The Final Four of the 2025 Youth Athlete of the Year Competition
After months of fierce competition, these four remarkable athletes rose to the top, leading the charge of the monumental $21.6 million raised to support two hall-worthy charities, Why Not You Foundation and V Foundation.
Established by philanthropist and Super Bowl Champion Russell Wilson and multi-platinum, GRAMMY award-winning artist Ciara, Why Not You Foundation is dedicated to fighting poverty through education initiatives that empower youth to lead with a 'Why Not You' attitude.
Founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano, V Foundation for Cancer Research is committed to funding game-changing research and all-star scientists to accelerate Victory Over Cancer® and save lives.
First Place: Tripp Everett
Tripp is a standout, multi-sport athlete growing up in Dallas, Texas. From lacrosse to basketball and football, he’s a true playmaker on both offense and defense. This versatility allows him to play mid-field and both left and right attack in lacrosse as well. What really sets Tripp apart is his attitude. He stays humble and positive and has a determination and spirit that is contagious to his teammates. His work ethic gives him great strength demonstrated in explosive moves on the field, bringing a rare mixture of power and finesse.
The Everett family is no stranger to sports and championing good causes. His father, Matthew, has a background playing high school football, baseball and wrestling as well as college football for New Mexico State University as well as going on to work in college sports. His mother, Nichol, was a competitive dancer for many years. Competition runs in this family!
Matthew says raising money for the V Foundation through the competition was dear to them as a family deeply affected by cancer. After losing their grandmother and other family members to it, his Great Uncle and Aunt serve as Co-Executive Directors of Cowboys for Cancer Research, Inc. C4CR, established in 1982, raises funds to support cancer research at The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, and New Mexico State University. They fundraise through rodeo, equine events, golf tournaments and other sporting events throughout the Southwest. Read more about it at c4cr.com
The Everett family reports that the experience with Youth Athlete of the Year was incredibly rewarding as their community rallied around Tripp and the greater cause of the competition. Week by week, it was exciting to see the progress and even more rewarding to take the life-changing title of Youth Athlete of the Year. Tripp remains humble and inspired to keep working hard on and off the field. His next goal? Getting straight A’s this semester.
If you ask Tripp how he remains dedicated, he will tell you that he’s inspired by his family to stay grounded. During a game, he has learned to think of the score as zero to zero. This helps him stay focused on the task at hand and not lose sight of the possibilities in the game. The best part? Being part of a team with his friends, of course!
The score can only go up for this dedicated young athlete. Tripp is a true testament to the fact that you can accomplish anything with hard work.
Runner Up: Jeremiah Chavis
Jeremiah carries a large family legacy with ease as a standout high school wrestler gaining recognition. As the son of Chris Chavis, currently signed to WWE as one of their Official Legends and making appearances worldwide, Jeremiah has a built-in coach and hero in the family. Reporting that he’s been into the sport of wrestling since age five, this is a life-long pursuit thanks to his dad, WWE Wrestling Legend Tatanka.
This young wrestler states that dedication is the key to bringing your vision to life. His busy schedule is centered around school work and training, practicing five days a week and competing on weekends. His favorite part of wrestling is that it is both an individual and team sport. There are many lessons in it, and Jeremiah says that he tries to put himself in situations that help him improve. “Never call a loss a loss. L is for LEARNING. You only grow when you're tested.”
The Chavis family beam with pride over their son’s success and feature in the Sports Illustrated ad. They want to thank their main sponsor John Jr. Casanova of Casanova Remodeling and Casanova Distributors representing Foxon Park Beverages along with our fans worldwide that have supported Jeremiah and our family.
Jeremiah’s dedication is paying off as he comes off his most recent triumph, winning his 3rd National Wrestling Championship at Grappler Fall Classic in Ohio in October 2025. For this legend in the making, it’s far from over. He will tell you if you're looking to achieve elite status in your chosen sport you must work hard year round. You will not achieve this by only working during the season. There's post and pre-season for those that want to be great.
Greatness definitely runs in this family and we can’t wait to see what is next for Jeremiah!
Third Place: Deklan Grant
At the young age of ten, Deklan erupts with energy and skill on a soccer field that can only come from true dedication. This passion for soccer, he says, has grown with him since he was three years old when his parents played in the backyard with him. His parents, Sarah and Clinton, have nurtured his love for the sport in his hometown San Diego. Both having backgrounds in playing recreational sports, they understand the positive impact it can have. Dad has taken joy in coaching little league and seeing his son grow on and off the field.
Life lessons are abundant in team sports and one main takeaway for Deklan is to work hard and stay humble. His drive for success has enabled him to gain new skills year after year, such as practicing relentlessly to develop his non-dominant foot so he can use both effectively. As he gains recognition for these unique skills, he wants to continue to push for more.
Deklan reports that his life revolves around school, his first priority, and the love of the game. His favorite part is that his teammates have become a family to him. They recently took first place in their league! After a dedicated season, the triumph was incredibly rewarding to the whole team. Deklan says he loves “Being a leader for my team, giving my whole heart and leaving it all out there on the field every single practice, training and game.” His biggest inspiration is his dad, who is a hero for our country and Deklan’s biggest fan.
Sarah says “If you ever get a chance to participate in something like this, do it! The competition and end reward was once in a lifetime and the fundraising piece needs no further explanation. It is always a positive when you get to give back by doing something you love. For Deklan and for our family, there is nothing more important than spreading the wealth to a meaningful cause with a tremendous impact. We hope this competition continues to be able to support these important organizations for years to come.”
Fourth Place: Case Stewart
Case is a passionate player in both baseball and football who brings positive energy to his team. His dedication to the sport has taught him valuable lessons of discipline and respect, but most importantly to believe in himself. He loves to be a team player and “hype man” for his teammates, encouraging them to believe in themselves too.
The spark for sports first came at about four years old, playing with his family and watching sports on television. He wanted to be like the players on screen. By seven, he was playing baseball for the Pirates on the Boerne Little League team. He says the best part is helping your team succeed! When things are challenging, Case says “I try to stay positive in my head and tell myself, I got this!”
His proud parents, Brittany and Cory are thrilled to see Case gaining momentum and recognition in his league and within the Youth Athlete of the Year competition. Brittany says the heart behind it was what drew them to enter and the experience was awe-inspiring, “To see the amount of money that was raised is unbelievable and I couldn’t be more proud of all of these kids who participated. Such an amazing thing to be so impactful at such young ages.” Cory states, “As having a mom who battled breast cancer, it has served a special purpose in helping others fight that battle.
Case was his true “hype man” self meeting the other finalists on set, bringing energy and kindness to the experience. There are surely more victories in store for this positive player.
Check out these four fantastic all-stars in the winter 2025 issue of Sports Illustrated, where they are each highlighted in a 3Brand advertisement.
