The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

3-on-3-basketball tournament

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St. Theresa Catholic Church in Spring Hill is having a 3-on-3 basketball tournament from on Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Jan. 31 from noon to 4 p.m. The tournament will be in the Scully Gymnasium, 1107 Commercial Way in Spring Hill. The tourney is open to teams of three players made up of males, females or mixed teams. Teams may also have one optional substitute. The tournament is divided into three age groups: Ages 12 to 14, ages 15 to 17 and age 18 and above. Registration by Jan. 27 is $20 each. After that, it is $25 each, until the day of the event. For information, contact Matt Zandecki at (352) 428-6505 or .

Youth hockey event

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The East Pasco Family YMCA in Zephyrhills, in partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning, is hosting a youth hockey event on Jan. 28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., inside the YMCA’s gymnasium. “Street Lightning Presented by Chase Bank” will teach local youth the rules of hockey, team participation, teamwork and sportsmanship from USA Hockey certified coaches and National Hockey League veterans. Math and science instruction will be mixed in with the hockey lessons. For information, email Lalita Llerena at .

Sheriff’s 5K set for Jan. 30

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is hosting a race to raise awareness about human trafficking. The Radiant 5K is set for Jan. 30 at 8 a.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. Registration is $30 up to one day before the event, and $35 on race day. For information, visit RunSignup.com/race/fl/wesleychapel/theradiant5k.

In a disaster, she’ll know what to do

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Vicki Buchanan is a woman who likes to be prepared.

In fact, her inherent interest in being one step ahead led the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills nurse supervisor and emergency responder to take part in training offered by the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama.

The center, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, is the only federally chartered Weapons of Mass Destruction training facility in the nation.

Buchanan, an employee at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills for 23 years, said the experience was amazing.

“People from all across the world came there for training,” Buchanan said.

The interactive training allowed her to use skills she had, and to acquire new ones, she said.

It helped her to “gain a new appreciation for how multiple organizations work together during a mass casualty incident,” she said.

Vicki Buchanan participates in an emergency training drill for first responders at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)
Vicki Buchanan participates in an emergency training drill for first responders at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills)

During the training, she and 40 others were placed in realistic scenarios that simulated a wide range of emergencies or disasters, forcing the trainees to effectively handle stressful situations for hours on end.

One exercise focused on what to do when a bomb is attached to someone’s body.

“While we knew it was an exercise in training, you kept thinking in your mind, ‘Is it? Is it really?’” she said. “The pressure was on, and it was absolutely intense.”

Before transitioning into the nursing field, Buchanan was the director of the Pasco County Sheriff’s communication office for 15 years. Prior to that, she spent time in the U.S. Air Force.

As the daughter of a family practice physician, Buchanan decided to seek a new challenge and obtained her nursing degree.

Over the years, she worked her way up from being a registered nurse to becoming a nurse supervisor.

“It’s the best job in the hospital,” Buchanan said. “I’m in every area of the hospital all day long, making rounds. In case of an emergency, or if something were to happen, it would be no problem if I had to get things in order.”

During her time at the Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Center, Buchanan gained a comprehensive understanding of how chemical and biological agents are used as weapons of mass destruction, and how to handle a disastrous situation, if one arises.

With a heightened focus and concern about terrorism nationally and abroad, Buchanan said it’s critical to always be prepared, even in a smaller city like Zephyrhills.

She pointed out the hospital is just 3 miles away from a railroad track that consistently is loaded with trains carrying hydrous ammonia and chlorine gas —two chemicals that can cause a lot of damage if exposed to the public.

Buchanan said it’s impossible to predict if a terror attack would occur in or near Zephyrhills.

“You never know,” she said. “It behooves us all to be ready in a calm, predetermined manner. You have to be cognizant of what (chemical) agents can do and how quickly they act, and how many people are affected.”

If a calamity occurs nearby, Buchanan would lead the hospital’s eight-member Emergency Response Team (ERT) and would be in charge of setting up a triage point outside the 139-bed regional medical center.

“The whole purpose for the hospital ERT is to ‘protect the house.’ That’s the big mantra,” Buchanan said about the hospital. “While it’s a hospital, we have to take care of everybody who comes to the doors, and we have to be prepared to screen the people who show up — ones that are scared or exposed or not exposed. ERT gives us a way to set up a triage point before people get into the building; if someone’s contaminated, we’d do some decontamination before it spreads.”

When tasked with choosing people to serve on her response team, Buchanan said she looked for certain qualities and personality traits suited for dealing with a catastrophe.

“We needed people that I felt were calm in a crisis,” she stated. “Underneath that veneer, they may be going, ‘Oh my gosh, now what?’ but, at least they can maintain their composure and say, ‘OK, this is what’s going on, and this is what we have to do.’

“People I’ve selected on my team in the hospital are people who are amongst their peers viewed as leaders, because you tend to listen to your peers and emulate the actions that they do,” she said.

While the specialized training was grueling and stressful, Buchanan said it was a great learning experience. She thinks more agencies should take advantage of the opportunity.

“Homeland Security provides everything — the training, the housing and the meals. …I would encourage everybody from law enforcement, first responders, health care officials, anybody, to check it out,” she said.

Published January 20, 2016

Blind golfer inspires Saint Leo crowd

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Being legally blind won’t stop 26-year-old Jeremy Poincenot from enjoying life.

Poincenot, a blind golfing champion and inspirational speaker, presented life lessons to a group of college students at Saint Leo University on Jan. 13.

Throughout his hour-long speech, Poincenot reinforced positive thinking and the importance of displaying kindness and being selfless.

The speech was well received from several attendees, who noted they weren’t sure how they would manage to go through life if they were legally blind.

“I thought it was a really good story,” said Leo Jurcak, a freshman at Saint Leo. “It was really inspiring.”

Poincenot’s advice was thought-provoking for Liam O’ Brien, another freshman at the university.

Jeremy Poincenot’s father, Lionel, serves as his caddie, helping to explain where to place shots. (Courtesy of Jeremy Poincenot)
Jeremy Poincenot’s father, Lionel, serves as his caddie, helping to explain where to place shots.
(Courtesy of Jeremy Poincenot)

“I think it opens a perspective that most people don’t see on a regular basis,” O’ Brien said. “What stood out was the idea…that someone may look perfectly fine, but you have no idea what’s going on in a person’s head. I learned to not take anything for granted and to not take life too seriously sometimes.”

Poincenot lost his central vision in 2008, then a 19-year-old college student at San Diego State University. The cause of blindness was a result of a rare genetic disorder called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which affects only about 100 people per year.

The disease is mostly prevalent among young males. It has no treatment or cure. It caused Poincenot to gradually lose his vision over a period of two months.

“I was on campus one day, and noticed I had to squint to read a sign and never had to do that before, so I was like, ‘All right, I just need glasses. Whatever. It is what it is,’” he detailed. “Then, all of a sudden it kept getting progressively worse and worse. … It started in my right eye, and then in two months went to my left eye…now I’m legally blind with no central vision.”

It was a shock for Poincenot, who was initially unsure of what he would do or how he would cope for the rest of his life.

“I had no idea what I could do,” he said. “I thought I was going to have to start playing the piano and be like Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder.

“Everything was an adjustment. It was a total adjustment to a new way of life.”

As he deliberated his next move in life, his mother Lissa, told him about the United States Blind Golf Association. The idea seemed far-fetched to Poincenot, who spent three years on his high school’s varsity golf team.

“Golf is a very visual sport, so I didn’t think golf could ever be a possibility,” said Poincenot, adding that he thought his mom was kidding when she told him. “I didn’t like slow players (in high school), so the idea to blind golf was the epitome of slow play. I was like, ‘There’s no way; even if I could play, I don’t want to slow people up.’”

After going through a period of grief and hopelessness, Poincenot opted to try the sport again after receiving support from his family and friends.

For Poincenot, the toughest part about getting back into the game he loved so much was managing his expectations.

“The first time I went out, I shot a 99, and I was happy to break 100, but was like: ‘That’s so bad.’ I would’ve curled up in a ball in high school if I shot that number,” said Poincenot, who consistently shot in the 70s in high school.

“Now that I’ve lost my sight…you’ve got to realize it’s not that bad, and just try to get better from there.”

With the help of his father, Lionel, who serves as his caddie, Poincenot regularly shoots in the low 80s, with career lows of 74 and 77. His game improved so much that he became the 2013 U.S. National Blind Golf Champion in the B-2 (visually impaired golfers, but not fully blind) category.

“My dad is my eyes, my guide, my caddie on the course,” said Poincenot, deflecting the credit for his accomplishments. “He does all the work, and I just execute the shots.”

While golf is a “glorified hobby” for Poincenot, he consistently uses it as a frame of reference for his speaking engagements, which he does in front of both university and corporate audiences across the country.

“He’s turned his adversity into something that can help people change their perspective whenever they face whatever trials or tribulations that they have,” said Patrick Gallagher, a college friend of Poincenot’s since they were both in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at San Diego State University. “I think he really spends a lot of time to intentionally care about people and get to know them. It’s a lot easier to pick up life lessons when you have somebody that puts in the effort to build a relationship.”

For those going through personal struggles, Poincenot said the key to overcoming those problems is to be surrounded by people who are “dreamers and believers.”

“Surround yourself with good people,” Poincenot said. “Like, I didn’t think I could play golf, but my mom, dad and family pushed me into it. …It’s about just getting out and trying things and being resourceful, because I really do think we set our own limitations. I didn’t let anyone else tell me what I could or could not do for a living.

“If a blind guy can go out and play golf, and get his way out to Florida on his own, anybody can do whatever they put their mind to for sure,” he said.

Published January 20, 2016

O’Brien’s a destination for Steelers fans

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As it turns out, you don’t have to live in Pittsburgh to be surrounded by hundreds of Steelers fans for a National Football League game.

You just have to be inside the confines of O’Brien’s Irish Pub, 15435 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Before Steelers games, tables at O’Brien’s are reserved for members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club. Seated counterclockwise at the table: Melinda James, Sarah Scarborough, Jeremy Frazier, Bre Urrel, Ray James and Shawn Honner. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Before Steelers games, tables at O’Brien’s are reserved for members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club. Seated counterclockwise at the table: Melinda James, Sarah Scarborough, Jeremy Frazier, Bre Urrel, Ray James and Shawn Honner.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

For the past 21 years, O’Brien’s has been the official destination for Steelers fans to watch NFL games, since partnering up with the Bay Area Black and Gold Club, an organization for Steelers fans living in the area.

Founded by the late Walt Pelc in 1992, members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club used to watch NFL games at Briedy’s Pub in Northdale up until 1994. However, the club’s membership grew so large they had to find a new location large enough to accommodate everyone.

“O’ Brien’s was a big bar right down the road, so they picked that because that had been there for years,” said Marco Fusaro, vice president of the fan club. “It’s been a Steelers bar ever since.”

Being a member of the club, which costs $10 per season, guarantees a reserved seat at O’Brien’s for Steelers games each week during the NFL season.

Having a reserved seat comes in handy, especially for playoff games, when the bar is overflowing with patrons donning black and gold gear. There are often instances where non-members are forced to vacate assigned seats if there aren’t enough tables to go before game time. In that case, non-members usually move to the bar area or the patio to watch the games.

“We have to change our seating format around quite a bit to fit as many people inside as possible,” said Joe Carey, general manager of O’Brien’s. “The seats inside are reserved for club members up until a half-hour before the game. Last Saturday night (Jan. 16), we had about 300 people here.

“We’re a pretty busy venue as it is, and I just factor that in when I do my (food) ordering. We definitely have to step up our wings for football in general, but definitely for the Steelers.”

O’Brien’s, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Jan. 22, is widely viewed as “the home away from home,” for Steelers fans that move to the area from Pennsylvania.

Members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club pose for a group picture outside O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Tampa (Courtesy of Doug DeFelice)
Members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club pose for a group picture outside O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Tampa
(Courtesy of Doug DeFelice)

“Anyone that passes through town knows that we’re the Steelers bar of central Florida,” the general manager remarked. “It’s like you’re in Pittsburgh.”

During a game, the atmosphere at O’Brien’s is often described as “insane,” with patrons donning their Steelers’ jerseys and waving their Terrible Towels as every television inside the pub is tuned in to the Steelers game.

“There’s always wall-to-wall people inside and outside,” said Fusaro, who noted the Bay Area Black and Gold Club has more than 170 members this season. “Everybody cheering and screaming…we have different signs we hold up for players and everybody has all kinds of stuff.”

Pittsburgh native Tom Cupler, who’s been a member of the fan club since 2004, says he’s been at O’Brien’s for every Steelers game since finding the pub.

“It’s just incredible,” Cupler said about the pub’s game day experience. “Everybody moves up and down with the way the game’s going; you know, you’re upset with a bad play, then you’re excited with a good play, and you’re high-fiving and jumping.

“They do such a good job with the club. It’s just amazing the job they do,” he said.

In 2009, Cupler could’ve gotten tickets to Superbowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium, where the Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. Instead, he opted to forgo the stadium experience, so he could watch the game with fellow Bay Area Black and Gold Club members at O’Brien’s.

Lori Duke, a friend of Cupler, watched the Super Bowl XLIII victory at O’Brien’s, noting it was one of the best nights of her life.

“At the end of the game…we literally hugged people and screamed for 35 minutes,” Duke reminisced. “All they had to do was have a Steelers jersey on.”

Melinda James and her son, Ray, prefer watching Steelers games at O’Brien’s compared to other area sports bars, where seemingly everyone else is rooting for different NFL teams.

“It’s like a bond, and then we feel like we belong here,” Melinda James said, who joined the Bay Area Black and Gold Club this season. “Here, everyone is wearing the same colors and everyone is cheering at the same time. We’ve met a lot of nice people here.”

Besides the intense atmosphere during games, being a part of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club at O’Brien’s makes the pub have a family-like environment.

Ryan Roberts, an O’Brien’s employee and Steelers fan, said he gets “dual-enjoyment” from working at the pub and from watching Steelers games with fellow fans.

“I enjoy working here,” said Roberts, who works as a bar-back. “It’s one of the most family oriented places where everybody knows each other,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun and we have a lot of fun.”

It’s where Jeremy Frazier, an Ohio native who previously followed the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, officially became a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

“It’s really like family oriented, but you can still come here and have a good time, and crack up with the guys, and at the same time we’ve all got respect for each other,” said Frazier, who actually signed a makeshift certificate transferring his fandom. “Everybody comes and has a good time. It makes you want to be a Steelers fan.”

While O’Brien’s patrons and members of the Bay Area Black and Gold Club were noticeably dejected after the Steelers 23-16 loss to the Denver Broncos, many were glad the Steelers were able to reach the playoffs, despite the wrath of injuries the team faced this season.

“I think everybody was just really hopeful,” Roberts said about the team chances in the playoffs. “They just kept overcoming.”

Published January 20, 2016

Woman’s Club scrambles for donations

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The sinkhole that developed at Lake Park in October hasn’t done anyone any favors, especially the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club.

The nearly 6-foot-wide, 100-foot-deep sinkhole forced the closure of the park in early December, forcing the cancellation of what would have been the 36th Annual Lutz Arts & Crafts Festival.

The event, which has attracted nearly 30,000 people in recent years, typically provides the club with several thousand dollars to give back to the community in the form of donations to nonprofits and college scholarships for local students.

“We’re really hard-pressed for funds as a result of the event being cancelled,” said Pat Serio, head of public relations for the woman’s club. “It is our largest fundraiser of the year and, as a result, our budget and our treasury is going to seriously suffer.

“Our scholarships in particular (will be affected) because we usually give upwards of $20,000 a year in scholarships, as well as the rest of the money we donate to the library, the Old Lutz School, Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, Relay for Life, veterans’ charities and all that across the board,” Serio said.

The club is currently scrambling to put together some smaller fundraisers while seeking help from local community members to raise funds.

Upcoming events include a Valentine’s Day celebration on Feb. 12 and the club’s annual Flea Market at Old Lutz School on March 7 and March 8. In June, they will partner with Burger 21 for a one-day project, in which a percentage of the restaurant’s sales for that day will go to the club.

“We’re just working on lots of different little things, because it’s really hard to do a huge thing like the (arts & crafts festival) as a startup, so we’re going to be doing a lot of little things for this year,” said Cathy Mathes, president of the woman’s club.

Mathes, who took over as president in December from Kay Taylor, said it was frustrating to have the festival cancelled on such short notice, preventing the organization from having enough time to find a temporary location.

“At some point, we thought they could maybe just put some dirt in it,” Mathes said about the sinkhole. “But, they didn’t know the extent of it, until they did more investigating.”

Mathes added the club plans to find a new permanent location for the arts & crafts festival this December, saying they’ve encountered “other issues at Lake Park,” such as flooding on park roads that vendors and attendees would have to constantly maneuver around.

“It’s time to just find a new location,” Mathes stated. I think we can still have a really good show.”

While nothing has been finalized, the plan is to host the festival at one of the “big schools” in the area.

“I heard someone recently say how they looked forward to going to the festival, and they were disappointed. We’ve had lots of that,” the club president explained. “And, lots of people have asked me, ‘Are you going to do it again?’ and I say, ‘Yes. Yes we are.’”

The closure of Lake Park also has affected Hillsborough County as well. According to Forest Turbiville, the county’s director of conservation and land management, the park generated $119,000 in 2015 through a combination of entry fees, canoe rentals, shelter rentals and other special events.

“Keeping the park closed is going to have an impact,” Turbiville said. “What that impact is right now I’m not sure, but we can probably extrapolate those numbers based on previous years and business that we’ve done from November to December to January.”

Turbiville said the county is still looking into solutions for the sinkhole, with the assistance of Ardaman & Associates, an environmental consulting firm.

“We’ve discussed different ideas as far as filling it, keeping it fenced off,” Turbiville said about the lone sinkhole amidst the park’s nearly 600 acres of land. “I’ve asked our consultant to give me a proposal to take a look at the entire park and give out some kind of assessment…as far as any sinkhole activities, risks and things like that, because we need to make sure the public is safe before we start putting people back in there.

“This whole area has had a history of being quite abundant with sinkholes,” he said.

Being that the park’s land is actually owned by the city of St. Petersburg, Turbiville said he would need to get its approval as well before there’s a remedy for the sinkhole. But, he added: “If we were to do anything out there, I’m sure they would approve it.

“We just need to come to some consensus as far as what the plan is moving forward,” he said. “We’ll lay out a plan looking at the entire park and sinkhole risks, and we’ll have a better timeline on the park reopening, whether that’s going to be a month from now or two months from now.

“My guess is it’s going to be awhile before the park reopens,” Turbiville said.

Published January 20, 2016

 

Academy weightlifters advance to regionals

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Just two years after forming a girls weightlifting team, Academy at the Lakes is sending some of its team to regionals.

Seniors Maggie Hull and Natalie Davis will compete on Jan. 22 in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 1A Regionals at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey.

Academy at the Lakes girls weightlifting coach Maria Oliver provides some encouragement and tips to senior Grace Faith during the district meet. (Photos courtesy of Jim Faith)
Academy at the Lakes girls weightlifting coach Maria Oliver provides some encouragement and tips to senior Grace Faith during the district meet.
(Photos courtesy of Jim Faith)

At districts last week, Hull, in the 129-pound weight class, recorded a 110-pound bench press and a 130-pound clean-and-jerk for a combined total of 240 pounds.

Davis, competing in the 154-pound weight class, benched 80 pounds and clean-and-jerked 110 pounds for a total of 190.

This year’s team has seven members, which is quite impressive considering there was just one weightlifter in the program’s first year, when former the academy’s former football coach John Castelamare was overseeing the program.

After Castelamare’s retirement, Marla Oliver took over as the girls weightlifting coach this season.

Oliver, who also doubles as the girls basketball coach, used her knowledge as a certified personal trainer to develop a specialized weightlifting program.

The program is geared toward strengthening the muscles used in the bench press and the clean-and-jerk.

“I did a lot of research to find different (activities) they could do if things weren’t working or building up their lifts,” Coach Oliver said. “We just started using resistance bands with the bench press. I did a lot of research on that and I have probably two or three girls that increased their bench by 10 pounds in two weeks.”

Coach Oliver, an avid weightlifter herself, implemented exercises that centered on using a barbell to perform the military press, bent-over rows and squats. She also emphasized the use of free weights and body weight exercises like pushups.

“All of (the girls) have seen tremendous gains,” she said. “Every girl in the program.”

Her program also stresses a proper diet — ensuring girls get the proper ratio of proteins and carbohydrates so their bodies can recover, and also see improvement in their results.

“When they start working out and they start seeing results, they want to eat better and healthier,” Oliver said.

Oliver has been influence on Davis, who’s also a captain on the cheerleading team, to take the next step in her development as a competitive lifter.

“I like having a coach that wants you to do better and not really be easy. I love our coach,” Davis explained. “She’s the best because she pushes us, but she’s not mean about it and I really like that. She knows what we can do and pushes us for that.

“She’s so motivating, especially at meets,” Davis said.

Senior Natalie Davis clean-and-jerks 110 pounds at the district meet.
Senior Natalie Davis clean-and-jerks 110 pounds at the district meet.

Grace Faith, a fellow senior, regards Coach Oliver as her “biggest motivator.”

“Coach definitely cracks us into shape,” Faith said. “I don’t think I can do certain things and she will tell me: ‘You are 100 percent capable of doing it.’ I wouldn’t be lifting half of what I’m lifting now if I didn’t have somebody telling me I could do it.”

This year, the interest in the academy’s girls weightlifting team flourished with the help of Hull, as she encouraged some of her friends to give weightlifting a shot.

“I just kind of went like, ‘You should try it,’ for those that were on the fence about it,” Hull said. “I was like, ‘Just come for a practice and see how you feel.’”

Hull’s support helped fellow classmates like Faith to stick with the sport once they tried it out for he first time.

“I couldn’t even lift the bar at the beginning of the season when I started and Maggie told me: ‘It’s going to be okay. You’ll gain,’” Faith said. “She’s been giving me advice all season.

“The first meet was definitely intimidating. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I saw all of these girls who have been doing it for years and I was intimidated, but then I realized I wanted to just do my best,” she added.

With regionals looming for both Hull and Davis, the key for them is to get into the proper mindset during the event.

“Weightlifting is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Hull explained. “At a meet a couple weeks ago, I went to bench 100 or 105, which I’ve done thousands of times before and for some reason I scratched out. …That got in my head and I did terrible the rest of the meet. It’s just about trying to get your mental game strong.

“Its like a mental block. It’s not a physical one,” Davis added. “I know I can do stuff. You just have to push through it.”

To advance to the state championships on Feb. 4, both Hull and Davis will likely have to add at least 5 pounds or 10 pounds to their current lifts, which is much easier said than done.

“It’s a lot more than you think,” Hulls said about the challenge of adding just a few more pounds to current lifts. “You think, ‘Oh, 5 pounds is not a big deal and then you actually lift it, its like: ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It’s crazy how much of a difference it makes.”

While academy’s program is still in its infancy, Oliver is confident it can continue to grow — even though the team is losing three seniors from its roster.

Senior Maggie Hull gets ready for a bench press rep at the district meet in River Ridge on Jan. 13.
Senior Maggie Hull gets ready for a bench press rep at the district meet in River Ridge on Jan. 13.

“I just think it’s a great sport,” the coach said.  “Some girls never even thought they would do weightlifting, but once they get started, it’s addictive.

“It just shows the girls that they can do more than one sport or do something that may not be in their comfort zone,” she said.

Seeing more peers get involved in the sport could also lead to more interest in the future.

“Growing up, I never really saw a lot girl weightlifters and never really had anybody to look up to,” said Faith, who plans to attend West Virginia University next year. “But, seeing people from this school who have succeeded so much in the sport of weightlifting is really cool. It’s growing a lot.”

Davis, who plans on attending the University of Florida next year, believes the recent shift in adolescents’ attitudes toward fitness will also lead to more girls getting involved in weightlifting.

“It’s becoming a lot cooler to work out and that sounds kind of weird, but there was a big phase in teenagers where it was a lot cooler to be like: ‘I don’t work out. I just like to stay at home and watch Netflix,’” Davis said. “But now, people like to work out and like to have a gym buddy. That’s really cool because it’s a lot of fun.”

Published January 20, 2016 

Girls fast-pitch coming to Lutz

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Dwindling registration in recent years has prompted the Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball organization to add a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.

The league expects 15 teams, across four age groups, and the deadline for registrations is Feb. 1.

Girls in the fast-pitch league will transition to new bats, which are several ounces lighter than bats designed for slow-pitch softball. (Courtesy of Lutz Leaguerettes)
Girls in the fast-pitch league will transition to new bats, which are several ounces lighter than bats designed for slow-pitch softball.
(Courtesy of Lutz Leaguerettes)

The Lutz Leaguerettes, a nonprofit organization, has provided slow-pitch softball to girls ages 5 to 18, making it the lone recreational slow-pitch girls’ league in Hillsborough County.

Other softball programs — the Brandon Leaguerettes, North Tampa Leaguerettes, Tampa Bay Velocity and FishHawk Miss Tampa Bay Softball — all transitioned exclusively to fast-pitch over the past few seasons.

“The Lutz Leaguerettes is the last of a dying breed,” said Mike Cook, president of the Leaguerettes.  “Slow-pitch is kind of dying out, because a lot of people want to play fast-pitch, and they see all these college girls playing fast-pitch; there’s just a lot more interest in fast-pitch.”

Jennifer Parry, who’s the league’s secretary, said the increased desire for young girls to play in high school also has had an influence.

“I think with the popularity of (former Olympic gold medalist softball pitcher) Jennie Finch, the Olympics and all these girls playing softball in college, it’s really changed softball for kids,” she said. “So many more kids want to play softball in high school, so they’re having to learn how to play fast-pitch. The registration numbers are dwindling for slow-pitch, so now we’re adding fast-pitch. …We’re trying to get girls excited and out there playing.”

The Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball recreation league is adding a fast-pitch program for the first time in its 37-year history.
The Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball recreation league is adding a fast-pitch program for the first time in its 37-year history.

Before the rise of fast-pitch, Cook said the Leaguerettes once had 400-plus girls playing in the league. Now, the league has around 120 girls participating in the slow-pitch category.

The dip in participation has made scheduling difficult, and the competition monotonous.

“Last season, my daughter played in the Pixie (ages 5-9) division and there were five teams, and this season there’s only three,” Parry said. “Just for the kids, to be able to keep it going, you got to have more participation.”

Ideally, the Leaguerettes would like to offer both slow-pitch and fast-pitch leagues, with the former running from November to January, and the latter starting in February each year.

“We’re going to see what happens. If we have to give up slow-pitch by the wayside, then we’ll make a decision when the time comes,” Cook said. “Until then, we’re going to try to continue with both leagues.”

Cook noted that “fast-pitch isn’t all that different from slow-pitch,” but there will be a few adjustments. For example, there are a few rules that differ for fast-pitch, as well as the type of equipment required for players to be safe and effective.

Additionally, the offensive strategy for fast-pitch softball contrasts with slow-pitch.

In fast-pitch, the general offensive approach is to play ‘small ball,’ where bunting, slapping and hitting singles are heavily relied upon to generate runs. Conversely, offensive players in slow-pitch softball are often taught to hit the ball as far as possible, due to the relative ease at making contact.

Typically, fast-pitch age divisions are separated every two years, but the Leaguerettes will start with just four age divisions: 8U (ages 6-8), 12U (ages 9-12), 16U (ages 13-16) and 18U (ages 17-18).

The deadline for registrations is Feb. 1. The league expects 15 teams, across four age divisions
The deadline for registrations is Feb. 1. The league expects 15 teams, across four age divisions

“I’d be willing to bet we’ll have 15 teams divided up among the divisions,” said Parry, who expects about 150 girls in the league’s inaugural fast-pitch season. “The 18U is our toughest (to fill) right now, because the girls at that age don’t want to transition from slow-pitch to fast-pitch, because they’ve been playing slow-pitch their entire life, and that’s a big adjustment…but, the 12U division is blowing up and is by far the fullest.”

A majority of the games will be played at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in Lutz, with the league hoping to host some tournaments that feature rec teams throughout Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Brandon and Temple Terrace.

The league has already been selected to host the all-county Early Bird Tournament from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, which will include up to 10 different leagues.

“We’re in the process of scheduling some tournaments,” Cook said. “We’d love to have some tournaments at our field, because it’s a wonderful fundraiser, and it just creates a buzz at the field like no other. …When you have three fields going — three different games, six different teams playing, concession stand buzzing — it just gives a feeling of belonging.

“The concession stand is, bar none, the best you will find in the county. It’s clean, they provide quality service and have monthly specials, and it’s volunteers that run it all,” he said.

Getting the league back to its height of popularity isn’t the only goal. League officials also stressed the importance making sure the participants’ experiences are rewarding and enjoyable.

“It’s an opportunity for the girls to make new friends. All the girls can commiserate and create friendships that last a lifetime,” the league president said. “The lessons that they learn are lessons they’ll carry for the rest of their life — patience, understanding, tolerance and communication.

“There’s a number of things the girls learn and a number of tools they receive that they utilize for life that they don’t even realize at the time,” Cook said.

Published January 20, 2016

Carrollwood Day School soon to get home field advantage

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A $1 million matching gift donation program has paved the way for the construction of a new athletic complex at Carrollwood Day School.

Located near the west entrance of the school’s Bearss Avenue campus, the new athletic complex will be a well-lit, multi-use space for the private school’s football, baseball and soccer teams.

This $2 million multipurpose sports complex at Carrollwood Day School will also include a baseball facility. After this season, the baseball program will no longer have to travel to Citrus Park to play their home games. (Photos courtesy of Carrollwood Day School)
This $2 million multipurpose sports complex at Carrollwood Day School will also include a baseball facility. After this season, the baseball program will no longer have to travel to Citrus Park to play their home games.
(Photos courtesy of Carrollwood Day School)

Billionaire entrepreneur Todd Wagner, and his wife, Keri Wagner, made the donation program possible by agreeing to put forward a $1 million pledge in August, contingent on the school also raising $1 million.

The school reached the $1 million mark by mid-December, through contributions from numerous other families with ties to the school.

“It kept coming in bunches,” said Head of School Ryan Kelly. “We had a number of families step forward from smaller amounts to larger amounts, from three figures to six figures.

“It just was a community effort, and I’m just thrilled that families stepped up and supported it.”

The multi-use athletic complex is expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, just in time for the high school football season. And, instead of playing on a grass surface, home football games will be played on turf.

Carrollwood’s soccer program has played their home games on a leased parcel of land. Next year, their games will be played in the new sports complex.
Carrollwood’s soccer program has played their home games on a leased parcel of land. Next year, their games will be played in the new sports complex.

“There aren’t that many (turf fields) around here, so I think from that standpoint, we’ll be one of the few independent schools that have a turf field,” said Kelly, who has been at the school for eight years and has been head of school for three years.

The school’s athletic director, Baker Mabry, also is enthused about the turf field, which he referred to as the “shiny piece” of the new complex.

“We really pushed hard for turf,” said Mabry, who’s in his ninth year as the school’s athletic director. “Anybody that has to manage a field that has natural grass knows the headaches with that. I think everybody is pretty excited about the turf.”

Being able to have stadium lights at the complex is another feature that stands out for Mabry, who noted other private schools like Tampa Catholic have “had to wait years” before getting approval for lights.

“To be able to host night games, you know everybody loves the ‘Friday Night Lights’ with football, but just for athletics across the board…I think it’s really going to be a neat thing for our school,” Mabry added.

The complex, which will also include a press box and enough bleacher seating for 500-plus people, should make Mabry’s job easier, as he won’t have to worry about leasing off-site fields for the various athletic programs’ practices and home games.

Carrollwood Day School’s new athletic complex will feature a football field with a turf surface. Previously, the football program played their home games at Skyway Park.
Carrollwood Day School’s new athletic complex will feature a football field with a turf surface. Previously, the football program played their home games at Skyway Park.

“It should streamline everything,” he said. “Having everything on campus, for me personally, will really help streamline that process, but I also think it’s going to raise expectations for our program, which is a great thing also. It keeps our coaches motivated. It keeps our athletes motivated. Hopefully, we’ll just continue to build.”

Mabry believes the new complex will increase athletic participation and has other benefits, too.

“I think it increases school spirit, and I think it’s going to increase participation across the board with our sports,” he explained. “We’re also hoping it increases enrollment, as people see our facilities and people see that we are a school on the move, and a school that’s growing. It entices more families to attend CDS (Carrollwood Day School).”

Mabry said there’s been an added emphasis over the past years to get the school’s athletic facilities up to par with its highly regarded academic facilities.

“The No. 1 thing that we hear is the academic facilities are fantastic,” he said. “But people would ask, ‘When are the athletic facilities coming in line?’”

The athletic complex is the second phase of the school’s capital campaign program, known as Patriot Pride. The first phase of the program, a 25,000-square-foot gymnasium, is currently under construction. Once completed, it will house three volleyball courts, two full-size basketball courts and a weight room.

The facilities are a step forward for the school, Kelly said.

“For our campus, I think it’s going to be a huge enhancement for our athletics and also our PE (Physical Education) program. We’ll be able to match what we do on our athletic side with what we do on our academic side,” he said.

Carrollwood’s athletic director concurs with that assessment.

“I think it’s just one of the final pieces that makes Carrollwood Day School one of the top schools in the area,” Mabry said.

Published January 13, 2016