This week in FlaSports - March 24-31
 

Welcome to This week in FlaSports.  This feature on the FSF web site will once again give a weekly smattering of information about what's going on in sports in the Sunshine State.

Whether it be professional, amateur or recreational sports, and it's happening in Florida, look for it at This week in FlaSports.

Information on this page will be updated on Monday of each week.  To have your organization's events or happenings on This week in FlaSports, send an email to ngandy@flasports.com. 

Volume 2, Issue 3
March 24, 2008

► Florida's Sunshine State Games Registration opportunities

► The Villages to host National Pickleball Tournament
► Florida’s wildlife viewing brings welcome revenue to the state
► Never know who will show up at Florida Spring Training
► Amateur Sports Accolades
► FlaSports Calendar of Events for March 24-31
► Archive of previous issues of This Week in FlaSports


 

Register now for 2008 Sunshine State Games events

Registration is now available for four upcoming Sunshine State Games events for a variety of Florida amateur athletes.

The Sunshine State Games Sport Shooting Championships includes 24 events at seven locations during the months of April and May.  The shooting begins on April 6 with the IDPA event at Orlando’s Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club.  The series includes an event every weekend through May 18.  Other Sunshine State Games Sport Shooting venues include the Flagler Gun and Archery Club, Hernando Sportsman’s Club, Misty Morgan Road in Samsula, Port Malabar Rifle & Pistol Club, Volusia County Skeet and Trap and the Wyoming Antelope Club.

All Sunshine State Games Shooting events have entry fees beginning at $15 and entry deadlines vary by event.  While pre-registration is available for most shooting events, the majority will accept on-site registration.  Only the SASS (Cowboy) event on April 13, the Sporting Clays event on April 26 and 27 and the Western 3 Gun event on May 18 will not accept on-site registration.

Ice skating in Florida?  Incredible Ice, a state-of-the-art complex in Coral Springs, hosts the Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships, May 16-18.  Nearly 300 of Florida’s finest amateur skaters are expected to compete over three days of events at the practice facility of the Florida Panthers. 

The Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships individual entry fee is $70 for the first event per skater and $40 for each additional event per skater.  All entries mailed to the FSF office in Tallahassee must be postmarked by April 14 or athletes may register online until April 28.  Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the Event Director and must be accompanied by a $50 late fee.

The Sunshine State Games Inline Hockey Championships return to the Palm Beach Skate Zone in Lake Worth for another year of skating and scoring, the weekend of June 13-15.  Competition is available for teams starting at the 8 and under age group and advancing up to Adult 18+ divisions.  Past Sunshine State Games Inline Hockey Championships have featured up to 40 teams.

Entry fee is $450 per team for registrations received, or teams registering online, by May 26.  Entry fee increases to $500 per team for entries received after May 26.  All entries must be received by June 6.

The Sunshine State Games Slow Pitch Softball Championships will be held July 12-13 at the Plant City Stadium Complex and Randy Larson Four-plex with men’s, women’s and coed play on a wide range of competition levels.

Entry fee is $225 per team when teams register online by June 30.  The fee increases to $300 after June 30.  No entries will be accepted after July 10. 

There are several different ways for Florida amateur athletes to register for competition.  The easiest way to sign up for either of these events is by online registration at www.flasports.com and clicking the Sunshine State Games tab.  Athletes may also download forms from www.flasports.com, fill them in and send them back to the Florida Sports Foundation.

The final way to register is to call the Florida Sports Foundation toll-free at 1-866-354-2637 and request a registration brochure and application be sent out.

Registration and competition information about the 2008 Summer Games, to be held in Polk County, June 13-15, will be available soon at www.flasports.com.

The Villages to host National Pickleball Tournament

The third annual The Villages Masters Athlete Pickleball Tournament, which attracts high caliber pickleball players from around the country, is scheduled April 25-27 in The Villages, an active adult community in central Florida.

This doubles tournament will feature three divisions: men's, women's and mixed doubles.

Each division will have three age groups:

50-54

55-59

60-64

65+ (NEW BRACKET ADDED THIS YEAR!)

For more information, contact event director Travis Rima at (352) 259-5377 or by email at Travis.Rima@districtgov.org

Registration forms are available at the Masters-Athlete.com Web site or by clicking this link: http://www.masters-athlete.com/public/174.cfm

 

Florida’s wildlife viewing brings welcome revenue to the state

Florida ’s rich and varied landscape and wildlife offer a wide array of opportunities for residents and tourists.  While many Floridians enjoy wildlife viewing in their back yards or close to home, almost a quarter of a million tourists with wildlife-watching plans travel to Florida each year, making Florida the No. 1 destination in the country for wildlife viewing. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released a report showing the valuable economic contribution to the state from resident and visitor wildlife-viewing activities. The report, “The 2006 Economic Benefits of Wildlife-Viewing Recreation in Florida ,” prepared by Southwick Associates, Inc., uses data from the “2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation” from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2006, 3.3 million Floridians viewed wildlife at or near their homes, and 1.6 million Floridians and tourists traveled around Florida for the sole purpose of wildlife viewing.  These viewers generated more than $3 billion in total economic impact throughout Florida . Retail sales account for approximately $1.8 billion of this total. While other areas of the economy may be experiencing a downswing, the FWC’s report finds retail sales for wildlife-viewing activities have almost doubled from $1.575 billion in 2001. Overall, 4.2 million people participated in some form of wildlife viewing in Florida in 2006.

The FWC provides further opportunities for wildlife viewing through projects such as the Great Florida Birding Trail, a 2,000-mile, self-guided highway tour, unifying 445 birding sites throughout Florida . Free guidebooks containing directions and maps make wildlife viewing a simple task for residents and visitors alike.

The annual economic impact of recreational hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing in Florida tops $11 billion, according to the FWC. 

 

Never know who will show up at Florida Spring Training

Whether it’s Billy Crystal leading off for the Yankees or a random Sandy Koufax sighting at Dodgertown, you never know who will show up at a Florida Spring Training camp.

Two days after John Smoltz, Jeff Francoeur and Tom Glavine played 18 holes with PGA star Tiger Woods, Smoltz faced his pal again — this time in the pitcher's domain.

Woods donned a batting helmet and Braves jersey (tucked into shorts) and stepped into the batter's box when Smoltz threw three simulated innings at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

According to Braves officials who were present, Woods struck out twice and drew a walk before getting a "controversial" single in his final at-bat.

"I've got the second baseman making that play," pitching coach Roger McDowell deadpanned.

McDowell stayed back to watch Smoltz in the 11 a.m. session, then drove over to Winter Haven to join the Braves against Cleveland.

Although Smoltz had fun facing Woods — "He really went after him," McDowell joked — he was otherwise serious in the second of the simulated-game sessions he is utilizing.

Amateur Sports Accolades
 

Former Sunshine State Games medal winners to compete in 2008 Olympic Trials

Longwood's Hunter Kemper is one of 22 U.S. triathletes eligible to compete in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials scheduled for April 19 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. USA Triathlon requires athletes be ranked in the top 125 in the world the week before the Olympic trials in order to compete.

The list could change as athletes earn International Triathlon Union ranking points at international events before the Olympic Trials.

Joining Kemper on the eligibility list is Sara McLarty of DeLand, who, like Kemper, now lives in Colorado Springs.

Kemper won a Sunshine State Games triathlon silver medal in 1992 while McLarty won swimming gold medals in 1999.

FlaSports Calendar of Events March 24-31
 

This week in FlaSports Archive (2007-08)
Volume 1, Issue 1, August 27
Volume 1, Issue 2, September 4
Volume 1, Issue 3, September 10
Volume 1, Issue 4, September 17
Volume 1, Issue 5, September 24
Volume 1, Issue 6, October 1
Volume 1, Issue 7, October 8
Volume 1, Issue 8, October 15
Volume 1, Issue 9, October 22
Volume 1, Issue 10, October 29
Volume 1, Issue 11, November 5
Volume 1, Issue 12, November 12
Volume 1, Issue 13, November 19
Volume 1, Issue 14, November 26

Volume 2, Issue 1, February 4
Volume 2, Issue 2, February 11

Office Information

The Florida Sports Foundation
2930 Kerry Forest Parkway
Tallahassee, FL 32309
850-488-8347
850-922-0482 Fax