This week on The Sports Rapport, host Mitch Wertlieb is joined by MyNBC5's Jack Main to chat about the busy sports summer, including the World Cup, NHL and NBA offseasons and more (5:59).

Rugby players Sarah James, Chris Henry and Sam Brown are in-studio to preview the upcoming 53rd Annual Mad River Hayden Cup Invitational (42:43). 

Plus, Rutland Herald's Tom Haley shares his reporting about Poultney High School forgoing the 2026 football season (56:15).

We also get you caught up on the top five moments in Vermont sports from the last week (3:22).

Guests:

Jack Main, MyNBC5 weekday sports anchor

Sarah James, Mad River-Stowe Rugby Football Club player

Chris Henry, Burlington Rugby Football Club vice president, player

Sam Brown, Black River Rugby Club player

Tom Haley, Rutland Herald sports reporter

Do you have a topic or guest you want to see on The Sports Rapport? Email us at [email protected]

Football fever has taken over the world, but that's nothing new in Vermont.

This week on The Sports Rapport, Nathaniel Wilson is in for host Mitch Wertlieb. He's joined in-studio by Mike Popovitch and Tyson Foster from the Vermont Green FC podcast United in Green.

The pair breaks down the club's huge games versus Hartford Athletic and New England FC over the weekend, and discusses hydration breaks and favorite kits at this year's World Cup (6:13).

Plus, the spring high school sports season wrapped up over the weekend, and Burlington Free Press sports reporters Alex Abrami and Judith Altneu discuss the results and more than a few undefeated seasons that were capped off with state titles last week (43:54).

We also get you caught up on the recently wrapped NBA and Stanley Cup Finals (:59) and fill in the High Five top Vermont sports stories from the last week (2:53).

Guests

Tyson Foster, United in Green podcast host

Mike Popovitch, United in Green podcast host

Judith Altneu, Burlington Free Press sports reporter

Alex Abrami, Burlington Free Press sports reporter

Do you have a topic or guest you want to see on The Sports Rapport? Email us at [email protected]

This week on The Sports Rapport, host Mitch Wertlieb is joined in-studio by local Olympic athletes Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Ben Ogden and Julia Kern.

The trio will debrief on their 2026 Winter Olympics experiences, discuss the offseason and pick some Vermont favorites in a game of rapid fire questions.

Timestamps

7:40 The High Five

10:29 Ben Ogden, Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Julia Kern on the 2026 Olympics and what they've been up to since

29:23 Getting to know Ben Ogden, Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Julia Kern with some lightning round questions

44:51 The sports that Ben Ogden, Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Julia Kern are watching during their offseasons

Guests
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, two-time Olympic Super G silver medalist
Ben Ogden, two-time Olympic silver medalist
Julia Kern, two-time Olympian, two-time World Championships medalist

Do you have a topic or guest you want to see on The Sports Rapport? Email us at [email protected].

This week on The Sports Rapport, the crew has come down with World Cup fever. The Boston Globe's Michael Silverman joins the show to preview the world's biggest sporting event and discuss the preparations in host city Boston, Massachusetts.

Plus, Vermont City Marathon record-holder Ryan Smith, Upper Valley Nighthawks owner Noah Crane and Nighthawks manager Chase Allen drop by the show.

Guests

Michael Silverman, Boston Globe sports reporter

Ryan Smith, Vermont City Marathon record-holder

Noah Crane, Upper Valley Nighthawks owner

Chase Allen, Upper Valley Nighthawks field manager

Timestamps:

8:08 This week's High Five

11:22 Vermont City Marathon record-holder Ryan Smith

21:10 Previewing the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Boston Globe's Michael Silverman

39:32 NECBL and the Upper Valley Nighthawks with club owner Noah Crane and manager Chase Allen

This week on The Sports Rapport, it sure feels like summer in Vermont so we had to visit the ball park of course. Vermont Lake Monsters minority owner and former NBC5 meteorologist Tom Messner took Mitch Wertlieb on a tour of Centennial Field ahead of their season opener this week.

Plus, the Middlebury College Pranksters ultimate frisbee teams became national champions on Monday. In the men's division the Pranksters beat Carelton College Chop 15-7, while their women's division club beat the Whitman College Sweets 15-6 to complete the D-III championship sweep. We check-in with friends of the show Liam Reynolds and Oscar de Swaan Arons, and also Pranksters captain Claire “Cece” Rhyneer.

With temperatures outside warming up, many Vermonters are back on their bicycles after the long winter. Local Motion Communication Specialist Val Cyr also stopped by The Sports Rapport to discuss bike advocacy and safety.

Guests:
Tom Messner, Vermont Lake Monsters minority owner
Liam Reynolds, Middlebury College Pranksters ultimate frisbee player
Oscar de Swaan Arons, Middlebury College Pranksters ultimate frisbee player
Claire "Cece" Rhyneer, Middlebury College Pranksters ultimate frisbee player
Val Cyr, communication specialist at Local Motion

Find more of The Sports Rapport: https://www.vermontpublic.org/show/sports-rapport
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sportsrapportvt/

Do you have a topic or guest you want to see on The Sports Rapport? Email us at [email protected]

Timestamps:

1:09 Our top five sporting events we want to attend this summer

3:46 The Sports Rapport tours Centennial Field with the Vermont Lake Monsters

20:32 Middlebury Pranksters Liam Reynolds, Oscar de Swaan Arons and Claire “Cece” Rhyneer talk about their D-III college ultimate championships sweep

31:20 Springtime bike safety tips and local advocacy with Local Motion's Val Cyr

The 2026 USL2 and USLW seasons are upon us. The Vermont Green FC men's club is defending their 2025 league title, while the women's side is looking to leave their mark on the USLW in their inaugural season. We break it all down with players from both clubs as well as Mike Popovitch and Tyson Foster from the United in Green podcast.

This week on The Sports Rapport, we sit down with new UVM women's basketball head coach Maureen Magarity, Best Day Ever filmmaker Berne Broudy, adaptive athlete Allie Bianchi and Vermont Public's Howard Weiss-Tisman.

Colchester High School senior baseball pitcher Jackson Pecor joins the show fresh off of a no-hitter he threw versus BFA St. Albans last week. Plus, Vermont Ultimate's Mariz Mangundayao and members of the Middlebury College ultimate team join to talk about the disc sport's status here in Vermont.

Discussing the just finished undefeated regular season for the division three Middlebury women's lacrosse team with the squad's head coach and star attacker. Plus, the latest on changes to the Boston Red Sox coaching staff with NBC5 sports reporter Jack Main.

This week on The Sports Rapport, we speak with veteran Vermont journalist Mike Donoghue about the 12 new entries enshrined into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame in a wide variety of sports, including baseball, tennis and wrestling.

Plus, we'll hear from Chris George, general manager of the new Vermont Clover FC soccer team, which ushered in its inaugural season with a roster made up entirely of athletes from Vermont and the North Country.