Congratulations to the following Marion Community Schools students who were selected for participation on Team Marion USA:
- For the boys soccer team: Carson Bledsoe, Christopher Villarreal, and Emilio Sellers, all eight-graders at McCulloch Junior High School
- For the girls soccer team: Elaine Morgan, Eliana Perez, Eliana Tetactle, all eighth-graders at MJH; and Kah’Leah Drake Smith, a seventh-grader at MJH
- For the boys basketball team: Ace Johnson, eight-grader at MJH; and Malikai Shively, freshman at Marion High School
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The following was provided by Team Marion USA:
Team Marion USA is back home after an unforgettable week representing the City of Marion, Grant County, Indiana, and the United States at the 2026 International Children’s Games in Hualien, Taiwan.
The trip marked Marion’s return to the International Children’s Games after more than a decade away from the international competition. Parents, family members, and community supporters also traveled to Taiwan to support the athletes throughout the games.
The Team Marion USA delegation poses with International Children's Games staff after a successful week of competition. (Photo provided by Team Marion USA)
Eighteen Grant County athletes represented Marion and the United States on the international stage, competing against elite youth athletes while building friendships and memories that extended far beyond sports. Marion fielded teams in boys soccer, girls soccer, and boys basketball. The athletes represented schools and communities throughout Grant County, making the experience one that extended well beyond any single team, school, or sport.
Come out and meet the athletes
- What: Team Marion USA invites the community come come hear the delegation share about their time in Taiwan
- When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23 (doors open at 5 p.m.)
- Where: McCulloch Junior High School Auditorium, 3528 S. Washington St., Marion, (enter Door 1)
While the competition produced memorable moments, Team Marion returned home measuring the success of the experience by much more than wins and losses.
The boys basketball team advanced through the tournament to the Final Four and earned the opportunity to compete for a bronze medal. Both Marion soccer teams found the back of the net while facing an extraordinary level of play that included older athletes and junior national-level players from around the world. Rather than being intimidated by that standard, the athletes returned home with a better understanding of the level they can continue working toward.
“As I reflect on the week, I am so proud of the growth our delegation showed,” Team Manager Aaron Murray said. “This trip pushed many of them outside their comfort zone on the soccer pitch and basketball court, when they were trying different foods, and in meeting new people. They learned to compete in the face of overwhelming odds and grew in their understanding that sports is about pride in the process, not necessarily the result. These students will remember the relationships, cultural experiences, and personal growth long after the results of their games fade.”
The experience extended beyond athletic competition, and some of the most meaningful moments occurred away from the scoreboard. Team Marion USA athletes participated in the opening and closing ceremonies, experienced Taiwanese culture, explored Hualien and other areas of Taiwan, and had the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with young people from countries across the world.
Athletes exchanged countless team pins, souvenirs, stories, and contact information with their international counterparts. Those relationships embodied the larger purpose of the International Children's Games: the shared belief that sport has the power to inspire young people and bring cities together across cultures and continents.
Team Marion USA extends its sincere appreciation to the people of Hualien, the organizers and volunteers of the International Children's Games, and the hotel staff, local hosts, and everyone in Taiwan who welcomed the delegation. Their hospitality and support helped create an unforgettable experience for our athletes and families.
The journey was also made possible by extraordinary support at home. Team Marion offers special thanks to the Community Foundation of Grant County, whose support played a critical role in making this opportunity possible for local student-athletes.
Team Marion also thanks Mayor Ronald Morrell Jr. and the City of Marion for their leadership in restoring Marion's participation in the International Children's Games.
Morrell's connection to the games is personal. As a Marion student-athlete, he had the opportunity to compete in the International Children's Games. Marion's active participation eventually went dormant, but his support helped reopen that door for a new generation of local athletes. Decades after representing Marion as a young competitor, he helped make the same opportunity possible for today's athletes.
For the 18 young athletes who represented Team Marion USA in Taiwan, their place in Marion's International Children's Games story is now permanent. They represented their teams. They represented their schools. They represented Grant County and Indiana. And on an international stage thousands of miles from home, they represented Marion and the United States with pride.