The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mitchell High School

Lacrosse fundraiser rescheduled to March

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The PascoLax Harley Jam, organized by the Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance (PCLA), has been rescheduled.

The event, originally slated for Dec. 3, will take place on March 25, from noon to 6 p.m., at the Concourse Rotary Pavilion, 15325 Alric Pottberg Road in Spring Hill.

The shindig, which organizers intend to hold annually, will feature a rock/country concert and a reverse raffle.

The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance’s PascoLax Harley Jam has been rescheduled to March 25. The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at the Concourse Rotary Pavilion, 15325 Alric Pottberg Road in Spring Hill. (File Photo)
The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance’s PascoLax Harley Jam has been rescheduled to March 25. The event will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at the Concourse Rotary Pavilion, 15325 Alric Pottberg Road in Spring Hill.
(File Photo)

Concert performers include three Tampa-based bands: Soul Circus Cowboys, Jaded and Phoenix. The grand prize to be raffled off is a choice of either a 2017 Harley-Davidson SuperGlide, or a $20,000 cash prize.

Tickets for the concert/raffle are $100, while concert-only tickets are $10 per person.

Only 2,000 tickets — 1,000 raffle and 1,000 general admissions — will be sold.

Food trucks and other vendors will be present, and 98 Rock will provide a live remote from the concert.

All net proceeds from the benefit will help the PCLA provide funding for several Pasco County high schools to offer boys and girls lacrosse programs.

Sunlake, Mitchell, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools will offer club lacrosse programs, for the 2017 season.

Anclote, Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills high schools, meanwhile, are expected to form boys and girls lacrosse programs, for the 2018 season.

The PCLA, a nonprofit organization, is also assisting the transition of the programs from a club-level sport to a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)-sanctioned sport, beginning with the 2018 spring season.

Eric Handman, fundraising director of the PCLA, said the fundraiser will help subsidize the expenditures to operate each school’s boys and girls lacrosse programs.

“It costs a lot to fund a team,” Handman said, “when you consider refereeing fees, bussing, field use, goals and equipment.”

David Mazursky, president of the PCLA, told The Laker/Lutz News in September that he estimates equipment and operational costs for the lacrosse organization will total about $15,000 per school. Whatever funds aren’t covered through sponsorships will trickle down to players in a “pay-for-play” model.

According to its website, the PCLA is looking to set the registration fee in the same arena as Hillsborough County’s, which decreased from $390 to $320 over the past three years.

“The goal is eventually to get the pay-to-play fee more reasonable,” Handman said.

For more information, visit PascoLaxHarleyJam.com or PascoLax.org.

Published November 23, 2016

Hockey complex to open in December

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It’s almost here.

The highly-anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is slated to open in mid-December.

According to Gordie Zimmermann, a developer with Z Mitch, the complex’s “soft opening” may occur somewhere between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15.

Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track. (Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.
(Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

The facility’s grand opening, he said, will likely be held sometime in early January.

In May, officials said the 150,500-square-foot complex would open in late October.

But, weather setbacks and technological hurdles has delayed the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Now, the complex is undergoing a “four-to-five week” project-commissioning period.

“There’s a lot of things that have to happen,” Zimmermann said of the commissioning period. “There’s a lot of flushing of the big, main pipes. Then they’ve got to test all the controls, and all the motors and compressors.”

The complex operates off a single refrigeration package, which also serves as a dehumidification system. The process is multifaceted, Zimmermann said.

“The whole system is connected,” Zimmermann said, “so in order for it to be running like a charm, everything has to balance — the ice on all the rinks, (and) the dehumidifiers.”

Zimmermann, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, added it typically takes about three to four days to finish a sheet of ice for each rink.

The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December. The $20 million, 150,500-square-foot facility is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.
The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December. The $20 million, 150,500-square-foot facility is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Described as the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, the finished building will house five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.

The multipurpose floor will be used for several sports, including roller hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer.

There also will be a full-service family restaurant on the second floor and five party rooms totaling 17,000 square feet.

Once the facility opens to the public, Zimmermann said the “Learn to Skate” program will be offered first, followed by various recreational and in-house youth leagues.

Registration for those programs will soon be available on the Center Ice website, Zimmermann said.

Meanwhile, other activities — public skating and pickup hockey games — will take place.

“The first thing that’s really going to happen in a big way here is the skating,” Zimmermann said. “We have some big group events that are scheduling with us, and then shortly into the February timeframe, we have a lot of tournaments starting up and running all the way through July.”

While membership and league fees are not yet readily available, Zimmermann said each program will have “pretty competitive pricing.”

“Everything’s going to be in relation to what you typically see in the market — it’s not like a big upswing or anything like that,” he explained.

Center Ice expects to be a haven for several local high school club teams, which are part of the Tampa Bay Lightning High School Hockey League. High schools like Freedom, Mitchell, Wharton and Wiregrass Ranch have expressed interest in using the facility for regular practices and games.

“You’re looking at four or five high schools making this their home,” said Zimmermann, who coaches hockey at Wiregrass Ranch. “We’re going to be able to give them more ice time.”

Officials believe the massive facility will ultimately attract 1.5 million to 2 million visitors annually, with 40 percent coming from outside Tampa Bay.

For information, visit FloridaHospitalCenterIce.com.

Florida Hospital Center Ice
Facility overview
The 150,500-square-foot complex will be the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States. Here are some details:

  • One Olympic-size rink (200 feet by 100 feet)
  • Two North American standard-size rinks (200 feet by 85 feet)
  • One multipurpose sports floor/ice pad-multipurpose pad conversion
  • A 2,600-square-foot fitness facility
  • An indoor sprint track and conditioning area
  • An onsite athletic trainers and sports performance program
  • Five corporate/birthday party rooms
  • A family sport restaurant
  • Private and public locker rooms
  • A hockey skills training area
  • A revolving entrance door to control inside temperature environment

Florida Hospital Center Ice will have numerous programs and uses, including:

  • Local, regional, national and international hockey tournaments
  • University and high school teams’ practices and games
  • Recreational leagues
  • Hockey development programs
  • Roller and street hockey
  • Camps, clinics, multisport training
  • Curling
  • Figure skating
  • Public skating, birthday parties
  • Sled hockey
  • Indoor sports: box lacrosse, volleyball, basketball
  • Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention programs
  • Corporate events, public meetings

Published November 2, 2016

Several Pasco County schools to get lacrosse programs

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Students at several high schools in Pasco County soon will be offered a new sport to play.

The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance (PCLA), a nonprofit organization, recently announced an agreement with Pasco County Schools to manage the transition of high school boys and girls lacrosse from a club sport to a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)-sanctioned sport, beginning with the 2018 spring season.

In 2014, several Hillsborough County public schools became Florida High School Athletic Association-sanctioned in lacrosse. (Courtesy of HIllsborough County Public Schools)
In 2014, several Hillsborough County public schools became Florida High School Athletic Association-sanctioned in lacrosse.
(Courtesy of HIllsborough County Public Schools)

For the upcoming 2017 season — slated to begin in February — the high school teams will play at the club level in the Florida Gulf Coast Lacrosse League, a subsidiary of US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body.

The initial three-year contract between the PCLA and the Pasco County School Board has targeted the following schools for initial Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) certification: Anclote, Land O’ Lakes, Mitchell, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and GGG high schools. GGG is the yet-unnamed high school in Wesley Chapel.

The agreement is similar to a three-year pilot program approved for 10 schools in Hillsborough County in 2014.

Essentially, it calls for the PCLA to manage operational costs (uniforms, protective equipment, refs, travel, coaching stipends), while participating schools provide field access and gate workers.

David Mazursky, president of the PCLA, estimates equipment and operational costs for the lacrosse organization will total about $15,000 per school. Whatever funds aren’t covered through sponsorships will trickle down to players in a “pay-for-play” model.

According to its website, the PCLA is looking to set the registration fee in the same arena as Hillsborough County’s, which decreased from $390 to $320 over the past three years.

Eight Pasco County high schools are set to have lacrosse as a Florida High School Athletic Association-sanctioned sport for boys and girls, beginning with the 2018 season. This season will be played at the club level. (Courtesy of FHSAA)
Eight Pasco County high schools are set to have lacrosse as a Florida High School Athletic Association-sanctioned sport for boys and girls, beginning with the 2018 season. This season will be played at the club level.
(Courtesy of FHSAA)

“We’ll have to charge a fee because there’s costs for transportation, referees, and when you become FHSAA, the head coach has to be a paid position,” Mazursky said.

Certain equipment — uniforms, helmets, protective gear — will be loaned to players. Other types of gear — stick, cleats, socks, gloves — will have to be furnished by players.

Ideally, every school’s boys and girls team will have enough participants to reach the FHSAA-limit of 25 players, Mazursky said.

“I actually don’t think we’re going to have any problem getting enough kids,” he said. “I think you might get a lot of football players that want to do something in between the spring and fall football,” he said. “You’ll get kids that don’t make the soccer team or don’t make the basketball team.”

The biggest challenge, he said, is funding, in general, and then finding and locking in corporate sponsorships to help keep registration fees low.

To help transition first-time players, the PCLA is hosting a series of free player clinics from September through December. The first clinic is Sept. 18 at 8 a.m., at Seven Springs Middle School, 2441 Little Road in New Port Richey.

“The goal of the clinics is for kids who haven’t played to really understand what the game is, and really get them hooked on it,” he said.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to do that,” he added.

In Florida, the sport has grown rapidly over the past several years. According to the National Federation of High Schools, the state saw a 70 percent increase in participation to 8,603 players from 2008 to 2013.

The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance (PCLA) is a nonprofit organization working with Pasco County Public Schools to manage the transition of high school boys and girls lacrosse from a club sport to a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)-sanctioned sport, beginning with the 2018 spring season. (Courtesy of Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance)
The Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance (PCLA) is a nonprofit organization working with Pasco County Public Schools to manage the transition of high school boys and girls lacrosse from a club sport to a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)-sanctioned sport, beginning with the 2018 spring season.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Lacrosse Alliance)

Moreover, about 150 Florida schools are currently sanctioned to play for state titles in both girls and boys lacrosse.

“The exposure has been much better,” Mazursky said. “As we get it into more high schools…it’ll grow from just purely a club program to something more prominent.”

The PCLA president noted that transitioning from a club sport to an FHSAA-sanctioned sport is critical to expanding lacrosse’s reach to adolescents in the area.

“There’s a lot of interest at the youth level, but when kids realize they don’t have a high school sport, then they quit,” he said. “As a club sport, you don’t feel like part of the high school — you’re not in the yearbook, you don’t get a (varsity) letter.”

Note: Parents and students can go to PascoLax.org for more information. Donations to help fund lacrosse for one of the selected teams of choice can be made at: PascoLax.org/donations-per-team.html.
Companies interested in sponsoring their local schools can contact Eric Handman at  for more information.

Published September 7, 2016

 

Crews busy building schools in Pasco

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Wiregrass Elementary School is set to open this fall in Wesley Chapel.

Construction is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school.

That campus is expected to open in 2017-2018.

Construction also has started on a new elementary school that’s also expected to open in 2017-2018 in Bexley Ranch, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

Construction activity is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school. (Images courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Construction activity is well under way on a new high school on Old Pasco Road, which will open initially as a high school and a middle school.
(Images courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Meanwhile, a major renovation project is planned for 2017-2018 at Land O’ Lakes High, on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

In addition to renovating the school, the project calls for adding a wing to increase the school’s capacity.

The district is still considering various options for where Land O’ Lakes High School’s students will be housed during its major renovation.

“Anytime you’re doing construction with students on campus, it gets more expensive. The project takes longer,” Williams said. “It’s harder to do.”

The school district continues to search for a high school site and an elementary site between Sunlake and Mitchell high schools, off of State Road 54.

As the district prepares to open new schools next year, it will begin holding boundary committee meetings in the fall, followed by parent meetings, and then eventually the Pasco County School Board, to determine the boundaries for the new schools.

This is what the new high school being built on Old Pasco Road is expected to look like, at completion. The school initially will be used for a high school and a middle school, because Pasco County Schools needs to accommodate more middle and high school students, but cannot afford to build schools for both.
This is what the new high school being built on Old Pasco Road is expected to look like, at completion. The school initially will be used for a high school and a middle school, because Pasco County Schools needs to accommodate more middle and high school students, but cannot afford to build schools for both.

The new high school is expected to affect the boundaries for Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and potentially Sunlake high schools, Williams said.

The new middle school is expected to affect the boundaries for Weightman, John Long and potentially Rushe middle schools.

The new elementary in Bexley Ranch is expected to affect the boundaries for Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. Meanwhile, the district may also consider shifting the boundaries between Oakstead and Lake Myrtle elementary schools, to provide additional relief to Oakstead and to help increase Myrtle’s enrollment, since it can accommodate more students, Williams said.

While the district needs new schools to provide a place for students to learn, the practice of drawing boundaries for them always sparks controversy. Passions run high, as parents outline the various problems they envision if their child is reassigned to a new school, or — in some cases — is not. Sometimes the complaints are about academic opportunities, but often they involve daycare or the ability to be involved in school activities.

Published July 27, 2016

 

Carrollwood soccer beefs up talent, schedule

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Jim Harte has seen a massive turnaround of Carrollwood Day School’s boys soccer program since he became head coach four seasons ago.

The Patriots varsity soccer program was just four years old when Harte arrived, and the team had been struggling mightily.

The team was winless in its first three seasons and had just won five games the year before Harte arrived.

Carrollwood boys varsity head coach Jim Harte (left) pictured with the team’s trainer, Dudu. (Courtesy of Denise Pironti)
Carrollwood boys varsity head coach Jim Harte (left) pictured with the team’s trainer, Dudu.
(Courtesy of Denise Pironti)

Under Harte’s tutelage, Carrollwood has amassed an impressive 55-24-14 mark in four seasons.

Harte left a cushy gig at Clearwater Central Catholic—winning six state titles in 25 years—to help lead the turnaround of Carrollwood boys soccer.

Harte relished the challenge, but also saw the program’s long-term potential.

“I thought, ‘Why not give it a shot? Why not take this blank canvas and see what we can do with it?’ I felt very confident the people coming up into the program were going to make it special,” he said.

Via his annual Marauder Soccer Camp—the longest running soccer camp in the Tampa Bay area, Harte was able to witness Carrollwood’s up-and-coming talent firsthand.

“A lot of CDS (Carrollwood Day School) kids came to my camp as second- and third-graders, and they were good players,” Harte, 59, said. “There was percolating talent in the school that just needed to be harnessed.”

To help steer Carrollwood soccer in a positive direction, Harte enlisted the help of several assistants, including a former Brazilian professional soccer player by the name of Dudu.

“Dudu played in Brazil with some of the greatest soccer players ever. He came up in the time that Pele was coming up,” Harte said. “He’s forgotten more soccer than all of us will ever know.”

The Carrollwood boys soccer program has thrived under the leadership of Coach Jim Harte. Since taking over four seasons ago, the Patriots have a combined 55-24-14 record. In building the program, Harte has focused on scheduling tough nonconference competition.
The Carrollwood boys soccer program has thrived under the leadership of Coach Jim Harte. Since taking over four seasons ago, the Patriots have a combined 55-24-14 record. In building the program, Harte has focused on scheduling tough nonconference competition.

The Patriots finished the 2015-2016 season with a 15-8-2 record, but were 9-0 in conference play. Despite injuries to key seniors and a young roster that underwent growing pains, Harte said the season was “one of the most rewarding in my coaching career.”

While the team lost eight games — the most in a single year at the school since Harte became head coach — it’s because the team took on a substantially more difficult nonconference schedule compared to previous years, he said.

In an effort to “get better,” Harte scheduled games against the likes of Mitchell High, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic, Tampa Catholic and Tampa Prep.

“We proactively chose to give ourselves a harder schedule this past year. We picked some big fights,” Harte explained.

“If we had played the kind of schedule we’ve been playing in the past, we would probably be undefeated.”

Next year, Harte plans to follow a similar blueprint of scheduling tough nonconference games—hoping for matchups with Steinbrenner High and Palm Harbor University High.

In taking on such large public schools, Harte is trying to develop a team mindset of “picking on the bully.”

The tougher schedule could yield a couple of additional losses, but that doesn’t trouble Harte.

“Your record is a lot about how you schedule,” the Patriots coach explained. “You can schedule yourself a really good record, or you can schedule yourself an average record.

“We’ll be 1,000-to-1 underdogs in (those) games, but you never know until you play the game,” he said.

With a bevy of talented young players on the rise— the starting lineup included an eighth-grade goalkeeper, three freshmen, five sophomores and one junior — Carrollwood soccer figures to be a mainstay in the area for years to come.

Published February 17, 2016

New Wesley Chapel football coach settling in

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It’s been a while since the Wesley Chapel High School football team has celebrated a winning season—since 2011 to be exact.

Anthony Egan, the new head coach, hopes to change that.

Egan coached both the offensive and defensive line at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey for the past three seasons. He was named the Wildcats’ head coach in early January.

He officially begins working for Wesley Chapel High on Feb. 1 as an autism spectrum disorder specialist.

Anthony Egan was recently named the new head football coach at Wesley Chapel High School. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant offensive/defensive line coach at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey. (Courtesy of Anthony Egan)
Anthony Egan was recently named the new head football coach at Wesley Chapel High School. He spent the past three seasons as an assistant offensive/defensive line coach at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey.
(Courtesy of Anthony Egan)

His first few weeks as Wesley Chapel’s head football coach have been a bit of a challenge logistically, as he’s had to drive from River Ridge to Wesley Chapel to orchestrate the football team’s offseason workouts and conditioning sessions.

Egan replaces Tico Hernandez, who stepped down after three tough seasons at Wesley Chapel, where he finished with a combined record of 4-26.

Despite the football program’s struggles over the past few seasons, Egan is confident he can improve the record, noting the program’s foundation and culture have already been instilled by the previous coaching staff.

“I’ve been checking out some of the talent we have, and I’m pretty excited about the quarterback, some returning running backs, and (we) even have a really good returning running back/linebacker, so I’m excited about coaching the kids that are coming back,” Egan said. “I’ve met the kids, and the kids seem to be excellent kids. …The (coaches) in the past have instilled that character in the kids.”

Quarterback Jacob Thomas, who’ll be a senior next season, is expected to be the centerpiece of the offense after throwing for more than 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015.

“That quarterback, J.T., is pretty good, so definitely I’m going to try to give him opportunities,” Egan stated. “If that means running a little bit of the spread (offense), that’s fine, but I definitely want to give him his due opportunities because he was a very good quarterback for (Wesley Chapel) last year.”

While Egan plans to implement some principles of the spread offense to accommodate the skillset of Thomas, he also plans to put his own stamp on the team’s offensive philosophy, with the hope of giving them a better chance to win more regular season games.

“They struggled at times last year when they tried to spread it out and run that type of offense, and I think they’d be a lot closer in some of those games, and maybe have a chance to win some of them at the end, if they’d kept it closer with a little bit more ball control,” said Egan, who’s a former high school offensive lineman. “Maybe by taking a different approach and what I’m going to try to do with the (team), we can try to get the wins up and the losses down.”

Despite a lackluster record in 2015, the Wildcats had opportunities for more wins —losing three games by a margin of 7 points or less, and another by just 12 points.

Besides a different offensive philosophy from the previous coaching staff, Egan will also implement a pressure-oriented, 4-3 defense on the other side of the ball.

“It’s an aggressive, run-stopping defense with a lot of blitzing,” Egan explained. “It’s kind of a newer defense, and I don’t know if a whole lot of people know about it.”

As he transitions to his new post, Egan is also in the process of filling out his coaching staff at Wesley Chapel. He retained both Leon Haynes and JV coach Kudura Douglas from Hernandez’s staff, but is looking to add two, or possibly, three more assistants.

Egan joins a solid list of River Ridge alums who’ve gone on to become high school head football coaches at some point in their careers. The others include Mike Gregory (Tampa Catholic), Ryan Benjamin (River Ridge), Andy Schmitz (Mitchell High School), Brian Wachtel (Land O’Lakes High School) and Justin Fenton (Hudson High School).

Published January 27, 2016

Benefit aims to help college-bound homeless

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Paul Gigante is hoping for a gigantic 50th birthday bash, but the party won’t be merely to celebrate him turning a half-century – it also will benefit homeless high school graduates who are college-bound.

Gigante, who earns his living through his school photography business, said he became aware of the plight of homeless students through his wife’s involvement in Wharton High School’s Parent Teacher Association.

“Our kids are in college now. But, it was brought to my attention a few years ago that there were over 14 homeless high schoolers at Wharton High School,” he said. “It has bothered me for the past number of years.”

Over time, he learned more about the problem, and he decided he would use his 50th birthday party to try to do something to help.

“In Pasco alone, there are 78 homeless high school seniors,” he said.

Paul Gigante poses near the sign for his school photography business, based in Wesley Chapel. He is planning to turn his 50th birthday party into a benefit to help college-bound, homeless students. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Paul Gigante poses near the sign for his school photography business, based in Wesley Chapel. He is planning to turn his 50th birthday party into a benefit to help college-bound, homeless students.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“There are so many levels of homelessness. They could be kicked out of their house. A parent or two parents could be in jail. They could have been abandoned by their parents,” he said.

“There are so many scenarios. They’re living in a car. Or, they’re bouncing from apartment to apartment, staying on friends’ couches. There’s many, many scenarios.

“I don’t need to know all of the scenarios. I just want to know what it is that I can do to help them,” Gigante said.

To make that happen, he enlisted the help of his staff and his friends to organize a fun way to raise money.

The benefit will be on Jan. 24, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Skipper’s Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road in Tampa.

“My goal is $50,000 for my 50th birthday,” Gigante said.

“I’ve assembled three bands, four DJs — and I’m a DJ myself. So, at the end of the entire event, I’m going to be DJ’ing,” he said.

He’s hoping for a big turnout.

“We have a lineup that’s really fun. It’s going to be nonstop entertainment.

“I start off with the USF “Hot” Band. They’re going to have about 30 members there,” he said, noting the band has waived its appearance fee.

Gigante also has the Butch Ryan Band, which is made up of a bunch of band directors from Wharton; they’re going to do classic rock.

“We’re going to have about 20 baskets, everything from pampered chef theme to sports themed to wine theme to IPA beer. There’s going to be a whole bunch of different things,” he said.

Instead of holding a silent auction, he’ll be selling tickets for drawings to see who wins the baskets.

“I’ve invited all of the krewes (of Gasparilla) because I’m part of the krewe life,” he said.

He also has talked to the principals at the 35 to 40 schools where he shoots school photographs, encouraging them to spread the word.

After the party, Gigante plans to accompany a social worker to meet with homeless students who are college-bound to find out how he can help them.

“I could buy shoes. I could buy computers. I could give them out to everyone. But, what if they don’t need that? What if they need rent for 2 ½ months? What if they need food? What if they need clothes? What if they need a laptop? What if they need books?”

He wants to address specific needs.

“I want to make sure that from when they graduate until they start college, they don’t fall off the boat,” Gigante said.

He’s not sure how many students he’ll be able to help, or how much he’ll be able to provide.

He’s going to start with the schools served by his photography business.

In Pasco, those are Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Mitchell, Anclote and River Ridge high schools. In Hillsborough, they are Wharton, Jesuit and Steinbrenner high schools.

“This is a one-time deal for me,” said Gigante, who lives in Hunter’s Green.

“It’d be great, if everyone, when they turned 50, would decide to do something like this,” Gigante said.

Homeless benefit
What: Paul Gigante’s 50th birthday bash, including DJs, bands, raffles and 50/50.
Why: To benefit college-bound homeless graduates from Hillsborough and Pasco counties.
Where: Skipper’s Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road in Tampa.
When: Jan. 24 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
How much: Cover charge is a suggested $10 donation, plus a birthday card for Paul Gigante.
For information, contact Paul Gigante at (813) 340-4080.

Published January 13, 2016

Anderson lifts Sunlake’s girls weightlifting

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Buoyed by the performance of senior Brianna Anderson, the Sunlake Seahawks girls wrestling team has been on a tear of late.

The Seahawks most recently placed first (out of six teams) in the Eastside Girls Weightlifting Tournament at Zephyrhills High School on Dec. 16.

Competing in the 183-pound weight class, Anderson recorded a 160-pound bench press, and maxed out a 195-pound clean-and-jerk for a 355 total, a tournament best.

While Anderson didn’t reach her goal of a 225-pound clean-and-jerk, she still felt comfortable with her performance.

“I was pretty confident, I guess,” she said about her results. “I knew if I (completed) all of my benches, and my first clean-and-jerk, I was going to get first (place).”

Several teams from the Eastside tournament go through bench press warm-up drills. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Several teams from the Eastside tournament go through bench press warm-up drills.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

A relative newcomer to the sport, Anderson showed an interest in weightlifting as a high school sophomore, hoping to become more physically active to boost her athleticism for basketball and track.

She proved to be a natural in her first year competing, reaching the 2013-2014 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Girls Weightlifting Finals, placing 19th overall in the 199-pound weight class.

As a junior last year, Anderson became more focused on improving her weightlifting totals. She altered her diet and spent more time on proper weightlifting technique, utilizing the expertise of Sunlake High head coach Denise Garcia.

The extra dedication paved the way for Anderson to drop to a lower weight class (183) and enhance her strength enough to place third in the 2014-2015 finals.

“The most improvement I would have to say is clean-and-jerk as far as my technique and going up in my max,” Anderson said. “My favorite is the clean-and-jerk, so for the bench (press) I just try my hardest. My lower body is stronger than my upper body.”

Coach Garcia commended Anderson’s work ethic and believes she has a great chance to win a state title in February.

“I’m hoping that she continues to go up and get that gap, because there’s other girls that are great up there, but with her passion and her wanting it, I know she’ll be on top.”

For Anderson and her Sunlake High teammates, the overall goal is to perform better at the FHSAA State Finals on Feb. 5 in Kissimmee, where the group finished 12th last year.

Before they can look ahead to the state championships, they must first compete in a district qualifier on Jan. 13 at Mitchell High School in New Port Richey. The district meet will determine qualifiers for the 2016 Girls Weightlifting regional meet on Jan. 20 at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, which then determines who qualifies for the state finals.

Garcia believes this year’s group, which features 22 members, is unique because of their overall “commitment and dedication.” She also noted the team’s camaraderie.

“They listen, and they’re coachable,” said Garcia, who’s been coaching girl’s weightlifting at Sunlake High for 10 years. “They’re always working on their personal bests, and there’s no drama.

“They’re all great kids.”

Coaching weightlifting is sometimes a logistical challenge for Garcia, who was to divvy up one-on-one coaching among 22 pupils.

Garcia is typically forced to organize her practice schedule around other sports the girls compete in, such as cheerleading and basketball. Practices are usually held for two hours every weekday (and sometimes weekends), with a focus on strengthening different muscle groups.

For girls that are novices to competitive weightlifting, Coach Garcia said the key is to focus on proper technique and not necessarily how much weight is being lifted.

“It’s always about technique first,” Garcia said. Don’t worry about what the other person is doing. If 55 (pounds) is all you can do, it better be the best 55 (pounds) technically, because if not, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

While Coach Garcia’s team isn’t as large as others she’s had in the past, she’s optimistic about the sport’s future growth, which she attributes in part to the popularity of CrossFit.

“The girls are getting more exposed to it,” she explained. “CrossFit is big, so it’s (transitioning girls) into weightlifting. It’s not just a boy’s sport. The girls are coming in and doing it well.”

Anderson, who plans to join the U.S. Naval Academy after she graduates high school, credits Coach Garcia for her marked improvement over the past three seasons.

“She got me when I couldn’t even clean-and-jerk 100 pounds,” she said. “And now, I can do 200.”

Published January 6, 2016

LOL girls soccer works hard, aims high and consistently wins

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When a team lets the opponent score 11 goals in soccer, it sounds like the defense is struggling.

But, when those goals occur over a 17-game span, it sounds like a championship defense.

The Land O’ Lakes Gators girls soccer team is seeking a championship, and the defending Class 3A-8 champions are off to a 15-2 start.

Earlier this year, the Gators closed out its previous season in a 2-1 loss in the title game against American Heritage from Plantation.

While some teams might stumble a bit after that kind of loss, Land O’ Lakes has raced to a strong start. Aside from a 3-0 loss to Academy of the Holy Names on Dec. 1 and a 2-3 loss to Mitchell High on Dec. 14, only a handful of their games have been particularly close. And, they have won several of their games by sizable margins.

Coach Vicky King doesn’t see any secret formula to the Gators’ success.

“We work hard. We do have a good bit of talent. They have high expectations,” she said. “We work for everything we get. We know that nothing is given to us.”

That work includes a preseason conditioning program, which ensures that the athletes are in good shape when the first whistle sounds. Many of them also play club soccer, which helps, King said.

Many of them also play on different club teams, which the coach sees as an advantage. The players come together after being exposed to a variety of philosophies and styles of play, and when they play for their high school team, they execute at a high level on the field.

Even bumps in the road can have positive benefits. The loss to the Academy (who was also undefeated) was a lesson that they still have areas that need improvement.

“It was a good game. It was very challenging for us and shows what we need to work on,” King said. “It makes us refocus. If we want to reach our goals and succeed, then we know we have work to do.”

“Work” is a common theme with King. It has built a strong program over her 29 years as the team’s soccer coach, and it’s something she discusses with her players regardless of their opponent or their record at the time. By maintaining that focus, it builds a level of expectation that freshmen and sophomores recognize immediately, and work to meet or exceed from the very beginning.

It also helps maintain impressive records from year to year. Including the two losses this year, the team has lost only six games since the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

With that much success, some coaches might see a return to the state championship game as a likely event, or at least one that has a good chance of happening. But, King lives by the “one game at a time” mentality she preaches to the athletes. Like her players, she takes nothing for granted and only allows that continued success is a possibility if they remain focused and work hard.

“A lot of things can happen. They’re teenagers. Injuries, illness — the cards have to fall just right,” she said.

Those cards tend to fall into place for Land O’ Lakes, but it doesn’t happen with animated yelling or aggressive coaching on game days. The real work is done in practice, King said. If a team is prepared and focused, that should show up on the field. And, with all the players understanding what’s expected of them, most of the pieces are already in place when they step onto the field.

At that point, it’s up to them to execute. With all her success (the team won a state title in 2003) King said it’s ultimately their team, and they understand what it takes to continue the winning legacy of Land O’ Lakes girls soccer.

“I coach the team, but the team belongs to the players,” she said. “It’s their team. They know what our expectations are as far as performance on the field, performance in the classroom and performance in the community.”

The team has two remaining games on its schedule. It plays Pasco High on Jan. 6 at 7:45 p.m., and it plays Tampa Catholic on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

Published December 30, 2015

Academy at the Lakes athletics tops all 2A private schools

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When Tom Haslam took the athletic director position at Academy at the Lakes around seven years ago, the school had varsity teams. But, a lot of their games were against junior varsity opponents.

With a high school enrollment of slightly more than 100, the talent pool was limited. In some sports, around half of the school’s schedule would be games against a rival school’s lesser squad.

“We were just trying to start somewhere, and get competitive games,” Haslam recalled.

They started small, but they didn’t stay there.

Audra Leipold and the rest of the girls’ basketball team have contributed to the award-winning athletic success at Academy at the Lakes. (Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)
Audra Leipold and the rest of the girls’ basketball team have contributed to the award-winning athletic success at Academy at the Lakes.
(Courtesy of Academy at the Lakes)

Academy at the Lakes is now seen as a premier athletic program in class 2A competition, and it was recognized as such by winning the Carey E. McDonald Award, given to the state’s top 2A private school athletic program.

The award, presented by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, recognizes the school’s accomplishments during the 2014-15 school year.

To turn things around, Haslam initially focused on a couple of key areas.

He wanted to upgrade the coaching staff, and was able to hire men and women with a strong track record at other schools. The change produced results for some teams rather quickly.

The second change seems a bit unorthodox. He upgraded the Wildcats’ uniforms.

“It may sound like a minute thing, but it’s not. Kids have to feel good about themselves, and they have to feel important. And, I thought that was one thing that was an easy fix that we could do right away and make an improvement,” Haslam said. “It doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re a 16- or 17-year-old kid, it’s important.”

Haslam switched the school over to Nike uniforms, giving them a sharper look.

That change yielded results, too.

The student athletes more-closely resembled their opponents, giving them a boost in confidence, and giving the program a more successful image that they soon would duplicate on the field and on the court.

To be recognized as a top 2A school, a school must be successful across a variety of sports.

While some schools have a good team or two, Academy at the Lakes has found success in several sports.

During the 2014-15 school year, eight of the school’s individuals or teams reached the regional or state level of competition.

The success isn’t limited to this year, either.

The girls’ basketball team has reached the final four in each of the past four seasons. The girls’ softball team has won four straight district championships, and also reached a final four. A swimmer at the school won a state championship, a boys’ doubles tennis team won a district title and a girls’ doubles tennis team won a state championship.

With that much success, all of the academy coaches want to continue their winning ways in their respective sport.

And that includes Haslam, who coaches boys’ basketball, in addition to being the school’s athletic director.

“You don’t want to be the coach that hasn’t got your program going yet,” Haslam said. “I feel some pressure, you bet. I like that. I think that’s the way it should be.”

Haslam’s team certainly is contributing to the school’s overall athletic success.

The boys’ basketball team has reached the regional finals three of the past four years, and made it to the final four last season.

Now that the academy is an elite program, staying that way presents its own challenges. Haslam is hiring new coaches to improve the sports that are lagging, and he also must retain the talented coaches on his staff.

With a track record of success, games in some sports frequently reaching capacity attendance and a high school student body that’s grown beyond 160, Haslam’s goal is to keep moving forward and continue improving.

That includes the uniforms.

No longer content with just one brand of apparel, their current agreement allows teams to choose between Nike, Adidas and Under Armour.

The school’s schedule also includes stiffer competition than teams have faced in the past. As the program has grown in strength, its opponents have become challenging, sometimes including schools such as Mitchell and Land O’ Lakes high schools.

In addition to winning the Carey E. McDonald Award, Academy at the Lakes also placed third overall for the FHSAA Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Award, which includes more than 100 eligible 2A public and private schools.

Haslam finds the recognition gratifying, since he has a hand in all of the sports at the academy.

But, the athletic director credits the men and women he’s hired to lead the Wildcats with shaping the school into a perennial athletic success.

“To me, it’s all about the coaches. We’ve got some great people leading our kids, and I’m smart enough that once I get a good coach, I stay out of their way,” Haslam said. “I’ll take a little bit of credit for getting them there. But once they’re there, they’re the ones winning these games and molding these kids.”

Published December 16, 2015