What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (November 25-December 1)

WATCH FOR the Florida State Seminoles, Central Florida Knights and Bethune-Cookman Wildcats continue their successful runs through the regular season and into the post-season. FSU closes out its regular season this weekend against the Florida Gators and await an opponent in the ACC Championship Game, December 7 in Charlotte, NC. UCF has two regular season games remaining against the South Florida Bulls and SMU Mustangs. With two wins, the Knights will be the American Conference Champions and be in line for a BCS Bowl Game.  Bethune-Cookman finished its regular season with a 10-2 record and is currently ranked 12th in the FCS Polls.  The Wildcats will meet the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, Saturday in Conway, SC. Other Florida teams with post-season aspirations include the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Atlantic Owls. Follow the 2013 seasons of all 19 football teams in Florida at Florida Football Central.
 
WATCH FOR registration numbers to continue to climb past 1,700 as Online Registration deadlines have been extended for all sports except Tennis. Check the Florida International Senior Games & State Championships Sports and Registration page to see the updated registration deadlines. Most extended deadlines fall between November 29 and December 3. Once those deadlines pass schedules should start appearing on www.flasports.com.  As of Monday, November 25, a total of 1,618 Florida senior athletes, age 50 and over, have registered to compete at the 2013 Games, to be held in Lee County, December 7-15.
 
WATCH FOR one of the largest sporting events in the world to come to Palm Beach County when USA Field Hockey (USAFH) partners with the Palm Beach County Sports Commission to host the National Hockey Festival at the International Polo Club in Wellington.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, over 260 teams, 4,400 athletes and 8,500 total visitors from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean will will contend for titles in women’s and men’s divisions, including women’s age group (Under 16 and Under 19), boy’s age group (Under 16), and women’s open and mixed (adult).

The International Polo Club maintains over 200 acres of land, consisting of nine (9) polo fields. The venue was a key ingredient in Palm Beach County’s successful bid. USA Field Hockey will layout 33 field hockey pitches over 6 polo fields.

Last year, the Festival generated $8.25 million of direct visitor spending and 11,569 hotel room nights to the local economy.  Due to the increase in teams for 2013, this year’s Festival is expected to increase. Palm Beach County has hosted a version of the National Hockey Festival eight (8) previous times.

WATCH FOR the final Florida Spring Training schedules to be announced as the 100-Day Countdown continues.  Currently 12 of the 15 Florida Grapefruit League teams have schedules posted.  The World Champion Boston Red Sox announced their schedule last week, which begins with the annual doubleheader game against hometown college teams, Northeastern and Boston University on February 27 at Jet Blue Park.
 
WATCH FOR thousands of Floridians to take to the streets on Thanksgiving morning for annual Turkey Trot Road Races throughout Florida before spending the day with family and friends. Miami’s Baptist Health South Florida Turkey Trot expects approximately 6,000 local residents to be at the start line at Tropical Park Thursday morning and more than 5,000 runners are expected to participate in the 38th Annual Tallahassee Turkey Trot. The Florida Sports Foundation wishes all Floridians a Happy Thanksgiving.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (November 18-24)

WATCH FOR the Florida International Senior Games & State Championships online registration website to be busy as the deadline the 2013 State Championships is Friday, November 22.

More than 1,100 senior athletes, age 50 and over, are currently registered and nearly 2,000 are expected to compete in 24 sports over the nine days of competition in Lee County, December 7-15.

To accommodate all of the senior athletes, volunteers are needed for all sports events throughout the week in Lee County.  Visit the Florida Senior Games volunteer page to find out the duties that will need to be performed.  All volunteers receive a free t-shirt for their time and talents.

Athletes registering will have the opportunity to be a part of a few new things to the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships.

The Coconut Point Florida Blue Center will host the return of the Celebration of Athletes, Saturday evening, December 14, beginning at 5:00 p.m. This event provides athletes the only opportunity to gather together as one over the nine days of competition.

All athletes and guests, who RSVP by December 7, are invited to join the festivities for vendors, food, music, guest speakers, entertainment and the presentation of the 2012 Athlete of the Year Awards to Linda Frisch, of The Villages, and James Richling, of Port St. Lucie.

It’s the only time Senior Games athletes will be able to swap tales of athletic accomplishments with new friends and best of all – IT’S FREE!

Earlier that day, the Coconut Point Florida Blue Center will host one of the two new sports to the 2013 Games as Bag Toss joins the Senior Games roster.  The competition will be held using United Bag Toss League Rules.

The other new sport to the 2013 Games is Golf Croquet, to be played Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 at the Estero Recreation Center.  

Finally, Masters Tennis will be introduced as a demo event of the Games, at Three Oaks Community Park in Fort Myers, Wednesday, December 10 and Thursday, December 11.  This event is taking place through a partnership with the Florida Sports Foundation and the United States Tennis Association-Florida Section (USTA Florida). The demo (Wednesday) and free play day (Thursday) is free to the public.

WATCH FOR more 2014 Florida Grapefruit League schedules to be released over the next few weeks.  Six teams have already posted full schedules at the Florida Grapefruit League Web Site and two teams have partial schedules posted.

Fans of the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves (partial schedule) and Toronto Blue Jays (partial schedule) can start making their plans now for the 2014 Florida Spring Training season.  

The season will begin the week of February 24, 2014 and run through the last week of March.  Keep checking www.floridagrapefruitleague.com for more schedules, ticket information and all the latest on the 2014 Florida Spring Training season. Follow the 100-day countdown to Florida Spring Training with a Fun Fact a Day on Twitter @FlaSpringTrain.

WATCH FOR more than 1,000 out-of-state visitors to come to Florida for a Florida Sports Foundation granted event.  The NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Championship is being held in Brevard County with 12 teams in competition through Saturday.

The 2013 National Championship, hosted by Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne and Space Coast Sports, welcomes teams from 11 other states.  Vying for the National Championship are Iowa Western; Paradise Valley (Arizona); Navarro (Texas); Darton State (Georgia); Butler (Kansas); Southern Maryland; Laramie County (Wyoming); Monroe College (New York); Owens (Ohio);  St. Louis (Missouri) and Lake County (Illinois).

Four pools of three teams with pool play through Wednesday, followed by two semifinal games on Friday.  The National Championship game will be played Saturday night at 7PM at Titan Stadium on the campus of Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (Oct. 28-Nov. 3)

WATCH FOR a big week of buildup in the college football world as the third-ranked Florida State Seminoles host the sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes in Tallahassee on Saturday.

ESPN’s College Football Gameday will be live at Langford Green outside of Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday morning, the game will be televised nationally on ESPN Saturday night.

It will mark the first time the two teams have met while being ranked in the Top 10 since 2004 and both teams are undefeated with 7-0 records.

Give this week’s Florida Football Central a look to see the progress of Florida’s other ranked teams. The University of Central Florida Knights are currently ranked 19th in the Associated Press Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The 7-1 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats are ranked 13th in the FCS Poll.

WATCH FOR a big night at the American Airlines Arena Tuesday. Not only is it opening night of the 2013-14 season for the Miami Heat against the Chicago Bulls, the players will be presented with their 2013 NBA Championship Rings.

It’s their third banner-raising party in seven years, and the second one they’ll hold in a span of 12 months.

A pair of 3D videos that will turn the court into a theater screen and even the infamous yellow rope — which got attention for all the wrong reasons in Game 6 of last season’s NBA Finals against San Antonio — will be part of the show Tuesday when the Heat distribute their newest championship rings before the team’s season-opener against the Chicago Bulls.

WATCH FOR a second week of Ironman 70.3 Triathlons in the State of Florida. Panama City Beach hosts this weekend following up last weekend’s event in Miami.

Miami offered more than just a pretty backdrop as the first test of endurance began with a 1.2-mile swim through the harsh currents of Biscayne Bay. The cycling portion took racers toward the Everglades for a 56-mile roundtrip ride back to downtown. Racers finished the last 13.1 miles in a foot race to the finish at Bayfront Park.

In Panama City Beach, the swim takes place in the Gulf of Mexico and gives spectators a bird’s eye view of the entire course. Athletes are challenged by a fast, flat, one-loop bicycle course. Winds are typically light in the morning, but become more challenging later in the day.

The two-loop run course, while flat, has many turns throughout the local neighborhoods. The course also winds through St. Andrew’s State Park, a favorite among participants for its shaded areas and wildlife.

There are 50 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, HI up for grabs in Panama City Beach. Both events were recipients of a Florida Sports Foundation Grant and are expected to bring over 21,000 out-of-state visitors and $14 million in economic impact.

WATCH FOR the final three qualifiers for the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships in Ormond Beach, Sanford and Martin County.

While the Ormond Beach Senior Games will be wrapping up this weekend, The Golden Age Games and Martin County Senior Games will be starting.

Sanford’s Golden Age Games are the “Nation’s Oldest Senior Games and begin on Saturday, November 2 and run for a week through Saturday, November 9.

Now in its 24th year, the Martin County Senior Games opens Friday, November 1 as well with approximately 600 athletes competing. The golf competition kicks things off at the Martin County Golf Course.

The 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships Registration Book has been distributed statewide. Online Registration is available for athletes and the registration deadline is November 22. Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to compete in the 22nd Annual Games in Lee County, December 7-15.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (October 14-20)

WATCH FOR Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park’s newly-renovated cross country course, a masterpiece that will continue to bring in big dollars for the community and bigger events in the future.

“There’s nothing else like it in the state, and there are few places in the country — less than five — that have this good of a course,” said FSU cross country coach Bob Braman. “So we’re going to be winning bids for a lot of events.”

The FSU Invitational, held last weekend and featured college and high school runners, is one of the largest cross country events in the South.

The high school portion included many of the elite runners and teams in the state and featured more than 200 teams and as many as 3,000 runners from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Including the spectators traveling with the athletes, that means a substantial boost to the local economy as visitors flood into restaurants, hotels, stores and gas stations. Along with the Florida High Schools state meet on Saturday, Nov. 9, county officials expect to see a total of $1.9 million in direct spending.

“We expect there will be $800,000 in direct spending this weekend alone,” said Lee Daniel, executive director of the Leon County Tourism Development Department.

WATCH FOR, literally, the progress of Daytona International Speedway’s historic DAYTONA Rising project, as it now has the ability to look-in on the construction site.

Utilizing state-of-the-art EarthCam technology, race fans will have a view of the construction activities along the frontstretch grandstands with multiple vantage points including a panorama view and the ability to zoom in.

There are three robotic 288 megapixel archiving cameras as well as four HD streaming cameras aimed at the construction work taking place at Daytona International Speedway.

DAYTONA Rising is a $400 million reimagining of an American icon – Daytona International Speedway. Five expanded and redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider and more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. DAYTONA Rising is expected to create 6,300 jobs, $300 million in labor income and over $80 million in tax revenue, will be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and DAYTONA 500.

For tickets and more information on Daytona International Speedway events, visit http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

WATCH FOR the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships Registration Book to be mailed out to over 10,000 prospective 50 and over athletes in the State of Florida.

Online registration is now open for the 23 sports and events of the 2013 Games, to be held December 7-15 in Lee County.

The Tampa Bay Senior Games and the Kissimmee/St. Cloud Senior Games are in full swing this week and the Ormond Beach Senior Games begin on October 26.

After Ormond Beach, there are only two local Games qualifiers remaining in November, the Golden Age Games (November 2-9) and Martin County Senior Games (November 2-11).

Entry fees for the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships vary by sport and registration deadlines are in mid-November.

WATCH FOR the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the cross-state rivals, who have developed a new competition to engage fans: the Governor’s Cup.

A new initiative, the Cup will be presented to whichever team takes home the best head-to-head record. Both teams will provide donations to its rival’s youth hockey initiative, as well as providing tickets to local students for Governor’s Cup games.

Of course, with the new alignment, the two will only play each other four times, meaning it’s possible that the series could end in a tie. Not to worry though, as tiebreaker scenarios are already in place.

The Lightning won the first game, 7-2, last Thursday in the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The next of the four game series will be held in the BB&T Center in Sunrise.


Sunday, Oct. 27, Lightning at Panthers, 5 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 23, Lightning at Panthers, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 13, Panthers at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. 
 


“The Sunshine State is a national leader in sports, and the creation of the Governor’s Cup is great news for Florida hockey. This competition is an excellent way to highlight the opportunities that Floridians, and our visitors, have to enjoy all of the wonderful activities that our state has to offer,” Florida Governor Rick Scott said.

WATCH FOR the opportunity to purchase tickets for March Madness almost five months before the madness begins at the Amway Center in Orlando.

As a valued fan, here’s an opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 2nd & 3rd Rounds on March 20 & 22 at the Amway Center before they go on sale to the general public. Use the offer code FLASPORTS.

The pre-sale window will start on October 15th at 10 am and end on October 17th at 11:59 pm.

Central Florida has enjoyed a great partnership with the NCAA dating back to the mid 1990’s, successfully hosting numerous NCAA National Championships. In all, 41 NCAA National or Regional Championships will have been staged in Central Florida from 1997 through 2014. Championships decided in the area include the 1999 and 2004 Men’s Division I Basketball First and Second Round Games.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (October 7-13)

WATCH FOR Florida Senior Athletes to compete in local senior games events leading up to the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships.

The Tampa Bay Senior Games are in full swing this week with events daily. The Tampa Bay Games began on Saturday and continue through Friday, October 18. Pickleball will be held October 25-27 and registration is still available.

Two athletes who will compete in the Tampa Bay Games Powerlifting competition on Friday will have a full schedule through October 18.

A regular competitor in the Games is 92-year old Edith Traina, sandwiched in between her Powerlifting, Traina will be in Shuffleboard, Bag Toss, Billiards and Darts events, according to Tampa Bay Senior Games Director Mary Clements Fowler.

Traina set a Florida Masters Powerlifting record at the 2012 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships (photo above) and has set new goals for the Tampa Bay Senior Games, a 115-pound dead lift and a 65-pound bench press.

Wesley Chapel’s Otis Perry (at right with family) will participate in 12 events. The first on his list was the 1 Mile Walk on Saturday and he continues this week with Table Tennis, Darts, Billiards, Horseshoes, Dominoes and compete in Basketball Shooting, Bag Toss. In the track and field events he will do the long jump, shot put and discus.

Besides showing his athletic prowess, the former school administrator and athletic director is showing off his cooking talents in the baking contest. He plans to make a Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Louisiana Pecans.

Perry won a gold medal in the Powerlifting 70-74 age group in 2012 with an 80 lb bench press and 115 lb deadlift.

Also WATCH FOR the Gainesville Senior Games taking place October 11-19 and the Kissimmee/St. Cloud Senior Games October 12-19.

Follow the Florida Senior Games on Facebook and Register Online..

WATCH FOR a pair of NHL home openers for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers on Friday and Saturday night.

The Lightning host the Panthers on Friday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and the Panthers open their home schedule on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.

Prior to their season opener, the Panthers introduced their new ownership, Vincent Viola as Chairman, Principal Owner & Governor of SSE, the Florida Panthers and the Broward County-owned BB&T Center.

In addition, Douglas Cifu assumes the role of Vice Chairman, Partner & Alternate Governor, while Michael R. Yormark has been promoted to the position of President & Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

Read about the New Era in Florida Panthers Hockey in a blog by Yormark.

Heading into the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning broadcast crew provided a preview. Hear what Rick Peckham, Dave Mishkin and Bobby “The Chief” Taylor have to say about the Lightning and what fans can expect in 2013-14.

WATCH FOR construction at the Lee County Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium as the Minnesota Twins and Lee County have broken ground on $48.5 million in renovations at the team’s spring training complex.

Groundbreaking was held Thursday, October 3 at the Lee County Sports Complex and Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.

The complex serves as the Twins’ Florida Grapefruit League home as well as the team’s year-round player development operations, including the franchise’s Florida State League affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle.

The renovations will be completed in two phases. The first phase includes

· A new residential player development academy
· Renovations to the Minor League clubhouse and administrative areas
· A new Gulf Coast League playing field
· A new agility field
· Completion of a 360 degree boardwalk and concourse at Hammond Stadium, including new berm seating in left field
· Expansion of Hammond Stadium’s seating capacity of 8,000 to 9,300
· A new parking lot

Phase One should be completed by spring 2014. The second phase includes upgraded concourses and improved concessions at Hammond Stadium by February 2015.

The Twins have been training at the Fort Myers complex since 1991.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.

What To Watch For This Week In Florida Sports (July 22-28)

WATCH FOR Florida’s 568 senior athletes to continue winning medals at the 2013 National Senior Games.

Four Florida swimmers earned eight National Senior Games medals over the weekend, in Cleveland, Ohio. Katherine Karageorges-Sharp, of Boca Raton (pictured at left), led the way with two gold and two silver medals, in the 55-59 age group. Rudy Vazmina, of Sarasota, won a gold and two silver medals in 60-64 age group events and Linda Larson, of Fort Lauderdale, won a bronze medal.

Two Florida women won triathlon gold medals on Sunday as Miami’s Lois Leon was the top finisher in the 70-74 age group and Phyllis Goodlad, of Dade City (pictured below), won the gold for the 85-89 age group.

Sports in action this week include Archery, Badminton, Horseshoes, Softball, Swimming and Tennis, Beginning later this week are Basketball, Golf, Shuffleboard, Track and Field and Volleyball. The 2013 National Senior Games continue through August 1 and the 2013 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships will be held December 7-15, in Lee County.

Check out the National Senior Games Results page and daily stories and photos from the Cleveland Plains-Dealer.  

WATCH FOR Florida’s NFL teams to hit the field this week in preparation for the 2013 season. The Dolphins began training camp yesterday in Davie, while Buccaneers first day of training camp is Thursday and the Jaguars take the field for the first workout on Friday.

The Bucs, Dolphins and Jaguars will each play two home pre-season games during the month of August before the regular season begins on Sunday, September 8.

Fans of the Bucs, Dolphins and Jaguars can show their team pride while providing support to youth charities and Florida’s economy, with a Florida Sports License Plate. Proceeds from the additional $25 tag fee directly support each team’s designated youth charity and the development of major and regional sports events throughout Florida.

WATCH FOR more events bringing amateur sports participants to Florida during the summer vacation months. Five events that have received a Florida Sports Foundation Grant and a multitude of others are bringing over 25,000 visitors to Florida for sports. Here’s a sample of what’s going on this week in several Florida sports hot spots.

•ASA USA GOLD Softball Tournament, July 21- 27, Clearwater (76 teams in Pinellas County)
• USA Volleyball High Performance Championships, July 23-27, 2013, Fort Lauderdale
• Grand Slam World Series of Baseball, July 23-27, Panama City Beach
• U.S. Open Jr. Judo Championships, July 26-30, 2013, Fort Lauderdale
• African-American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships & Conference, July 28- August 3, 2013, Fort Lauderdale
• 2013 World Travel Ball Championships, July 28-August 4, 2013, Miami
• The 2013 Champion® ESPN Games, Disney’s Wide World of Sports, July 19-29.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by Florida Sports Foundation Director of Communications, Nick Gandy. Follow the Florida Sports Foundation on Facebook and on Twitter #fla_sports. Visit http://www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Sports Foundation and the vibrant sports industry in the Sunshine State. Florida is Where The World Comes to Play.