• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

Click to join our weekly e-newsletter

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Gaither’s Kelley scores one more victory

June 13, 2012 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Cowboy earns Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award

By Jeff Odom and Cameron Valdez

Long before his high school days, Gaither baseball player Hayden Kelley idolized MLB Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs.

Recent Gaither High graduate Hayden Kelley, left, poses for a picture with Wade Boggs, center, and County Commissioner Ken Hagan after receiving the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award.

On June 6, the senior center fielder was presented with the sixth annual Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award by the former Tampa Bay Rays player and 12-time All-Star for his work on and off the diamond.

“Just seeing the numbers (Boggs) put up and the abilities he put out on the field is incredible,” Kelley said. “For me to be forever linked to him like that, in any way, is a total honor.”

The award, established in 2005, is presented to one of the Hillsborough County’s top baseball team or players each year based on academic and athletic achievement as well as community involvement.

“Most baseball awards are for achievements on the field, and this award not only covers that but academics and what he does in the community,” Boggs said. He added, “These are the types of individuals that we look for.”

Kelley, a first-team all-Western Conference selection and Miami Dade College signee, graduated from Gaither with a 3.98 weighted grade point average (GPA). He served as a counselor and caregiver the past two summers at the Shriners Hospitals’ Camp Care-A-Lot and also traveled to the Dominican Republic with SCORE International on mission trips.

Kelley also gave back to young baseball players, participating in the Son Diamond Baseball Camps for inner-city children. He said his parents made him start volunteering when he was young, but now it’s something he can’t imagine not doing.

“I just really like helping out whenever I can,” Kelley said. “I feel like I always get more out of the time I spend volunteering than I have to put into whatever I’m doing there.”

After he finishes college, Kelley plans to continue a career in the sport he loves — hopefully, as a professional player.

“I am going to junior college for two years to get my (associate) degree, then, probably focus more on making a choice on that,” Kelley said. “After college, I want to play baseball for as long as I can. I want to see how far it’s going to take me.”

Joining Kelley in the ceremony was Steinbrenner second baseman Christian Diaz, who graduated with a 5.1 weighted GPA and served as the senior class president in the school’s student government. He was recognized as an honorable mention by Boggs and said he didn’t mind a runner-up spot to a player like Kelley.

“I feel very honored,” Diaz said. “I wear No. 12 in honor of Mr. Boggs with everything he has done for the community and to see a guy like Hayden, who has really gone out of his way to help the community, really makes me feel good about the people that have been nominated for it.”

—Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono contributed to this report.

 

 

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Reddit
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

September 5, 2023 By Mary Rathman

Tampa Bay welcomes WAVE Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art spinal care clinic founded by Dr. Ryan LaChance. WAVE … [Read More...] about WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

August 29, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Time is running out on your chance to live at Del Webb Bexley. We’ve built the ideal active adult community to suit your … [Read More...] about Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

10/03/2023 – Drawing Workshop

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a Drawing Workshop: Exquisite Corpse, on Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., as part of its Museum + Art Series. Participants can learn about the exquisite corpse drawing method and create a drawing inspired by surrealist artists. Registration is required; call 727-815-7126. To learn more, visit MOMA.org/collection/terms/exquisite-corpse. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Drawing Workshop

10/03/2023 – Halloween Games/Crafts

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host Teen Halloween Games and Crafts on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m., for ages 13 to 17. Supplies will be provided. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Halloween Games/Crafts

10/03/2023 – Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a porch book sale on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon, featuring all genres of books including novels, nonfiction, biographies, sewing, cooking, self-help, and more. The porch sale takes place every Tuesday. Call 813-929-1214 for information. … [Read More...] about 10/03/2023 – Library Book Sale

10/04/2023 – Garden Club Field Trip

The Orange Blossom Garden Club will visit Cindy’s Secret Place on Oct. 4. Guests should meet at the Lutz Community Center, across from the Lutz Library, at 9:30 a.m., to carpool north. RSVP by Oct. 1 to Lee Brown at . … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Garden Club Field Trip

10/04/2023 – Harry Potter Club

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a Harry Potter Club on the first Wednesday of every month at 3 p.m., for wizards, witches and muggles in grades five to eight. The next meeting is Oct. 4. Fans can gather to create replicas of popular items from the series, while discussing the books and movies. Participants do not have to read the books. Register online at bit.ly/PCLSEvents. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Harry Potter Club

10/04/2023 – Houseplant Discussion

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a master gardener discussion about houseplants on Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. Registration is required. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 10/04/2023 – Houseplant Discussion

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: