Local Sports

Concept of putting fun back into youth sports turns 10

November 27, 2013 By Michael Murillo

When parents sign their children up with i9 Sports, they notice that it’s missing a lot of things one might expect in a youth sports league.

There’s no ultra-competitive atmosphere, no tryouts, and no fighting for playing time. There are no crazy practice schedules, either — it’s just one day a week, prior to the actual game.

There are changes for the adults as well, such as no mandatory volunteer hours and a lack of incessant fundraisers.

With short practices, reduced parental involvement, and sports for everyone, the i9 Sports franchise has grown from a small operation in Tampa to 600,000 players in more than half the country over the last decade. (Photo courtesy of i9 Sports)

In fact, a lot of the things that can take the fun out of youth sports has purposely been eliminated. What i9 offers (and what’s missing) is part of the reason the Tampa-based organization, now celebrating its 10th year, has grown to more than a half-million participants across 26 states — including through Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

“In most other youth sport programs, they’re really adult sports played by kids,” said Brian Sanders, president and chief operating officer of i9 Sports. “And research study after study has shown that kids want to have fun. That’s the reason they play sports.”

Many recreational leagues have become a lot of work, especially for parents. The idea behind i9 was to bring it back to the children themselves.

“So we’ve tried to reinvent youth sports and take it back to where people wanted the programs to be to begin with,” Sanders said. That means an emphasis on learning fundamentals and good sportsmanship instead of simply winning, and a focus on having fun instead of the stress associated with having their on-field performance critiqued and evaluated.

Teams are co-ed and the leagues try to accommodate children who already are friends so they can play on the same team. But every child, regardless of ability, gets equal playing time and participation recognition.

Special awards are given out, but they’re not based on athletic ability. Instead, teams focus on one aspect of leadership and good play each week, and the child who best demonstrates those traits earns a sportsmanship medal. The end result is what Sanders calls healthy and age-appropriate competition, and an atmosphere where kids truly enjoy playing.

That includes Lorraine Gallo’s son, Anthony, who she admits didn’t enter i9 sports as an enthusiastic athlete.

“He was an Xbox boy,” Gallo explained. But after starting out on a soccer team, he’s added flag football to his sports schedule and has learned the value of making new friends and being part of a team. Now he’s anxious to get back on the field during season breaks, and has even joined his middle school’s football team.

Gallo herself appreciates the fact that, as a parent, she isn’t spending time manning a concession booth or selling chocolate, which can be a normal part of the youth sports experience for adults. Instead, she sits in the stands and watches him play, along with other parents from both teams who are all there to lend support in a positive environment.

Since all parents sign a “parental pledge” affirming their commitment to a fun, nonstressful atmosphere for the children, Gallo doesn’t have to worry about over-competitive parents who yell at the players, badger referees about missed calls and diminish the experience for the rest of the team and the families. Instead, everyone can cheer on their children and enjoy the experience.

But the biggest change has come from Anthony, and Gallo said what he’s learned has made the experience very worthwhile for her family.

“He’s learned patience, he’s learned teamwork. He’s learned sportsmanship. He’s a totally different child,” she said.

Sanders will try to reach more children in that same way as the organization continues to grow. i9 operates by selling franchises in various areas, and all follow the basic concepts of minimal commitment needed to participate.

i9 plans to accelerate its expansion goals and highlight the differences between them and other youth sports offerings Sanders said.

“Our program format is working well. There’s no one else that is doing what we’re doing right now, and we believe there’s a huge need for what we provide,” he said. “You can sum up what we offer as fun, safety and convenience, and it’s something that both parents and the kids are really finding is different versus the other programs.”

For more information about i9Sports, visit www.i9sports.com.

Sunlake, Wharton football squads fall in playoffs

November 20, 2013 By Michael Murillo

High school football teams fight all year for a shot at the district title. If they fall short, the backup plan is to be district runner-up, because that spot (like the title winner) earns a trip to the playoffs.

Neither the Wharton Wildcats nor the Sunlake Seahawks were able to achieve their top goal of a district title, but both earned a hard-fought runner-up spot to earn a playoff berth. And both battled right to the end in the first round of the playoffs, before falling to their opponents.

Neither team had an easy road to earning second place in the district. For Wharton, two straight district losses put them in a must-win situation at the end of the year against Bloomingdale. The team had faced a big deficit heading into the final period, but scored 22 unanswered points and came away with a 30-23 win, a tie-breaker over the Bulls and that coveted runner-up spot in Class 8A-District 6.

Sunlake dropped its first district game, then rallied to win their next three to earn their second place finish. A tough 28-21 win over Land O’ Lakes in October proved to be the difference between the two teams, and the difference between second and third place. In the end, the Seahawks’ 3-1 record was good enough for runner-up status in Class 6A-District 6.

While those were satisfying finishes for each school, it was really just the end of the regular season: Both teams then entered a separate 32-team regional tournament to determine the state champion. But for both clubs, the beginning of their playoffs would also be the end. Wharton fell in their playoff opener to Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Panthers, 37-10, while Sunlake was a field goal short to the Gainesville Hurricanes, 17-14.

Sunlake Head Coach Bill Browning explained that, despite the loss, he was impressed with the way his team played.

“Gainesville’s a very talented team. They have a ton of speed,” he said. “We played exceptionally well. Physically, we beat them up. The effort was fantastic. Close ballgame.”

The Seahawks out-gained the Hurricanes and had a lead late in the game, but some untimely penalties and a late surge by Gainesville ended their season.

For Wharton, although the final score indicated the game wasn’t close, it really didn’t break open until the final period. The Wildcats were behind 14-3 at halftime and still within two scores in the fourth quarter. Head Coach David Mitchell said it was a few game-changing snaps and some self-inflicted wounds that turned the tide against them.

“They scored based on big plays,” he said. “We had problems with penalties. That’s what hurt us a lot.”

While he didn’t want Wharton to end their year with a loss, Mitchell believes they had a good season and already is looking toward next year. He has a number of returning players, and several of them will participate in other high school sports, which he said will help them on the gridiron.

In 2014, the key will be keeping them on top of their grades (and eligible to play sports), focused and ready for the new season.

Browning has his team looking forward to 2014 as well. He said the Seahawks have plenty of good talent returning — especially on offense — and they’ll be able to use some of the school’s junior varsity players, who enjoyed an 8-0 season this year.

Looking back, the coaches know that making the playoffs is an achievement in itself, both for themselves and the players who work so hard to get there. And for those graduating, many can look back on not just a good year, but a good career at their respective schools.

“For some of those players, it’s the third opportunity (to participate in the playoffs) in three years for them. That’s pretty good,” Mitchell said.

And Browning agrees. “For the kids coming back we’ll have to learn from it (the playoff loss), and for the seniors, we had a great senior bunch. They’re the winning-est senior class in the short history of the school.”

Better than ever: Steinbrenner Volleyball reaches state semis

November 20, 2013 By Michael Murillo

With their victory over Wiregrass Ranch on Oct. 25, the Steinbrenner Warriors can now say they’re Class 7A-District 8 volleyball champions.

Of course, they were able to say the same thing last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. In fact, in the five years the school has had a volleyball program, they’re a perfect 5-for-5 in district titles.

Junior Avery Bradshaw slams the ball over the net during Steinbrenner High School’s recent volleyball playoff run that named the Warriors regional champions.

But while the district results were always the same, so were the regional ones: The previous four years found the team 0-4 when it came to an elusive regional title.

Until this year.

The Warriors finally claimed their first Class 7A regional crown by besting the Lake Nona Lions on Nov. 9 in three sets. That win took them to the state semifinals for the first time in school history, where they fell to Gulf Coast in a tough five-set match.

But while their season ended with a loss, the team is proud of their accomplishments in claiming a regional title and advancing farther than any previous Steinbrenner volleyball team before them.

“They were the first group in school history to attain that goal, and I think that was most exciting for them,” said Head Coach Laura Stegenga, who has coached for several years, but just completed her second season with Steinbrenner. This squad stood out, she said, because the school’s team historically is a young team. Yet they benefited from having a number of juniors and seniors to provide experience this season.

And with 10 juniors helping lead the way, Stegenga can also look forward to coaching a large portion of this year’s successful team again in 2014.

One of those players, Avery Bradshaw, admits the state semifinal was a tough loss after coming so far this season. But the junior, now in her third year with the Steinbrenner volleyball team, soon recognized the importance of the school’s first regional title.

“We wanted to be the first year (the 2013 squad) on the banner in the gym that said we are regional champions,” Bradshaw said. “That was a great accomplishment for us.”

She was also consoled by the outpouring of support the team received from the school. Originally unsure of the reaction she’d receive and hoping nobody was disappointed in the team following the loss, Bradshaw said she was grateful to see students and faculty — including some she didn’t know were even following the team’s success — offering congratulations and letting her know how proud they were of her and her team.

“That made everything a lot better,” she said.

While the team can look back on 2013 as the best volleyball season in school history, Stegenga knows that there will be new challenges next season. Each year the team wants to live up to the school’s history of claiming the district title, but she admits that winning a regional title and coming so close to the state finals has raised the bar when it comes to team expectations.

The matchups, Stegenga said, will determine how challenging their draw is in the postseason, but she believes that this year’s experience and the desire to improve will provide a lot of motivation for her returning players.

However, the moment they claimed the first regional title in school history is one that will stick with her.

“I remember that game point of the third set against Lake Nona (in the regional final) and the girls’ celebration and the tears. It was very powerful,” Stegenga said. “That’s really the reason why I coach, is to have moments like that with the players.”

Butash among local gridders competing in Orlando next month

November 13, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Christopher Butash’s life is filled with football, from his time on his squad with Academy at the Lakes, to his extra playing time recreationally with the Lutz Chiefs.

And he loves it. In fact, as long as the 13-year-old is not cooped up inside doing something, he’s happy.

Christopher Butash prepares to make a pass during a Lutz Chiefs football game this past season. Butash and three other teammates from the Chiefs are heading to Orlando next month to play among the best in recreational football. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Butash)

“I love being outside,” Butash said after a recent practice. “I love going to my friend’s house who has an outside basketball court. When it’s basketball season, we play basketball. When it’s football season, we’re out there throwing the football.”

That throwing and catching has helped Butash a lot. As a quarterback for the Chiefs, he scored nine touchdowns this season, seven of them in the air. And that was before he moved to the wide receiver position, where he continues to excel.

And in December, he’ll have a chance to show those skills at a much more regional level through the Offense-Defense Youth All-American Bowl Week activities taking place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The weeklong event includes a number of instructional camps as well as the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl game that features 88 of the top high school seniors in the country.

Butash joins teammates Jaxson Bless, Nick Testa and Sebastian Bove, all of whom were named All-Americans during a summer camp hosted by Offense-Defense, a South Carolina company that hosts such camps around the country.

Butash’s father, Michael, is a defense attorney in Lutz, while his mother Lisa works at her husband’s office, and spends a lot of time volunteering as well — especially for Christopher’s athletics.

Yet all of them work to make it to the dinner table each night, in what seems to be a dying tradition elsewhere, to share valuable time with each other.

“I’m very proud of my dad for keeping our family in shape,” Christopher Butash said. “My mom has to plan ahead of time for dinner, but she does it, and that keeps us together.”

In fact, Butash said he would like to follow his father’s footsteps and become an attorney as well, but seems more attracted to personal injury law like another football player-turned lawyer, Brad Culpepper.

Where he’ll go to college is a question he’s probably too young to answer. But Butash said he’s working hard not just on the field, but also in the classroom, maintaining an A average at Academy at the Lakes, especially in his favorite class, language arts.

“I need to work hard, because working hard and getting good grades gets you into college to play football, and it helps get you recognized,” Butash said.

Bowl week in Orlando begins Dec. 30 and runs through Jan. 5. It includes plenty of practice sessions as well as parties for New Year’s and awards, as well as autograph signings for some of the standout senior players taking part.

For more information, visit O-D.com.

A perfect 2013 for Sunlake … junior varsity

November 13, 2013 By Michael Murillo

A local high school football team just completed an undefeated season in which most of the games were shutout victories.

The last game was the closest, a one-point win where the margin of victory was a blocked extra point. That capped a three-game winning streak, all on the road.

Freshman wide receiver Rakeem ‘Kimme’ Jones grabs a pass against the River Ridge Royal Knights in a 36-0 win last September. The Sunlake Seahawks junior varsity team would go on to an undefeated 8-0 season. (Photo courtesy of Belinda Kasper)

They finished a perfect season, and most people had no idea they were even playing. And it’s all because of one word: “junior.”

As in, junior varsity football. They don’t get the crowds, the accolades or the press, but the Sunlake Seahawks went 8-0 this season, just one year after completing a 7-1 campaign.

There won’t be any playoffs and there are no district or regional titles to earn. But for the players, coaches and those who followed the team, there’s a lot of pride in what they accomplished.

“It feels great. It’s what we worked hard for, it’s what I drilled into their heads: 8-0 was the goal, and we finally reached that goal,” explained Head Coach Ryan Horan.

But it wasn’t an easy goal to attain. Even though the games weren’t at the top tier of high school sports, the Seahawks certainly felt varsity-level drama this season.

They avenged their only loss last year with a close 7-0 victory against the Pasco Pirates to open their schedule, and they closed it out with a win on the road against the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls, another undefeated team looking to avoid its first loss. A blocked extra point and a go-ahead touchdown later, and Sunlake had finished its season undefeated.

Junior varsity football isn’t usually a big draw. There might be a few fans, but often there’s family, friends and a lot of empty seats. But the last game was different, because both teams wanted a perfect season. For that game there were a lot of fans in the stands and a lot of energy to motivate both teams.

“Believe it or not, you would’ve thought it was a varsity game,” Horan said.

One of those fans was a former player: Justin Hall, a freshman quarterback who played five games with Sunlake’s junior varsity team before leaving the squad. His absence was justified, however — he caught the eye of the varsity team and was called up for the remainder of their season.

Since there are no playoffs, the real payoff for the players is the opportunity to eventually work their way up to the varsity level. Hall accomplished that after a handful of games in his first year, and he credits his experience with junior varsity football with giving him a solid foundation to compete at the next level.

In fact, he was already familiar with a lot of the offensive strategy when he got there.

“You get a couple of new plays, more advanced plays,” Hall said of the transition to varsity. “But it’s basically the same plays in both JV and varsity.”

While he said the varsity game is faster and has players who have found the best position for them on the field (making the competition stronger), Hall felt better prepared to face those challenges as a result of his success with the junior varsity team.

Even though he wasn’t with the team anymore, he still had friends there and attended their remaining games to show support. And when his former team completed their undefeated season, Hall felt a real sense of pride to have contributed to their success.

“I felt really good. I felt happy for them that they could pull off those last two wins, and it was good knowing that I could be part of that 8-0 season,” Hall said.

Pride on the line between Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel

November 6, 2013 By Michael Murillo

If you’re looking for a powerhouse matchup between two of the best high school football teams in the area, the Nov. 8 game between the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls and the Wesley Chapel Wildcats probably isn’t it.

Neither team will be going to the playoffs, both are winless in their respective districts, and they have a combined three victories between them (all of them from 3-6 Wiregrass Ranch, while Wesley Chapel sits at 0-9).

So why are both schools looking forward to the match up?

The answer is simple: It’s a rivalry game. And it’s a game among neighbors as well.

The two schools are only about 10 miles apart. In fact, Wiregrass Ranch was created in part due to Wesley Chapel’s overcrowding.

A decade ago, current Bulls students would likely have been Wildcats. They live near each other, interact with each other, and many players participated in youth sports together. So when they face off in a high school rivalry game, the athletes don’t consider it just another date on the schedule.

“These guys have seen each other for a number of years, so it’s always special,” Wesley Chapel head coach Tico Hernandez said. This is Hernandez’s first year running the school’s program, but he understands the pride that goes along with defeating a rival.

But for the Wildcats, there’s also history on the line. Wiregrass and Wesley Chapel have been playing against each other since the 2007 season, and each time Wesley Chapel has come out on top. But this year the Bulls own the better record and some confidence that they can not only beat the Wildcats, but beat them on their own field.

Hernandez said to avoid that outcome and keep his school’s streak going, the Wildcats will have to have one of their better defensive efforts and get more consistency from an offense that can create effective moments, but is also susceptible to what he calls “silly” plays. He believes that putting a complete game together and getting the season’s first win against a rival would be meaningful for the players.

But Wiregrass Ranch head coach Mike Lawrence doesn’t want to hear much about rivalries. He just wants to win.

“Focusing just because it’s Wesley Chapel and a rivalry, I don’t want to play too much into that. I just want to focus on winning the ballgame,” he said.

Lawrence knows his players could get excited about facing the Wildcats, but sees a better road to success by keeping the Bulls focused on their game plan and treating the contest like another game on the schedule. That means both offense and defense prepared for the game, and playing well when they’re on the field.

Like Hernandez, this is Lawrence’s first season as his school’s head coach. But instead of the rivalry aspect of the game, he’s more concerned about Wesley Chapel’s winless record, and their drive to get into the win column for the first time this year.

“They’re hungry and they’re looking for a win. They haven’t won a ballgame yet, and that’s an advantage that they have right now on us,” he said. “They don’t want to finish their season without a victory.”

While that’s true, Hernandez said there’s a little bit more behind their motivation when they see the Wildcats on the schedule. They want a win, but they also want neighborhood bragging rights as well.

“Our team goals at the beginning of the year were to control the classroom and behave on campus and have a certain GPA,” he said. “And one of our other goals was to continue to own Wesley Chapel.”

Early turnover costs Zephyrhills playoff trip

November 6, 2013 By Michael Hinman

An early miscue during a punt in the wrong end zone proved to be fatal for the Zephyrhills Bulldogs, as they miss the playoffs once again at the hands of their longtime rival, 24-16.

Both the Bulldogs and the Pasco Pirates needed a win Friday to secure a spot in the playoffs. And record-wise, Zephyrhills seemed to be in a driver seat at 7-1, plus had home-field advantage. But the Pirates came ready to play, especially senior wide receiver Malik Johns, who ran 157 yards — including a 62-yard run late in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

The Bulldogs had a rough start in their second drive, going three-and-out pinned inside their own 10-yard line. The snap for the punt went sailing over the kicker’s head, allowing the Pirates to recover in the end zone, giving them an early 7-0 lead.

The Pirates would never give up the lead, although Zephyrhills came close late in the third quarter when freshman running back Antwione Sims ran eight yards to bring the Bulldogs to within a field goal, 17-14.

Two minutes later, after the Bulldogs held the Pirates to a three-and-out, Pasco had its own punt miscue, resulting in a safety for Zephyrhills, a one-point deficit, and possession of the ball with a little more than a quarter remaining.

The Pirates defense, however, held strong, stopping four drives and limiting the Bulldogs to a net gain of no yards before their final full drive with five minutes remaining, and Pasco up 24-16.

Quarterback Ty Tanner burst for 28 yards on the ground, with junior Jaylen Pickett chipping in 24 more to bring Zephyrhills within sight of the Pirates territory.

But then the Bulldogs turned to their passing game, which had been virtually non-existent for both sides up to that point. And this was no different with a pair of sacks on Tanner and sophomore Tre’un Everett ending Zephyrhills’ last gasps.

Senior Devon Brockington rushed for 89 yards for the Bulldogs in the loss, while Tanner finished with 59 on the ground, and Pickett 48.

Pasco’s only other runner was senior Jaquan Clower, who rushed for 46 yards, in the win.

Zephyrhills finishes its season against Sunlake (8-1) this Friday, while Pasco will take on River Ridge (3-6) on their way to the playoffs.

County moves forward with artificial turf fields at park

October 30, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Players and spectators who frequent Wesley Chapel District Park off Boyette Road already find the accommodations too crowded. And that has one county commissioner questioning why Pasco is more focused on attracting tourists to the field than trying to help service the demand there.

It’s going to take a little more time to see more fields at places like the Wesley Chapel District Park as county tourism officials push for an artificial turf field. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The county had sought bids to build two artificial turf fields at the park, only to get one bid that was $499,000 over what Pasco was willing to spend. Having such fields would attract out-of-town tournaments and teams, something Pasco won’t be able to do with grass fields, said Ed Caum with Pasco’s office of tourist development.

“I cannot market grass fields,” Caum told the commission at a recent meeting. “We have had field problems out there before for overuse.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano, who represents west Pasco, disagrees, however. He said those who use the park are frustrated, because they are butting heads with other teams that want to play out there.

“They would rather have five grass fields than two artificial fields,” Mariano said.

The lone bid came from QGS Development Inc., of Lithia, at just under $2.2 million. That was nearly $500,000 over the budget the county set.

Instead of giving up on the artificial turf fields, however, county administrator Michele Baker said she’s ready to just send the request for bids out again with tighter specifications.

“We think that turf fields are the way to go for tourism opportunities,” Baker said.

Yet, Pasco is struggling to meet the demand placed on the fields. In August, eight soccer teams and 120 players transplanted to parks in Zephyrhills. And it could be permanent.

“It places a burden on the families,” Jeff Olsen, a soccer coach whose daughter travels to Zephyrhills, told The Laker/Lutz News earlier this month. “There’s lost time as a family. There’s lost time for homework. There’s an extra rush on the evening schedule and extra costs for gas. So there’s a burden there.”

Wesley Chapel isn’t alone, however, said Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who represents the area. And at some point, the county is going to have to stop building more fields.

“We are never going to be able to give everybody every field they want,” Mulieri said. “Go to Land O’ Lakes, go to the community center, everybody is overbooked. There has got to be a time when the board says this is what we can do, and that is it.”

In the end, Mariano joined the other commissioners in rejecting the sole bid and sending out for new bids to build an artificial turf field.

At the same time, Baker said the county will begin talks with one of the primary users of the field, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association, to work out a cooperative agreement covering the new fields once they are built.

However, construction would not begin until next spring at the earliest.

Pirates-Bulldogs: Winner gets playoffs, loser goes home

October 30, 2013 By Michael Murillo

In high school football, every game is meaningful. If it involves two good teams, it’s a little more important. And if the playoffs are on the line, that ups the ante.

But if it’s a rivalry game, it has the makings of something really special.

Friday’s match up featuring the 5-3 Pasco Pirates and 7-1 Zephyrhills Bulldogs qualifies as all of the above.

ZHPascoGrid — Bulldogs coach Reggie Roberts has beaten the Pasco Pirates more than once as a player, but now he’s looking for his first win against his rival as a coach. And the playoffs are on the line. (File photo)

When Pasco visits Zephyrhills, the game will feature two strong teams in the top half of 5A-District 6 in terms of points scored and points allowed. And while South Sumter sits atop the standings in both district and overall play (already clinching the top spot in the district), the Pirates and Bulldogs are battling for second place and the trip to the playoffs that goes with it.

The winner of this game earns that spot, while the loser has to accept defeat and will be sent home at the hand of their rival.

While making the playoffs is a goal for every team, Zephyrhills is looking to end a long post-season drought. The Bulldogs haven’t made the playoffs since 2006, with just two winning seasons in that span (both occurring since Head Coach Reggie Roberts took over in 2010).

Pasco, on the other hand, is used to post-season appearances. During the years that Zephyrhills has been kept out the playoffs, Pasco has earned six district championships and three undefeated regular seasons.

Now, with one game determining who makes the playoffs, Zephyrhills will either break their streak of futility, or Pasco will continue its run of success. With a 4-1 district record, Zephyrhills’ Roberts is excited about his team’s prospects.

“We’re a better football team than we have been in the past,” Roberts explained. “The last two years, we tasted a little bit of the possibility of the playoffs, and these kids really want to get there. And they’re playing like that right now. I’ve got a bunch of motivated kids on my hands.”

Two of those motivated kids are sure to be the focal points of Zephyrhills’ offense, and the biggest concerns for Pasco’s defense. Senior Devon Brockington is not only one of the rushing threats in the Bulldogs’ run-first scheme, but he’s also the top target when they throw the ball. But if the Pirates find a way to contain him, they’ll still have to contend with Jaylen Pickett, a senior who serves as the lead back and workhorse when Zephyrhills does their damage on the ground.

There’s no question the Bulldogs have had a good year, as evidenced by Roberts being named Coach of the Year by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association for District 10. But Roberts, who attended Zephyrhills in his playing days, still has some unfinished business with Pasco. As a linebacker and tight end, his Bulldogs teams were undefeated against their rival, but it’s been a different story as a coach: In three previous opportunities, he has yet to win when facing the Pirates.

And while the game is important for reasons that go beyond his personal history with the team, he’s aware of the disparity in records as a player and coach.

Roberts and the Bulldogs are also aware of the rivalry aspect of playing Pasco. Whatever his coaching staff designs in preparation for the contest, manufacturing motivation and excitement among the players won’t be necessary.

“That’s our rival. The kids always get up for that football game,” Roberts said. “It’s always a good match up; a good rivalry. They’re going to be ready to play. Now you put the district on top of that, and the possibility of the playoffs on top of that? Yeah, it’s not going to be hard to get up for this football game.”

Pro shop finds modern business model in old game

October 30, 2013 By Michael Murillo

When an economy struggles, one of the first major areas to get hit is leisure. You know, places like the golf course.

It’s hard sometimes to justify that extra trip to the greens, and even then, spending too much in the pro shop there, if anything at all. That has made keeping pro shops in country clubs difficult for many golf courses, which gave Land O’ Lakes resident Steve Pitts an idea.

The owner of Steve’s World of Golf in Hudson, Pitts has spent years welcoming golfers to his shop. But he wasn’t really on the golf course — until now.

Rand Willette, a senior at Land O’ Lakes High School, works the pro shop at The Groves Golf & Country Club. Steve’s World of Golf out of Hudson supplies this shop and 16 others in Florida and Georgia. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“I, like others, hurt the golf industry by pulling golfers away from their golf course to shop at shops like mine,” Pitts said. “My kids are in college now. Instead of retiring, I have decided to help the total golf industry by building this business model.”

That business model is supplying pro shops at golf courses around the state. Pitts will open a location with between $60,000 and $100,000 of merchandise, and hand-delivering shipments from his own 4,000-square foot warehouse.

The process, Pitts said, removes the overhead costs and hassle of running a pro shop, while still allowing the club to make money on every sale. Updating inventory and returning defective merchandise is easy, and the course isn’t financially responsible for items that don’t sell.

And that’s good, because having a deficient pro shop could hurt a golf course’s reputation.

“One of the first things you notice, if not the first thing you notice when you come to a golf course, is the pro shop,” said Jan-Michael Norman, a club professional at The Groves Golf & Country Club in Land O’ Lakes. “A lot of golf courses generally have one or two major brands, and that’s all they’ll carry.”

The Groves doesn’t have that problem because, like 16 other golf courses in Florida and Georgia, Steve’s World of Golf stocks it. Working with the store has allowed the pro shop to become more competitive, Norman said, while freeing him of the time-consuming duties usually required to stock and manage it.

These pro shops also benefit from advertising Steve’s World of Golf does, as well as having a more diverse shop with better choices and prices. The golf courses staff it with their own personnel, so no jobs are lost in the process, either.

Pitts believes he’s improving each club’s image, providing better value to their members and visitors, and saving them time — all while decreasing their risk and increasing their bottom line.

“All they have to do is just run their operation,” Pitts said. “They make twice the net profit with our business model than they could ever dream of making on their own.”

And that means no more discounting items that don’t sell, or having to fight with vendors over defective merchandise. The pro shop, at least at The Groves, is running smoother than it ever has before.

“We can accommodate pretty much every need of all the golfers who come through our doors as far as price, while still giving a quality product,” Norman said.