News and Information
October 29, 2025
Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith (L) with Mt. Vernon District Champions of Character honorees Tate Allen, Michael Day and Zoe Tickner, and Tom Fitzpatrick of the Fairfax County Athletic Council. Click to see photo in high-resolution.
Youth athletes, coaches and parents were honored on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, at the annual Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Awards at the Fairfax County Government Center.
The annual awards, founded in 2001, honor county youth, coaches and parents in each magisterial district for extraordinary service in pursuing victory with honor on and off the field of competition. Instituted by the Fairfax County Athletic Council, this program aims to support the tradition of amateur athletics in cultivating teamwork, leadership, good sportsmanship and community service.
The award was renamed in 2023 in honor of the late Stephen A. McLaughlin, the longtime Providence District Representative to the Fairfax County Athletic Council.
This year's Champion of Character Award was given to Harold Leff, a member of the Fairfax County Athletic Council for 33 years. This award is given to an individual for their longstanding service to athletics in Fairfax County and commitment to the values of the Champions of Character.
The awardees are as follows:
Braddock District
Male Athlete - Tillman Abeyta, Football, Braddock Road Youth Club
Female Athlete - Norah Garcia, Soccer, Annandale Boys & Girls Club
Coach - Carlos Santizo, Soccer, Braddock Road Youth Club
Parent - Angela Santizo, Soccer, Braddock Road Youth Club
Dranesville District
Male Athlete - Brady Britt, Football/Baseball, Great Falls Little League and Langley High School
Female Athlete - Ayla Sayd, Volleyball, Marshall High School
Coach - Khayla Williams, Basketball, Herndon Optimist Club
Parent - Martine Silve, Field Hockey, Herndon Reston Youth Field Hockey
Franconia District
Male Athlete - Kibowen Kirui, Soccer, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Female Athlete - Vivienne Jensen, Soccer, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Coach - Russell Balikian, Soccer/basketball, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Parent - Tara Suga, Baseball, CSLL/Patriot/Hayfield HS
Hunter Mill District
Male Athlete - Teddy Gill, Football, Reston Youth Association
Female Athlete - Sienna McIntyre, Ice Hockey, Reston Raiders
Coach - Terry Redican, football, South Lakes HS
Parent - Walid Choueiri, Basketball, Swim, Football
Mason District
Male Athlete - Makai Carothers, Football, Annandale Boys & Girls Club
Female Athlete - Michelle Soto, Soccer, Annandale Boys & Girls Club
Coach - Alicia Hopkins, Basketball, Soccer, T-Ball, Football, Annandale Boys & Girls Club
Parent - Maria Colbert, Soccer, Premier Athletics Club
Mt. Vernon District
Male Athlete - Tate Allen, Basketball, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Female Athlete - Zoe Tickner, Soccer, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club /West Potomac HS
Coach - Garrett Kell, Basketball, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Parent - Michael Day, Basketball, Lee-Mt. Vernon Sports Club
Providence District
Male Athlete - Ben Ochsendorf, Basketball, McLean Select and Nova Cats AAU
Female Athlete - Ryan Elizabeth McIntosh, Swimming
Coach - Mark Cruz, Volleyball, Vienna Youth Inc.
Parent - Mary Wong, Volleyball, Vienna Youth Inc.
Springfield District
Male Athlete - Simon Fischer, Baseball, Central Springfield Little League
Female Athlete - Valeria Morales, Soccer, Braddock Road Youth Club
Coach - Dan Walsh, Baseball, Central Springfield Little League
Parent - Kwame James, Basketball, CTAB Hoops
Sully District
Male Athlete - Otto Hutchins, Soccer
Female Athlete - Quinn Crozier, Softball, VA Glory
Coach - Javier Alarcon, Soccer, SYA
Parent - Dan Mac, Soccer, SYA
Visit the 2025 Awards Flickr photo album to view and download more photos.
Visit the Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Awards page for more information on the annual awards.
See a Channel 16 Around Fairfax video of the event below.
October 21, 2025
NCS centers with youth programs will hold special events in October in honor of the 26th annual Lights On Afterschool, a national rally for after school programs sponsored by the non-profit Afterschool Alliance. This year’s Lights On Afterschool observance is Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025.
The Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality after-school programs, announced that after-school programs will hold thousands of events nationwide to highlight the ways after-school programs support student success. According to the Afterschool Alliance, some 8,000 after-school programs will take part in this year's Lights On Afterschool.
NCS offers School Age Child Care (SACC), Teen Centers and other youth programs at community centers and school locations throughout Fairfax County. For the 2025-26 school year, NCS has launched Beyond the Bell, a child care pilot program at 20 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) elementary schools. Beyond the Bell will expand opportunities for safe, affordable and high-quality child care for county families.
All NCS programs provide a safe, structured environment for promoting social connections, commitment to learning, health, wellness and individual growth. Programs run on school days, as well as summer, spring and winter breaks.
SACC and BTB fees are based on household income. Many of the other programs are free.
A large body of evidence demonstrates improvements in grades, school attendance, behavior and more among children who participate in after-school programs, says the Afterschool Alliance.
Researchers have also found that students in after-school programs are more engaged in school and excited about learning and develop critical work and life skills such as problem solving, teamwork, and communications, according to the Afterschool Alliance.
To learn more about NCS programs for children and teens, visit this NCS website.
October 20, 2025
Fairfax County’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services is now accepting entries in the Fairfax Area High School Student Shark Tank Technology Challenge. Initial proposals are due Dec. 19, 2025.
Open to all students in Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the City of Falls Church, the 2025-26 challenge invites youth to develop an innovative device or app that will have a positive impact in the lives of older adults, adults with disabilities, caregivers or wounded warriors. A winning device should enhance independence and life enjoyment for the target audience, foster social connection and help reduce isolation, and be truly innovative – either by introducing something new to the marketplace or significantly improving an existing product.
The winning students will be recognized with cash awards provided by sponsor IntegrityOne Partners. Winners will also be recognized by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a spring 2026 reception.
In the challenge, students make a pitch for funding to corporate leaders, community leaders and County supervisors. The winning pitch for the 2024-25 challenge came from Varsha Ayala and Eesha Viswanathan from The Madeira School in McLean. The team developed RapidX, a wearable health device that allows paramedics to retrieve patient data instantly, improving emergency response outcomes.
The competition is an initiative of the Fairfax 50+ Community Action Plan, which was passed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2014. It supports Fairfax County’s Economic Success Program that seeks to grow and diversify the economy through innovation, social equity and expansion of science, technology, engineering and math education.
Key Dates:
December 19, 2025 - Deadline for initial proposals
February 25, 2026 - Deadline for full submissions
April 10, 2026 – Board of Supervisors reception for challenge winners
Please visit the Shark Tank Technology Challenge website for more details, including a detailed application packet. For additional assistance, email NCSTechChallenge@fairfaxcounty.gov.