Saturday, May 11, 2013
The Land O' Lakes Athletic Foundation will host a hall of fame dinner later this month.
Land O' Lakes High School's Athletic Foundation recently announced its Hall of Fame 2013 inductees. The list includes Tim Harvey, Kenneth McCurry, Colleen Bentz Sanders, Robert Shirmohammad and Henry Walls. The winners will be inducted at the Hall of Fame Dinner set for May 28 at the Land O' Lakes Culinary Arts Center, 20325 Gator Lane. The ceremony will feature former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and 11 time NFL pro bowler Derrick Brooks as keynote speaker. The Land O' Lakes Gators Athletic Foundation is a nonprofit established to benefit the athletic programs at Land O' Lakes High School. This marks the inaugural year of the Hall of Fame Dinner. The reception and hors d'oeuvres hour will be from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The awards dinner, speaker and …
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Once left out and bullied himself, the high school senior works to promote relationships that last beyond his free one-day clinics for kids with special needs.
As a child, Owen Sarwatka of Lutz says he was often left out on the playground and always picked last for sports. "I didn't have a lot of friends growing up," he said. "I was never really given the opportunity to get involved in games." But the Academy at the Lakes senior always had a passion for baseball, and as he got a little older, a passion for helping others. Now, the young founder of Everyone Can Play! helps children with special needs learn the game that gave him a sense of purpose—and other teens a chance to become involved not only as mentors, but as business leaders. Sarwatka's nonprofit organization, founded in 2010 as an Eagle Scout project, produces day-long clinics for kids with special needs. The clinics, which are …
The program run by local teens relies on donations and grants to fund its program, which provides free sports clinics for kids with special needs.
Everyone Can Play!, a nonprofit organization founded by a local teen, needs the community's support to continue its three-part mission to help children with special needs, end bullying and provide leadership experience and growth opportunities for teens. Owen Sarwatka of Lutz founded the organization in 2010 as a high school sophomore. As it has grown, so have its needs. Local teens make up the board of directors, and the goal is to have the entire operation run by high school students, Owen's mom and organization director Suzanne Sarwatka said. Their work includes fundraising efforts, researching and writing grant proposals, and other administrative duties, in addition to coordinating the sports skills clinics for children with special …
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Next fall, both teams will most likely find themselves in a realigned district.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Devin Greene heads to Academy at the Lakes for the Iron Man Competition.
As 2012 comes to a close, Land O' Lakes Patch is taking a look back at the year that was. In August, Patch correspondent Devin Greene went to Academy at the Lakes to whoop up on some high school athletes. Not really. He went there hoping to survive the football team's annual Iron Man competition: ...I was dripping sweat the moment I walked out with the team for stretching, seeking water after the first event, on one knee after the second event, and then questioning myself for my participation after the third event— to be honest the question came up while I was stretching. If you want to read the full version (it's hilarious), you'll find it here: Reporter Takes on High School Athletes in Iron Man Competition Stay tuned for more highlights …
Monday, December 10, 2012
The recreation league is for kids with special needs in Tampa Bay.
- NEWS
-
Monday, December 10, 2012
Buddy Baseball a non-competitive recreational league for boys and girls with special needs in the Bay area. A buddy is paired with each player, and the league fosters friendships and breaks down barriers. Buddy Baseball is an opportunity like no other for children with special needs. Players and coaches hail from across Tampa Bay, including Land O' Lakes. Online registration for players, buddies and coaches is open until Friday January 4, 2013. Go to www.buddybaseball.org. Buddy and Coach Training: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 Meet and Greet: Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 Season: Saturdays, February 9 - March 30, 2013 End of Season Party: Saturday, April 6, 2013 Games: Saturdays at either 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. 12;30 p.m., 1:45 p.m. Location: Temple …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Matthew Garry of Land O' Lakes wants to attract fun seekers and supporters to his New Port Richey business.
Matthew Garry played and coached hockey for years at the indoor inline hockey rink surrounded by warehouses on Rutillio Court in New Port Richey. Now, he owns the rink. Garry is owner of what is now called All Sports Arena. He took over the business in May 2011 and is now working to expand programs offered there. The rink , which is housed in a rented warehouse at 7716 Rutillio Court, was previously known as Sports Zone 2. The owners of Sports Zone 2 announced they were closing the rink in May 2011 after 3.5 years at that location. Garry, of Land O’ Lakes, had used the rink for 12 years. He played hockey there and coached youth inline hockey. He also plays ball hockey and ran the ball hockey league. His son Austin, 10, has played hockey …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Pasco County must decide whether to build the 200-acre park and find an operator under the proposed agreement.
After years volleying proposals back and forth, the future of a 200-acre sports complex near The Shops at Wiregrass mainly rests on two major questions for county commissioners. Is Pasco willing to build the Fields at Wiregrass Park? And can the county find someone to maintain and run it? A proposal from the Porter family that owns the Wiregrass development in Wesley Chapel is under reviewe by county staff members and a possible deal may come to county commissioners on Nov. 7. “My goal is to get it to the commission by the Nov. 7 meeting,” said Pasco Commissioner Ted Schrader, who met with family members to get a proposed agreement to the county. The family would donate up to 200 acres for the complex but wants no part in building or …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The high school football showdown in Land O' Lakes will include a ceremony to rename The Swamp in honor of a local coaching legend.
It's game on this Friday for high school football fans in Land O' Lakes. The Sunlake Seahawks will take on the Land O' Lakes Gators at 7:30 p.m. at the LOLHS Swamp. Except it won't be The Swamp anymore. The stadium will be renamed the John Benedetto Stadium in a dedication ceremony before the game. The stands should be rockin' with football fans, Benedetto supporters and the LOLHS Class of 1977, which is kicking off its 35th reunion weekend at the game. Admission is $5 at the gate. Going to the game? Upload your pics on Land O' Lakes Patch! See also: Land O' Lakes High Swamp to Get a New Name Benedetto Talks About Stadium's New Name
Monday, September 10, 2012
Capt. Mike Ferrantelli is adding wins as he seeks another international championship.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has a champion competitive powerlifter on its staff, and he just keeps on adding to his contest wins. Mike Ferrantelli, captain of the administrative division for the agency’s detention bureau, has been powerlifting for years. Over the course of his lifting career, he has won 10 national drug free championships and five drug free world championships, according to the sheriff’s office, and broken more than 40 records. Now he has added a new triumph to his name, one he hopes will help him get a spot on the team competing against lifters from around the world. During the USA Powerlifing Bench Press National Championship held in Palm Springs, Calif., Aug. 25-26, Ferrantelli won the Masters Division, which is …
