What To Watch For This Week in Florida Sports (July 14-20)

WATCH FOR summer sports events to bring visitors to the State of Florida. The North American Roller Hockey Championships returns to Fort Myers for the sixth year through July 27.

A total of 280 teams and 4,200 athletes is one reason the North American Roller Hockey Championships excite inline roller hockey fans. The games started Friday at the Germain Arena. With coaches, family members and friends, more than 12,000 visitors will be in Southwest Florida over a two-week span.

The Perfect Game Baseball Championships, which started earlier in June and continues through the end of July, brings 540 teams to baseball fields in Lee County.

In Brevard County, a pair of AAU Basketball National Championships will bring More than 100 teams from all over the country to play in eight different gyms across the Space Coast of Florida.

Each of the events in brought to their areas by Lee County Sports Development and Space Coast Sports Promotions received a Florida Sports Foundation grant.

WATCH FOR the College Football Playoff Championship Trophy to make its way to Tampa at some point before the January 9, 2017 game to be held at Raymond James Stadium.

The new trophy was unveiled Monday, July 14, and will be presented to the winner of the College Football Playoff National Championship annually beginning this season.

The design of the trophy features a focused football at the center of the base that rises to form an actual-size ball. Standing at a total height of three feet, the trophy and base are two integral, but separate pieces, so the trophy may be lifted up independently when it is awarded to the national championship team.

The 2017 Championship Game, hosted by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, will be the third College Football Playoff National Championship Game and a semifinal game will be played, December 31, 2015, at the Orange Bowl Game in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium.

WATCH FOR two Florida natives in the National League starting lineup for the 2014 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tuesday, July 15.

Fort Meade’s Andrew McCutcheon, will lead off and play centerfield while Jonathan LuCroy, of Umatilla, starts at catcher and will bat eighth. Miami Marlins slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, will also start as the designated hitter and bat fifth. He will also be a member of the National League’s Home Run Derby team on Monday night.

ALSO WATCH FOR Seven Florida State League prospects who played at the Major League Baseball Futures Game Sunday night to finish out their 2014 seasons at various Florida locations.

The USA Futures, who defeated the World Futures Team, 3-2, featured Jake Thompson, a pitcher for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, Justin O’Connor, a catcher for the Charlotte Stone Crabs, J.P. Crawford, a shortstop for the Clearwater Threshers and Josh Bell, an outfielder for the Bradenton Marauders.

The World Team had three pitchers, Jose Berrios, who is currently 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 16 starts, for the Fort Myers Miracle, Jorge Lopez, of the Brevard Manatees and Luis Severino, from the Tampa Yankees.

The 2014 season continues through the end of August at 12 Florida locations, with 10 of the locations being Major League Baseball Spring Training sites.

WATCH FOR the countdown to Florida football great Derrick Brooks being inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame on August 2. Brooks, who played whole career in Florida (Pensacola Washington HS, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 1991-94 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1995-2008), is currently featured by the Bucs with a video tribute of his career beginning in Pensacola.

The Buccaneers 2014 Training Camp opens on Friday, July 25.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, a Division of Enterprise Florida, Inc., and the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. 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 (March 3-9)

WATCH FOR the second of four PGA Tour stops in Florida during the month of March.  The WGC-Cadillac Championship begins Thursday at the TPC Blue Monster at Trump National Doral. Doral’s signature course has undergone a $200 million upgrade to improve the layout that had shown signs of age. The course gets its Blue Monster name from its famed 18th hole, where water along the entire left side torments golfers on both the tee and the approach shot. Despite equipment advances, No.18 still ranked as last year’s sixth-toughest hole outside the majors.

Tiger Woods is scheduled to defend his title, but his status is currently unknown after he withdrew from last week’s Honda Classic, citing back spasms. The WGC-Cadillac Championship boasts the strongest field yet of 2014, a lineup that includes the entire top 50 in the world rankings and top money-winners from various world tours. Barring any late withdrawals, this will mark the first time everyone in the world’s top 50 has teed up at the same event since the 2012 PGA Championship.

The First Tee is the primary beneficiary of World Golf Championships events. Other recipients include the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Miami Children’s Hospital and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

The Valspar Championship follows at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, March 13-16 and the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard rounds out the month, March 20-23, at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, in Orlando.

WATCH FOR the University of Florida Gators to play as the Number One college basketball team in the nation for the second week in a row.

The Gators (27-2, 16-0) received one less first-place vote than last week in the Associated Press poll but still had a commanding 46-14 lead over unbeaten Wichita State (31-0).

While Wichita State has completed its regular season, the Gators have two games left. They go on the road Tuesday against South Carolina (11-18, 4-12) at the Colonial Life Arena, with a five-game winning streak over the Gamecocks.

Florida, currently riding a 21-game win streak, then closes the regular season at home at noon Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats. It will be the final home game for seniors Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather and Will Yeugete.

WATCH FOR the Tampa Bay Bucs new look in 2014, from the coaches on the sidelines to the uniform the players will be wearing.

Teaming up with Nike, the Bucs unveiled their new unis Monday, one that links the past of the franchise to the bold new future. It is the team’s first redesign since 1997.

The uniform will have a richer pewter and a brighter Buccaneer Red. It will also have the orange trim (remember the Cremesicles) on the pants and jersey. The Bucs become the first franchise to have a reflective chrome border around the numbers on the front, back and shoulders.

The white jerseys will have pewter sleeves and shoulders with red numbers, while the red jerseys will have pewter sleeves and shoulders and white numbers on the body and red numbers on the shoulders.

The pirate ship will be on the right shoulder of the uniforms, while BUCS will be on the left. The team’s flag will be on the the right and left hips of the pants.

The new jerseys will go on sale April 1 at Buccaneers.com, Nike.com and NFLShop.com.

WATCH FOR more Sunshine State Games event information to be released as Florida’s only Olympic Style Sports Festival celebrates its 35th year of amateur sports in 2014.  Competition information and online registration for the Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships and the Polk County Festival is currently posted.

Other Sunshine State Games events information will be posted soon. Be a part of a Florida tradition that is now in its fourth decade of competition.

WATCH FOR even more stories in the news about the wonderful month of March featuring spring training baseball in Florida. For 29 glorious days during the month of March stories like this one, “Traditions and spring training baseball go hand in hand.”

Follow the 2014 Florida Grapefruit League season at www.floridagrapefruitleague.com and on Twitter @FlaSpringTrain.  The Florida Sports Foundation is also offering a new Mobile App for Apple and Android Smartphones.  Links to download the app can be found at the Florida Grapefruit League webiste.  It features schedules, stadium information and fans will receive notifications during the season about daily gameday promotions and weather updates if necessary during the 33 days of Florida Spring Training.

The Weekly “What to Watch For in Florida Sports,” is compiled by the Florida Sports Foundation, the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization. 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 (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.