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Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus

2020 had shining moments in sports, despite COVID-19 (Part 2)

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New recreation facilities opened, prep teams competed for state titles and local athletes accomplished memorable achievements, despite challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is a look at some of the top moments in sports, from across Pasco and Hillsborough counties, in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. (This is part two of a two-part series.)

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus ready for play
Spacious, bio-cushioned hardwood floors sparkled under the lights.

Multisport electronic scoreboards operated without a hitch.

Myriad ceiling-hung basketball goals and volleyball nets were mechanically lowered and raised in minutes.

Area youth and adults will have access to the field house during weekdays, with the opportunity to participate in recreation leagues, camps and clinics. (File)

Centralized cheerleading/dance springboard floor was square for stunts and tumbling.

Adjacent outdoor multi-use grass fields were manicured and marked up for soccer, lacrosse and other events.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County was officially game ready upon an Aug. 27 ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the site, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Featuring 98,000 square feet of indoor space, the complex is hyped as a destination for local youth, school teams and adult athletes, while also playing host to a diverse set of regional, national and international level sports tournaments year-round, primarily in basketball, volleyball and cheerleading.

Underscoring its scope: the multi-use sports complex is large enough to hold either 16 volleyball games or eight full-court basketball games at any given time.

Two 35,500-square-foot gyms are separated by a cheer/dance studio, athletic training center and second-level mezzanine, set below 37-foot-high ceilings.

Furthermore, spacious floors can be converted to accommodate other sports, such as pickleball (up to 16 courts), futsal (up to eight courts), as well as large-scale wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA) or karate tournaments.

The $29 million field house is the centerpiece of a $44 million public-private project.

In time, it will be phased to include seven outdoor multi-use fields and a 128-room hotel situated on 80 acres of land donated by the Porter family, one of the area’s leading cattle ranchers who established Wiregrass Ranch in 1942.

The athletics campus is a public-private partnership between the county, who owns the land and facility, and RADD Sports, a private sports management company tasked with handling day-to-day programming, maintenance and operations.

The complex is open for public use and local leagues Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday will generally be reserved for attracting out-of-area tournaments.

Zephyrhills celebrates tennis center grand opening
An Oct. 17 grand opening celebration of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center was serenaded in maybe the most Zephyrhills way possible — with a slew of skydiving parachute landings on the nearly 10-acre property, at 6585 Simons Road.

If the special event was any indication — even with the COVID-19 pandemic — the state-of-the art tennis complex may put the city on the map not unlike how the airborne extreme sport has for decades.

The new Sarah Vande Berg Wellness and Tennis Center hosted its grand opening celebration on Oct. 17. A gym, various wellness treatments, and opportunities for instruction are offered at the new facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

Over 400 mask-wearing visitors turned out to get a firsthand look at a finished product five years in the making — accomplished through myriad partnerships between city, state, and private investment and donations.

The $4.9 million tennis complex is labeled, “Tampa’s first boutique-style racquet sports and wellness club.”

It lives up to the billing through:

  • 11 regulation-sized outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface)
  • Eight outdoor pickleball courts
  • Four outdoor padel courts
  • Outdoor multipurpose turf field
  • The nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse, featuring a full-service restaurant/cafe, fitness center, salt room, yoga room, cryotherapy chamber and pro shop.

Though membership-based, guest users are encouraged to make court rentals and partake in other frills.

Besides being a public asset, the complex is expected to draw regional, national and international amateur and professional tournaments in tennis, pickleball and padel.

The facility is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, on Oct. 11, 2015.

The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

The municipality owns the state-of-the-art tennis facility, but Collard is responsible for its day-to-day operations and programming.

Lutz native Kevin Cash manages Rays to World Series
Lutz native/Gaither High alum Kevin Cash came full circle with his baseball career when he managed the hometown Tampa Bay Rays to the sport’s grandest stage —the 2020 World Series.

The Rays did lose in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in late October at Globe Life Field, in Arlington, Texas.

The feat was still monumental, nonetheless.

Lutz native/Gaither High alum Kevin Cash managed the Tampa Bay Rays to the 2020 World Series, in Arlington, Texas. He was also crowned 2020 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The Rays manager had done yeoman’s work in guiding the squad to its second and deepest World Series appearance in franchise history — the other coming in 2008, where the team lost in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Amid a logistically, emotionally taxing, pandemic-delayed, 60-game shortened season, Cash navigated historic feats out of a young, diverse team with a low payroll, dearth of superstars and household names that encountered a slew of injuries.

To place in perspective: Tampa Bay’s $28.3 million prorated payroll — third lowest in the Majors — paled in comparison to the $108.4 million sum of the Dodgers.

Also, the Rays had 15 different players serve a total of 20 injured-list stints. (On Sept. 1, they set a team-record-tying — not in a good way — 13 players unavailable for action.)

Weeks after guiding the Rays to the American League’s best regular season record (40-20) and the franchise’s second World Series berth in history, Cash deservedly was crowned 2020 AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The 42-year-old Cash received 22 of 30 first-place votes and 126 total points in the BBWAA’s scoring to win over former Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria (61) and current Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo (47).

Cash’s ties to the local community run deep, meanwhile.

He grew up in the Valley Ranch Drive neighborhood across from Lake Park in Lutz, along North Dale Mabry Highway.

He was a 12-year-old second baseman on the 1989 Northside Little League team that reached the 43rd Little League World Series.

He would later star at Gaither and Florida State University through the mid- and late- 1990s before enjoying an eight-year MLB career as a journeyman catcher.

Following his playing career, Cash became a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays (2012) and then bullpen coach for the Cleveland Indians (2013-2014), before landing the Tampa Bay managerial gig in 2015.

Toronto Raptors hold training camp at Saint Leo
While the COVID-19 pandemic brought much angst to the sports world and beyond in 2020, it also led to some unique, if not positive, occurrences.

One of the most notable was the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Toronto Raptors hosting training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, from Dec. 1 through Dec. 11.

Toronto Raptors veteran guard Fred VanVleet hones his jump shot inside Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the franchise was unable to start the 2020-2021 regular season in Toronto due to Canada-U.S. border restrictions.

Needing a temporary home in the states, Raptors players voted that they preferred to begin their 2020-2021 season in Tampa over cities such as Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale, Louisville, Nashville and Newark.

As the franchise readied its temporary home at Channelside’s Amalie Arena and makeshift practice facility at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, the Raptors needed someplace nearby to hold its two weeklong training camp.

That’s when some deep coaching ties came to assist.

Saint Leo men’s basketball coach Lance Randall has known Raptors head coach Nick Nurse for over 20 years — a relationship dating back to when the pair were coaching against each other in Europe.

It was sometime in mid-November when Randall received a random text message from Nurse, inquiring about the college’s basketball facilities as a possible camp site as the team made preparations for a move stateside.

Randall subsequently went into recruiting pitch mode, self-assured the Bowman Center would be a slam dunk for the Raptors.

The Bowman Center has 10 basketball hoops, two-full sized courts and a 4,444 square-foot weight room.

The facility also has a balcony overlooking the practice gym, which allowed team scouts and management to get a bird’s-eye view of all the action.

Add to that a serene setting devoid of distractions in rural East Pasco County off State Road 52, some 35 miles north of the team’s downtown Tampa hotel stay.

Multiple in-person visits by Raptors officials to campus sealed the deal, the amenities clearly to their liking.

For the duration of Raptors training camp, buses shuttled players, coaches and officials to Saint Leo, generally between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., each day.

As many as four shuttle buses could be seen parked at any one time next to the Bowman Center.
Raptors management strived to normalize the temporary setting, wrapping the university’s fitness center, end mats and other portions of the arena in team logos and its signature red and black color scheme.

On the whole, the Raptors came away quite pleased with the university’s athletic facilities and community welcoming.

“I think it’s been great,” Raptors all-star power forward Pascal Siakam said of the training camp experience at Saint Leo. “I would say we’ve been blessed to be able to have a facility like that. Definitely a shoutout to Saint Leo for letting us use the gym and be a part of what they have here.
“I think it’s been great just being here and having everything under one roof. I just know, obviously, we appreciate it as a team.”

Published December 30, 2020

Send-off honors Pasco Commissioner Mike Wells

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Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells Jr., concluded his last meeting with the county board, on Oct. 20 with a playful gesture.

He dropped the gavel.

The action — which essentially means, ‘My work is done here’ — provided a glimpse into the commissioner’s self-deprecating humor, and it came at the conclusion of a meeting where he received a standing ovation, and was lavished with praise for his six years of service on the county board.

Pasco County commissioners honored their colleague, Mike Wells, who is leaving the board to become Pasco County Property Appraiser. Shown here, from left: Commissioner Ron Oakley, Commission Chairman Mike Moore, Commissioner Mike Wells, Commissioner Jack Mariano and Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. Wells is holding a framed copy of a resolution honoring his service on the board. (Courtesy of Andy Taylor/Pasco County)

Commissioners paused from their formal agenda to honor some of Wells’ accomplishments since he won the District 4 seat in 2014 and subsequently won re-election.

He’s leaving the board to become the Pasco County Property Appraiser.

Wells has a long association with politics and government.

After all, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Mike Wells Sr., who served on the Pasco County Commission and then was Pasco County Property Appraiser.

Besides growing up in a household where public service was valued, Wells got involved in political campaigns when he was just 12 years old.

During his tenure on the Pasco County Commission, Wells has voted on myriad issues important to Pasco County residents, businesses, organizations and communities.

He advocated for the extension of Ridge Road — a project the county had pursued for decades that finally began construction at the beginning of this year.

He and his colleagues selected County Administrator Dan Biles to lead the county’s staff.

Wells also took the leading role in reviving scalloping in Pasco County, after a hiatus that had lasted nearly 25 years.

During county meetings and through work with community organizations, he has championed efforts to help the elderly, the disabled, the homeless, the unemployed, veterans and small businesses.

Wells also has called for high expectations of the county staff, as it relates to customer service.

At the same time, he demonstrated support of county staff, too.

During this year’s budget talks, the county administrator recommended a 2% raise for county staff, in keeping with the inflation rate.

Wells balked.

He pushed for a 3% raise — to match the percentage approved for state employees and staff of the county’s constitutional officers.

Wells’ firm stand on the issue found support among his colleagues, and ultimately, it won the day.

During the commissioner’s final board meeting, board members surprised him with a resolution outlining Wells’ public service.

They also offered words of praise.

“We campaigned together for a long time,” said Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “We were sworn together Nov. 18 of 2014. The first meeting, it was  a doozy of a meeting. Remember that?”

During that session, the board turned down a concept for a sports park on the land that is now occupied by the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

That first “no vote” ultimately resulted in a superior outcome, Moore said.

The commission chairman also noted that through the years, Wells has taken “numerous, numerous votes that are going to change this community for the better, and this county for the better, for a long, long time.

“You will be missed,” Moore said.

Commissioner Ron Oakley weighed in, too.

“I think we were all put here at the right time to move Pasco forward. You played a big part in doing that, and doing it the right way,” Oakley said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey added: “I appreciate your leadership here on the board. It’s been really fun working with you all of these years, and I look forward to working with you as property appraiser. I know you’re going to do a great job.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano put it this way: “Mike, I want to say, you’ve been a high-impact commissioner. I think when the two Mikes (Mike Wells and Mike Moore) came on board, they brought a great energy of getting things done.”

He said Wells has worked to help push stormwater projects forward. He also said Wells helped secure funding for Starkey Park and SunWest Park, and supported the county’s acquisition of private water systems, leading to lower rates for customers.

“It’s been a great pleasure working with you,” Mariano said. “I think people recognized that you would be a great property appraiser,” he added.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder and County Administrator Biles also expressed their appreciation for Wells’ service on the board.

Published October 28, 2020

Elections supervisor encourages early voting, vote by mail

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For Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley, it’s quite the busy time of year.

His agency on Sept. 24 sent out its mass mailing of approximately120,000 vote-by-mail ballots to residents — roughly a third of the agency’s voter registry file — for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.

Simultaneously, the elections office is readying early voting sites.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley was the featured speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group meeting earlier this month. (File)

The early voting cycle will run for 13 days from Oct. 19 through Oct. 31, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day.

The county added three new early sites bringing its total up to record-high 14 locations for the presidential election, said Corley, who was the guest speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group  meeting at IHOP in Dade City this month.

New sites include Veterans Memorial Park gymnasium in Hudson; J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex in Hudson; and, the newly opened Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel.

Another early voting site change — the larger Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex gymnasium will be used in place of the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on Collier Parkway, typically the county’s most heavily trafficked site, Corley said.

The elections leader credited Pasco County administrator Dan Biles for approving the early voting location additions and changes — particularly the one in Land O’ Lakes — in the name of accommodating more voters and allowing for social distancing protocols.

“We like big rooms for early voting sites,” Corley told the audience. “Basically, we’re going to be using the (Land O’ Lakes) gymnasium for 13 days. That’s a big ask for the county.”

With that, Corley assured there’s myriad measures in place to ensure the safety of poll workers and voters alike, in regards to the coronavirus.

That includes installation of plexiglass shields around electronic poll books, one-use styluses, hand sanitizer, disinfectants and spacing booths further apart. Many of those procedures helped the August primaries go “very, very smoothly,” Corley noted.

The elections supervisor would go on to discuss the county’s vote-by-mail processes — assuring it’s a safe and secure method to utilize for eligible voters.

He pointed out his agency was the first in the state to implement “Ballot Scout,” a tool which uses scan data for voters to track the delivery of their vote-by-mail ballot through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Voters can view the status of their ballot as being mailed, in transit, or delivered, via text or email notifications.

“You can track your ballot like an Amazon package,” said Corley. “You can see when we sent it out. On our end, we can tell you exactly where it is. When it comes to our office, it’ll automatically text you, ‘We got your ballot back.’”

(File)

Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested up to 5 p.m., Oct. 24 at PascoVotes.com, calling (800) 851-8754, or in writing to P.O. Box 300 Dade City, Florida, 33526.

Also on the topic, Corley defended the postal service, which has been politicized in recent months over nationwide concerns about rejected or uncounted mailing ballots.

To avert those issues, the earlier a ballot is mailed, the better, Corley emphasized.

Because vote-by-mail ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m., on Election Day, Corley said, it’s an unwise proposition for someone to postmark a ballot the actual day of the election and expect it to be delivered in time of the deadline.

As an example, placing a ballot in the mailbox at, say, noon on election day may result in your vote not being counted, he said. He noted there were about 600 uncounted ballots returned to his office after 7 p.m., on the date of the Aug. 18 primary.

“That’s not the USPS’s fault,” Corley said. “Let the voter take some responsibility, and get it back early.”

Those who remain leery about vote by mail, or uncomfortable stepping indoors to cast their vote, there’s also an option to bring an absentee ballot to early voting site drop boxes staffed by poll deputies, Corley explained. Ballots in the drop boxes are securely returned to the elections office headquarters at the end of each day.

“It’s like you’re literally handing it to one of my staff — it doesn’t get any more secure than that,” Corley said.

The elections supervisor also talked about the importance of his agency cultivating important partnerships with other county government agencies, such as the school district, sheriff’s office, tax collector’s office and clerk’s office.

That came to a head in this year’s municipal and primary elections, when the agency had some 300 poll workers opt out amid fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The county’s average poll worker age is 66 years old, Corley said.) “I couldn’t blame them,” he said.

To help make up for the shortage, Corley enlisted help from Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, who sent a memo asking if any district employees wanted to fill in as poll workers.

The interest, response and results were overwhelming positive, the elections supervisor said.

“We had more than we needed,” Corley said. “We had teachers, school personnel that had never been a poll worker, never had any training, show up on election day and then hit it out of the park for us.”

Voting in Pasco and Hillsborough counties
The deadline is Oct. 5 to register for the Nov. 3 General Election.

Early voting in Pasco County is Oct. 19 through Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day. The county has a record-high 14 early voting sites. To find out more, visit PascoVotes.org.

Early voting in Hillsborough County is Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each day. Hillsborough County has 26 early voting sites. To find out more, visit VoteHillsborough.org.

Published September 30, 2020

Pasco County budget expected to surpass $1.5 billion

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The Pasco County Commission gave first-round approval of a budget exceeding $1.5 billion for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

The action came during the first public hearing on the budget, held at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 8. The final public hearing on the budget will be on Sept. 21. The new budget takes effect Oct. 1.

No one spoke during the public comment portion of the public hearing, and the board passed the budget unanimously without comment — following a presentation by County Budget Director Robert Goehig.

Board members and county officials had discussed budget issues at length during previous budget workshops.

This year’s revenues were less than previously expected because of negative economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the county was unable to pursue most of its proposed business initiatives for the coming year.

The budget includes a 3% raise for county employees.

It also allocates increased spending for the county’s library system — including costs associated with opening a new library at Starkey Ranch.

There’s also more spending in the parks and recreation budget — related to the county gradually assuming management of the Starkey Ranch District Park.

Earlier in the meeting, board members authorized the issuance of $44 million in the second allocation for the general obligation bonds for fire/rescue projects.

Goehig told board members the funds will be used to build three new fire stations, to knock down and renovate three existing fire stations, and to design a centralized fire training center.

On another issue, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey asked county staff to take a closer look at the proposed placement of a community garden planned for the area where a school, library and theater are being built through a collaborative partnership in Starkey Ranch.

“I’m a little concerned that where that community garden is going now, it’s not going to be accessible by anyone who wants to go and participate in a community garden,” Starkey said.

“To me, that is a long way to go with all of your tools and equipment, to garden. I think it will end up just being the school garden and will not be a community garden. I personally, am not so happy with that location,” she said.

Starkey: “I would like to talk to them (project partners) about having it closer to the library, facilities, restrooms.

“I want to be a good partner (with the school district). I think they want to be a good partner. I actually don’t think that’s a good site at all,” Starkey said.

She would like to see what can be done about finding an area that’s more accessible.

“There’s going to be a lot of seniors that would like to be in the garden. Where are the restrooms?” Starkey asked.

Commissioner Mike Wells also briefed commissioners on progress that has been made through a partnership between the county and CareerSource on a Workforce Redevelopment Program.

The goal was about 150 jobs, for $1.5 million, Wells said. CareerSource exceeded that goal, with 163 jobs. The partnership also led to 56 part-time jobs, the commissioner noted.

“What I thought was really exciting, out of those 163 — 87 were homeless in Pasco,” Wells said.

“That gives us a return-on-investment of more than $6.5 million,” he added.

The county is going to contract with CareerSource for the next four years, Wells said. “They have done an unbelievable job with our team, to put people back to work.”

Commission Chairman Mike Moore also updated the board about activities at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, which recently opened.

He reported that “43 out of 52 weekends are already booked with sports at that facility.”

Local programming has begun, too, Moore said.

“They have basketball leagues, they have indoor soccer leagues, they have cheerleading going on, volleyball going on. All of that is already going on, for our local residents. It’s already a huge success — obviously a huge asset for the county,” Moore said.

County Administrator Dan Biles also informed the board that there will be an item on the Sept. 21 agenda to discuss Pasco County’s COVID-19 response and where it needs to go from here.

Published September 16, 2020

Voting locations to expand

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Election supervisors in Pasco and Hillsborough counties plan to expand opportunities to voters in the coming General Election, to make it easier for them to have their voices heard.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has announced plans to add more early voting sites for this year’s Presidential Election.

The county also will extend the length of the early voting period, according to a news release from Corley’s office.

The changes are being made “in anticipation of increased voter turnout and the inevitable potential for long lines and wait times due to social distancing and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)-recommended cleaning guidelines,” the release says.

The early voting period in Pasco County is Oct. 18 through Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends.

The county also has increased the number of early voting sites.

“A longer voting period and a total of 14 locations marks a new high for Pasco County,” the release from Corley’s office reports.

“In partnership with Pasco County Administration, we have secured additional sites to include Veterans Memorial Park Gymnasium, J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex Gymnasium, Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex Gymnasium and Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus,” Corley says, in the release. “The response from Dan Biles, County Administrator, was without hesitation and completely in the spirit of being on the same team.”

The release also notes that the addition of county sports complexes and gymnasiums will give Pasco voters more options for casting their ballot in-person, and, in terms of size, will accommodate more voters while still social distancing. The Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex Gymnasium will replace the Land O’ Lakes Library. The library, which is next to the recreation complex, has been a well-attended early voting site, the release says.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer reports that his county has 24 early voting locations — offering convenient options for voters throughout the county.

Hillsborough County will begin mailing out vote-by-mail ballots on Sept. 24. Ballots must be return to the supervisor’s office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, which is Election Day.

Hillsborough also is adding curbside drop-off tents at Latimer’s four offices, which will operate seven days a week, beginning Oct. 1.

Early voting in Hillsborough is Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nationally, President Donald Trump has raised questions about the integrity of the vote-by-mail process, although he has said that Florida’s vote-by-mail system is safe and secure.

Latimer assured voters that “in Florida, our systems will not allow us to accept more than one ballot from a voter.

“A voter’s record is updated to show that a mail ballot has been mailed to them, and updated again when the voted mail ballot has been received and verified.

“Poll workers have this information during early voting and Election Day. If a voter has received a vote-by-mail ballot and shows up to vote in person, one of two things happen: “If the ballot has not been received yet, the voter may vote in person and their mail ballot will be canceled. If the mail ballot arrives at the office after they voted in person, the mail ballot will not be accepted.

“If that voter’s vote-by-mail ballot has already been received, it is deemed “cast” and they will not be allowed to cast an in-person vote,” Latimer said, via email.

For a list of early voting locations and other election information, visit PascoVotes.gov.

For the same type of information in Hillsborough County, visit VoteHillsborough.org.

Published September 09, 2020

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus ready for play

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The spacious, bio-cushioned hardwood floors sparkle under the lights.

The multisport electronic scoreboards operate without a hitch.

Area youth and adults will have access to the field house during weekdays, with the opportunity to participate in recreation leagues, camps and clinics. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The myriad ceiling-hung basketball goals and volleyball nets are mechanically lowered and raised in minutes.

The centralized cheerleading/dance springboard floor is square for stunts and tumbling. Adjacent outdoor multi-use grass fields are manicured and marked up for soccer, lacrosse and other events.

Put another way, the highly-anticipated Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is finally open and ready for play, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

With 98,000 square feet of indoor space, the complex is hyped as a destination for local youth, school teams and adult athletes, while also playing host to a diverse set of regional, national and international level sports tournaments year-round.

The $29 million field house is the centerpiece of a $44 million public-private project. Ultimately, it will be phased to include seven outdoor multi-use fields and a 128-room hotel situated 80 acres of land donated by the Porter family, one of the area’s leading cattle ranchers who established Wiregrass Ranch in 1942. The sports campus is funded with county tourist tax development dollars, while the adjacent hotel will be funded and constructed via private capital from Mainsail Development Group.

An Aug. 27 ribbon cutting ceremony signaled the opening of the first phase of the much-anticipated Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

An Aug. 27 grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony offered an in-depth look of the state-of-the-art facility that the county hopes will be a game-changing tourism draw for years to come.

The multi-use sports complex, which features 37-foot-high ceilings, is large enough to hold either 16 volleyball games or eight full-court basketball games at any given time.

It’s two 35,500-square-foot gyms are separated by a cheer/dance studio, athletic training center and second-level mezzanine. Spacious floors can be converted to accommodate other sports, such as pickleball (up to 16 courts), futsal (up to eight courts), as well as large-scale wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA) or karate tournaments.

Versatility and flexibility are key aspects of the complex’s design. For instance, one side of the gym could be used for a volleyball tournament, while the other side could be used for another sport or even a convention.

Other notable amenities include an educational lab, full-service kitchen, a concessions area aptly titled “Fast Break,” and snack bar, “Power Alley,” both situated in the lobby.

Designed to attract athletes, from near and far
The birth of the campus dates back to 2001, when a feasibility study identified the county as a possible sports tourism hotspot.

Concrete plans for the multi-purpose athletic center didn’t come together until 2015.

The facility officially broke ground in June 2018.

Pasco County Commissioner and Pasco County Tourist Development Council Chairman Mike Moore labeled the project “a huge milestone” for the area.

“This isn’t a dream on paper anymore — it’s actually happening right in front of us, ” Moore said at the grand opening ceremony.

In addition to a combined 70,000 square feet of floor space, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County features a competition cheer/dance studio and springboard.

“It’s a beautiful facility. It’s no longer a construction site, it’s now the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

“It was a long road to get here, and it took a shared vision and commitment from this County Commission that we have here, the Tourist Development Council, and a very, very generous family,” Moore said.

The athletics campus is a public-private partnership between the county, who owns the land and facility, and RADD Sports, a private sports management company tasked with handling day-to-day programming, maintenance and operations.

Moore noted the importance of such a partnership: “A county government, let’s be honest, isn’t set up to effectively run a facility like this. That’s probably the last thing you want ever to happen, is a county government to run a facility like this.”

The complex will be open for public use and local leagues Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday will generally be reserved for attracting out-of-area tournaments.

The youth and amateur sports industry has quickly taken notice of all the frills.

The venue has booked 53 events or tournaments across the next 42 weekends, according to RADD Sports CEO Richard Blalock. That so far encompasses basketball, cheerleading, futsal, gymnastics, karate, volleyball, and wrestling; upwards of 17 different sports could be effectively at the complex, officials say.

It’s very first hosted event was a South Florida-based boys travel basketball tournament, which generated 500 room nights booked for the county.

“During a pandemic, that’s really strong,” Moore said, adding the number of bookings already scheduled is “really, really incredible.”

Said Moore: “The people that come here are going to stay in our hotels, which they already have. They’re going to eat at our restaurants. They’re going to shop at our Pasco County stores. And, it’s not just the athletes that are competing that’ll be doing that, it’s their families, it’s their friends, and it’s the spectators.”

Meanwhile, a team of RADD athletic directors/coaches with extensive professional backgrounds will help run local programming in the arenas of cheer, gymnastics, soccer, basketball and volleyball — the primary sports focus of the complex. That includes afterschool programs, camps, recreation leagues and so on.

With talents and skills that’s taken them to sports’ highest levels nationally and internationally, even they were awestruck by the complex’s diverse amenities.

The 98,000-square-foot indoor field house is the cornerstone of the 80-acre Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County. It is now open and ready for play.

“There’s no other facility like it, not in the Southeast, and maybe not even the country,” said basketball director Ronnie Outen, a former Division I hooper at West Virginia University who spent 15 years playing professionally overseas in Austria, Italy and Lebanon, among other countries.

Outen specifically observed the benefits of the facility’s second-floor mezzanine, which offers “a bird’s eye view” of every game in action — a plus for college recruiters, scouts, family members and so on.

“A lot of places have a lot of courts, but they’re not centrally, strategically placed where you can just get a view of the whole facility in one specific location,” he said.

Former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell is heading up the campus’ indoor futsal and outdoor soccer programming. With seven full-sized outdoor fields and hotel coming online within walking distance, he believes the space is worthy enough to host year-round residencies for professional soccer teams overseas.

“I know where I’m from, I certainly didn’t have anything like this,” said Campbell, a former English Premier soccer player from the United Kingdom.  “I think we’ve opened ourselves and Pasco County up to the opportunity of bringing in  professional soccer teams.”

Some of the complex’s finer details, such as heavy-duty commercial rollup doors to conveniently load and offload equipment, makes it ever more appealing to lure some headline tournaments and become the flagship for others.

“They spared no expense,” Matt McDonough, the facility’s senior director of cheer and event development, said. “There’s really so much you can do with this. You can rock and roll with a giant wrestling tournament here, judo, fencing. I think they even planned for archery.”

For more information, visit Wiregrass-sports.com.

Published September 02, 2020

Florida’s Sports Coast seeks rebound from COVID-19

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The months of March and April historically yield the highest tourist development tax revenues seen all year in Pasco County, tourism officials say.

And, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, the county’s tourism arm, was expecting another sunny spring — further buoyed by neighbor Tampa hosting WrestleMania and the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament, among other nationwide sports attractions.

The $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is still on track for opening this summer, and hosting a slew of multi-purpose sporting events beginning this fall. (File)

Then coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) delivered a lethal blow — coincidently around the time county tourism leaders were set to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Florida’s Sports Coast rebrand.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time for us,” Florida’s Sports Coast tourism director Adam Thomas told The Laker/Lutz News. “We had new promotions to celebrate and really promote, and really, our balloon got shot down.”

The pandemic didn’t just rain on the tourism agency’s birthday parade. It also forced the postponement or cancellation of at least nine sporting events.

They include:

  • Amateur Athletic Union Florida West Coast Karate Championships in Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill
  • Savage Race and Savage Blitz extreme mud and obstacle course races in Dade City
  • Gran Fondo Florida bicycle race in San Antonio
  • USA Hockey Adult Men’s and Women’s National Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel
  • Florida Premier Football Club Spring Showcase at fields in Land O’ Lakes, Odessa and New Port Richey
  • Caliente Dare to Bare 5K in Land O’ Lakes
  • Amateur Junior Golf Association qualifier event at Saddlebrook Golf Club in Wesley Chapel
  • Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel

But, Florida’s Sports Coast officials aren’t throwing in the towel just yet, even as hotel room nights and economic impact losses pile up.

Thomas said his office is working with the various events rightsholders and decisionmakers in hopes to reschedule many of those postponed events sometime later this year, once travel bans and stay-at-home orders are lifted.

“All we can do is keep those conversations going and keep a positive dialogue with each rightsholder but, at the end of the day, it’s up to them,” the tourism director said.

Meantime, Florida’s Sports Coast officials anticipate a strong rebound from mid-summer onward — as a slew of new sports and recreation facilities are set to come online.

Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, Pasco County’s tourism arm, is banking on a strong rebound, despite cancellations resulting from the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Among the most ballyhooed is the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County in Wesley Chapel, which is eyeing a July opening. The indoor multi-purpose sports complex is on track to host eight different events in the fall, beginning with a September volleyball tournament.

Thomas called the facility “the big highlight of our summer,” also noting the venue scored a “major, major event” in basketball for 2021.

The county also expects to reap the benefits of the $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, set to open late summer. The facility figures to have a global reach and play host to large United States Tennis Association-level tournaments. “It’s a little nugget in our back pocket,” Thomas said.

Moreover, Snowcat Ridge, promoted as the state’s first alpine snow park, is still believed to be on track for a November opening in Dade City.

Florida’s Sports Coast communications manager Kolby Kuyck Gayson said that project is integral to the agency’s recovery plan, “because it’s a brand new attraction and it’s going to be hitting right at the time where we’re expecting people to finally be comfortable really getting out there and traveling.”

The tourism office has other reasons for guarded optimism, too.

The 10-daylong Tohrs2Hot4Ice roller derby national championships remains a go for late June and early July at AdventHealth Center Ice. The event could generate as many as 2,000 room nights and an economic impact north of $4 million, Thomas said.

Florida’s Sports Coast also is doubling down on promoting leisure activities, such as a 10-day bay scallop season along the Anclote River, which hopes to draw families within a 350-mile driving radius across Florida, south Georgia and so on.

Elsewhere, the tourism office is pushing to solicit more business meetings and corporate retreats to county hotels through the end of the year.

Pasco had a record year for tourism  in 2019 — hitting the million-visitor mark for the first time ever.

Per tourism office reports, 1,038,700 million visitors generated 1,217,021 room nights in paid accommodations between October 2018 and September 2019. The county’s annual bed tax collections surpassed $3 million for the first time, in that span.

Thomas acknowledged those numbers will be down across the board this year, but added fiscal year 2021 should be “a banner year” from an increased demand for vacations and visitations.

Thomas observed, “This is kind of an anomaly we’re dealing with, not just Pasco, but the entire global tourism marketplace is dealing with the same issue. The demand (for vacations) is at an all-time low now. A year from now, the demand is going to be at an all-time high. …There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a brighter day ahead of us.”

Published April 22, 2020

Wiregrass sports campus to open in July

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A hard hat tour and official logo unveil signaled construction is moving swiftly on the highly anticipated Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Several Pasco County officials and other local dignitaries gathered on Jan. 28 to get an up-close look at the forthcoming $44 million project.

Before revealing the new logo for the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, Commission Chairman Mike Moore offered a few remarks about the project to those taking a hard hat tour of the site. Behind Moore are Adam Thomas, director of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, left, and Richard Blalock, CEO of RADDSports. (Christine Holtzman)

The 98,000 square feet of indoor space will be used primarily for basketball, volleyball, cheerleading and more than a dozen other sports. And, there will be two adjacent outdoor multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other events.

Marshall Quarles, project manager for contractor Ajax Building Corp., said the complex is “over 50%” complete, and still on track for a July opening.

The project manager also said bio-cushioned hardwood floors will be installed sometime in late April.

“We try to push that (hardwood install) as long as we can, because obviously we don’t want to have to go back and do any work on top of it,” Quarles explained.

With a timeline in place, sports events have already been booked for the remainder of the year.

Officials said as many as six events have been booked for late 2020, which will equate to 2,460 room nights.

The first is a Sept. 11 high school volleyball tournament that will draw teams from Hillsborough, Pasco and Orange counties, said Richard Blalock, president and CEO of RADD Sports, the private sports management company tasked with operating and managing the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus.

That initial volleyball tournament will serve as a soft opening of sorts for subsequent tournaments, Blalock said, “to make sure the nets come down, the scoreboards work, benches are in the right place, all that kind of stuff.”

While still months away from completion, Blalock already is getting inquiries from youth and amateur sports tournament directors looking to lock up their events at the facility in 2021 and beyond. Blalock has said he hopes to book more than 30 events in the facility’s first full year, then grow from there. “I’ve got organizations fighting over dates,” he said.

Marshall Quarles, project manager for Ajax Building Corporation, uses a map to explain the layout of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, during a hard hat tour.

The multi-purpose sports complex, which features 37-foot-high ceilings, is large enough to hold either 16 volleyball games or eight basketball games at one time — the floors separated by a cheer/dance studio, fitness center and second-level mezzanine. The floor spaces also can be converted to accommodate less traditional sports such as pickleball (up to 16 courts) or futsal (up to eight courts), and more than a dozen other sports and activities.

Other notable amenities include an educational lab, full-service kitchen, a concessions area and snack bar. The indoor facility will have a capacity of 1,100, and the campus will have 700 available parking spaces, officials said.

Blalock pointed out multiple events could be going on simultaneously. For instance, one side of the gym could be used for a volleyball tournament, while the other side could be used for another sport or even a convention. “Our whole concept is to be as flexible as it can be. That’s why it’s designed the way it is,” said Blalock.

Blalock also revealed there’s been active discussions with soccer teams from the United Kingdom to utilize the Wesley Chapel-based campus as a year-round indoor/outdoor training residency. In addition to the outdoor fields, Blalock said the campus meets the regulations for indoor soccer. Meanwhile, soccer teams could room at an on-site 128-room Marriott Residence Inn that will be phased in at a later date through private funds.

“It appeals to them. They can come right here, stay, train, and everything’s in walking distance,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore underscored the expected impact the facility will have on the area’s economy and tourism industry, during the facility preview.

Said Moore, “As people visit our community for gymnastics, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, wrestling and so many more sporting activities, they’re going to travel with their families, stay in Pasco County hotels, shop at Pasco County stores — to help businesses, small and large alike, grow.”

But, the campus figures to be more than simply boosting county tourism figures.

It also will serve as a community sports hub for local residents, including youth camps, recreational games and more.

The plan is for the facility to be open to the public Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday is set aside for weekend tournaments.

Other uses include such events as graduations, trade shows, cultural and art fairs. Additionally, the facility will be deployed as a “shelter of last resort” in the case of a hurricane, as it will be equipped with a generator.

Moore called the campus “a public asset that will help continue to grow Pasco County’s tourism industry and open up jobs for our community, as well as providing athletic opportunities to local citizens and children alike.”

Published February 05, 2020