Kevin Weiss

Lutz Chiefs win Tampa Bay Super Bowl

December 14, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Lutz Chiefs captured the Tampa Bay Youth Football League(TBYFL) Varsity Super Bowl on Nov. 19 after defeating the Tampa Bay Jaguars in overtime 12-6. The team, comprised of 13-year-olds and 14-year-olds, pulled out the victory after playing to a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation. The win marks the Chiefs first-ever TBYFL Super Bowl since joining the league in 2010. The team is coached by Zach Kilburn. Many Chiefs players wind up playing at various high schools in the area, including Steinbrenner, Gaither, Freedom and Wharton high schools.

Developing life skills, one student at a time

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Amy Gordon’s mission is clear.

She wants to ensure every student reaches his or her full potential, and becomes a productive member of society.

That’s why she created Life Skills in ACTion in 1995, while still an elementary school teacher in the Tampa Bay area.

lifeskills It started with humble beginnings — with Gordon working out of her house. Through parent word-of-mouth, her supplemental learning service expanded — quite rapidly.

“My part-time (gig) turned into an explosion in three months,” Gordon said.

With offices now in Wesley Chapel and Lutz, Gordon and her staff of 11 experienced certified instructors help students ranging from elementary to college. The youngest client is 5 years old. The oldest is 28.

Fundamentally, the learning center assists students who are struggling — in or out of the classroom.

Gordon and her staff focus on individual-based tutoring and personal development, too.

“We break down that barrier that everybody has a stigma, ‘My child can’t do this or my child struggles,’” explained Gordon, the director of Life Skills in ACTion.

In addition to basic study skills and note-taking classes, there are social etiquette seminars, which focus on themes such as personal grooming, proper manners and how to relate with others.

“There’s really no place around here that does what we do,” Gordon said.

“It’s not like I have a curriculum that I buy. We meet with the family, and we build a program around what their needs are — whether it be studying, time management, or tutoring,” she said.

Approximately 80 percent of Gordon’s clients are what she calls “busy kids,” frequently referred to by others as hyperactive.

Those students, she said, often are misunderstood.

“Their brain processes in such a way that they have to have a physicality in their learning,” Gordon explained. “They come in with notebooks that look like a dog ate them, and it’s because they’re sitting there and peeling them, and they do that because they have to feel focused to learn.”

To aid those students, Gordon and her staff conduct a personal profile to identify how each learns best.

“You tell us what your child needs, and we will figure out what resources we have to help you,” Gordon said. “Schools are so busy with workloads, and they can’t help kids the way they want to, and (they) don’t have the resources anymore.”

Gordon knows that all too well. After teaching in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas school systems for 22 years, she encountered her fair share of “busy kids.” Yet she could only do so much.

“I couldn’t give them the time that they needed because I had 20 other students,” she said. “I was leaving school every day emotionally drained because it was frustrating to not be able to do what I knew they needed.”

At Life Skills, she’s been able to do that.

Inside the Wesley Chapel office, there’s a comfortable, welcoming feel. Students gather in vibrant rooms with kitchen roundtables, as opposed to wide-open, sterile classrooms.

“We try to keep everything small,” Gordon said, “so its more personal to their learning and their interests. They feel like they’re at home when they’re here.”

That contrasts with how students are typically taught in school classrooms, which tend to be more sequential and lecture-based. That doesn’t work for every student, Gordon said.

For example, some students are visual learners. Others might be kinesthetic learners, whereby they learn best by through hands-on experience.

Gordon said there are eight learning types in total.

“Most of the kids that come here have their little traits,” she said. “We take what they have to learn—biology, history—but personalize it so they can retain it and learn it. They kind of learn how to make their traits work for them, as opposed to against them.”

She continued: “The fact of the matter is that every kid has it within them; we just have to figure out how to help them do it.”

It can happen in as little as eight weeks, Gordon said.

“Kids get out of here, and they feel like they know their purpose, and what their strengths are,” she explained.

The response has been positive, from both students’ parents and schoolteachers.

“Teachers are seeing how we’re impacting the kids at school,” Gordon said.

“They don’t feel threatened that they’re not doing their job because we all know they are,” she added.

Since starting Life Skills in ACTion over 20 years ago, Gordon has been “overwhelmed” by the number of families seeking help.

“I didn’t think it was as many as it is,” she said. “It’s just simple principles: putting the child first.”

Gordon noted she may eventually open an office in Pinellas, and would one day like to expand operations nationwide.

“I’ve just always loved working with kids,” she said. “It’s very gratifying.”

For more information, visit LifeSkillsInAction.com.

Life Skills in Action
Wesley Chapel office: 2026 Ashley Oaks Circle, Suite 102
Lutz office: 18125 US 41 North, Suite 208
Contact: (813) 575-9100 or

These are the services offered by Life Skills in Action: Tutoring; Study Skills and Personal Development; Notebook 101; Social Etiquette; Cyber Life; Parent Advocate; Project Support; and, Parent Online Seminar.

Published December 7, 2016

Fantasy comes alive at Zephyrhills art shop

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Sarah Hamilton has always been intrigued by the fantasy subculture.

From Harry Potter novels to Jim Henson-directed films (i.e. The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth), Hamilton acknowledges she’s “obsessed” with fairytales and magical creatures.

“I love dragons,” she said. “Really, creatures have been my inspiration.”

The Harry Potter series has been, too.

Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo) — Sarah Hamilton is the owner of the Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

“I definitely am a huge fan. I’ve read all the books, watched all the movies.”

In October, the Lutz resident opened the wizard-themed Mad Dragon Studio, 5226 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The shop, located in the heart of the city’s downtown, offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

Other vintage products like homemade bath bombs, wizard uniform aprons and non-alcoholic butterscotch beer are also featured throughout the mythical studio.

“It’s kind of the place to come if you want something different,” Hamilton explained. “I always want you to walk-in and feel like it’s magical in here.”

A former first-grade teacher, Hamilton said she’s had artistic leanings since she was a youth.

Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125. (Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton) — Sarah Hamilton uses a mix of polymer clay to craft each wand by hand. They range in price from $5 to $125.
(Photos courtesy of Sarah Hamilton)

“I’ve been making creatures since I was a little girl,” Hamilton said, “but, I had no idea I’d be doing this.”

In fact, her business started by happenstance.

About five years ago, Hamilton wanted to purchase small wands as party favors for her son’s wizard-themed birthday. But, when she discovered the price tag of a single wand was a minimum of $35, she opted to just make them herself.

“I just started messing around. I started sculpting with polymer clay, and I moved up to (larger) wands,” she explained.

Hamilton later sold handcrafted wands on Etsy, an online marketplace offering handmade and vintage goods.

“It just kind of kept evolving,” Hamilton said, “and then I thought it’d be fun to have my own actual brick-and-mortar (store).”

The wands, which also feature a wooden core, typically take Hamilton “a few hours to make.”

The wizard-themed shop offers handcrafted wizardry wands along with feather quills, and cosplay props and costumes.

She, too, offers customized wands — one of which was recently used in a wedding proposal. As the story goes, Hamilton molded an engagement ring into a wand handle that could separate and reattach.

“That (wand) one was the hardest,” Hamilton said, “because it was like, ‘How am I going to get a ring on and off?’”

Though Hamilton’s wands are among the shop’s most prominent items, it’s her unicorn horn headbands that are the highest selling.

The popularity of the headbands exploded when they were featured on Buzzfeed in 2015.

“You don’t know what people are going to like until you put it out there,” said Hamilton.

She added the store’s most frequent customers are adult cosplayers and larpers (live-action role players).

“It’s people who, like me, have just really been obsessed with that (medieval) kind of world. That’s been an interesting thing to notice,” Hamilton said.

In her spare time, the local artist organizes ‘Fab Lab’ craft classes, where she teaches attendees how to make sugar scrubs, glitter wine glasses and other unique products.

“I’m all about people getting their hands into something creative and just trying it. That’s certainly how I got into it,” Hamilton said.

For more information, visit MadDragonStudio.com.

Published December 7, 2016

New arts and crafts show venue is a hit

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

With a new venue in place, the 37th annual GFWC Lutz Arts & Crafts Show promised to be “bigger and better than ever.”

It delivered.

Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa. (Fred Bellet/Photos) — Cindy Bishop, of Tampa, browses one of the many vendor booths at the 37th annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Show, as decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses loom above. The festival was held at a new location, Keystone Prep High School in Odessa.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

The show — held for the first time at Keystone Preparatory High School in Odessa — drew rave reviews from attendees and vendors alike.

On Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, thousands of visitors swung by the 60-acre site, at 18105 Gunn Highway.

Once there, show-goers talked up the new venue’s amenities, including its additional space, U-shaped food booth layout and ample parking.

The comfortable weekend weather didn’t hurt, either.

The show, one of the largest annual events in Hillsborough County, typically draws 30,000 to 40,000 people.

It featured more than 350 vendors, about 50 more than two years ago.

“It’s huge,” said Cindy Bishop, of Tampa. “It’s much larger, I think, than it was up there (at Lake Park).”

Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can't stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz. — Zoe Deimling, 4, of Odessa, just can’t stop looking at the art on her face after having it painted at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. Deimling was along with her grandmother, Denise Alliston of Odessa, and her great-grandmother, Susan Corcoran of Lutz.

Last year’s arts and crafts show was cancelled due to a sinkhole at Lake Park in Lutz, forcing the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club to find a permanent location.

The club, in turn, signed a five-year contract with Keystone Prep to have the festival on the school’s property.

Denise Alliston, an Odessa resident and first-time attendee, was delighted to discover the event relocated to Keystone Prep long-term.

“I love it,” Alliston said. “I’m glad that they put it out here; there’s a lot of room.”

Some longtime arts and crafts show attendees — like Zephyrhills resident Doreen Coursey — were just ecstatic to finally see the arts and crafts festival return after its absence in 2015.

“We missed it last year — it was a bummer,” Coursey said.

The festival’s revamped digs, though, quickly put a smile on her face.

“It’s very nice,” she said.

Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown's work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents. — Victor Brown, of Valrico, navigates his way through the woodworking and hand-painted lawn art ornaments, crafted by his father, Vick Brown. Brown’s work was among the many colorful displays along the festival route of booths and tents.

One man, Lutz native Tom Benson, admittedly didn’t want to see the popular arts show leave the place he was born and raised.

“I’m homegrown…so I have a little bit of a favor to the park,” said Benson. “It’s sad that sinkhole erupted.”

Compared to Lake Park, Benson said the Odessa venue has less shade, but acknowledged “there’s a lot more parking.”

For most, the two-day arts and crafts show provides a boost for holiday shoppers looking for gifts.

There’s a lot to choose from, with vendors typically offering such items as paintings, photography, jewelry, woodcarving, ceramics, pottery, stained glass, quilts and more.

Tampa resident Glenda Melching took advantage of that opportunity by purchasing Christmas ornaments for each of her 11 grandkids.

“We always buy (ornaments) for presents,” Melching said. “We get them every year.”

As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena's lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show. — As if she did not have enough to carry, Mita Garga (right), of Lutz, holds her daughter Nena’s lemonade as the two get ready to snack on a funnel cake while at the Lutz Arts & Crafts Show.

Besides arts and crafts booths, the U-shaped food court, too, was an instant hit.

Situated at the festival’s entrance were a vast array of grub offerings — Italian fare, BBQ, comprehensive breakfasts and homemade treats.

“This is nicer that you have a little more,” said Suzanne Hatfield, an Orlando resident and regular attendee. “Last time, it was just one (food) line.”

She noted, however, the food court “could use more tables” in the future.

Vendors, meanwhile, were delighted by the constant foot traffic over the course of the two-day occasion.

“Look at all the people here — it’s a good show,” said Bob Platt, who was promoting a line of Orlando-based Honey Bee Skin Healing Cream.

Vick Brown, a first-year vendor who creates and sells wooden yard designs, likewise was amazed by the festival’s magnitude.

“It’s great,” said Brown, 45, of Valrico. “A lot of people are out, and everybody’s friendly.”

He added: “It’s a little different from the other crafts shows we’ve been attending —we didn’t have this traffic flow.”

The show even drew out-of-state vendors, like Tony Kassebaum, a Nevada-based goldsmith who produces and sells exotic handmade jewelry.

For Kassebaum, the festival is an annual stop on his cross-country art show circuit that leads him throughout Florida and Michigan.

“I’ve always enjoyed the show,” Kassebaum said. “Many of my customers are repeats. People have seen my stuff at the (Bay Area) Renaissance Fairs or at other shows.”

The arts and crafts show is the largest yearly fundraiser for the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, which gives provides college scholarships and donations to local charities. Figures are not yet readily available.

Published December 7, 2016

Pickleball is popular among local seniors

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Don’t let the strange-sounding name fool you.

It’s called pickleball. And, it’s becoming increasingly popular, especially among seniors over 50.

Bill Castens, 71, gets ready for a pickleball match at the Northdale Recreation Center. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos) — Bill Castens, 71, gets ready for a pickleball match at the Northdale Recreation Center.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

There are more than 2.5 million pickleball players in the United States, according to a report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

In Florida alone, there’s more than 370 pickleball sites, a USA Pickleball Association database shows.

More recreation centers, like the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, are adding pickleball as part of their regular weekly programming.

A racket sport, pickleball incorporates elements from other sports, like tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong.

It’s played with a rectangular-shaped paddle —smaller than a tennis racket but larger than a Ping-Pong paddle — and uses a hard rubber ball filled with holes. Courts (indoor or outdoor) measure 20-by-44 feet, with a 3-foot-high net across the middle. Though singles matches can be played, doubles play is more common.

The rules are relatively simple.

The ball is served with an underhand stroke. Points are scored by the serving side only, occurring when an opponent faults—fails to return the ball, hits ball out of bounds, or steps into the non-volley zone (seven feet from the net). The return of service, meanwhile, must be allowed to bounce by the server before it can be volleyed. Matches are typically played to seven or 11 points.

Bob Matthews, 76, organizes pickleball lessons and matches each Thursday morning at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

A longtime tennis player, the Land O’ Lakes resident was introduced to the sport in July.

He’s loved it ever since.

“It’s fast and quick — I love fast and quick,” he said. “All you got to have, really, is eyeball-hand coordination. If you’ve got the slightest bit of that, you can play.”

In recent months, it’s become his go-to activity of choice.

“The great thing about it,” Matthews said, “is someone can really improve on this.”

That was the case for Linda Maniscalco, another Land O’ Lakes resident.

Maniscalco began playing the sport in September. Not “knowing anything,” she quickly learned the game’s strategy after just a few short lessons at the rec complex.

“It’s not super hard to play,” she said. “It’s fun; I’m addicted to it.”

At the Northdale Recreation Center, pickleball has been offered for several years. It’s become such an attraction that time slots are set aside five days a week and segmented into skill levels: learners, intermediates and advanced. Players are ranked, as in tennis, according to skill levels.

Bill Castens is one of the founders of the Northdale OWLS (Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors) Pickleball Club.

A five-year veteran of the sport, Castens, 71, said pickleball is ideal for seniors who’ve had pre-existing lower body injuries.

“For seniors with replaced knees or a new hip, you can still play,” Castens said, “because the court is so much smaller than a tennis court. You’re not running and stopping and all that stuff like tennis, but you still can get pretty competitive.”

The most challenging aspect of the game, he said, is grasping its nuances.

“The game is not standing on the baseline and trying to drill it,” Castens said. “The game is to keep (opponents) back, and eventually you want to dink the ball or lob the ball.”

Patience, too, is key to mastering pickleball, added Tom Murray, a Boston transplant who plays with Castens at Northdale.

“Ninety percent of points are not won, they’re lost,” said Murray, a retired Massachusetts high school athletic director who had knee replacement surgery about seven months ago. “When somebody screws something up, it’s usually because they try to make the point; you give people the chance to make the mistake.”

What does Murray, like others, enjoy most about pickleball?

“The exercise,” he said.

Published December 7, 2016

Former Wiregrass Ranch wideout shines at DIII Hanover

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Wiregrass Ranch graduate Taylor Bleistein reaches up for a catch during a recent game at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. (Courtesy of Hanover College Athletics) — Wiregrass Ranch graduate Taylor Bleistein reaches up for a catch during a recent game at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana.
(Courtesy of Hanover College Athletics)

Former Wiregrass Ranch High wide receiver Taylor Bleistein was recently named to the 2016 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference honorable mention following his freshman season at Hanover (Indiana) College, a Division III school. Through nine games, Bleistein was second on the team in receptions (40) and receiving yards (402), and third in all-purpose yards (616); he also added three touchdown receptions. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound receiver, meanwhile, is one of three Wiregrass Ranch High alumni playing DIII football. The others are defensive lineman Elijah Brooks-Davis (University of Sewanee in Tennessee) and safety John Harris-Scott (Trine University in Indiana).

PHSC volleyball standout signs letter of intent

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Danielle Christian, left, alongside PHSC volleyball coach Kim Whitney. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College) — Danielle Christian, left, alongside PHSC volleyball coach Kim Whitney.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Danielle Christian, a sophomore middle hitter for Pasco-Hernando State College, has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Tampa. Christian, a two-year starter and team captain, led PHSC in blocks (114), kills (218) and hitting efficiency (.301) this season. She was selected as a Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) defensive player of the week last season, was an All-Tournament Team selection for two straight seasons at the Conquistador Invitational Tournament, and was also an All-Tournament Team selection at the regional tournament last season.

“Danielle has grown as a student, athlete and leader while at PHSC; she will be an outstanding addition to the UT Spartan roster,” PHSC volleyball coach Kim Whitney said, in a release.

Offers grow for CDS Prep quarterback

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Division I football offers are piling up for Carrollwood Day School sophomore quarterback Raymond Woodie III. On Nov. 27, Woodie III received an offer from Michigan State University, marking his ninth DI scholarship offer. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound dual-threat QB also plays as a safety and cornerback at Carrollwood Day. Woodie III is lauded by various recruiting services for his arm strength and quickness. He is the son of University of South Florida defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie.

List of offers for CDS Prep’s Raymond Woodie III
University of Southern California
Central Michigan University
Florida International University
Florida A&M University
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee State
University of Alabama-Birmingham
University of South Florida
Western Michigan University

Saint Leo fares well in Directors’ Cup rankings

December 7, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Saint Leo University checked in at 16th among Division II schools in the first release of 2016-17 Learfield Directors’ Cup Division II standings, issued Nov. 23 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
With 96 points, Saint Leo has the highest ranking of any Sunshine State Conference institution in the first Learfield Directors’ Cup fall rankings. The first edition of the fall rankings includes points earned in the NCAA men’s and women’s cross-country championships, as well as the NCAA field hockey championship.
Florida Southern is Saint Leo’s closest SSC rival in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings in 43rd place with 48 points.
Meanwhile, Adams State (Colorado) is atop the Directors’ Cup standings with 190 points.
The Learfield Cup Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the NACDA and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. The Directors’ Cup Committee is currently reviewing the scoring structure for 2016-17; it will be finalized prior to the winter sports standings. The next Directors’ Cup standings update is scheduled for Dec. 8.

‘Florida Finale’ event added to lacrosse tourney

November 30, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A popular youth lacrosse tournament in Wesley Chapel soon will feature even more teams from across the nation.

NDP (National Development Program) Lacrosse announced last month it will debut the Dick’s Sporting Goods Florida Finale lacrosse tournament, held in conjunction with the 11th annual Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions typically draws more than 70 teams. The participation-based Florida Finale event should add to that figure. (File Photo) — The Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions typically draws more than 70 teams. The participation-based Florida Finale event should add to that figure.
(File Photo)

The Florida Finale event, like the pre-collegiate national championship, will feature high school elite and rising stars divisions, as well as 15U, 13U and 11U competitions.

Both tournaments will take place simultaneously on fields at Wesley Chapel District Park and Wesley Chapel High School, from Dec. 29 through Dec. 31.

The biggest difference, however, is the invitation process.

While teams must earn bids to compete in the Tournament of Champions, entry into the Florida Finale is open to all teams that participate in an official qualifying tournament this year that do not earn a national championship bid. One local qualifying tournament — the Derek Pieper Memorial Cup Tournament at Wesley Chapel District Park — wrapped up on Nov. 20.

“Coaches and players from teams that haven’t qualified have been asking for the opportunity to play lacrosse over New Year’s in warm, sunny Florida,” said Josh Gross, NDP’s senior director of lacrosse operations. “This event will be a great extension of the qualifying tournament series and the coveted national championship platform.”

Ed Caum, Pasco County’s tourism manager, said the Florida Finale add-on is a “no-brainer” due to the anticipated economic boost for the Tampa Bay area.

“We’re going to have more foot traffic through the Wesley Chapel area,” Caum said, “so it’s going to affect…Fowler Avenue all the way up through Wesley Chapel, and maybe as far north as Dade City because (hotel) rooms are already hard to come by.”

That being said, the Florida Finale likely won’t create a large draw until next year, since the event’s formal announcement was made too late for many travel lacrosse teams.

Gross noted “a few teams” have indicated they’ll compete in this year’s Florida Finale, but he expects a considerable participation bump in 2017.

“There’s definitely a lot of interest for it. I think in 2017 is when you’re really going to have the impact from it,” Gross said.

“A lot of teams are setting their schedule for next year,” he added, “and they can let the parents prepare for it as an expected expense and something they can book further out.”

Last year, the Tournament of Champions alone drew 73 teams — 59 of which were out-of-state. The 2015 tournament involved 1,533 players and 219 coaches. Additionally, there were about 3,250 spectators on each day of the three-day tournament.

The event’s economic impact for the Tampa Bay area is typically substantial.

The total impact in 2015 was estimated at about $2.1 million for Pasco and Hillsborough counties. That figure, however, is down compared to prior years, including 2014 ($2.9 million) and 2013 ($2.6 million), respectively.

Besides the economic uptick, the tournament offers lacrosse players a chance to showcase their skills against elite competition, exposing their abilities in front of scouts from collegiate lacrosse programs.

“These are all-star teams that travel from different places around the country. We truly get some of the best competition in the world,” Gross explained.

In June, Pasco County and NDP signed a two-year deal (which includes a third-year option) through 2017 to keep the Tournament of Champions in Wesley Chapel.

“We’ve got so much building in this area, including more hotels, that it just made more sense to do a two-year and see what we got,” Caum said.

The tournament has been in Wesley Chapel since 2008.

Published November 30, 2016