The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Renovations wrapping up at Land O’ Lakes Community Park

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The $2.4 million renovation project at Land O’ Lakes Community Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., is just about completed. It features new fields, a playground, a concession stand and restrooms. There’s even a walking trail for walkers and joggers that goes around the park.

But there’s another improvement that gets Mike Walcott, a recreation supervisor for Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, really excited.

The parking.

A proposed stage where special events can be held would cost $150,000 or more, but would create a permanent platform for community productions and performances. (Image courtesy of Heritage Park Foundation)
A proposed stage where special events can be held would cost $150,000 or more, but would create a permanent platform for community productions and performances.
(Image courtesy of Heritage Park Foundation)

“I think the thing a lot of people are going to like is the paved parking,” Walcott said. “Because when you park in a dirt lot in the middle of July and you have those storms come rolling though, it creates a mess.”

Walcott has endured the mess associated with dirt lots long enough to know how bad it can be. He’s been with the county parks department for 15 years, with about eight of them at Land O’ Lakes Community Park.

Small improvements can make a big difference, and they can enhance the experience of visiting the park.

And, with all the bigger improvements ready to be unveiled to the public, he expects a lot more visitors in the future.

The improved fields are good for the park’s existing users like their adult softball league and Police Athletic League youth football. The latter will now have their home games at the park, instead of just using it as a practice facility.

In addition, the park now has a special event area that will be a gathering place for a variety of community events. Walcott sees movies in the park, a farmer’s market and company picnics as just some of the possible uses.

The annual Swampfest event, which was canceled last year due to a conflict with the park’s renovation schedule, is also back on for this November.

And with a potential addition in the future, the possibilities are even greater.

“We’re looking forward to possibly a stage being put out into the park, so we’ll be able to do concerts,” Walcott said.

That project is being spearheaded by the Heritage Park Foundation. And the group’s president, Sandy Graves, believes it would be an artistic feather in the park’s cap.

“I think it will complete that park,” Graves said.

The plan includes a structure that takes up around 2,000 square feet with a back room, electrical hookup and wide steps for people to bring up instruments or other bulky equipment.

The foundation would like to collaborate with local government to help raise funds for the project, which could exceed $150,000. For now, foundation members are raising money on their own, as they try to find a government partnership that works for everybody.

While the park will continue to thrive as a destination for local teams, Graves sees more opportunities for the park as a local hub of community activity.

“Sports is just one facet,” she said. “I think it’s good for the community to have a central gathering space where it can have the festivals that bring a community together.”

Meanwhile, the Land O’ Lakes Community Park is taking advantage of another construction project to enhance users’ experience. When Sanders Memorial Elementary School reopens later this year as the county’s first STEAM magnet school, its proximity to the park invites a natural sharing of facilities. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

They’ll be able to share event space, parking, basketball courts and other facilities.

That collaboration, as well as the existing renovations and potential future improvements, means the park will continue to maximize its resources. At just 16 acres, it’s not a large park, but the new layout will use the area efficiently.

“I think they came up with a great multi-use community park,” Walcott said. “As far as the size that we have here, I think everyone’s going to get something out of it.”

For now, it seems like everyone wants to hear about its progress. Walcott gets residents coming by every day asking about project updates and wanting to see how things are going. And he’s pleased to report that some facets of the park will be available within the next couple of weeks, and the fields are being prepared for use in the coming months. Soon residents will be able to enjoy the new amenities, like the walking trail, concession stand and event area.

And the parking, of course.

“It sounds ridiculous that I keep going back to the paved parking. But oh my goodness, that was the biggest thing. Just getting stuck in the mud,” Walcott said. “I know when people come out here and get a good look at the place, they’re really going to like it. They’re really going to enjoy being out here.”

Published June 10, 2015

Ayres aims for the Lutz Guv’na sash

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Cheryl Lynn Ayres decided to pursue the ceremonial title of Lutz Guv’na in a very modern way.

She was on Facebook.

She is friends with previous Lutz Guv’nas on the social media website, and a few of them were discussing their efforts to recruit candidates for this year’s campaign. Ayres posted that it might be time for her to give it a shot.

And that was about all it took.

Cheryl Lynn Ayres isn't afraid of donning a costume, as she proved at a western-themed client appreciation picnic earlier this year with her husband, Kris. And if she wins the race for Lutz Guv'na, she'll have a sash to wear as well. (Courtesy of Cheryl Lynn Ayres)
Cheryl Lynn Ayres isn’t afraid of donning a costume, as she proved at a western-themed client appreciation picnic earlier this year with her husband, Kris. And if she wins the race for Lutz Guv’na, she’ll have a sash to wear as well.
(Courtesy of Cheryl Lynn Ayres)

“Within 30 minutes, I had a couple of phone calls saying yes, you should do that,” Ayres recalled. “If things happened this fast in real politics, stuff would get done.”

The Guv’na race isn’t real politics, of course. It’s a lighthearted fundraiser for local organizations. The person who raises the most money during the campaign, which runs until the Fourth of July weekend, is declared the winner and receives the coveted Guv’na sash.

And after nearly 30 years in Lutz, Ayres is finally throwing her hat in the ring.

A native of Minnesota, Ayres moved to Florida in the early ’80s, and settled in Lutz in 1987.

It didn’t take long for her to feel comfortable here.

At the community’s annual Fourth of July celebration, Ayres found herself near the library with the Boy Scouts. A few minutes later, she felt like she was home.

“As a community, we said the Pledge of Allegiance together, and then we sang the Star Spangled Banner. And at that moment, I said I am part of this community. And whatever it needs, I will do what I can to help.”

Ayres has kept her word, participating in several groups and associations, including serving on the board of directors for the Wilson Lakes Neighborhood Association. She doesn’t want to be the neighbor who sits back and waits for other people to get things done, Ayres said. She wants to be involved.

And with the Guv’na’s race, she has plenty of opportunities to be involved in raising money for Lutz.

She kicked things off at the debate at the Old Lutz School by singing– what else– the Star Spangled Banner. And she’s got a slate of fundraisers scheduled to bring in the cash.

On June 11, starting at 5 p.m., she’ll receive a portion of the sales from those who mention her name at BrewTown Burgers, 19255 N. Dale Mabry Highway. On June 18, she’ll benefit from a trivia night at Jan’s Wine & Boos II at 19233 N. Dale Mabry Highway. And on June 24, from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m., she’ll get a portion of the sales for those who declare their support for her campaign at Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant, 18450 U.S. 41.

If those (and other) fundraising efforts get her the Guv’na title, she’s earmarked a portion of the money to two local groups: The Friends of the Lutz Branch Library and the local Boy Scouts. The latter is in honor of her grandson, Shannon Sobtzak, who is pursuing his Eagle Scout designation.

When she’s not starting a conga line with a toilet seat around her head — another highlight of the Guv’na debate — Ayres might be busy in her role providing support for a team of financial planners at Full Circle Financial in New Port Richey. Or, she might have her nose in a good book.

She started a book club a few years back.

The next book on the club’s list is “To Kill A Mockingbird,” a classic story of integrity and the fight for justice. It seems an appropriate tale for a Guv’na hopeful.

Win or lose, the important thing is that monies raised are going back to the community, Ayres said. But she wants to win, attend the ceremonial events befitting a Lutz Guv’na and don the symbol of the office.

“I absolutely want to wear that tacky little sash,” Ayres said.

For information about her events, search for Cheryl Lynn Schmolke Ayres at Facebook.com.

Published June 10, 2015

 

PHSC baseball stops just shy of World Series

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Last year, the Pasco-Hernando State College baseball team reached the World Series for the first time in the program’s 23-year existence.

This year, the team fell just short of making back-to-back trips.

When Pasco-Hernando State College’s baseball team takes to the field next season, Jordan Feist will be expected to continue the strong defensive play that defined this year's team. (Courtesy of Steve Winterling and Pasco-Hernando State College)
When Pasco-Hernando State College’s baseball team takes to the field next season, Jordan Feist will be expected to continue the strong defensive play that defined this year’s team.
(Courtesy of Steve Winterling and Pasco-Hernando State College)

PHSC reached the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Southeast District championship game last month at its tournament in Martinsville, Virginia.

The third-ranked Conquistadors faced off against the top-ranked Catawba Valley Community College Red Hawks.

A win would have meant a tie-breaking rematch with the same team, with the winner earning a berth in the NJCAA DII World Series.

PHSC battled back from an early 5-0 deficit to cut the lead to 5-3, but couldn’t keep up with Catawba Valley and fell, 13-3.

They had lost to the same team by a 3-2 margin earlier in the tournament.

The Red Hawks would go on to finish third in the World Series, in Enid, Oklahoma, while PHSC went home.

But barely missing another World Series trip, while disappointing, doesn’t diminish what the team accomplished in coach Steve Winterling’s eyes.

“Besides just falling short of the World Series, I couldn’t have been happier with the way the guys played and fought all year,” he said.

They fought with defensive skills more than anything else, Winterling explained.

In some years, hot bats that compensate for average pitching define a team.

This season, the Conquistadors weren’t knocking everything out of the park, but their pitching and defense were strong and kept them in many games.

Some statistics tell the story: PHSC recorded a school-record .972 fielding percentage, and committed just 51 errors all season. Some years they’ve had twice as many errors, and the fielding percentage is normally a good 18 points lower or more.

While they didn’t have their strongest offensive year, Winterling said there’s no question which type of team he’d rather have.

“I’d definitely take what we had this year. It was a pleasure watching young kids pick it up, throw it over and make plays,” he said. “This club made the routine play, they turned double plays, they ran balls down. It was fun to watch them play and not worry if the ball was hit.”

Even when opponents hit the ball, it usually wasn’t enough to win the game. PHSC finished 32-15 on the year and had little trouble qualifying for the Southeast District Tournament, which required a .500 or better record during the regular season. The team started the year 11-3, and a particularly strong nine-game win streak in March saw PHSC score 75 runs while recording five shutouts.

Their record became just one of a handful of 30-win seasons the team has logged in their 24 years, and is better than last year’s World Series team.

Once the team qualified, the rest of the season was simply a tune-up for the tournament. There was a concern that the players would ease up and not take the games as seriously, Winterling admitted, but they remained focused and played hard despite facing tough competition.

Besides playing far into the tournament, the team also traveled far during the tournament: What began in Kinston, North Carolina was completed more than 160 miles away in Martinsville.

Tropical Storm Ana forced the games to be moved.

The team had to scramble to find lodging, and ended up staying in multiple hotels over the course of the tournament.

“That was an amazing trip,” Winterling said. “Definitely one not to forget.”

Now that they’re back home, Winterling isn’t wasting any time getting ready for next season. He recently signed a catcher from Indianapolis and is working on bolstering the pitching staff.

Those players will be needed, considering PHSC will only have eight returning players plus a red shirt pitcher as holdovers. With around two dozen players making up a typical team, that means a lot of new faces.

Despite losing three of the team’s strongest pitchers, Winterling feels good about next season.

Some of the returning players are part of that stingy defense, and he identified Jordan Ding and Jordan Feist as part of a successful left infield that will be intact next season.

The coach believes they’ll form the nucleus of a team ready to extend the team’s successful streak.

And while he already has his sights set on the school’s 25th baseball season, Winterling is proud of what the team accomplished in Season 24.

“We just had a good group of guys. it was all about winning and playing well,” Winterling said.

Published June 10, 2015

GAITHER BASKETBALL CAMPS THROUGHOUT JUNE

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Gaither High School basketball camps will continue to run throughout the month of June at the school’s campus, 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. The camps are for girls and boys grades two through eight and will run Monday through Thursday of each week from 8:30 a.m. until noon, beginning on June 15, June 22 and June 29. The cost is $100 for one week, and $90 for each additional week. For information, contact basketball coach Dwayne Olinger at (813) 975-7340, ext. 563, or .

No dodging Lutz man’s success

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Rick Moody’s career revolves around dodgeball.

But it was a game he didn’t like as a child.

“I know when I was a kid, dodgeball was scary,” the Lutz resident said. “You’d line up at the back of the wall and hope you don’t get hit, because it would knock your teeth out or break your nose.”

Children and adults can play anywhere there's room to set up the arena. Dodgeball2You has participated in more than 200 events so far. (Courtesy of Rick Moody)
Children and adults can play anywhere there’s room to set up the arena. Dodgeball2You has participated in more than 200 events so far.
(Courtesy of Rick Moody)

Moody’s bad memories were shared by other teachers when he taught physical education. They didn’t like the idea of children risking injury and bullying. And, if the gymnasium wasn’t available, there was no way to play it outside without chasing the ball most of the time.

So Moody came up with some solutions.

First, he focused on the ball.

Gone are the days of hard rubber speeding toward a player’s head.

In Moody’s system, the ball is foam, including a foam core, with a cloth-like covering on the exterior.

When this ball hits, it doesn’t hurt. And, it can’t be used as a weapon in the hands of an aggressive person.

Next, there’s the arena where children and adults can play the game.

Moody designed and built a structure with plastic walls that exceed 8 feet and includes netting.

The structure can be set up indoors or outdoors, takes around 15 minutes to put together and creates a fun atmosphere to play a popular game without the danger and risks that are normally associated with it.

Eventually, Moody realized he didn’t just have an idea. He had a business.

Since Dodgeball2You really got going last year, the company has done more than 200 events, with around 50,000 participants enjoying the new brand of dodgeball.

That includes a lot of repeat business, and it includes parties, gatherings at colleges and churches, and other special events.

For $200 to $300, depending on the season, an event or party can have a complete dodgeball setup, including equipment and a game manager who keeps things moving. Moody’s system features continuous play, so people can drop out and jump in as they like. At pay-for-play events, individuals can play as much as they want, with prices ranging from $10 to $50.

Aside from being fun, Moody sees other benefits in playing dodgeball.

As a former physical education teacher who ran his own running camps, and coached cross country and track and field at the college level, he knows the importance of physical fitness and the dangers of childhood obesity.

Some children spend their free time playing video games but can’t do a sit-up or push-up, Moody said. Getting in some exercise — hours of it at some events — is good for children.

“If we can get them out there exercising secretly, without them really knowing it, I think that’s going to be a huge thing,” he said.

Moody also uses his dodgeball system to tackle the problem of bullying. Dodgeball2You hosts a program called “Dodge Bullying” in schools, where they teach an anti-bullying lesson, discuss sportsmanship and invite the children to play dodgeball in a new, fun way.

“We’re able to get a message across about anti-bullying with a game that was synonymous with bullying back in the day,” Moody said.

While dodgeball can be a challenging game, the real challenge Moody faced was securing a patent for the arena.

Obtaining a patent can be a long, expensive process, and it’s one that Moody had gone through before.

“It was very painful, especially the first time around,” he said.

The first time he sought a patent was about five years ago for a different idea. He spent about $15,000, felt frustrated and did not succeed in that effort.

For his dodgeball arena, it took around 18 months and more than $10,000. But with the help of a patent attorney, it ended on a much happier note. His patent was approved just a few weeks ago.

That means Dodgeball2You doesn’t have to rely on a “patent pending” designation, and worry that someone will steal the concept.

“You’re kind of on pins and needles because people see your idea,” Moody said about the long wait to get approved.

Now that the patent is in place, Moody wants everyone to see it. Very few patents are issued to individuals, and just a small percentage of those go on to make money, he explained.

But his business is going strong —they’ve done as many as a dozen events in one weekend — and Moody is already looking to expand.

With 10 arenas and three trailers already in place, the next step will be franchising.

He’s also pursuing another patent to expand the arena’s concept into a multifunctional structure than can host several different types of games. Add in league play, and Moody’s company has dodgeball covered from all angles, like the arena he built to house the games.

Having a patented, popular concept makes the time and expense he invested worth it, he said.

“It’s a good feeling to have this accomplishment,” Moody said. “I tell everybody if you give up, you’re not going to make it. You have to keep trying. You have to keep pushing forward.”

For more information, call (844) 322-5528 or visit Dodgeball2You.com.

Published June 3, 2015

KarenSue Molis makes fundraising an art form in Guv’na race

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KarenSue Molis didn’t come up with the idea of running for Lutz Guv’na on her own. The seed was planted by someone who knew a little something about the ceremonial title and the fundraising race that goes with it.

She was recruited by a previous Guv’na.

KarenSue Molis can't wear the Guv'na sash unless she earns the title, but she can roll around Lutz in the family's antique Jaguar or Thunderbird. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
KarenSue Molis can’t wear the Guv’na sash unless she earns the title, but she can roll around Lutz in the family’s antique Jaguar or Thunderbird.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“Karen is enthusiastic, she is creative, and she appeals to just about everybody,” said Edwina Kraemer, who was Guv’na in 2006. “You want a winner for the club. You want a winner for the community.”

The club in question is the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, which selects and supports a candidate each year. And the community is Lutz, and the money raised by the annual Guv’na’s campaign goes specifically to community groups and service organizations.

After some coaxing, Molis decided she was up to the task, even though she had an inkling there was more to running for Guv’na than meets the eye.

“At first I declined, because I had a feeling there was a lot more work to this than I was being told,” she said with a laugh. “And believe me, there’s a lot more work to this than I was told!”

She’s having fun putting in the work necessary to compete in the race, which runs until the July 4 weekend. For Molis and the club, that means knocking on doors, drumming up some cash with raffles and planning events to raise the bulk of her war chest. Whichever candidate raises the most money earns the sash, so she’s getting creative with ways to collect as much as possible.

Being creative comes naturally for Molis, who was an art teacher for 11 years for elementary school children in her native Illinois. Her job took her to different schools, giving young students a chance to develop their skills, and also providing lessons that go beyond paintbrushes and crafts.

Art allows children to express themselves freely, Molis said. But it also teaches them that creating is a process, and there are steps each person takes as they progress. And that kind of discipline isn’t limited to art.

“It’s the same way in life. You can’t drive a car until you’ve been taught to drive the car. “You can’t bake a cake if you can’t follow the directions,” she said.

It’s not unusual that Molis referred to a car, when making her analogy.

Her husband of 46 years, Fred, is an antique car enthusiast, and they have a 1959 Jaguar and a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. The Thunderbird has been in the last four Lutz Fourth of July parades.

When Molis and her husband were moving to the area from Jacksonville to live closer to their grandchildren, they didn’t originally intend to live in Lutz.

They planned to live in Wesley Chapel.

But when their real estate agent showed them something else, they made a detour.

“The realtor showed us the community of Lutz, and of all the places he showed us, this one just felt good,” Molis said.

She joined the woman’s club to make friends and, six years later, she’s their candidate for Guv’na.

While Molis is full of smiles and eager to shake hands as she campaigns, she knows it’s all about the money. And she has a full slate of events planned to raise funds. Each Thursday, the club hosts a luncheon at the Lutz Community Center, 98 First Ave., N.W. And on June 6, she hopes to raise a lot of cash at a special car show from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Furniture Now Home & Accessories, 15445 N. Nebraska Ave. There’s a good chance the Molis antiques will make an appearance there as well.

While the club is working hard to put Molis over the top (their candidate last year just fell short in what was likely the closest race in Guv’na history), she knows that there are no losers in the race. When another Guv’na alumnus, Suzin Carr, explained that local organizations will get thousands of dollars to meet their goals and keep the local flavor of Lutz alive, Molis knew it was a good cause no matter the outcome.

“When she started telling me all the things that had been done with (the money), then I thought, well, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, because all of the money goes into the Lutz pot.”

If she does defeat the other two candidates, she’ll have some say in where a small portion of the money goes. And she’s already identified the Lutz Library, the Old Lutz School and Canine Companions, which helps provide assistance dogs to those in need, as her choices for Guv’na assistance.

With two children, three grandchildren and a lot of gardening to tend, Molis doesn’t lack for activities. But her schedule is all about the Guv’na race for the next month, and becoming even closer to the area that she joined just a few years ago.

“Of all the places we’ve lived in the United States, in the six years we’ve been here, we’re more a part of this community than we’ve been of any of the communities,” Molis said.

Published June 3, 2015

Team Tampa will compete in California

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The Team Tampa U12 travel ball softball team has been around for less than a year. And, while they’re still getting used to playing together as a team in Florida, they’re now planning to compete on a national stage in California.

They are heading to Sacramento at the end of July to compete in the Amateur Softball Association’s national championship tournament for that age group.

Lilly Kiester and her fellow Team Tampa softball players are headed to Sacramento next month for a national softball tournament after winning a qualifier over Memorial Day weekend. (Courtesy of Laura Kiester)
Lilly Kiester and her fellow Team Tampa softball players are headed to Sacramento next month for a national softball tournament after winning a qualifier over Memorial Day weekend.
(Courtesy of Laura Kiester)

The Rebels qualified by winning a tournament over Memorial Day weekend. Only a handful of Florida teams will punch their ticket to Sacramento at the end of July, and around a dozen local players will now take the trip of a lifetime.

Coach Autum Hernandez is impressed with both reaching the national tournament and how quickly the team reached it.

“It’s definitely a huge accomplishment, because it takes teams sometimes two or three years to gel together,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez knows about building team chemistry. She’s been the softball coach at Freedom High School for seven years, and has been a softball coach for 12 years. The challenge in travel ball, according to Hernandez, is that players might move or switch teams from year to year, making it harder to build a consistent identity or benefit from the experience of working together. But Team Tampa didn’t need much time to find a winning rhythm. While some members played together with other teams such as the Lutz Lightning, many didn’t know each other when they formed last September.

The coach, who came on board a couple months later, saw a group of girls with intangibles that made them special.

“The girls work really hard. It’s a good group of young kids who want to learn,” she said. “And they never quit, and that’s one thing that you can’t coach.”

So Hernandez focused on the things she could coach, which is showing players how to use their talent and tenacity to maximize their effectiveness as a team. Good hitters don’t always have to hit home runs, and strong fundamentals and good defense can win close games even if the team isn’t firing on all cylinders.

The coach doesn’t go easy on them in practice, and it’s paying off.

Players, like Lutz resident Lilly Kiester, are happy with the results, even if it means challenging days on the practice field.

“We run, stretch and throw. Some days we’ll do fielding, and some days we’ll do hitting,” Kiester said. “She holds us accountable.”

While Hernandez is quick to spot a mistake and explain how to fix it, Kiester said, she’s also the first one to cheer and offer praise when players get things right.

This team has been getting lots of things right, especially in close contests.

In the Memorial Day weekend tournament, Team Tampa had to come back at the end of games to win, and came out on top in a tiebreaker situation, too. At that level, if nobody has won within a certain time period, the rules put runners in scoring position and give both teams chances to score. In one instance they broke a tie with five runs to seal another victory.

In the championship game against a team from Jacksonville, the Rebels were down 3-1 heading into the final inning and put together four runs to earn their national tournament berth.

While she’s proud of her team, there are things the longtime coach wants to tighten up before they get on a plane this summer.

For instance, she’d like the Rebels to start the games a little hotter, and take less time to get a feel for the opposing pitcher.

There are also two positions that need to be on the same page at all times.

“I’m a former catcher,” Hernandez explained. “I want my pitcher and catcher communication to be a little bit better. That’s really important.”

If they can sharpen their communication skills and stay focused, the coach thinks the trip will be more than a sightseeing adventure. Team Tampa has a chance to do well at the national level, and is bringing the confidence to make that a reality.

Kiester agrees.

“I think if our confidence is high and we keep fighting and have a good attitude, we’ll go far,” she said.

Team Tampa is still in the process of funding the trip, which will cost thousands in travel expenses alone.

The team has set up a GoFundMe page, a crowd-sourcing Internet opportunity where people can make donations to causes in various dollar amounts. For more information and to donate, visit GoFundMe.com/ug28qc.

Published June 3, 2015

 

HONOR FLIGHT GOLF TOURNAMENT

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Sons of the American Legion Squadron 152 will sponsor a golf tournament benefiting Honor Flight of West Central Florida. It will take place July 25 at the Silver Dollar Golf & Trap Club, 12711 Silver Dollar Drive in Odessa. Honor Flight sends military veterans to Washington D.C., to see memorials of the wars in which they participated. The event costs $50 per person and begins in a two-man scramble format with registration at 7 a.m., and a shotgun start at 8 a.m. For information, call Patrick Maguire at (813) 625-5680 or (813) 888-6613.

FOOTBALL CAMPS INCLUDE STEINBRENNER PARTICIPANTS

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Members of the Steinbrenner High School football team will be participating in a couple of youth football camps this month. The South Pasco Predators camp will run June 15 through June 19 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. The Lutz Chiefs camp will run June 22 through June 26 at Oscar Cooler Park, 770 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Tampa. Both camps will run from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., each day. Each camp costs $100 in advance, or $125 the day they begin. Each participant will receive a T-shirt and a certificate of completion. For information and to preregister, visit WarriorFootballCamp.net.

 

Saint Leo’s Reidy is top athletics director, again

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Fran Reidy doesn’t play baseball for Saint Leo University. He doesn’t shoot a basketball. He’s not on a swimming relay team. And he’s not a threat running track.

Still, he’s a critical part of the university’s athletic success.

As athletics director, he’s responsible for all of those sports and more. There are 19 in all, and it’s his job to see them grow and prosper.

Clearly, he’s doing something right.

Fran Reidy oversees 19 different sports at Saint Leo University, but that wasn't the case when he took the job 16 years ago. They had just 10 sports back then, and only eight when he was the men's soccer coach 28 years ago. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Fran Reidy oversees 19 different sports at Saint Leo University, but that wasn’t the case when he took the job 16 years ago. They had just 10 sports back then, and only eight when he was the men’s soccer coach 28 years ago.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Reidy has been named the Under Armour Division II Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He will be honored at an awards luncheon next month in Orlando.

This is the second time that Reidy has earned the designation. He also achieved it in 2012.

“I feel good about it,” Reidy said via phone from North Carolina, where he was cheering on the Lions at the NCAA Championship for men’s golf last week. “I think it’s a sign of the great things that Saint Leo has been accomplishing, and I get recognized for what our teams have been doing.”

Saint Leo is currently ninth in the Division II Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, a competition that measures a school’s overall athletic success across all sports.

The Lions have never finished better than 18th in the competition, and have placed lower than that in many years. But they’re now in the top 10 after the winter season.

Part of that success stems from being involved in more sports. When Reidy first came on board as the men’s soccer coach 28 years ago, the Lions participated in just eight sports. By the time he became athletics director 16 years ago, they inched up to 10. Now they’ve nearly doubled that number, and can claim success in many of those programs.

Doing well on many fields is important to Reidy. He doesn’t want Saint Leo to be known for just one or two sports, with the rest treated as an afterthought.

“A lot of schools to tend to tier their sports and push the majority of the resources toward certain sports, and we have resisted that temptation,” he explained. “We want all of our student-athletes to have a championship experience.”

Reidy and his staff have worked to equip their teams with the resources to provide those quality experiences. That means new facilities for sports like soccer, softball and lacrosse, and more full-time assistants for coaches.

As recently as five years ago, only the baseball program had full-time assistant coaches. To beef that number up, the university has invested around $250,000 in assistant salaries, Reidy said, and now a dozen sports have them.

“That’s been an area of focus. We needed those extra positions to help recruit, to help academically and keep our teams successful,” he said.

The investment appears to be paying off.

In the past three years, Saint Leo has earned three titles in the Sunshine State Conference, which is known to be a competitive collection of schools. That success continues a trend over the past decade, during which time the Lions have won a dozen conference regular season and tournament titles. They’ve also claimed the SSC Mayor’s Cup, which measures overall conference success, in both 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Saint Leo’s athletes are accomplished in the classroom, as well.

The university has approximately 375 athletes, and their grade point average reached an all-time high this past semester with a 3.22 mark. To achieve an academic record at the same time they’re achieving great things on the fields of play is a source of pride for Reidy.

Now that the school has reached new heights, the real challenge is staying at that level. It can be harder to maintain success than it is to achieve it, Reidy said.

To continue progressing, they have specific goals and constantly evaluate how they’re doing and what can be improved, he said.

For now, the near future includes keeping their existing sports operating at a high level. As far as adding sports, Reidy said women’s rowing and wrestling would top his list.

He understands that football would be a popular choice for many fans, but he needs to know more about the long-term effects of concussions, and the legal ramifications of those effects, before giving it serious consideration.

In any case, adding new sports isn’t a near-term priority.

Instead, Reidy would like to see a top-10 finish in the Directors’ Cup and perhaps the university’s first-ever national championship.

And he doesn’t want to accomplish those goals by micro-managing his team. Instead, he’ll rely on five assistant athletics directors and the coaching staffs for each sport to keep the university on track and moving forward in athletics.

“I think from a staff standpoint, you try to do it all on the front end,” Reidy said. “You try to hire the right people, and then just give them the right resources and stay out of the way.”

Published May 27, 2015