#player-development

#player-development

Ulrich Chomche. He has a unique name; he's a unique player and he's taken a unique path to the NBA, being both the youngest player selected in the 2024 NBA Draft at age 18 and the first player selected out of the Basketball Africa League. Even though he missed about one third of his first professional season with apartialMCL tear in his right knee, Chomche showed tantilizing flashes throughout his time with the Raptors 905 last season.

Paul Toboni speaks and acts like a modern president of baseball operations, with a first-day swagger and commitment to building a " scouting and player development monster." He said everything he should have said Wednesday morning, when he was introduced as just the third head of baseball in Washington Nationals history. Take him at his word, and it's easy to fall in line behind him and believe he'll update the front office and develop a thoughtful, organized, clear structure

When Hugo Ekitike decided to move clubs this summer, many observers expected interest from a swathe of top teams across Europe. Yet, despite reported approaches from Manchester United and Newcastle, the French forward ultimately opted to commit to Liverpool. In an interview, Ekitike opened up about why he turned down others and chose Anfield, offering insight into both his ambition and his vision for his next chapter.

The Minnesota Wild squeaked into the playoffs by clinching a Wild Card spot with one point to spare, but the team faced yet another first-round exit, leaving some unasnwered questions as we approach the 2025-26 season. Can the Wild's young players continue trending in the right direction? The greatest reason for optimism for the Wild is definitely its young squadron of skaters at all positions.

As the January transfer window draws closer, speculation around the futures of many young stars begins to increase, and Real Madrid's Arda Guler is no exception. The Turkish international has been the subject of admiration from several of Europe's elite clubs, eager to test Madrid's resolve. Yet, despite the noise, Real Madrid remain unwavering in their stance, Arda is not for sale.

Hearts roared to the top of the Premiership on Saturday with a dominant 3-0 win over Falkirk to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, a game where left-back Milne lined up on the right side of midfield. Head coach Derek McInnes spoke pre-match about his side's lack of options for that position, but said Milne had impressed when dropped into the new role in their recent 2-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, these are just some of the Premier League clubs who have benefitted from the fact that Manchester City couldn't provide sufficient game time for some of their academy products to develop properly. City boss Pep Guardiola believes these players would've been starters in his team at this point, had things turned out differently. Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Jeremie Frimpong, Jamie Gittens, Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap, Jadon Sancho...

I was very inexperienced in both football and life, he tells FourFourTwo when quizzed about his arrival in north London. I feel that the UK made me an adult and a professional, experienced player. Most of my growth happened in London. I was really lucky that the years I spent there, I had great team-mates and coaches, and opportunities to play top-level football. That was probably the most important part of my development as a person and as a player.

The Sparks announced they are joining the WNBA's facilities upgrade boom, building a $150-million, 55,000-square-foot training and practice facility in El Segundo that is set to open ahead of the 2027 season. The venue will include two WNBA regulation basketball courts along with a locker room, weight room and athletic training space. The team states the facility will also feature an outdoor spa, indoor hydrotherapy suites, dedicated nap rooms, wellness spaces for yoga or mediation, and extensive use of natural light and retractable doors.

We knew before that he had an unbelievable shot, but today he proved it on the pitch,

What if it was possible, when facing a critical juncture in life - a big job interview, an emotionally charged conversation, even the prospect of parenthood - to plan for every potential variable by rehearsing the situation over and over. From a meticulous recreation of The Alligator Lounge to (small spoiler alert!) packing a 737 full of actors to circumvent aviation laws and investigate the dynamic between pilot and co-pilot in a cockpit, Fielder's formulaic, flowchart-driven approach is intended to leave nothing to chance.

"There's no one that wants it more than [Lapierre] and he's so determined and so focused,"

The 23-year-old Netherlands International has been outstanding for Liverpool, and he has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league this season. Granvenberch has put on another excellent display for his team in the Merseyside Derby against Everton earlier today. The Netherlands International opened the scoring for his team with a well-taken goal early in the first half,

Phil Jones is among a group of former Premier League stars to graduate from the PFA Business School, securing a Diploma in Sport Directorship. The former Manchester United defender, who retired last year at the age of 32, was presented with his diploma at a ceremony this week. Sharing photos on Instagram in his cap and gown, Jones hinted at the next step in his career.

Assuming that the Heat will want to stagger Norman Powell and Tyler Herro, probably bringing the former off the bench, that will naturally open up a spot for Mitchell to emerge as the starting point guard. If he shows enough in training camp and pre-season, it's going to be difficult for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra not to give Mitchell a fair shake to be the full-time starter next to Herro this season.