If you want to nominate an event (or more than one event) for SDM's 2025 awards program, Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism, now's the time! The application is live NOW and entry is free. Don't wait: Deadline is September 8!

There’s been a burst of growth in high school sports and girls are the main accelerant. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the most recent academic year brought an all-time high in the numbers of student athletes. The biggest reason: Girls’ wrestling and flag football. Unified sports and esports also shot up.

After a triumphant showcase appearance in the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, karate found itself unceremoniously kicked to the curb not just once but twice, being excluded from both Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. Now, it wants back in. What are its chances of being featured in Australia in 2032? Depends on who’s asked and who’s answering.

It has been called “pickleball’s posher, privileged cousin.” It has also been termed “the fastest growing sport in the world.” But even without the hype, the hoopla or the hyperbole, padel (a closed-court hybrid of tennis, racquetball and yes, pickleball) is gaining traction in the USA, where it is on the cusp of its biggest growth yet. Here’s more.

We’ve gone from having to pay for Wi-Fi in hotels to having it free. What could be better than that? Safe Wi-Fi, apparently. Unfortunately, many hotels have minimal network security, older networking technology and insufficient data encryption, which means travelers’ data is insufficiently protected. Experts are providing tips to avoid the pitfalls.

Who doesn’t love a county fair? The rides, the animals, the corn dogs. The cake auctions where kids’ baked goods sell for four or even five figures. If that last sentence came as a shock to you, get to know the newest form of food sport: 4-H and FFA baking competitions where fairgoers, companies and benefactors bid on desserts crafted by local youth.