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The 2025 journey is underway and Athletics & Beyond has entered the season with 10u, 12u, 14u, 15u and 18u. The organization is excited about the returning talent and newcomers. The season will kick off with a trip to Atlanta, Georgia for the Hero 7v7 tournament and the Nebraska Select 7v7 Tournament in Iowa. Take a look below at some of the content leading up to the tournament and during the event.
12u & 10u Preseason Scrimmage
Nothing like getting ready for the season with your teammates and participation in a friendly but competitive scrimmage. That is exactly what our 12u and 10u teams took part in a few weeks before the first tournament. Coach Henkerberns is discussing the expectations in the video
King Coleman
Julian Santos
David Kenyatta Jr.
The 12u and 10u players loaded up on a luxury bus to make the drive to Omaha, Nebraska on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 7:00 am. What we learned from the bus ride is that these young men are morning people. Many played card and board games while others listened to their music. Players were able to learn more about one another teammate with conversation.
TC0 Travel Day - Get on the Bus
Players arrived in the Omaha area around 5pm central standard time and were greeted by the coaching staff who arrived an hour before the charter bus. The team immediately received their room keys and were able to check in, get showered up and prepare for dinner. Check out some of the moments below.
It was fun to play against new competition and get a chance to teach the new kids how to do our plays and route. It was just good in general. - Michael Green (10U)
The next morning, 10u and 12u headed over to the Iowa Sports Complex located at 3260 Mid America Loop in Council Bluffs which was across the bridge from Omaha, Nebraska. Operated by the Council Bluffs Soccer Club and named in honor of the lead donor for the project, the Iowa West Sports Plex is a 75,000 square foot indoor turf facility with the ability to accommodate multiple young athletes from sports including soccer, baseball and softball with potential for flag football, rugby, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee and more. The facility offers additional space for speed and agility training to athletes of all ages and a full service athletic training room.
"This is a place for fellowship, friendly competition, and above all, good sportsmanship. Future state and national champions will play here. Future leaders will play here. Let our voices be raised in praise and encouragement. Personal responsibility means we set a good example for the young players who play here. The referees and coaches are here to give their best efforts. Give them your thanks and appreciation. When the game is over, win or lose, be thankful for the opportunity for healthy competition, for lessons learned from team efforts, and for the enjoyment of time spent together."
Iowa West Foundation
Just a recap on the tournament starting with the territories. The organizations that represented included teams from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. The first day started off pretty rough with some close losses and the team didn't perform the best. The group was disappointed as expected because they hold themselves to a high standard but with a little encouragement from the coaches and parents, they would bounce back the next day.
On Sunday morning, with only a total of eight players to compete with, the 10u started things off with a big win in the first game. Michael Green and Massai Johnson both provided touchdowns for TCO. Quarterback Sione Fifita threw the passes and really had an awesome day at the position. The 10u squad took the energy into the next game and finished with the trophy presentation and the players received metals for their success in the tournament.
10u Iowa Tournament Film
12U On Stage Next
To be honest, the 12u team can compete with the top teams in the country. These kids are all very talented and competitive. Like the 10u players, 12u started the tournament off with some tight losses making it a rough first day but would bounce back as well and head full speed for the trophy. Quarterbacks Julian Santos, Cam Gustafson and David Kenyatta Jr did an amazing job leading us to wins. The receiver core was outstanding as well with a ton of big catches from Ty Gavin, Armani Anderson, and Zahir Animashaun. The defensive play was stout with great performances from Jaeger McGuiness, Tavon Surrell, and Howie Lopeman.
12U Game Film
Check out some of the plays below from the 12u competition. You will see Jaeger with a key interception in man-to-man coverage on defense. Ty getting the job done on offense catching a short pass to keep an important offensive drive going and he also had a key pass break up to end the opponent's offensive drive. Lastly, Armani making a possession catch using his body to shield defenders from the ball and making the tough conversion.
10U & 12U Team Photo
Parents! We are so excited to be working with all of these young competitors. All of these athletes are very bright and great to be around.
12U Winners
The 12u took care of business in Iowa and it was a show. Coached by Dominique Mack and Justin Henkerberns, this group of players will do amazing things in 2025 with sports and beyond
Events & Tours
Each time TCO travels with the teams, we love to expose them to events and other opportunities that they normally would not take part in. We have completed visits to museums like The Martin Luther King Jr Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois and in Omaha, Nebraska, which is right across the bridge from Iowa, the boys attended an arena football game.
The team piled into the stadium seats to support the Omaha Beef and the Colorado Spartans. The 12u and 10u players actually convinced the Beef and Spartan players to come watch them play in the tournament on that Sunday, so how special is that.
Meet Coach Mack
Coach Dominique Mack has been coaching youth football for the last 6 years. He is the owner and decision maker for the Mile High Thoroughbreds and the head coach/offensive coordinator for the 13u team. He coaches with passion, love and with the understanding of teamwork.
Take a listen to D-Mack's words after a tough practice for the team. We call Coach Mack the hype man because he really understands how to get the players emotionally ready for competition.
What is Next?
Both 10u and 12u are headed to the State of Texas to visit Jerry's World and compete in the Dallas area with some of the top talent around the country. The event will be a great test for these two teams, but I am sure they will be up for the challenge
What Does Education Mean To Us?
Since the inception of Athletics & Beyond, we have encouraged our student-athletes to seek knowledge and educate themselves continuously. We challenge our staff to assist our students in their development of a lifelong interest in learning.
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