Youth Football Camp Seeking Registrants and Sponsors, Says Local Gator Club

VIERA, Florida – A University of Florida football player from the 2006 national championship team, who also played for the San Francisco 49ers, will be hosting a football camp at Viera High School.

 Camp dates are June 24-25 (Ages 6-13) and June 26-28 (Ages 14-18) from 8:00 am till 12:00 pm each day.  Enrollment fees are $65 (ages 6-13) and $85 (ages 14-18) and can be purchased at the website below. Late registration will also be held the day of the event.

The Joe Cohen Elite Football Camp is also being sponsored by the Space Coast Gator Club.  All children that register before June 13 will receive a camp T-shirt. Camp attendees also need active shorts and sport cleats to participate. The Space Coast Gator Club will provide volunteers to support the event.

Proceeds will be used to host the first annual backpack drive for under-privileged youth, in conjunction with G.Y.M. Life. Backpacks will be filled with notebooks and pencils and other school supplies for needy children in Brevard County.

“Being a lifelong Brevard County resident, I felt that it was necessary for me to give back to the community that gave me so much,” said Cohen.

Fundamentals will include speed drills coached by Parisi Speed School and football drills that improve individual performance on the football field. Some 7-on-7 football scrimmaging will also be conducted. Local high school and Pop Warner coaches and current and former college and NFL players will be on hand to encourage the attendees during these drills.

Working alongside Joe Cohen will be Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati Bengals safety and former Gator player; Andre Fluellen, former Chicago Bears player; Ray Buchanan, former Seattle Seahawk and University of Miami player; Earl Everett and Jason Watkins, former Florida Gator players; and Neefy Moffet, former FSU player.

Corporate sponsors and personal donations are needed to make this event a success. Donations and sponsorships will assist in the enrollment fees for under-privileged children so they may attend this event. Volunteers are needed to help during the weeklong camp.

For further information, volunteer opportunities, to make a donation or to sign up for the camp visit http://joecohenelitefootballcamp.netcamps.com or email gymlife1720@gmail.com  or call 321-474-0155.

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Upcoming Tennis Events to Support Florida Tech Autism Center

MELBOURNE, Florida  – The Fourth Annual Aces for Autism Tennis Clinic is set for Saturday, June 15, at the Kiwi Tennis Club to support Florida Institute of Technology’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment’s Social Skills Program.

The event occurs during Revolution Technologies Pro Tennis Classic, a USTA Pro Circuit men’s tennis event, June 7-16, which also benefits The Scott Center. Admission is free to spectators on tournament days June 7-13.

The clinic is free for children ages 5-15, who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and their siblings, and will be held from 12-1 p.m. on June 15. Free T-shirts, drinks and snacks will be provided to participants. Children can bring their own rackets, or borrow one at the clinic. The tennis clinic is open to 50 children. As of Thursday morning, only 20 spots remain. To register, parents should e-mailaces@fit.edu and include their child’s name and age.

The semifinals start at 11 a.m. June 15 with the feature match set for 4:30 p.m. or later. Tickets are $20.

On June 14, the feature match takes place at 5:30 p.m. This is Florida Tech Night, with entertainment by TWITCHY, the Florida Tech President’s all-faculty band. Tickets are $15.

The finals on June 16 start at 11 a.m.; tickets are $25. For Father’s Day each ticketholder this day is entitled to one free beer courtesy of the Florida Beer Company.

All proceeds from ticketed events will go to support The Scott Center. Sponsors include Revolution Technologies, the Coca-Cola Company, Fresh Point Produce, Flamingo Printing, Genna Jewelers, JaniKing, Im Solutions, MTN Advertising and Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne.

The Kiwi Tennis Club is located at 30 Tradewinds Dr., Indian Harbour Beach. For more information, visit Kiwiprotennis.com. The Scott Center at Florida Tech is dedicated to providing the highest quality treatment, training and applied research to enhance the functioning and improve the quality of life for children with autism and related conditions in Central Florida.

With more than 90 tournaments throughout the country and prize money ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the USTA Men’s Pro Circuit is the pathway to the US Open and tour-level competition for aspiring tennis players and a frequent battleground for established professionals. Last year, more than 1,000 men and women from more than 70 countries competed on the USTA Pro Circuit for approximately $32 million in prize money and valuable ATP World Tour and Sony Erickson WTA Tour ranking points.

 

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Florida Tech Signs Melbourne High School Forward Robert Booth

 

 

Robert Booth (second from left) with his father, Tom (far left), Melbourne High School Principal Jim Wilcoxon (second from right) and Melbourne High School Athletic Director Fred Keeney (far right).

 

MELBOURNE, Florida - Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims announced the signing of recent Melbourne High School graduate Robert Booth on Thursday. The forward joins Fort Pierce, Fla. product Akeem Johnson as the second local standout to join the Panther family.

 

“What I love most about Robert Booth is the passion he plays the game with,” Mims said. “I’m a coach that believes three things lead to success for players. Those are playing hard, playing smart and playing together.

 

“The first two, Robert already has. He plays hard every night, and he plays smart. He’s an intelligent basketball player. The playing together is chemistry. I think he will fit in very well with the guys we have coming back and our newcomers.”

 

The 6-foot-7 forward led the Bulldogs to a 23-5 record during his senior season, averaging 20.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He shot 60.5 percent from the field, dished out 1.7 assists per game and blocked 2.0 shots per game.

 

“I’m going to get a chance to play where my friends and family can watch me,” Booth said of playing in his home city of Melbourne. “It’s a place I’ve been around my whole life, so I’m used to it. There aren’t as many adjustments as moving to a new area.

 

“I want to get stronger and faster. There is a large difference in skill level between high school and college. I’m going to have to work hard on getting better in that area. I chose Florida Tech so I could be an aerospace engineer, and I really like the coach I’ll be playing for.”

 

Booth’s stellar senior season resulted in postseason accolades as he was named All-Space Coast Boys Basketball First Team. He was also selected to play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Game, playing for the North squad.

 

During his junior campaign, Booth averaged 14.8 points and 9.4 boards per game. The Bulldogs were 19-7 on the season, including a 14-3 mark in the Cape Coast Conference.

 

“We’ve got the United Nations of basketball on our roster,” Mims said of bringing in a pair of local products this offseason. “We’ve got players from all over the world. In an effort to be good, we’re going to recruit a player from anywhere. People ask me where I like to recruit from. I’ll go to Mars if I think they have a guy that can help us win a championship. But the bottom line is having local guys is important to our program.

 

“I think it’s very good to have that connection with the local community. Julius Reid was a four-year starter for our program. Simon Cummings was from Fort Pierce just down the road, and had a great four-year career here as well. In the past couple of years, some of our top players have been local guys from the Space Coast area. Robert brings that to the equation, as well.

 

Booth will join a team that recorded its fourth straight winning season this past year at 16-11 overall. The Panthers won nine straight games to end the season. Two of the wins were against ranked opponents in No. 6 Florida Southern and No. 16 Saint Leo.

 

“I’ve watched Robert for the past four years,” Mims said. “I’ve really watched him develop. He’s made strides in his skill set that are phenomenal. If he continues to improve at Florida Tech the way he did in four years at Melbourne High, I think the sky is the limit.”

 

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Florida Tech’s Summer Sports Camps Begin Tuesday

 

MELBOURNE, Florida - Although Florida Tech’s sports season is just about over, the Panthers’ summer camp season begins Tuesday with the first of three swim lessons and soccer camp sessions. Those two camps are among 23 summer sports camps scheduled between May 28-Aug. 1.

 

In addition to offering soccer and a variety of swim camps, the university is once again offering camps in basketball, football, lacrosse, snorkeling, softball, tennis, volleyball and all sports/water. New this summer are camps in Olympic lifting, a three-sport camp – swimming, tennis and volleyball, a tennis and chess camp, and a triathlon swim training camp. 

 

A list of summer sports camps and their basic information can be found below. For more information, please visit FloridaTechSports.com/camps. To register, please contact the camp director or call 321-674-8032.

 

 

2013 Florida Tech Summer Sports Camps

Individual Soccer Camp (May 28-31, June 3-6, July 29-Aug. 1; Boys and girls ages 5-16; rchan@fit.edu, fhaig@fit.edu or dustin@fit.edu)

Swim Lessons (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays from May 28-June 7, June 10-22, July 15-26; All ages; jritter@fit.edu)

Triathlon Training (Swim) (Saturdays from June 1-29; All ages; jritter@fit.edu)

Football Youth Skills Camp (June 3-5; Grades 2-8; craymond@fit.edu)

Spike, Swing & Swim Camp (June 3-7; Boys and girls ages 7-13; jritter@fit.edu, bmacom@fit.edu or aobrien@fit.edu)

Olympic Lifting Camp (June 6-7; Boys and girls grades 9-12; kwoolfolk@fit.edu)

All Sports/Water Camp (June 10-14; Boys and girls ages 6-16; pmazzone@fit.edu or reynolds@fit.edu)

Softball Camp (June 10-14, June 17-21; Girls ages 8-18; vsilvestrini@fit.edu)

Tennis and Chess Camp (June 10-14; Boys and girls ages 8-13; bmacom@fit.edu)

Volleyball Setter/Hitter Camp (June 12-14; Girls grades 6-12; aobrien@fit.edu)

Snorkeling Camp (June 17-21; Boys and girls ages 6-13; pmazzone@fit.edu)

Advanced Tennis Camp (June 17-21; Boys and girls ages 8-13; bmacom@fit.edu)

Girls Basketball Guards Camp (June 17-19; Grades 9-12; reynolds@fit.edu)

Boys Lacrosse Camp (June 17-21; Grades 3-12; rmcaleavey@fit.edu)

Swimming Technique Camp (June 17-22; All ages; jritter@fit.edu)

Girls Basketball Post Players Camp (June 19-21; Grades 9-12; reynolds@fit.edu)

Football One-Day Prospect Camp (June 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29; Locations vary; Grades 9-12; craymond@fit.edu)

Boys Basketball Individual Camp (June 24-28, July 15-19, July 22-26; Ages 6-17; bmims@fit.edu)

Preseason High School Swim Clinic (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays from July 8-Aug. 2; Boys and girls ages 12-18; jritter@fit.edu)

Boys Basketball Team Camp (July 11-14; bmims@fit.edu)          

Boys Soccer Summer ID Camp (July 13; ages 14-19; rchan@fit.edu)

Boys Soccer Team Camp (July 14-17; rchan@fit.edu)

Girls Soccer Team/Individual Residential Camp (July 21-24; fhaig@fit.edu or dustin@fit.edu)

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No. 20 Panthers Conclude Season with 11-6 Loss to No. 2 Tampa

 

Florida Tech is eliminated from the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament

 

TAMPA, Fla. (Baseball) – Facing a win-or-go-home situation, No. 20 Florida Tech fell to tournament host and top-seeded No. 2 Tampa, 11-6, on Friday at the UT Baseball Complex to bring the Panthers’ (32-19) season to a close.

 

The Spartans (41-10) were too much for the Crimson and Gray, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits, while scoring in all but two innings.

 

“It was a great year,” head coach Greg Berkemeier said. “We were able to accomplish a goal by getting into postseason play. We just weren’t able to go as far as we wanted, obviously. We’re disappointed about that, but we’re very proud of our guys and the effort they showed all year.”

 

Acting as the visitors because of a pregame coin flip, Tampa immediately got on the board with two runs in the top of the first. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame, the Spartans added another run to take a 3-0 lead after two innings.

 

Tampa added three more runs in the fourth, but Florida Tech finally made a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. Juniors Scott Carcaise and Andrew Bartlett led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and were advanced to second and third on a Kevin Wortman bunt.

 

Junior Jimmie Koch followed with a triple off the right field wall to score two. An Alex Alfonso sacrifice fly later, the Panthers were back in the hunt.

 

It took Tampa no time to respond, as the Spartans plated three runs in the following inning. Not ready to go home yet, Florida Tech again responded.

 

Trailing 9-3 now, the Panthers began the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff single from junior Dan Bodziak. Freshman Austin Allen followed with a one-out single to advance Bodziak to third, and Carcaise grounded out to plate a run. With the bases loaded and two away, Koch followed with his second two RBIs of the game on a single to left field.

 

That would be the end of the Panthers’ scoring as Tampa plated one in each of the eighth and ninth innings to bring the final to 11-6. UT’s starter Jon Keller worked through the two rocky innings to pitch 8.2 innings and get the victory.

 

Senior Jason Boyer took the loss for FIT, working 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on just five hits. Seniors Cody Lewis and James Mannara concluded the game in relief.

 

The loss concluded the season for Florida Tech, which finished the year with 32 victories, including 14 in Sunshine State Conference play. The 14 conference wins were enough to tie the program record, and were enough to push the Panthers into postseason play for the first time in three years.

 

“Anytime you have a postseason experience, it’s definitely going to help you moving forward,” Berkemeier said. “You know that that’s your end goal. We play in a tough conference, which always gets you prepared, but just getting into this tournament and the immediacy of two and done makes you realize these experiences will do nothing but make the program better.”

 

 

Box Score: http://www.floridatechsports.com/media/2012-13/baseball/stats/ftb51.htm

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No. 20 Florida Tech Baseball Team Set to Open South Regional

Florida Tech begins its trek for a Division II national baseball title on Thursday against West Florida.  The game will be held at the University of Tampa Baseball Complex at 7:00 pm.

Florida Tech enters the Division II South Region Tournament for the first time since 2010.  This will mark the third appearance under head coach Greg Berkemeier in his six-year tenure.

The Panthers had been to the postseason just two times in program history before Berkemeier became the head coach.  In 2010, FIT lost the opening game to Tampa, 7-1, before beating West Florida, 13-4. The Panthers were eliminated one game later by Florida Southern, 12-4.

West Florida and Florida Tech have met just three times in program history, and just once since 1991.  The last meeting was that regional tournament in 2010, which FIT won 13-4.  In that contest, the Panthers jumped out to a seven run lead in the first four innings, tacking on three in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth to assure the victory. Catcher Brian Flynn, second baseman Alex Alfonso and pitcher James Mannara were the only members currently on the roster to play in that game.

Florida Tech’s 32 wins this season are the most since the team’s last visit to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2010. The 2010 squad recorded a school record 39 wins on the year. The Panthers have won 30 games five of the past six years. This season, FIT’s 30th victory came on April 20 in an 8-5 win over Florida Southern. The squad’s 14 Sunshine State Conference victories represent a tie for the most conference wins in program history. The other 14-win season came in 2010, as well.

Despite the successful season, including currently being ranked No. 20 in the nation by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Florida Tech does not rank in the top 25 nationally in a single statistical category. The Panthers have instead used a combination of pitching, hitting, fielding and base running at key moments to find ways to win games.

The game can be accessed locally online at:

Live Audio: floridatechsports.com/live
Live Video: tampaspartans.tv
Live Stats:http://tampaspartans.athleticsite.net/livestats/bb/xlive.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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