South Charlotte Sports Report“HOMETOWN TEAMS ... HOMETOWN KIDS”

Volume 8, Issue 7 August 8, 2013 - FREEwww.southcharlottesports.com

The South Charlotte Sports Report is growing again. Adding to their many outlets that promote youth athletics, South Char-lotte Sports Report will add internet radio broadcasts to its overall program for the 2013-14 school year.

Eight years ago, South Charlotte Sports Report started as a small “hometown news-paper about hometown kids,” covering the athletic and academic achievements of South Charlotte student-athletes.

Over the last eight years, the newspa-per has expanded to include over 20 an-nual sports camps, South Charlotte Sports Photography, multiple annual basketball tournaments, The Battle of the Bor-der Baseball and Softball All-Star Showcases, The Greater Charlotte Hot Stove League Awards, The Charlotte Youth Football Awards, Female Sports Summits and other youth sports offerings.

This past spring, South Charlotte Sports Report partnered with Southwest-ern4ABaseball.com to host the SW4ABaseball’s webcasts of the league’s games and owner/editor Tripp Roakes joined voices with SW4ABaseball.com creator Evans Lalas to broadcast two dozen contests, including the SW4A Tournament championship and the majority of South Meck’s run to the state 4A title.

“It was something that I had wanted to try for a number of seasons,” said Lalas, “but it just worked out last spring with the help of Tripp and his organiza-tion.”

Starting with just 10 people tuning in for the initial broadcast of SW4ABaseball Radio in a game between Ardrey Kell and Hopewell on March 25th, Lalas saw steady rise in listenership. As word spread, and with Roakes joining the broadcasts, listen-ership just continued to grow. “Tripp had so many personal relationships with many of the players because of his paper, camps, and other programs, that he was able to add so much to our broadcasts . . . without question, it was a huge benefit having Tripp and South Charlotte Sports Report with us in growing the listenership,” said Lalas.

From the humble beginnings, SW4ABaseball Radio listenership continued to grow, reaching over 1000 listeners several weeks in. The numbers continued to rise for the SW4A Conference Tournament and record numbers were achieved in the state championship broadcasts.

“I was amazed at how well the broadcasts were received,” commented Roakes. “I had many people coming up and telling me how much they really enjoyed the broadcasts of the games. A lot of players told me they would go home after the game and listen to the archived version on the internet.”

“I think we were fortunate to have South Meck make that run. No doubt that played a critical role in gaining more popularity,” adds Lalas.

See SPORTS RADIO DEBUT, Page 10

SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS RADIO TO DEBUT… Local High School Games To Be Broadcast This Season

... Complete Marketing Packages Now Available

Providence High School senior baseball player, Matt Ball, provides the perfect definition of a true student-athlete. The son of Greg and Lisa Ball has combined a 4.9 grade point average with a low earned run average while pitching for the Panthers. Matt’s determination to be the very best he can possibly be has opened many doors for the future. Aided by an ultra-successful summer baseball campaign, Matt hopes to cast his future with an Ivy League School or one of our nation’s Military Academies. Let’s learn more about this amazing student-athlete and his path to academic and athletic success.

Over the last couple of seasons Matt has pro-gressed to the point of being the Friday starter for Coach Danny Hignight at Providence High School. This past season, Matt tossed a 1-hitter in his varsity debut to help Coach Hignight win his 200th game. As the season continued, Matt tossed two more one-hitters and a complete game shutout for the Pan-thers. He closed the high school season with a 5-2 record with 1 save, a 1.37 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 0.161 op-posing batting average, and 64 strikeouts.

As the summer season opened, Matt captured Most Valuable Player honors in the 5th Annual Battle of the Border All Star Showcase Games. This event features top players from across the Carolinas and lists over one dozen major league draft choices among its alumni from the last five seasons.

Matt has stayed strong all summer and recently was named to the 17U WWBA National All-Tourna-ment Team when he pitched a total of 13 innings and didn’t give up a single run at one of the top events in the country.

College coaches have taken notice.“Due to my performances in the Battle of the Bor-

der and PerfectGame showcase tournaments, I have been contacted by several colleges and am now ac-tively involved in the recruiting process with them to become a student-athlete at their school. I look to combine a top level engineering program with a competitive Division I baseball team.”

With summer season coming to a close, Matt will begin to turn his attention to the 2014 academic year at Providence. While his academic profile speaks for itself, Matt wants to improve it even more.

“My 2014 goals are to attain a GPA of 5.0, to score a 5 on my AP exams, to win the conference and state championships with Providence High School, and to attend a top level engineering school and play com-

petitive Division I baseball.”You have to admire a student-athlete for setting

his goals at the very top of the ladder. From the start of Matt’s education, academics have been very im-portant.

“Academics are so important to me because they give me an opportunity to work hard and constantly expand my mental abilities. Also, I enjoy academics because they always challenge me to keep improving in order to succeed. I view both academics as well as baseball as places where I can compete amongst my peers, which I thoroughly enjoy.”

“I strive to be as successful as I can be both on the field and in the classroom by dedicating almost all of my time to academics and baseball during the school year. During this past school year, there were many nights I stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning study-ing or doing homework after baseball. I worked very hard and was able to stay focused and ignore being tired in order to succeed in baseball and in school.”

That academic commitment has led to a 4.9 grade point average and a class rank of 6th out of 501 students in his class. Matt also is in the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and he served as a Junior Marshall.

Once Matt is able to match his desires with a col-lege offer, he hopes to study mechanical engineering and obtain a minor in Spanish. He also would like to explore electrical engineering.

The South Charlotte Sports Report would like to salute Matt Ball for his amazing dedication to the classroom and baseball field. His desire to raise the bar even higher is very commendable. We hope that Matt can find the perfect college match to continue his goals of being a successful student-athlete. Great work Matt!

WELL ROUNDED PITCHER MATT BALL AIMS FOR THE TOP

Page 2 Volume 8, Issue 7

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE… Alex Wood reaches the major leagues

Six years ago I remember standing inside Caroli-nas Baseball Center watching a tall, lanky, left-handed pitcher work on his form and fastball. The youngster had a little bit of an odd delivery, but something stuck out about the way the baseball left his hand.

I would soon meet Alex Wood and would have the opportunity to get to watch him pitch more as an Ardrey Kell High School student. Alex’s parents Richard and Carol became friends and his sister Stephanie and my daughter Hannah were friends. We took a real liking to watching Alex perform and I learned how nice of a young man he was.

Alex had a dream, much like many other young baseball players, he wanted to play major league base-

ball one day. Closing in on the end of his senior season, that dream took a devas-tating hit when Alex injured his arm and was led into “Tommy John” surgery on his elbow. Already signed with the University of Georgia, Alex went into surgery, began rehab and reported for school on time in Athens, GA. By the end of his fresh-man season Alex was back on the mound. His next two seasons for the Bulldogs were outstanding and he was drafted in June 2012 by the Atlanta Braves.

We watched closely as Alex began his career in the Braves organization. In less than one year, Alex worked his way all the way to the Braves roster. On May 30th Alex made his debut pitching a flawless ninth inning. The debut was documented closely on television and his mother Carol was highlighted as her excitement for Alex and his journey represented the emotions of baseball moms across America,

Alex stayed with the Braves for a little more than a month before being sent back to Triple AAA to build up his innings. Two weeks ago, Alex was called back up to start a game against the Mets. He didn’t win that game, but gained valuable experience.

Fortunately Alex would draw another starting assignment on July 30th against the Rockies. With a stroke of luck, my son Tyler and I had already planned to be in Atlanta for two games and a hitting clinic with Justin Upton on the 30th and 31st. We were so excited to know that we were going to see our friend pitch. I told Carol and Richard that we would bring the support to Alex in their absence.

Tyler and I watched Alex or as we call him “AWood” warm up. After finishing his warmups, we gave Alex a big thumbs up and told him how proud of him we were. Alex tossed his warmup ball to me to give to Tyler.

A few minutes later Alex was on the mound for the start. Our hearts were beat-ing a little faster now as we felt we were right on the mound with him. No one was yelling louder for Alex than Tyler and I. After a semi-shaky start, Alex settled down to pitch a wonderful 7 innings and collect his first major league win!

It felt amazing to be there riding the emotions of each pitch. When the Braves began to tear the cover off the ball and give Alex the lead, we knew it was going to be a special night. We, like so many others, are so proud of Alex Wood. He is a good kid, appreciative of the opportunity and respectful of the game of baseball. I don’t think Tyler or I will ever forget this special moment we shared with a friend. Tyler will always treasure the baseball Alex gave him.

Dreams do come true and we are honored to watch this wonderful dream play out for Alex, Carol, Richard and Stephanie.

Tripp RoakesPublisherSouth Charlotte Sports ReportTripp@southcharlottesports.com

BEYOND THE GAME WITH ASHLEY MCGOWAN

Marvin Ridge High School junior Ashley Mc-Gowan is one of the top softball players in the community. The daughter of Paul and Linda McGowan earned All-Conference and All-Dis-trict Honors this past spring for the Mavericks. She hit .431 with 24 RBI’s and 2 Home Runs. Let’s go Beyond The Game to learn more about Ashley.

What are your top three athletic accom-plishments?“One of my top three athletic accomplishments was being named All-Conference and All-Dis-trict player this past spring as a sophomore. Another athletic accomplishment was making the Marvin Ridge Maverick varsity team as a freshmen. I hit my first homerun during a preseason scrimmage and have hit seven more since then. A third athletic accomplishments was going to ASA Nationals, in 2010 and 2013.

ASA Nationals is a tournament where the best softball teams in the nation com-pete. In order to even go, you have to earn a berth by winning an ASA qualifier tournament.”

What is your top memory playing softball?“My top memory was our last regular season game versus Weddington High School. I hit my second double of the game in the seventh inning and scored the winning run. With that win, we became the 2013 regular season conference cham-pions for the first time in school history. It was a great game!”

How did the spring season go for you?“This spring, I was the starting catcher for the Marvin Ridge Mavericks and one of the top batters. We were regular season conference champions, won the confer-ence tournament, and made it to the fourth round of state play-offs, becoming one of the top eight 3A high school softball teams in North Carolina. Our overall record was 20-3 and we outscored our opponents 169-45.”

What have you done for softball this summer?“This summer I have been playing softball with my travel team, the 16u Lady Lightning Gold Elite out of Winston-Salem. I am batting .382 with 16 RBIs and 1 grand slam homerun against some of the best competition on the east coast. This summer, we have played in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennes-see, and Georgia. My team won the berth to ASA Nationals at the NC ASA State tournament. The 16u ASA Nationals is in Sunnyvale, CA at the end of July. I am so proud of my team and can’t wait to compete against the best teams in the country.”

“When I haven’t been playing with my team this summer, I have been attending many college camps to learn, grow, and be recruited. My dream is to play in col-lege and then eventually give back to the game by coaching.”

What are your goals for the 2014 season?“Next season, my goals for the Mavericks are to be regular season conference champions again as well as tournament conference champions. Also, I want to help our team make it all the way to the NC State Championship Game. I know we have the talent and coaching to make it. My personal goals are to be a leader on the team and to help my team win in the best way I can.”

How well do you perform in the classroom?“I have a 4.69 grade point average. So far in my freshman and sophomore year, I have taken mostly honor classes. This fall, I will take AP Calculus, AP US History, and AP Chemistry. My favorite subject is math and I hope to become a high school math teacher one day. I was honored to receive the Academic Achievement Award in Algebra I and Algebra II. I have also enjoyed tutoring math to a few students in my neighborhood. Outside of the classroom, I am also a volunteer assistant coach for an 8u recreational softball team.”

Why is academic success important to you?“It is important to me to take the highest level classes possible and to do my best to prepare me for college. Right now, my schedule is so packed that I have to be very disciplined inside and outside of the classroom. I normally play or practice six out of seven days in a week. My routine involves catching, strength and conditioning, hitting, throwing, and defensive work. It is important that I stay organized and complete school projects ahead of time to excel in the classroom. I have high expec-tation for myself both inside and outside of the classroom. Academic success is the key to my future.”

Volume 8, Issue 7 Page 3

SPYA is non-profit organization, established in 1969, dedicated to enriching the community through youth athletics.

Online registration now open for all Fall sports* - Girls Field Hockey – 2nd thru 6th grades Girls Lacrosse – 2nd thru 8th grades Girls Softball – 6-16 yrs old Baseball – 5-16 yrs old Cheerleading - 5-14 yrs old Football (* registration closed)

Q SHACK COACH OF THE WEEKCoach Jeff Shore

Carolina Rangers BaseballCoach Jeff Shore has been named the Q Shack Coach of the Week. Coach Shore is a very giving youth baseball coach who always finds a way to make his players smile and excel on the diamond. As coach of the Carolina Rangers Baseball Club, Jeff works hard to teach his players to love and respect the game. Congratulations to Coach Jeff Shore for being named Q Shack Coach of the Week.

To nominate your coach for this award, please visit The Q Shack or email tripp@southcharlottesports.com.

Located in The Providence Promenade10822 Providence RoadCharlotte, NC 28277www.qshackclt.com704-542-5959

The Charlotte Energy, a local 4th grade Boys AAU basketball team had an out-standing finish to an already amazing year. Since coming together in Fall 2012, the Energy have played basketball across the state of North Carolina winning over 60 games and an seven tournament championships! The season highlight was an automatic bid to this year’s 4th Grade AAU Division II Nationals hosted in Indian Trail, NC. The Energy competed against 38 teams as far reaching as NYC, Philadelphia, Louisiana, Ohio and Washington DC. They advanced to the ‘Elite 8’ and placed 8th in the Nation, guaranteeing a return spot in next year’s Division II National Event in which they will be one of the top 8 seeds.

Head coach Rick Jones says, “The boy’s success was a direct result of how hard they worked all year. I’ve spent a lot of time coaching youth sports and, in my experience, have never seen a collective bunch so dedicated on improving their skills and pushing themselves towards achieving their goals.”

Team members include: Collin Baker, Will Shipley, Justin Jones, Trent Drury, Elijah Gray, Andrew Henderschott, Bryson Pisacano, Huck Wathan, Brock Bowen

Page 4 Volume 8, Issue 7

Charlotte Christian School Vs.

Sun Valley High School

Independence High School Vs.

South Mecklenburg High School

To Purchase tickets or for more information, visit Charlottepreps.TV/kickoff

celebrate the official start of the high school football season

Don’t blink, you may just miss Anna Cockrell as she goes flying by on her way to another hurdles race. The 15 year old daughter of Keith and Serena Cockrell recently claimed the National Championship for her age group in the 100M hurdles. This came on top of breaking the 100M and 300M records at the state meet. The Providence Day School sophomore combines athletic and academic success to reach her goals. Let’s go Beyond The Game to learn more about Anna Cockrell.

What is your favorite memory in sports?“I have two favorite memories. The first is when our team won the State

Championship. It was the first time the Providence Day girls team ever won. Coach Lawrence wanted it so badly, and I’m so glad we got the win for her and the seniors. The celebration that the team had right there on the field after the last event is something I’ll remember forever. We just had so much fun doing the PD cheers, running around, hugging each other, and just screaming random things. My other favorite memory is winning nation-als. That was the third time I’ve been to Junior Olympics, so this win was a work in progress. And with my groin being pulled I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it. But I’m so happy I did. When I got off the track and saw my family, I just bursted into tears. I was practi-cally sobbing. And it just felt so good because I’d finally achieved this goal that I’ve had for three years. My sister cried with me, and even though we were crying it just felt so good.”

When did you begin to run the hurdles and what led you to choose the event?“I started hurdling in 6th grade for my middle school track team. It was one of the first days of practice and our coaches were explaining all of the events. They showed a video of hur-dlers and I just said, “Okay that’s what I want to do.”

What is your thought process once the gun signals the start of the event?“It’s not exactly an organized thought process, so it’s hard to describe. I end up almost shouting random phrases in my mind. I’ll just think, “Get there first, get there first,” (there being the first hurdle) over and over or just the word go. Also, I always count my steps.”

Do you participate in any other sports? “Coach Lawrence is also the JV field hockey coach so she convinced me to give it a try this fall. However, I do sing and act in addition to running. “

What about other track events?“I do the open 100, 300m/400m hur-dles, the 4x100m, the 4x400m, and the 4x200m. I love the open 200 as well, but I never really get a chance to do it.”

What are your goals for the next year?“For 100m hurdles, my goal is to go 13.5. It’s going to be a challenge be-cause 13.5 is a lot faster than 13.9, but if I don’t push myself I won’t achieve anything. I also want to go under a minute in 400m hurdles. The most important goal that I have for next year is to get healthy. I’ve been battling this groin injury for about five weeks now so I really need to focus on getting my body healthy and performing at its best.”

How well do you perform in the classroom? “I perform pretty well in the classroom. My GPA this year was a 4.2 and I made the Headmaster’s list both semesters.”

Can you talk about the support your siblings give you?(editor’s note- Anna’s brother Ross plays football for Duke)“Ross calls Ciera (my older sister) and I before all of our big competitions. And we all text each other before and after he has a game, Ciera has a tourna-ment, or I have a meet. We go to almost all of Ross’s games and he comes and supports us whenever he can. The three of us are all very competitive, and it works well because we can empathize with each other when we go through big wins or losses. Whenever I’m disap-pointed in my performance or false start like I did at Indoor Nationals, I know I can turn to Ross and Ciera for advice and comfort.”

How helpful has Coach Lawrence been to your success?“I just want to make it clear how important Coach Lawrence has been through all of this. She makes me food, she’ll take me to meets, I’ll stay at her house when my parents have to go out of town. She really is like a second mom and what I’ve achieved this year wouldn’t have been possible without her. She is the best coach I could ask for.”

BEYOND THE GAME WITH ANNA COCKRELL

Volume 8, Issue 7 Page 5

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The Carolina Juniors Volleyball Club 14U Extreme team recently competed at the USA Volleyball National Championships in Dallas Texas, June 30-July 3, and finished fifth. Out of 52 teams in their division, they were seeded 18th to start the tournament, beat the overall number 1 seed from Hermosa Beach Cali-fornia in pool play and lost to the eventual champion from San Antonio Texas in the playoffs.

Players include: 5-Kristin Siebert/Setter/Covenant Day, 1-Macy Henry/Liberio/Covenant Day, 2-Quin Sutphin/Middle/Fort Mill, 3-Elise Williams/Defensive Specialist/Pine Lake Prep, 4-Carly Shimota/Middle/Right/Charlotte Latin, 6-Amy Loeber/Right/Providence Day, 7-Arianna Fioretti/Middle/Holy Trinity, 8-Kelli Martin/Outside/Rawlinson Road, 12-Sarah Billiard/Outside/Covenant Day

TC Baseball Club is now recruiting young athletes for our 9U & 11U Fall teams. We also have 2 positions still open on our 10U roster. Please contact coach Chris Garris for information on tryout dates and times.

Coach Chris Garris704-458-6940

Check out our face book page to learn more about Team Carolina Baseball Club.

FB Page: TeamCarolina

Select the Decorate With Doors Tab

Page 6 Volume 8, Issue 7

STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

ARCHITECH SPORTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY Blakeney Office: 8918 Blakeney Professional Drive Suite 120 | Charlotte, NC 28277 | Ph. 704-900-8960

Indian Trail Office: 1001 Van Buren Avenue Suite 3 | Indian Trail, NC 28079 | Ph. 704-628-6053www.architechsports.com

Physical Therapy for Athletes and Weekend Warriors * Sports Performance * Soccer Speed and AgilityBaseball Pitching Arm Care Evaluations * Female Jumpmetrics Training * Coaches Care Programs

All programs in conjunction with Morrison Family YMCA

TAYLOR MICHAUDCuthbertson High School junior softball player, Tay-lor Michaud, has been named the Architect Sports and Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week. The 16 year old daughter of Ed and Paula Michaud plays catcher and outfield for Cuthbertson.

Taylor lists her top athletic accomplishments as hit-ting five homeruns, and maintaining a .400 batting average. She began playing softball at age four and hit her first homerun at 13. As Taylor turns her at-tention to the upcoming season, she hopes to be the best player she can be while maintaining a positive attitude.

Inside the classroom, Taylor is an A/B student and she is enrolled in honors level classes. Taylor says education has always been important to her and comes before softball. Congratulations to Taylor Michaud for being named the Architect Sports and Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week.

ALEC HANFFCharlotte Latin School junior, Alec Hanff, has been named the Architect Sports and Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week. Alec is the son of Geoff and Laura Hanff and he plays football and basket-ball for Charlotte Latin. In football, Alec starts at defensive end and in baseball he starts at third base for the Hawks.

Alec has set his sights on making the All-Confer-ence Team in both sports this year and would like to strive for All-State. He looks forward to helping Lat-in back to its former level of success and to win the state championship. In baseball, Alec was selected

to play in the Battle of the Border All Star Showcase Games this summer.

Alec is a strong student at Charlotte Latin and he is working to build a solid academic and athletic foundation for college. Congratulations to Alec Hanff for being named the Architect Sports and Physical Therapy Student Athlete of the Week.

SOUTH CHARLOTTE BASEBALL TRYOUTSSouth Charlotte Club Baseball is holding tryouts for the final spots for their 12U travel team. This team is one of the more competitive teams in the Charlotte area and is put together with good well rounded kids and families. Our intentions are to take this team to Cooperstown in the sum-mer of 2014.

The coaches at South Charlotte take pride in teaching young players to respect the game and value the team concept, while providing individual skill development to advance their game to the highest level of play in a structured and disciplined environment.

We offer:Competitive Baseball

10 player Roster,4 coaches, which means more attention per player

Cost:1/4 the pricing of the academy baseball, approximately $350 for the Fall,

which will include approximately 5 tournaments.

Contact:Jeff Devine, 704.241.7687

Tryout Location:Olde Providence Elementary

When:8/17 10am

If you cannot make this time; we can schedule individual tryouts.

Our goal is to provide quality coaching, cost affordable travel baseball that allows the players to have fun.

Volume 8, Issue 7 Page 7

The Meck lenburg Area Ca tho l i c Schoo ls/ Arbor Construc t ion Group

Good Sport of the Week

KRISTEN SOLTCharlotte Catholic rising senior Kristen Solt has been named the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools/ Arbor Construction Group Good Sport of the Week. Kristen is the daughter of Tim and Karen Solt. She has been a part of the Catholic dance team for three years and has been named captain for this coming season. Dancing is a big part of her life as she has been doing it since she was three years old. She also did competi-tion dance for five years. Kristen enjoys dancing because it is a great way to express yourself and it makes her feel good about herself. She loves performing in front of others and dancing with her friends during half time of the Catholic football games. Whatever Kristen studies she would love to mi-nor in dance and attend The University of South Carolina.

New Homes-RenovationsAdditions-Repairs

704-542-5833www.arborconstructiongroup.com

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Oh what a feeling for South Mecklenburg High School base-ball player Harris Yett. All in the span of a few weeks in June, the son of Charlie and Carrie Yett captured a state champion-ship and made a commitment to attend North Carolina State Uni-versity following his upcoming senior season. Harris provided a ton of offense from his power-ful bat and solid defense from first base. The commitment to the Wolfpack was followed up by watching the team advance to the College World Series. Harris Yett truly has a lot to be thankful for these days. Let’s go Beyond The Game with Harris Yett to learn more about this very tal-ented baseball player.

What are your top three athletic accomplishments?“Winning the state championship at South; scholarship offer to NC State; All State- NCBCA, Rivals.com and USA Today.”

What is your top memory playing baseball?“My top memory has to be the 2013 season at South Meck and winning the state championship.”

Describe the ride South Meck made all the way to the state title?“It was crazy. We knew we had a good team, but no one expected us to win the state. It was a total team effort with different players contributing every game and we had to come from behind to win a lot of our games. It got to the point that we expected to win every game we played- we never panicked when we got behind. We kept our composure and executed our assignments.”

What was it like to play with all the emotion surrounding Coach Tus-can and his health battles?“It was indescribable. When Coach Tuscan got sick, we had a team meeting and decided we would win it all- for him. We were getting phone calls from past South Meck players telling us we had to win. It was a magical season that none of us will ever forget. The coaching staff did a great job of managing the situa-tion and the games- having Coach Tuscan in the dugout after he got sick, made us want to fight even harder to win for him.”

What led you to choose NC State for college?“State is a great academic school with a great baseball program, I really like the coaches and it is not too far away from home. I love everything about State.”

When did you first hear from them and what other schools were you looking at?“I first heard from State the summer after my sophomore year. The other schools I was considering were- Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech.”

How has your summer gone”“Great- I am having a blast playing with the South Charlotte Panthers.”

How do you perform in the classroom? “I have a 3.8 grade point average and am in the Key Club, AB Honor Roll, and on Student Council.”

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BEYOND THE GAME WITH HARRIS YETT

Page 8 Volume 8, Issue 7

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Wired for Excellence Award Recognizing Academic and Athletic Excellence

Sarah Post

8125 Ardrey Kell Road Charlotte NC 28277704-443-0006

www.quimbyandcollins.com

Winning Smiles

CARLY LITTLE

Community House Middle School 8th grader Carly Little has been named the Qui-mby and Collins Orthodontics “Wired For Excellence” Award Winner. Carly is the daughter of Chris and Kristen Little and she enjoys playing softball, golf and cheer-leading. Carly’s softball team, the Lady Tigers, won the A Bracket of the Mighty Casey in Rock Hill after battling back through the Loser’s Bracket.

Carly recognizes the importance of her school work and she aims for a strong bal-ance between school and sports. Inside the classroom, Carly earns all A’s & B’s. She is also serves as an Ambassador for Community House Middle School. Con-gratulations to Carly Little for being named the Quimby and Collins Orthodontics “Wired For Excellence” Award Winner.

Would you like to nominate an elementary or middle school student for The Quimby and Collins Orthodontics Wired For Excellence Award? Send your nominations to Tripp@southcharlottesports.com

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The Myers Park / Trinity Little League 10-11 All Star Team captured the Little League State Championship. With the win, the team traveled to Greenville, NC to compete in the Southeastern Regionals. The South Charlotte Sports Report salutes the boys on an outstanding season of baseball.

Front Row: (L-R) Wyatt Hodges, Chase Rohr, and Carter Flanagan

Middle Row: (L-R) Ben Morehead, Jack Shaw, Jackson Krisko, William Atwell, R.J. Scholtus, Henry Minges, Kyle Evans, Reed BolinBack Row: (L-R) Coach Arthur Morehead, Manager Scott Warfield, Coach Drew Mansfield

Volume 8, Issue 7 Page 9

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Congratulations to these young baseball players on their accomplishment.

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Bottom Row: (L-R) Brady Sullivan, Joey White, Jacob Orloski, Will Lavender, Chase McLauchlin, Mylo WhiteMiddle Row: (L-R) Parker Tolley, Eric West, Ethan Andujar, Jackson Coble, Cooper Gandossy, Pearson MorganBack Row: (L-R) Coach Tommy Sullivan, Coach Dave Lavender, Coach Chuck McLauchlinNot pictured: Ben Baldasarre and Coach John Baldasarre

Page 10 Volume 8, Issue 7

“It was just a good fit between SW4ABaseball and South Charlotte Sports Report. No one does more to promote youth athletes and the im-portance of education within athletics than Tripp and his organization,” commented Lalas. “SW4ABaseball was also created with the singular goal to promote the kids, coaches, teams, and excellence that was found in that league. The radio broadcast just gave us another avenue to share our organizations’ mission statements. Plus we just had a ton of fun doing the games.”

With the new North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s con-ference alignments coming for the 2013-14 school year, Lalas has decided to end the 10 year run of covering SW4A Baseball, to focus on developing the radio outlet with Roakes and the South Charlotte Sports Report.

This fall, Roakes and Lalas are looking to do about a half dozen regular season football games and then adding basketball games this winter in addition to the baseball schedule next spring.

A schedule of games has not been selected yet. “We have talked about having the community help us decide which games they would like us to broadcast with an on-line or Twitter vote,” said Roakes. “Advertising will also play a role in which schools we visit for broadcasts.”

Eventually the pair will look to grow their broadcasting wing. “Down the road, we would like to see students from all the schools in our reader-ship have an opportunity to get involved where they would have a chance to develop their interest in sports journalism and broadcasting and join us in presenting the broadcasts. There are so many students in the area that have a desire to go into sports broadcasting and we have the perfect opportunity to help them reach their goals,” Roakes said.

“The internet radio broadcasting will provide a great advertising platform for area businesses,” said Roakes. “With the umbrella of South Charlotte Sports Report, we will offer advertising packages that allow companies to reach across all of our outlets (radio, newspaper, camps, events, internet sites, Twitter, and more.) With the support of area com-panies we will build the radio network and continue to do more and more to support youth sports in our community.”

(Please see the advertising packages at the end of this story)With the kickoff of the season just around the corner, be looking, or

listening, for South Charlotte Sports Report Radio carrying live action of your favorite South Charlotte team. Broadcasts will be announced via @SCSPortsReport and www.southcharlottesports.com.

SPORTS RADIO DEBUTContinued from front page

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The packages are based on a minimum of 30 game broadcasts in 2013-2014 sports season. The number of broadcast is expected to be much higher. All games are archived online, so your advertisement is repeated time after time.

Gold Level $4,000 per year(15) 30 second commercials per broadcast(6) ¼ Page advertisements in South Charlotte Sports ReportBanner advertisement at www.southcharlottes-portsradio.comAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesports.com(6) Social Media Mentions per month from @SCSportsReport(3) Guaranteed broadcasts of school of your choice (1 per sport season)

Silver Level $2,500 per year(10) 30 second commercials per broadcast(4) ¼ Page advertisements in South Charlotte Sports ReportAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesportsra-dio.comAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesports.com(4) Social Media Mentions per month from @SCSportsReport(2) Guaranteed broadcasts of school of your choice

Bronze Level $1,000 per year(5) 30 second commercials per broadcast(2) ¼ Page advertisements in South Charlotte Sports ReportAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesportsra-dio.comAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesports.com(3) Social Media Mentions per month from @SCSportsReport(1) Guaranteed broadcast of school of your choice

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Community Supporter Package $500 per year(2) 30 second commercials per broadcast(1) ¼ Page advertisements in South Charlotte Sports ReportAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesportsra-dio.comAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesports.com(2) Social Media Mentions per month from @SCSportsReport(1) Guaranteed broadcast of school of your choice

Game Presenting Sponsor $350 per gameUnlimited game presenting sponsor mentionsSocial Mentions leading up to the game from @SCSPortsReportFeatured in game marketingChoose your game (based on broadcast avail-ability)

Sport Season Package $1000 per sportUnlimited sport presenting sponsor mentions each game(10) 30-second radio spots per broadcast.(2) ¼ Page Advertisements in South Charlotte Sports ReportSocial Mentions with each game broadcast in the sportAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesportsradio.comAdvertisement at www.southcharlottesports.com

Don’t see the perfect package for your company or service, but want to help us feature the hometown team and kids? Call Tripp Roakes at 704-906-5466 or email Tripp@southcharlottesports.com

We will design the perfect package for you that cross markets your company across many of the South Charlotte Sports Report platforms.

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South Charlotte Sports Radio Marketing Packages

Volume 8, Issue 7 Page 11

You might say that with a 4.98 GPA, Turner Schwartz has conquered the academic world. Now, looking to be the starting quarterback as a junior at Marvin Ridge High School, Turner is also on his way to conquering the athletic world. Turner, the 16-year-old son of Kathy and Doug Schwartz has climbed his way to the top to become quite a successful student-athlete.

Turner started out like most foot-

ball players playing flag football at an early age. After trying many different positions like running back and de-fense, Turner found his spot at quar-terback in sixth grade. Ever since then, Turner has continued to find receivers for touchdowns and occasionally run-ning past a linebacker for a first down.

The workload for any football play-er is extraordinary, but for a quarter-back, it is venturing into the insane. Turner has practice scheduled four hours every day, six days a week over the summer starting at 7:00 AM. This doesn’t include all the training Turner does by himself, and the extra meet-ings for the leaders of the team. When you add it all up, it doesn’t really seem to be an offseason.

These offseason workouts are all about preparing for the upcoming fall season. This means lifting weights, working with receivers, installing the offense, and looking at film. Turner also runs on his own to stay in shape. Once football season starts, practice is every day and is more focused on film study and running plays.

A two-year varsity veteran, Turner admits that his favorite football mo-ments have been beating arch rival Weddington. He also says he was

grateful for what he got to do in Mid-dle school.

“In Middle school, I remember get-ting the Sportsmanship award and that really meant a lot to me. It is good to know that people think of you as a good sport.”

Football isn’t the only sport Turn-er has found success in. He is also a swimmer for Marvin Ridge’s team and nearly qualified for the state meet.

Turner swam for many different teams including his neighborhood, school, and even MAC. He devotes most his offseason to football, but is still a top- level swimmer. After quali-fying for Regionals, Turner swam a 1:01 in the 100M backstroke to place 13th overall. Unfortunately, the top 12 moved on to States, but that was still quite impressive for someone who is mostly identified as a quarterback.

“Swimming is probably the most physically demanding sport I have ever played. It has really taught me mental toughness. I have learned that if you go all out in the beginning, you can force yourself to go harder in the end no matter how tired you are. This helps me when we do conditioning for football.”

Turner’s strongest “sport”, how-

ever, is probably academics. He has yet to earn any grade besides an A on his report card … ever. He also got an award for having the highest grade in the entire school in AP Psychology as a sophomore. Turner has also decided to take on a new challenge in school by joining the International Baccalaure-ate (IB) program. The IB program is all college- level classes and notorious for giving immense amounts of home-work. In this war of school vs. student, my money is on Turner.

In the future, Turner is hoping to win states for both football and swim-ming. He also wants to play sports in college, but doesn’t want to give up a good education for it. While at college, Turner is hoping to study to become a doctor because he loves science, espe-cially biology.

In the little free time Turner has, he enjoys hanging out with his family and friends. He also enjoys playing the board game “Settlers of Catan” when he has the chance.

Good luck to Turner as he takes on the new challenges of being the start-ing quarterback for his team and com-pleting the IB program for his school.

TURNER SCHWARTZ’S BEST “SPORT” IS ACADEMICSWritten by Ryan Scott, Marvin Ridge High School

Page 12 Volume 8, Issue 7

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Page 12 Volume 8, Issue 6

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