FIT Panther High School Football Kicking Camp Scheduled for July 31

MELBOURNE, Florida  – With Florida Tech’s inaugural football game 43 days away, the Panthers have announced a high school kicking camp for kickers, punters, snappers, returners and placeholders on Wednesday, July 31 from 9:00 am – 5:00  pm at Panther Field.

The field is adjacent to the Varsity Training Center, located on the southwest corner of the FIT campus. Open to players entering 9^th-12^th grades, the camp costs $150 per person and includes lunch at Panther Dining Hall. If two or more players sign-up from a team, the total cost is $300.

Special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach Dan Sabock and former professional placekicker Harry Kayian will provide instruction at the camp.

Sabock is in his second year at FIT. He previously coached the linebackers at Indiana State in 2011. In one season, three of his linebackers were named All-Missouri Valley Conference. He has also worked in player development for Rutgers in 2010.

Kayian has instructed kickers, punters and placeholders for over 30 years. He was a coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during training camp in 1990 and has coached at several high schools. He played college football at Saint Leo University from 1977-79.

Advance registration is available by contacting Sabock at dsabock@fit.edu or call 321-674-8435. Registration will also be conducted on the day of the camp, July 31, starting at 8:00 am.

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High School Golf Camp Set For Eastern Florida

COCOA, Florida - Eastern Florida State College head golf coach Jamie Howell is holding a High School Players Camp from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 5-8 at the Fred Gay Golf Academy at Eastern Florida State College, 3570 SR 524, Cocoa FL, 32926.

The cost for this camp is $150 per student. It includes drinks and snacks daily and nine holes at a local golf course on the final day. The camp is limited to 16 participants.

"The camp prepares high school golfers for the upcoming golf season," Howell said. "We will cover equipment, on course strategy, practice and training methods and effective stat keeping. All will be discussed daily as well as demonstrated and practiced at the golf academy."

For more information on the golf camp and to register contact Howell at 321-504-2073 or via email at howellj@easternflorida.edu.

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Eastern Florida to Hold Kids Basketball Camp

MELBOURNE, Florida - Local youngsters who'd like to improve their athletic skills in basketball or golf can take advantage of two upcoming camps at Eastern Florida State College.

The Titans men's basketball program is holding its second coed summer camp from July 29 through Aug. 1 at the Melbourne Campus gym located in Building 6 at 3865 North Wickham Road. The cost for the half-day camp that will run from 9 a.m. to noon is $100 per camper for boys and girls ages 9-14.

The basketball camp will include individual skill development, 5-on-5 games and drill competitions with instruction provided by Eastern Florida Titans coaches. Eastern Florida players will assist at the camp. Each camper will receive individual evaluation and a certificate plus a camp T-shirt.

To register for the basketball camp contact Eastern Florida assistant men's coach Chris Ronan at cronan321@gmail.com.

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Sports Authority to Celebrate Grand Opening in Merritt Island

MERRITT ISLAND, Florida - The new Sports Authority will host a grand opening event on Saturday August 10 at 8:00 am at the Merritt Square Mall.

“The first 250 customers on Saturday, August 10 will be awarded with Sports Authority Scratch and Win ‘Mystery Bucks’ that range from $5 to $500 in value, plus we will conduct hourly $100 gift card drawings from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.,” said Patricia Jimenez of Sports Authority.  “Plus, don’t miss an appearance by Orlando basketball legend Nick Anderson on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm.”

Patrons can also enter for a chance to win a $500 Sports Authority shopping spree (entry period runs August 10 – August 17).

The new 29,000 square-foot Merritt Island store located at 777 East Merritt Island Causeway will feature an intuitive new format, making it easier than ever for customers to find exactly what they need. With specialty sport shops and a spacious new layout, the store has been designed specifically to enhance the shopping experience.

Sports Authority, one of the nation’s largest full-line sporting goods retailers, announces the grand opening of its newest location in Merritt Island, FL. Sports Authority is the premiere store for all things sporting good, and is dedicated to providing customers with great values and great brands, such as Nike, Under Armour, adidas, The North Face, TaylorMade and more.

“We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of our Merritt Island store,” said Michael Foss, Chief Executive Officer of Sports Authority. “Sports Authority believes in celebrating the good in sport, and we are delighted to bring this philosophy to the 61 locations we have throughout Florida, while providing great value and outstanding service to the athletes and sports organizations in the Merritt Island community.”

Customers are invited to join The League, Sports Authority’s loyalty program, which gives members a point for every dollar spent. Within a quarterly period, members who earn 100 points or more will receive 5% back on all in-store merchandise. Plus, during the grand opening week, The League members will earn double points on all in-store purchases.

Regular store hours will be Monday through Saturday 9AM – 9:30PM and Sunday 9AM – 8PM. 

The Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at 7:45 am.

For more information, please visit http://fl.merrittisland.sportsauthority.com/sporting-goods-merritt-island-369.html

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Local Football Clinic Also To Teach Life Skills; Former NFL Stars to Participate

ROCKLEDGE, Florida - Former NFL players, current and former college athletes, and local high school stars will be conducting the 15th Annual NFL Play 60 USA FUNdamentals sponsored I GOT SKILLZ football clinic. 

The free event for kids 5-15 years old will be held at Rockledge Park on Saturday July 27 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Mike Cadore, the Criminal Justice Coordinator for the Institute of Public Safety at Eastern Florida State College and a reservist police officer for the Rockledge Police Department is coordinating the event. 

“The annual I GOT Skillz* football clinic is another way to teach life skills while learning the FUNdamentals of football, fitness and team work,” Cadore said.

“As a public servant, educator, citizen and more importantly a parent, it is essential that we show our youth the right way.  No we don’t have all the right answers, but actions speak louder than words!”

Registration can be completed that morning beginning at 9:00 am or online at https://www.secure-sam.com/usaffundamentals.bonzidev.com/sam/registration/reg_list.php.

Cadore added, “Partnering with the NFL, the FUNdamentals format introduces children to football by teaching basic skills in a FUN and energetic environment through a series of drills to show passing, catching and running skills in a non-contact setting. The twist is we spend a few moments talking to the kids about life choices, education, health and our profession.

“Finally, we must keep in mind, if we don’t serve our community now, don’t expect your community to serve you later.”

Lunch and a shirt will also be provided.

For more details and quotes, contact Cadore at 321-302-3238 or www.usafootball.com.

 

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Local FIT Basketball Player Honored

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Florida Tech men’s basketball players Cameron Stahl and Kevin Bolhuis were announced on Wednesday as members of the 2012-13 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court by the NABC.

Stahl, a rising senior aerospace engineering major, is a three-time honoree on the FIT Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and a two-time honoree on the SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. The local product from Satellite Beach and Melbourne Central Catholic played in 23 games, starting nine for the Panthers in 2012-13.

Stahl and Bolhuis were two of more than 700 student-athletes honored from over 285 NCAA and NAIA colleges and universities. They were also among eight players honored from the Sunshine State Conference.

To be eligible for the award, players must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year. They must also be a junior or senior academically and have been at their school for at least one year.

Bolhuis, a rising senior business administration major, was also named to the SSC Commissioner’s Spring Honor Roll and the FIT Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the third straight year this spring. He appeared on the court in 17 games this past season.

NABC Honors Court Release (PDF):http://www.floridatechsports.com/media/2012-13/mbasketball/NABCHonorsCourtRelease.pdf

 

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Florida Tech Volleyball Alumni Game and Reunion Set for Aug. 31

MELBOURNE, Florida - Florida Tech volleyball will host an alumni game and reunion on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Noon at the Clemente Center.

All former FIT volleyball players are invited to attend and enjoy food, fun and volleyball with the team’s current players.  Alumni can choose to play, coach or observe the game, which will be followed by a lunch.

To participate, alumni should pre-register with head coach Amy O’Brien by Aug. 15.  A registration form is available at http://bit.ly/FITalumniVB.  Completed forms can be emailed or faxed to O’Brien at aobrien@fit.edu or 321-984-8529.

Alumni Game Registration Form (PDF):http://bit.ly/FITalumniVB

 

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A-Rod and Yanks Topple Manatees 6-1

 

VIERA, Florida – Alex Rodriguez and the Tampa Yankees beat the Brevard County Manatees 6-1 in front of over 3,000 fans Saturday night at Space Coast Stadium.

Met at each at bat with scattered applause and a chorus of hometown boos, Rodriguez went 1-for-2 and scored once.  He was also hit by a pitch just below his surgically-repaired hip that has kept him off the New York Yankees roster this season.

Rodriquez is a 14-time All-Starr and has won the American League Most Valuable Player award three times.  He is currently fifth on the MLB all-time home run list and is first among active players with 647.  Ahead of him are Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), and Willie Mays (660).

The Manatees (45-37) only run came in the second inning when Cameron Garfield scored on a Lance Roenicke double. Roenicke went 4-for-4.

The teams meet again today at 5:05 pm in Viera.

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Johnson Pulls Off Sweep, Wins 55th Annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Jimmie Johnson made Daytona history on Saturday night capturing the 55^th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola and sweeping the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway in 2013.

Johnson is the first driver since NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep the Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 in the same season. Other drivers to have accomplished the sweep were Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968) and LeeRoy Yarbrough (1969).

“To do anything Bobby has done is pretty special,” Johnson said in Gatorade Victory Lane.

Johnson, driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, put on a dominating performance leading 94 of the 160 laps. He also mastered the late-race restarts and pulled away in the green-white-checkered finish to win his first Coke Zero 400 by a margin of .107 seconds.

“It’s tough to (dominate) at a plate track, especially with how tight the rules are,” Johnson said. “I think I showed strength early and a lot of guys were willing to work with me and kind of help me through situations, which was great. I don’t know if I really made a bad move tonight, so I’m pretty proud of that.”

Tony Stewart, the four-time defending champion of the Coke Zero 400, finished second while Kevin Harvick was third. Rounding out the top five were Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip.

Prior to the Coke Zero 400, for the fifth straight year, Daytona International Speedway honored four Medal of Honor recipients.

In addition, race fans were treated to a pre-race concert by nine-time GRAMMY winner Sheryl Crow and an starting command by Grand Marshals – and Grown Ups 2 stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Shaquille O’Neal.

NASCAR will return to Daytona International Speedway for Budweiser Speedweeks 2014 and the 56^th annual Daytona 500. Tickets for all events are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #COKEZERO400. Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway onTwitter, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news all season long.

 

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Space Coast Gators Host Golf and Party To Raise Scholarship Funds

VIERA, Florida - The Space Coast Gator Club will host its annual "Kickoff Party & Golf Challenge" at Duran Golf Club on August 10th.  All of the proceeds go to fund scholarships for local Brevard County students to attend UF.

“This event always sells out so you should get your tickets early," said Randy Gray, Kickoff Party Chairman.

Guest speaker Zach Abolverdi from the Gainesville Sun will preview the upcoming season with a dynamic video presentation. He will give an insider’s look on Gator players who will make an impact on this year’s team.  Zach follows only Gator football and is a specialist in recruitment. He will also touch on the latest recruits joining the Gator Nation in the near future. His presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

There will be a free Kids Golf Clinic at 3:00 pm.  Then, the Nine-Hole Golf Challenge begins at 4:00 pm.  There will be Closest-to-the-Pin Contest during the tournament. This event is limited to the first 36 golfers.  Prior to the Challenge, there will be free range balls and a Longest Putt Contest.

The Kickoff Party begins at 5:30 pm with a pep rally hour of music, cheers and Gator football highlights on every television.  Jungle Jim Green will provide some live alligators for Gator fans to hold and take pictures with. The club will also unveil its new “Spaceman Mascot” during the pep rally.

There will be a true “TailGator” buffet complete with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as pulled pork.  All the fixings will be provided as well as a salad bar and side dishes.

Great Gator vendors will be on hand with unique items for the Gator fan that has everything.  We will also be holding a raffle with lots of great prizes and a Silent Auction for signed memorabilia from Will Muschamp, Steve Spurrier, Chris Leak and many more.  There will be a Kids’ Fun Zone during the event. 

Advance Kickoff Party tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members and $15 for children 12 and under.  Tickets for the Golf Challenge are $20.

Tickets can be purchased at www.spacecoastgatorclub.com.  Business and personal sponsors and vendors are needed to make this event a success. "Sponsors and personal donations are an integral part of our operation. We rely on sponsor donations to finance most of our operating costs, so that the proceeds from the event can be passed on to our club's scholarship fund," said Rich Rosa,Co-Chairman.

To sponsor the event, become a vendor, or for further information, email the club at spacecoastgatorclub@gmail.comor call 321-890-7754

 

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Former Mustang Plays Pro Ball Against Manatees

 

VIERA, Florida – Former Merritt Island Mustang Dustin Geiger made a professional baseball appearance Friday night at Space Coast Stadium as the starting first baseman for the Daytona Cubs.

The Cubs beat the Manatees 5-2.

Geiger had two hits on four at-bats, scored once and had two RBIs.  He is batting .283 on the season, with nine home runs and 65 RBIs.

He was drafted in 2010 in the 24^th round by the Chicago Cubs organization.  Geiger earned the Florida State League Player of the Week honors in May 2013.

In attendance was Geiger’s former high school coach Tony Haddock and several former baseball teammates.

“I had to come up with about 40 tickets tonight, “Geiger said in a post-game on-field interview.  “It was great to play in front of the hometown crowd.”

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A-Rod to Face the Manatees in Three-Game Series This Weekend

VIERA, Florida – Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees third baseman, will be joining the Tampa Bay Yankees against the Brevard County Manatees for a three-game series beginning on Saturday, July 6 at 6:35 p.m. at Space Coast Stadium in Viera.  This minor league stint is part of A-Rod’s major league rehab assignment.

The games on Saturday, July 6 and Monday, July 8 are scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. The game on Sunday is scheduled for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch, with gates opening at 4:00 p.m.

Rodriguez, 37, is currently rehabbing from hip surgery that took place in January of this year.

A 14-time Major League All-Star and three-time American League Most Valuable Player, Rodriguez is Major League Baseball’s active leader with 647 home runs and 1,950 runs batted in.

Tickets for all three games of the series between the Yankees and the Manatees can be purchased in the following ways:

In person at the Space Coast Stadium box office. The box office is located below the main entrance of the stadium. The box office will open at 12:00 p.m.on all three days.

By calling (321) 604-3242. Phone orders will be taken from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday and from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

By going to ManateesBaseball.com. Please note that online tickets sales will end at 12:00 p.m.on all three days.

All seating at Space Coast Stadium for Manatees' games is general admission and tickets are $7 each in advance and $8 each on the day of the game.

For more information on the Brevard County Manatees, call (321) 633-9200 or go online to ManateesBaseball.com. Also, don’t forget to like the Manatees on Facebook at facebook.com/manateesbaseball or follow the Manatees on Twitter at twitter.com/bcmanatees.

 

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Toyota’s Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth Sweep Front Row for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Toyota dominated Friday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola qualifying with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch bringing home the pole and teammate Matt Kenseth taking the outside pole for Saturday’s 160-lap, 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Busch, who captured the 2008 mid-summer classic, posted a time of 46.459, 193.723 mph. Busch’s only other pole at the 2.5-mile tri-oval came in the 2010 DRIVE4COPD 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race when qualifying was canceled due to weather and the field was set by the qualifying draw.

“Whether it’s speedways or whether it’s open race tracks, we seem to be qualifying a lot better this year,” Busch said. “I just wish that our finishing average was as good as our qualifying average because (my team has) done a really, really good job of all of that – helping me be fast this year on these one laps.”

Two-time Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth posted a fast lap of 193.299 mph to take the outside pole.

“It’s been pretty good the first two plate races,” said Kenseth of their restrictor-plate program. “We were pretty strong and we led a lot of laps and didn’t get to win either of them, but we led a lot of laps and were in position. I’m excited for tomorrow night.”

Rounding out the top five were Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Bowyer’s Michael Waltrip Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr. The top qualifying rookie was Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who will roll off ninth.

Tickets to the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

You can also catch the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola live from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Motor Racing Network Radio and Sirius XM Radio with additional coverage on NASCAR.COM.

Fans can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #COKEZERO400. Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway onTwitter,Facebook andPinterest for the latest news all season long.

 

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