025 rookie Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson, whom the team refuses to rule out as an option.

"I think anytime you have a player that at one time has exhibited the skill set at an elite level, I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again," Monken said about Watson.

That's not a great quarterback room, but the Browns also don't have a great path to adding a better rookie quarterback in the draft, and there are limited options in free agency.

If the Browns' quarterback room doesn't change, there's clearly no leader at the moment to start next season.

"Sure, I think it's an open competition," Monken said. "I don't know why it wouldn't be an open competition, and I don't mean to say that harshly. But I don't think there's enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, 'Boy, we have a starter at quarterback.'"

The Browns will evaluate whoever is on the roster over offseason practices and Monken said he'd like to have a starter in mind by training camp. But right now, he didn't know if he'd be able to name a starter by then.

"You would hope that's the case, you'd hope that by the time you get to training camp, the reps you're giving to a quarterback are for your starter," Monken said. "Whether we get to that place, I don't know. That will be determined in the offseason."

byAdministrator

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February 25, 2026

New Browns coach Todd Monken has praise for QB Shedeur Sanders

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Paul Skenes learns about MLB's new challenge system the hard way

In his first battle against theautomated ball-strikesystem,Paul Skeneswas no match for the robots.

Pitching his first inning of the spring as he ramps up for both thePittsburgh Piratesand Team USA'sWorld Baseball Classic squad, Skenes faced called strike challenges from Atlanta Braves batters on three occasions.

And the Braves successfully challenged all three calls by homeplate umpire Chris Segal - and added another in the second inning.

Two of the overturns definitely made life more difficult for Skenes. Braves first baseman Matt Olson - one of the game's most disciplined hitters - challenged a 1-1 curveball that Segal called a strike, nicking the outside corner. Olson, a sheepish grin on his face, tapped his head just, you know, to see what happened.

Sure enough, Segal erred - by one-tenth of an inch, ABS ruled - and a 1-2 count became a 2-1 count. Olson went on to draw a two-out walk, illustrating how certain counts - such as 1-1 - are more pivotal and perhaps crucial to challenge.

Meet Livvy Dunne, SI Swimsuit star and MLB ace Paul Skenes' girlfriend

Thusly emboldened, Jurickson Profar followed by challenging the first pitch - a 98.3 mph fastball seemingly on the outside corner. Segal? Wrong again, this time by a half-inch. And 0-1 became 1-0 and Profar drew a walk.

On challenge No. 3, Skenes finally took matters into his own hands. Jumping ahead 0-2 on Austin Riley, he fired a 99-mph fastball at the top of the zone. Segal punched Riley out - and Riley was tapping his helmet before Skenes could even think to trudge off the mound.

Call overturned - a whole 1.5 inches above the zone.

At that point, the camera turned to Skenes' girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, in the stands at the Braves' CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. She looked far more relieved when Skenes threw an almost identical pitch - just a smidge lower and in the zone.

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And Riley swung through it anyway.

The Braves' pedantry cost Skenes anywhere from three to 13 more pitches, finishing with 31 for the inning. Not necessarily what the Pirates or Skenes wanted.

But he still put up a zero and struck out two - proving robots can only break Skenes down so much.

Yet challenges will be a way of life in this, the first year of the ABS system in which teams are granted two challenges for both sides of the ball - and get to keep them if they're successful. Spring 2025 was a trial run, but with the system going live on Opening Day, teams are doing what they can to ace the system.

And perhaps the Braves got the NL's reigning Cy Young Award winner off his game just a bit.

In his second inning of work, Skenes was his own enemy, issuing walks to Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubón. Leadoff batter Ronald Acuña Jr. then challenged a fastball that ABS ruled was 1.5 inches outside.

Skenes got Acuña on a pop-up, seemingly no worse for wear. Yet this was Skenes' lone spring start for the Pirates before the WBC, and they'd hoped to get him through three innings.

Instead, he was lifted with one out in the third, his 53 pitches not enough to complete the frame. Skenes struck out four but also walked four - technology no help in his efforts at pitch efficiency.

MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Paul Skenes victim of MLB's ABS challenge system in first spring start

byAdministrator

in

February 25, 2026

Paul Skenes learns about MLB's new challenge system the hard way

In his first battle against theautomated ball-strikesystem,Paul Skeneswas no match for the robots. Pitching hi...

Read More