The Laker/Lutz News

United States Tennis Association

New year in sports to deliver joy, excitement, adventure

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As we embark on a new year, the sports world within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area promises to deliver plenty to watch, experience and appreciate.

Here is a sampling of what’s ahead in 2021:

Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice will host the United States Premier Hockey League. (File)

Elite junior hockey at Center Ice
The AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel may best be known for housing the 2017-2018 U.S. women’s national ice hockey team in its historic run to winning an Olympic gold medal.

The 150,500-square-foot facility — the largest ice rink south of New York — also will play host to another prestigious hockey group in 2021.

The United States Premier Hockey League — one of the nation’s top junior-level development programs — announced plans to play a six-weeklong, 20-game schedule across Center Ice’s four sheets of ice, beginning in January.

Using a “Hub City” concept, teams and players throughout the country will lodge at nearby Saddlebrook Resort, in between games and practices at Center Ice.

Some these players will wind up playing collegiate and maybe even professional hockey.

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills (File)

Zephyrhills tennis center to host pro tournament
The newly opened Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center soon will begin living up to its promise of being a national and international draw.

The multimillion sports complex will host a $25,000 United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit Event from Jan. 25 through Jan. 31.

The competition will feature 32 women’s singles players and 16 doubles teams — which encompasses some of the world’s top pros who are also slated to compete in the Australian Open.

The prestigious tourney is expected to be an annual affair at the facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

(Courtesy of Tampa Bay Sports Commission)

Super Bowl LV in Tampa
America’s most-watched sporting event — the Super Bowl — will take center stage at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7.

The community and economic impact to the surrounding area — even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — is sure to spread northwards through Hillsborough and Pasco counties, in the form of hotel stays, restaurant patronage and leisure about town. Several ancillary Super Bowl events and outreach programs have already been scheduled in those areas, too.

Also, don’t be shocked if a former local prep star (or more) is a part of contending teams in the 55th edition of the NFL championship game.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet hones his shooting at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center. (File)

Toronto Raptors call Tampa home, temporarily
As if history wasn’t already made with Super Bowl being in Tampa this year, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing at least the first half of its 2020-2021 home slate at Amalie Arena on Channelside.

A limited number of fans are being allowed to the games, so it’s a good opportunity to be a part of a rare occurrence and see some of the sport’s most talented players in the world, not too far from your backyard.

There’s also a further local connection: The Raptors had their two-weeklong preseason training camp at Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Activities Center, back in December.

The Bishop McLaughlin varsity boys basketball program may be a state title contender. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School)

Bishop’s ballers
The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity boys basketball team has quickly established itself as one of the area’s highest-scoring and high-flying squads since beginning its 2020-2021 season in November.

The team features a junior trio of bona fide Division I prospects in 6-foot-4 guard Antonio Davis Jr., 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Mitchell and 6-foot-4 guard Emanuel Sharp, who last year led the state in scoring (31.9 points per game) while at Tampa’s Blake High School. An example of the Hurricanes dominance: They defeated Land O’ Lakes High School 80-34 in an early December contest. The team is coached by former USF and Israel pro standout Derrick Sharp.

With all that talent, perhaps a state title is in the team’s reach come early March? Wait to see.

Florida’s high school spring sports, like track and field, are expected to make their long-awaited returning after being canceled last March amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (File)

Spring can’t come soon enough
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out most, if not all, of last year’s Florida high school spring sports season throughout Florida from March onward, as a matter of health and safety.

The long-awaited return of these athletic events — baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball, water polo, boys weightlifting — should yield special (and emotional) moments for countless athletes, fans, coaches and parents alike.

Perhaps a few records will be broken and championships won by locals will occur along the way, too.

Worth noting: The area generates its fair share of the state’s strongest baseball, softball and track and field programs, among others.

Bored? Take a hike
Still suffering from pandemic-induced cabin fever? Perhaps some fresh air and outdoor exercise in a local park or preserve can clear the homebound blues.

Hillsborough County’s Hiking Spree continues through March 31. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

That can be done via Hillsborough County’s fifth annual Hiking Spree, which challenges participants to complete at least eight trail hikes from November through March 31.

The Hiking Spree’s trail list this year features 25 different trails at 20 locations throughout the county.

And, several of those sites fall within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Carrollwood Village Neighborhood Park, Peterson Road Park, Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, Lake Rogers Conservation Park, Lake Dan Nature Preserve and Cypress Creek Nature Preserve.

Participants may hike on their own, or in a group setting with friends and family. Some sites have entrance and parking fees. Hikers may repeat any trail twice for credit, as long as the hikes occur on different dates.

Aside from the feeling of accomplishment, those who complete the hiking extravaganza earn their choice of a patch, medallion for a walking stick, or a dog bandana.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High alum (File)

Lutz native again leads Tampa Bay Rays
The new year should again generate another fruitful campaign for Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Lutz native and Gaither High School alumnus.

Prospects remain high for a Cash-led club that reached Game 6 of the 2020 World Series and finished with the best record in the American League during a pandemic-delayed and shortened season.

Also, expect to see and hear more of the reigning AL Manager of the Year in the new year, given the MLB is seeking terms resembling pre-pandemic levels, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 to 162 regular season games, plus spring training.

However long the 2021 slate, the Rays will be fighting its third-straight playoff berth under the 43-year-old Cash, entering his seventh season as Rays skipper.

Sunlake High School product Tommy Mace is now a standout pitcher at the University of Florida. (File)

Preps to pros
The annual MLB Draft creates an opportunity for boyhood dreams of becoming a professional baseball player to become true.

Each year, about a handful of area high school or college prospects are taken in the draft —offered anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to play America’s greatest pastime.

At least one name to watch in the July event is former Sunlake High School right-handed pitcher Tommy Mace, now a senior at the University of Florida. Various baseball outlets believe the 6-foot-6 Mace has the potential to be a first round pick, which could mean a signing bonus of several million dollars.

In three varsity seasons at Sunlake from 2015 to 2017, Mace posted a 19-6 record, 1.65 ERA and 196 strikeouts across 165.2 innings pitches. He also guided the Seahawks to the 2017 Class 7A regional finals.

Bay Scallop season in Pasco County runs from July 16 through July 25. (File)

Seeking an outdoor adventure? Try scalloping
Grab a snorkel, a swim mask and some fins because recreational scallop season returns again this summer in Pasco County.

The now annual 10-day bay scallop season in Pasco County is tentatively scheduled from July 16 through July 25. It begins the third Friday in July each year.

The county’s scallop zone encompasses all state waters south of the Hernando-Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

The outdoor family friendly activity of hunting for scallops is often referred to as an underwater Easter egg hunt.

Requiring only basic swimming skills, the idea is to float along the top of the water until you spot scallop shells in Florida seagrass beds lying several feet underwater, then you grab them by hand, or with a landing or dip net.

Pasco is the southernmost county in Florida to offer a scallop season.

Published January 06, 2021

Zephyrhills OKs alcohol sales at tennis center

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At the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, after a sweaty session of volleys and serves, players will be able to slake their thirst with an adult beverage or two.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved the sale of beer and wine — but no liquor —  at the city-owned facility’s indoor restaurant/café. The action came during a virtual council meeting on May 11.

The original request for alcohol sales came from Pascal Collard, who’s private management company is operating the $4.9 million tennis center, set to open in July, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

Beer and wine sales will be allowed at the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of David Alvarez)

Situated on more than 8 acres of land, the complex will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts built to United States Tennis Association (USTA) standards, plus eight pickleball courts, four padel courts and an event pavilion.

The facility also features an adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor space that will house the restaurant/café, as well as a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, kid’s area and more.

Collard expressed the need for a beer and wine license, in a memo to council members. He explained the sale of beer and wine is needed to help lure a new restaurant business partner. Wesley Chapel-based Buttermilk Provisions planned to run the restaurant/café, but backed out following the rise of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The primary focus of our business is to provide a place where people can gather to play sports, meet friends, benefit from our wellness offers, and spend time over food and drinks,” Collard wrote in the memo.

Alcohol sales could be a “make or break” contract opportunity with any prospective new restaurant partner, Collard noted in the memo.

Council members concurred with Collard’s request, to help him cast a wide net to attract another partner as the state-of-the-art facility readies for a summer opening. Also, they feel confident that the consumption of beer and wine will be done judiciously.

Councilman Lance Smith put it like this: “The tennis folks aren’t going to get all ripped up after they have a tennis match.”

Collard later told The Laker/Lutz News he’s signed on Mike and Sue Prenderville as restaurant partners.

The Prendervilles own Song Printing & Design in downtown Zephyrhills, and Mike once operated one of the largest pubs in London, England, Collard said.

The facility’s restaurant/café would operate for lunch and dinner, with a brunch option on weekends, per the memo. Daily operating hours of the café typically will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., then opening at 10 a.m. on weekends. (The tennis complex’s gym will open at 5:30 a.m. everyday, however.)

The restaurant is expected to provide a full menu of hot and cold food, with the ability to offer a juice and protein shake bar and other non-alcoholic beverages.

The ambiance of the facility’s restaurant/café will consist of  “easy listening music,” the memo says. No televisions or dance floor are planned.

Noise will be limited because no loud music will be played, Collard wrote.

The city has previously granted alcohol sales at city-owned, but privately-managed facilities.

Years ago, the council approved such sales at the city-owned municipal golf course, which is leased to a private operator, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said.

City ordinance allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of a school, provided seating capacity is not less than 25 and at least 51% of combined gross sales comes from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The tennis center’s café will be audited annually to ensure they meet that standard, Poe said.

Meantime, the council also approved a request to use $100,000 from the city’s tree mitigation funds to plant more trees throughout the tennis center property.

The additional funding brings the total landscape budget for the project to $200,000.

The contract for the $4.9 million guaranteed maximum price of construction project had called only for $100,000 for landscaping and irrigation.

As a result of the council’s action, the city’s tree mitigation fund has been reduced to $41,000.

Though the measure passed unanimously, council members advised city staffers to have better cost estimates on large projects in the future.

“We need to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” said Smith, noting the original $100,000 allocation for landscaping seemed “a paltry sum” on a nearly $5 million recreation project.

Councilman Jodi Wilkeson pointed out the tree mitigation fund “is only good when development is good.” “When we have a lull in development, it takes a long time to get that (up), so for us to spend it all in (one) fell swoop, makes me a little nervous,” she said.

Council president Ken Burgess said he’s not opposed to using tree mitigation funds for the tennis center, but added, “I just think we maybe need to take a closer look at something like this on the front end so that we don’t end up with something like this on the back end.”

Council members expressed concern about all-but bottoming out the mitigation fund so quickly. The tree mitigation fund is made up of fees property owners and developers pay when they are unable to mitigate trees removed from their property.

In other action, the council:

• Approved a final plat for an additional 20 single-family residential lots in the Zephyr Lakes subdivision, a 63-acre development north of Pretty Pond Road and west of Wire Road.

• Approved purchase of a new public works front-load sanitation truck totaling $269,116.50, using sanitation reserves funds ($174,116.50) and insurance provider funds ($95,000). The purchase replaces a 14-year-old sanitation truck damaged beyond repair in February after a fire formed in the truck’s hopper.

• Passed a first reading ordinance consenting to the inclusion of the city’s boundaries into the Pasco County Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for fire rescue services.

Published May 20, 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

Zephyrhills tennis center buzzing along

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The forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center could be an even bigger deal than originally anticipated.

A standing-room only crowd of more than 100 gathered at a recent Zephyrhills City Council meeting to hear the latest details on the facility and to get a first look at a 3D video presentation highlighting its amenities.

Shown here is a rendering of the $5 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center. The complex broke ground this summer and is expected to be open July 2020. (Courtesy of David Alvarez, Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center)

Most who were gathered are supporters or partners of the tennis facility project — and the turnout caught the attention of council president Ken Burgess.

The facility’s obvious support, Burgess said, “really shows that it’s going to be top-notch.”

“The energy and the excitement is kind of building,” Burgess said. “We’ve been talking about it for a while, but it’s really on its way. It’s going to be pretty exciting, and we hope that it is going to put Zephyrhills on the map.

“We’re really looking forward to it,” he said.

The nearly $5 million tennis center broke ground in July at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills. It is expected to open around July 2020.

The project is being hyped as “a world-class tennis facility with access to state-of-the-art performance and health amenities.”

Situated on more than 8 acres of land, the complex will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts (eight clay surface, two hard surface, one clay exhibition court), built to United States Tennis Association (USTA) standards. It also will have eight pickleball courts, four padel courts and an event pavilion.

Also, an adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor wellness center will have a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, café, kid’s area and more.

Another major component that is being phased in is a 30,000-square-foot indoor sports field house, which could accommodate up to four tennis courts or soccer fields using artificial turf.

The project is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor, who will operate and manage the facility.

It is largely being funded through state appropriations, Penny for Pasco monies, park impact fees and donations.

When it opens, the tennis center is expected to attract local, regional, national and international interest as a host site for major tennis tournaments and competitions.

Ultimately, Collard believes “the sky’s the limit.”

“Our dream is really to get Zephyrhills to become one of the top sports destinations in Florida, and in the country,” said Collard, a former tennis director at Saddlebrook. “It’s not only tennis — but tennis will always be the core.”

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center CEO Pascal Collard gives a project update at last month’s Zephyrhills City Council meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

Collard also announced the facility will be the home of an online sports instruction program called United Global Academy. The blended program, which is geared toward youth, will be taught by ex-professional athletes in sports such as soccer, football, golf and maybe even boxing.

Aspiring athletes will take online classes, and coaches will be available at the facility to provide further guidance, Collard said.

“I think it’s a missing link in education in sports,” said Collard. “We hope to attract kids from everywhere.”

Though the city is funding the shell of the facility and tennis courts, Collard has leveraged his business connections to bring aboard other frills, explained Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg.

That includes the facility’s fitness/performance components, and in-house bakery and coffee shop run by Wesley Chapel-based Buttermilk Provisions.

And, because Collard is operating and managing the facility, the city won’t be on the hook for staffing or ongoing maintenance costs, Vande Berg said.

That, he said, is “a big financial piece” the city won’t have to address, unlike many communities with large tennis complexes.

Said Vande Berg, “I’ve been to probably almost every tennis facility in the state and all of them are being run like we’re running them, but I can tell you I think we’re the only one that’s got a contractual agreement where we don’t have to pay…all those fees that other communities are having to pay.”

Meanwhile, site work at the project is moving forward.

General contractor Craig Lamberson of DeLotto & Sons told council members the tennis building is slated to go vertical in December.

The Har-Tru clay tennis layouts will be fitted around that time, a process Lamberson described as “major, complex project” because “water flows beneath the court and is pumped in and out to maintain a great playing surface.”

The general contractor also said there’s already more than a half-mile of reinforced concrete pipe in the ground and storm drainage is about 60% complete. A wastewater lift station will arrive in early November.

“Even though it may not look like it, we are putting a lot of construction in the ground,” he said.

The tennis center is named in memory of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district tennis champion, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015. She was the daughter of longtime city planning director Todd Vande Berg.

For information on the project, visit SVBtenniscenter.com.

Published November 13, 2019

Zephyrhills tennis center breaks ground

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A groundbreaking ceremony officially marked the beginning of construction on the long-awaited Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.

After more than two years of planning and design, the tennis center is slated to be ready for play sometime in spring 2020.

The facility will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts (eight clay surface, two hard surface, exhibition court), built to USTA (United States Tennis Association) standards, along with eight pickleball courts and four padel courts. The tennis center also includes a 7,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse that will have a fitness and rehabilitation center, restaurant and cafe, pro shop, kid’s club and other amenities.

A July 10 groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction for the long-awaited Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of David Alvarez)

It will be located at 6585 Simons Road, Zephyrhills.

The project comes with a $3.3 million price tag, largely funded through state appropriations, Penny for Pasco monies, park impact fees and other donations.

The July 10 groundbreaking attracted a large crowd of dignitaries, business leaders and local residents to the site where the tennis facility will operate.

It marked a highly anticipated moment for many, as public talks of bringing a large-scale tennis center to the city began back in late 2016.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield said. “They’re going to build a beautiful building on this site.”

“Nothing’s going to make us happier than seeing this facility coming out of the ground,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Zephyrhills planning director Todd Vande Berg added: “It is a special day and it’s been a long time coming, but we’re glad this day is here.”

Officials say the tennis center will be not just a regional draw, but also will have national and international appeal through hosting USTA tournaments and other events.

Poe described the forthcoming facility as “an absolutely wonderful complex” that will help boost tourism and economic development in the area.

“Zephyrhills is known for water and skydiving. Soon we’re going to be known for tennis,” the city manager said.

He added, “Who knows, we very well may have a future Grand Slam champion that can say they started here at this facility. The facility will serve as an economic driver, not only for Zephyrhills, but for all of East Pasco.”

The tennis center is named in memory of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district tennis champion, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015. She was the daughter of longtime city planning director Todd Vande Berg.

Sarah Vande Berg would have just turned 25 years old. Her birthday was July 7.

“I know she’s looking down from heaven, smiling, thinking, ‘Wow, this is pretty special,’ her father, holding back tears, said at the groundbreaking.

“Sarah was a special person. She was a special daughter, and special in so many ways in how she cared for and loved other people.”

Sarah Vande Berg was noted for her sportsmanship on and off the courts.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano recalled his daughter — former Fivay High School tennis standout and current state Rep. Amber Mariano — losing to Sarah Vande Berg in a prep match “probably 6-love, 6-love each time.”

“She was a great competitor,” Mariano said of Sarah Vande Berg. “She played with class, she played with classiness after the fact (and) great sportsmanship.”

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Tennis P.R.O., and its owner Pascal Collard, who will staff, operate and manage the tennis facility.

Collard is a former tennis director at Saddebrook who has trained his fair share of world-ranked tennis players.

Of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, Collard said, “I’m going to try my best to make it unique.”

Collard also declared this lofty ambition: “There’s not one tennis player in the world that won’t know Sarah’s name. Not one. I promise you that.”

Published July 17, 2019

Construction nearing on Zephyrhills tennis center

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After more than two years of planning and design, a multi-million dollar tennis center in Zephyrhills will soon break ground and become a reality.

Construction is expected to begin in August on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, Zephyrhills deputy city manager Billy Poe said during a special June 17 council meeting on the issue.

With the project’s final engineered site plan set to be completed this month, the city then will  seek construction bids through July, Poe said.

Construction is expected to begin in August on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellness Center, situated west of Simons Road in Zephyrhills. The $3.5 million project is expected to be complete around summer 2020. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Site and road work also is scheduled to begin next month by another contractor at the future facility’s location, which will be situated on nearly 5 acres of land, north of Dean Dairy Road and west of Simons Road.

The timeframe for the project’s completion is around summer 2020, Poe told city council members.

“I think we’ve accounted for everything,” Poe said of the design plans.

The $3.5 million tennis facility is being funded largely through combination of state appropriations, Penny for Pasco and recreation impact fees from several new housing developments.

The project is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Tennis P.R.O. and its owner Pascal Collard, who will operate and manage the tennis facility. It’s a similar arrangement the city has with the East Pasco YMCA.

Renderings show 11 outdoor  tennis courts (eight clay surface, two hard surface, exhibition court), built to USTA (United States Tennis Association) standards, as well as eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

The tennis center also includes a 7,000-square-foot indoor clubhouse that will include a fitness and rehabilitation center, restaurant and cafe, pro shop and kid’s club, among other amenities.

The facility will be open approximately 80 hours per week.

More amenities also may come on line later.

Collard told council members at some point he is looking to phase in a 30,000-square-foot multi-purpose indoor sports complex which could accommodate four tennis courts and a soccer field made of artificial turf.

Indoor sports field house aside, Collard said the tennis center will draw people from inside and outside Zephyrhills and will become a draw for various regional, national and international tournaments.

He described the facility as “a community sports center for everybody.”

“I think that to have a place like this in Zephyrhills, it’s unique,” said Collard, a professional tennis instructor and former tennis director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel. “If you build something like this, we do believe that a lot of people will come.”

The meeting also included a discussion of the tennis center’s membership fees, which Collard presented to the council.

An annual individual tennis-only membership is listed at $65 per month. Cheaper price points will be offered for four-person households ($120), individual seniors over 65 years old ($50) and household seniors over 65 years old ($90).

There will be a series of other annual membership packages with various levels of access (bronze, silver, gold, platinum), along with a six-month snowbird membership option to run from October through March.

A platinum membership, for instance, provides access to all courts and in-house tournaments, as well as the center’s fitness room, cryotherapy/salt room, and kid’s club. It also includes a golf membership at Silverado Golf & Country Club. An individual platinum membership (ages 17 and up) is listed at $1,999 annually, paid in full.

By comparison, an individual gold membership, which includes all amenities except golf, is $1,296 annually.

All memberships will include a one-time $250 initiation fee. However, the fee will be waived for the first 250 Zephyrhills residents to sign up for a membership.

There will be a 20 percent discount in memberships for nurses, teachers, military veterans and local and state government employees.

In addition to memberships, the tennis center will offer non-member day passes, daily guest passes and hourly court rental opportunities. It also will be used for receptions, fundraisers and other community events.

The facility also will host free tennis camps and lessons to underprivileged youth on a regular basis through its non-profit counterpart, Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation.

“It’s nothing set in stone,” Collard said of the membership prices. “We can tweak it, we can change it, but it’s pretty much what is done in the U.S. and different places.”

“It reflects in the pricing that we’re really giving everybody the opportunity to benefit from this center,” he added.

The breakeven point for the facility is roughly 450 members, Collard said.

In determining membership costs, Collard and city staffers analyzed membership fees at several other tennis and athletic clubs throughout the Tampa Bay region, such as the Beerman Family Tennis Center in Lakeland and the Cindy Hummel Tennis Center in Auburndale.

“Really, our numbers were very comparable and even sometimes less,” city planning director Todd Vande Berg said of the membership fees. “We’re offering so much more, and we’re not even talking about the restaurant (inside the tennis center clubhouse), so we did take a careful look at the comparisons to make sure they were in line.”

Council members didn’t seem to have qualms about the various price points, instead expressing their eagerness for the forthcoming tennis venture.

“I’m excited about it,” councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson said. “I think about the people that I know that play tennis, that’s a great investment for them and would like to have that opportunity.”

Added councilman Lance Smith: “I think it’s a good partnership and I think we’re going to learn as we go along. I’m just anxious to get the facility going.”

Council president Ken Burgess said it’s “good timing” for the city to get a tennis center, pointing out roadway developments along State Road 54, State Road 56 and the Interstate 75-Overpass Road interchange extension to Zephyrhills.

“I think this is one more thing that’s going to put Zephyrhills on the map,” Burgess said. “I mean, I realize that probably a lot of our (tennis) members may come from not necessarily the city limits, but it’s still going to put Zephyrhills on the map. It’s a great design and I think everything’s coming together, all at the right time, too.”

The tennis center is named after the Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 21 in October 2015. She was the daughter of longtime city planning director Todd Vande Berg.

Published June 26, 2019

Land O’ Lakes tennis standout eyes district title

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After a sophomore campaign that yielded an undefeated mark in regular season dual matches and being named Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Girls Tennis Player of the Year, Land O’ Lakes High School’s Courtney Piltaver has even bigger goals in sight this season.

The junior is eyeing a 6-3A district title.

“I’m hoping to win districts this year,” she said.

Beyond that, Piltaver is hoping for a deep run in the Florida High School Athletic Association state series, at regionals and possibly a state qualification.

Land O’ Lakes High School varsity girls tennis standout Courtney Piltaver is the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference Eastside Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She’s building off last season’s sophomore campaign with a 4-0 start to the 2019 regular season. (Kevin Weiss)

In doing so, Piltaver must first avenge last season’s defeat in the district finals — a back-and-forth battle to East Lake’s Marissa Penning, who’s currently ranked among the state’s top 25 sophomores by Tennis Recruiting Network.

“It was like a really close match; it was a good, long one,” Piltaver recalled.

Penning, however, transferred schools and is not competing at the high school circuit this year, said Piltaver, who often trains and plays with the Clearwater sophomore in high-level USTA junior tournaments.

That could open the door for an elusive district crown and maybe more.

“I’m not sure if there’s any other competition coming out of East Lake, because typically a lot of good players come from there, so hopefully I can make it to the states,” Piltaver said.

Of course, Piltaver would again like to repeat as east Pasco’s Girls Tennis Player of the Year and garner all-conference first-team honors. “That’d be nice,” she quipped.

Piltaver said winning the awards last year “made me feel good, like I accomplished something that I worked really hard towards, so it was just another thing that made me feel good about all the work I put into tennis.”

She’s certainly on the right track again, with a 4-0 mark on the 2019 season.

“I’m hoping to stay undefeated this (regular) season,” she said, “which I’m thinking I will.”

The tennis standout has the work ethic to back up her play.

In addition to regular high school practices and matches, Piltaver trains five days a week at the Dobsha Tennis Academy in Odessa, where she fine tunes technical skills, including serves and footwork; on weekends, she competes in high-level USTA (United States Tennis Association) junior tournaments.

When it comes to the court, Piltaver means business, said Land O’ Lakes girls tennis coach Jen Gaete.

“She’s really focused; you can see the high energy,” Gaete said. “She does have that wanting to pursue, wanting to chase the dreams.

“She’s really just driven by the sport and wanting to do well,” the coach added.

Gaete also noted Piltaver is quick to give her teammates positive feedback and pointers during matches, offering in-game strategy and reminding less experienced players about techniques, such as proper racket grip, court positioning and so on.

“She’s always willing,” Gaete said. “She helps me with a lot of those leadership roles and wanting to give the girls some coaching.”

Gaete went on: “She’s encouraging of the others. It’s always about being a part of the team.”

Handling the grind of the sport comes naturally for Piltaver, who’s been playing tennis nine-plus years.

“I just love playing, I love competing,” Piltaver said, “and, I just like to challenge myself, and I think that has like really helped me with life skills. Yeah, it gets hard sometimes but, honestly, I just love doing something. Like, it’s really become my life.”

Besides her all-around tennis skillset, Piltaver said her biggest strides of late have come from upping her physical fitness and mental focus — areas that have come in handy during long, drawn-out matches in the Florida heat.

“I feel like I have the body and the mentality to be an athlete, and I think that’s really the thing that’s gotten me so far, said Piltaver, who’s ranked among the state’s top 80 players for the 2020 recruiting class by Tennis Recruiting Network. “When matches get really tough I’m able to stay in it and not lose focus, which is something really important.”

She added, “The sun out here is really horrible, so just being able to endure that for two hours and play another match after that definitely was a big jump.”

Mental and physical strength also helped her recover from a pair of back injuries in recent years.

Early on in her freshman season, Piltaver suffered a grade 3 back strain. She was only able to compete in one high school match and therefore ineligible for postseason play.

“It’s weird because I’ve never been injured and then all of a sudden I hurt my back and then I was out for like five months because it was really bad,” Piltaver said, noting it took another few months to get back to her regular form. “Once you get past the struggle point you’re like, ‘OK,’ and then you start taking off.”

And, before the start of this season, Piltaver was in a car accident, sustaining pulled ligaments in her back.

A less serious injury compared to her freshman year, Piltaver was only sidelined her for a couple weeks before returning to action; she said she now feels 100 percent.

“I’m fine,” Piltaver said. “I think it was just sore. I needed to let my body rest.”

Now fully healthy, Piltaver is looking to play in as many USTA junior tournaments as possible —in addition to her high school slate — to prepare for what lies ahead at the next level, as one of very few tennis players from Pasco County receiving offers to play collegiate tennis.

Piltaver’s actively going through the college recruiting process and considering multiple NCAA Division II schools, including Belmont-Abbey College, Barton College, University of Montavello, Limestone College, and North Greenville University, to name a few.

Piltaver said she’s considering Division II schools “mostly because I feel like academics is important, and I just feel like they have the better academic side that I was looking for.”

Said Piltaver, “I’m trying to get my officials visits in September, so I can sign in early fall, because that’s really what I’m looking toward.”

Published March 27, 2019

New tennis center on tap for Zephyrhills

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Pasco County residents longing for greater tennis opportunities soon will have that wish granted.

Todd Vande Berg, planning director for the city of Zephyrhills, unveiled plans for a two-story, outdoor tennis facility, designed to United States Tennis Association (USTA) standards.

The Zephyrhills City Council gave Vande Berg a consensus to proceed with an engineered site plan and an architect plan, at its Nov. 14 meeting.

The facility, presently known as the Zephyrhills Tennis Center, will be located on 4.7 acres of donated land at The District at Abbott’s Square, a new real estate development situated north of Dean Dairy Road and west of Simons Road.

This rendering of the Zephyrhills Tennis Center shows 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court. The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces. A second level, if added, will contain an observation deck, players lounge, and concessions. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)
This rendering of the Zephyrhills Tennis Center shows 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court. The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces. A second level, if added, will contain an observation deck, players lounge, and concessions.
(Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The estimated $2.19 million project will likely include 10 courts (eight clay, two hard surface), three mini-courts and one exhibition court.

The tennis center is also expected to feature a pro shop, a multifunctional community room, and two office spaces.

A second level, if added, will house an observation deck, players lounge, and concessions.

The facility was initially expected to feature a “50-50 mix” of five clay and five hard surface courts. However, the USTA advised Vande Berg to plan for additional soft surface, clay courts.

“Most people prefer playing on a soft court,” Vande Berg said. “Wherever you go now, most courts in Florida are going with a majority clay courts.”

Though ground has yet to break on the forthcoming project, the planning director has already received several inquiries for its use.

“A lot of interest is out there,” Vande Berg said. “I’ve gotten calls from people in New England who want to run the facility. We have colleges asking if it’s going to be available this summer for training.”

The facility, too, opens the door to hosting local and regional USTA-sanctioned events.

“We could bring in some pretty good sized tournaments,” Vande Berg said.

“It will be an economic draw for not only Zephyrhills, but all of Pasco County,” he said.

“You could bring in probably 50 to 100 kids and their families that would be staying the weekend to play in tournaments,” he added.

Vande Berg said the tennis center will be funded over the next two fiscal years. He noted that recreation impact fees from The District at Abbott’s Square and other developments should total about $2.13 million, all but financing the entire project.

Other possible funding sources include: USTA grants, Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grants, Penny for Pasco, and partnerships with Pasco County Parks and Recreation, and Pasco County Tourism.

“This isn’t a city of Zephyrhills project. This is a countywide project,” Vande Berg said. “There’s going to be a lot of countywide people using this facility.”

Memberships will be required to access the facility, though Vande Berg indicated that prices will be “more economical” for Zephyrhills residents, compared to non-residents.

“We need to fully vet that aspect out,” he said, “to see exactly what our community is comfortable with…”

Vande Berg and City Manager Steve Spina have sought direction from other tennis facilities in nearby communities, including Auburndale and Plant City.

The eight-court Cindy Hummel Tennis Center, in Auburndale, has yearly memberships ranging from $107 to $240, for unlimited court access. Meanwhile, the 10-court Plant City Tennis Center offers individual annual passes for $350, and family annual passes for $700.

In east Pasco, many residents have pleaded for additional tennis facilities and programming.

During a May open house at the Alice Hall Community Center in Zephyrhills, several residents told The Laker/Lutz News the foremost reason they use Zephyr Park is because of its tennis courts.

One east Pasco resident, Fred Hall, was particularly vocal about the subject. “The single most used thing in (the) park is the tennis courts,” Hall said, in May. “Those are used in the morning from 7 a.m., until the lights go off at night. Seven days a week.”

Published November 23, 2016