Catch Central Florida » Auburndale

This Week in Sports

Kris Keprios — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:58:18 +0000

7th Annual Stinger Shootout – Basketball
Dates: 2/5 – 2/6
Venue:Bartow High School Gym
- The 7th Annual Stringer Shootout will bring 18 elite high school teams from across the state of Florida to compete in this two day tournament.
- For more event information visit www.bartowbasketball.com or www.centralfloridasports.com

AAU Amateur Athletic Union – Youth Baseball
Dates: 2/5 – 2/7
Venue:Westside/Southwest, Chain of Lakes Complex, Lake Myrtle Sports Complex
- This AAU event will be hosting 60 teams and bring in over 700 spectators to Polk County
- For more information on this AAU event please visit www.aausports.org or www.centrafloridasports.com

Independent Softball Association (ISA) Men’s Super Saturday
Dates: 2/6 – 2/7
Venue:Bartow 555 Softball Complex
- The ISA Men’s Super Saturday will bring 20 teams into Polk County for this two day event
- For more information on ISA events please visit www.isasoftball.com or for local events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com

Smoke on the Water – BBQ competition
Dates: 2/6
Venue:2400 Havendale Blvd. Winter Haven, FL
- Smoke on the water will bring 77 competitive BBQ teams to Winter Haven as part of the FL BBQ Triple Crown Event. Come out and enjoy some great BBQ with the family.
- For more information Contact Frank Csomos at 863-287-3075 or visit www.boysandgirlsbbq.com and for local sporting events and news check out www.centralfloridasports.com

This Week in Sports – July 4 Edition

Kris Keprios — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:38:21 +0000

Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) Boys National Tournament
Dates: 6/28 – 7/4
Venue: 10 Different Polk County High Schools Gyms
- The Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) Boys National Tournament will bring into Polk County 100 teams with over 1,200 participants and more than 2,000 spectators
- Saturday’s Championship games will be hosted by Lake Region High School, Tenoroc High School, All Saints Academy, Lakeland High School and Auburndale High School.
- For more information on this YBOA event check out www.yboa.org and www.centralfloridasports.com

ISA Youth B State Championships
Dates: 7/3 – 7/4
Venue:Auburndale, Bartow, Diamondplex
- The ISA Youth B State Championships will bring 1800 participants and over 600 spectators into Polk County for a 2 day event
- For more information on ISA events check out www.isasoftbal.com and www.centralfloridasports.com

World Amateur Baseball Association (WABA) Woodbat World Series
Dates: 7/2 – 7/5
Venue: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex
- The WABA Woodbat World Series will bring in 500 participants and an estimated 400 spectators to Polk County
- For more information on WABA events check out www.wababaseball.com and www.centralfloridasports.com

Lake Region Firecracker Baseball Tournament
Dates: 7/4 – 7/5
Venue: Chain of Lakes Complex
- The Firecracker Baseball Tournament will bring in 450 participants and estimated 600 spectators to Polk County
- For more information about the Firecracker Baseball Tournament check out www.centralfloridasports.com

Water Ski Movie Filming

Kris Keprios — Sat, 30 May 2009 17:13:12 +0000

The Ledger has a story today about a sports movie currently being filmed in Auburndale at Lake Ariana. That sport just happens to be water skiing. This certainly isn’t the first water ski movie to be filmed in Polk County, but it certainly is another feather in the cap of the “Water Ski Capital of the World” and another example of why Polk County has that title.

Teach a Kid to Fish…..

Kris Keprios — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:13:51 +0000

You know the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, but teach a man to fish…..” Well, that doesnt really apply here, but it was the best way I could think to start a post about a kids fishing event. The 2009 Kids Fishing Derby is Saturday from 7am-Noon at Simmers Young Park in Auburndale and it is always a great event for families. The best part about the event is that it is FREE and there will be hot dogs and drinks for the kids who participate. Kids ages 4-15 will have the opportunity to learn about fishing and try to catch the “big one”. Every age group will have prizes and there will also be casting contests and more. Here is a rundown of the schedule:

7:00 a.m. Registration

8:00 a.m. Fishing Begins

10:00 a.m. Fishing Ends

10:15 a.m. Last Weigh in

10:30 a.m. Awards Presentations

BYOB – Bring your own bait….and have FUN. For more information call 534-6911.

New Lake Myrtle Photos

Kris Keprios — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:41:45 +0000

Hot off the press….here are some new photos of the construction going on out at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. We will continue to update you on the progress out there with photos and information, so be sure to keep checking back here as we get closer to the big opening day.

Land Almost Cleared at Lake Myrtle

Kris Keprios — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:58:18 +0000

Here is your second (of many) updates on the progress of the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex construction. Clearing and grubbing are almost complete and construction is about to begin in several areas. I’m still not sure what grubbing is, but as you can see from the photo, it makes a big difference. This photo shows where the soccer fields will be, with Lake Myrtle and the Polk Parkway in the background. To the bottom left are the existing soccer fields and the dirt area at the bottom left is where some of the baseball fields will be. For the whole set of new aerial construction photos, click here. Things are starting to take shape out at Lake Myrtle and we will keep you updated, so be sure to check back here regularly.

Lake Myrtle Construction Begins

Kris Keprios — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:09:43 +0000

As promised, here is the first of many Lake Myrtle Sports Complex construction photos. We will keep you updated here regularly on the progress of construction at the site and show you the progression as this empty land turns into Polk County’s largest sports venue. I admit, there isn’t much to see here as it is early in the process, but it is exciting to see that progress is being made. Here is the complete first set of “Early Construction” shots.

Lake Myrtle Sports Complex Groundbreaking

Kris Keprios — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:54:59 +0000

The golden shovels in the dirt today at the future site of the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex could only mean one thing: Groundbreaking! With about 100 people looking on, County Commissioners, officials from the City of Auburndale and Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing officially broke ground to begin construction on the massive sports complex in Auburndale. It was a lot more than a groundbreaking though-there were hot air balloons on site to take people up in the air to get a view from above of the huge site. Click here for some photos of the big event. Remember to keep checking back here for updates on construction and new developments as the Grand Opening gets closer.

“Sports Mecca in the Making”

Kris Keprios — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:04:35 +0000

We haven’t talked a lot here about the new Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, but don’t worry, there will be a lot of details here in the coming months as things take shape and construction begins on what will be the largest sports complex in Polk County history. This past weekend, Bay News 9 did an excellent story on the complex. Check it out here and let us know what you think.

Also, in case you missed it, here is The Ledger’s coverage of the complex. You gotta love the use of the word “mecca” in the headline. Maybe Polk County will be upgraded to a “large mecca of cool” once the complex opens.

What Does it Take to Be #1?

Kris Keprios — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:25:33 +0000

For the sake of this post, it really isn’t a question because it is the name of the event Auburndale native and NBA superstar Tracy McGrady started 9 years ago. McGrady will return to his childhood home of Auburndale this weekend where the “What Does it Take to Be #1″ street ball tournament will take place at the gym that is named after him at Auburndale High School. There will be 16 teams from around the country competing for the championship and some of the participants play in the NBA, so that should give you an idea of the level of talent involved. The event is alsways a big hit with spectators and is definitely worth checking out. Some stars from the world of sports who have participated or attended in the past are: Chucky Atkins, Jermaine O’Neil, Nick Anderson, Mike James, Andre Berto, Amare Stoudemire and Daunte Culpepper.

Admission to the games is only $2 per day, with children under 12 admitted for free. The championship game is scheduled for this Sunday (July 13) at 4pm. For more information, call 863.528.0045.

For the sake of answering the question that is the headline of this post…..

Q:What Does it Take to Be #1? (McGrady’s jersey number is #1)

A: You must be one of the top prospects in the country while still playing high school basketball. Then, go on to be drafted as a top 10 pick in the NBA daft. From there, go on to be a 7-time All Star, 2-time NBA scoring champion, have four career 50+ point games, have a career average of 22 points per game, 6 rebounds per game and 4 assists per game and throw in one 60 point game performance.

That’s all it takes. Or, you can win McGrady’s streetball tournament this weekend. Neither route to “#1″ seems easy.