GREATER CHARLOTTE HOT STOVE LEAGUE TO HONOR THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF CHARLOTTE BASEBALL

GREATER CHARLOTTE HOT STOVE LEAGUE TO HONOR THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF CHARLOTTE BASEBALL

…Former Major League All Star Bryan Harvey and top Boston Red Sox prospect David Mailman among those set to be honored at the 2nd Annual Dinner

The baseball term “hot stove” is affiliated with the time of year when those associated with America’s past time, whether it is players, managers, front office personnel and fans, discuss the summer game during the winter months. Even before the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920, folks sat around the hot stove to debate and discuss the significance of their team’s transactions.

Even though air conditioning and furnaces have replaced the iron stove as sources of heat, the term hot stove is still quite common in baseball vernacular. A place it is used frequently is to reference baseball banquets that take place during the off-season. The banquets are held to celebrate the game of baseball and to reward those in the game that contribute to its success.

On January 24, 2009 the 2ND Annual Greater Charlotte Area Hot Stove League Dinner, hosted by Carolinas Baseball Center and The South Charlotte Sports Report will be held at the 25,000 square foot Carolinas Baseball Center. This first class evening of entertainment will celebrate the growth of youth baseball and softball in the Greater Charlotte Community. Headlining the special night will be a keynote speech by former Major League All-Star relief pitcher and UNCC baseball alumnus Bryan Harvey.

The Bandys High School graduate played from 1987 to 1995 for the California Angels and the Florida Marlins. He was elected to the All-Star team for the American League in 1991 and for the National League in 1993. He led the American League in saves in 1991 with 46. Harvey was named Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News.

Providence High School Class of 2007 graduate David Mailman will also be honored. Mailman was a 7th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox and has what many scouts have described as a “picture perfect swing.” He has become one of the Red Sox top-rated prospects and is expected to one day take to the field at Fenway Park.

In addition to the speech by Harvey, guests will be treated to a social hour and autograph session with 10-20 current or former major and minor league baseball players from the Charlotte area, a sit down dinner, vendor displays and one of the largest silent auction of sports memorabilia in the area. The evening will also include the presentation of awards to the top youth baseball and softball players in the area. Last year’s winners included; Richie Shaffer (Providence), Constance Orr (Butler, UNC-Chapel Hill), Chase Arnold (Holy Trinity Catholic) and Erin Kayton (Marvin Ridge.)

Two new awards have been added for 2009. The first one is the Team of the Year. This award is open to every baseball and softball team in the area, from the Tee Ball Level up to 18U Teams. The winning team will demonstrate success on and off the field of play. The second award is the York, SC Baseball Player of the Year Award.

We are very proud to announce our charity partner for the 2009 Greater Charlotte Area Hot Stove League Dinner. The Miracle League of Charlotte. The Miracle League of Charlotte, a chapter of The Miracle League, will provide physically and mentally challenged children a safe and spirited program in which they can hit, run, and catch on a baseball field – just like other kids. It will offer a unique and memorable opportunity these children would not otherwise have.

The 2008 inaugural event was a sellout and a second straight sellout is expected. A limited number of individual tickets and corporate tables for the dinner are available now. Once those tickets are gone, no additional tickets or tables will be made available. Individual tickets are available for $95 per person and $75 for baseball and softball players under 18. Corporate tables are also available for $950. Each corporate table will include eight seats and the guests of the table will be joined by a current or former major or minor league baseball player.

Three levels of event sponsorship are also available for this unique event dedicated to the growth of youth baseball and softball in the area. Grand Slam, Perfect Game and Home Run Packages are open for sponsorship. Each package includes many unique benefits for corporations interested in marketing to the baseball and softball communities in the greater Charlotte area.

Nomination forms are now available online at www.hotstovedinner.com for the top area high school and youth baseball and softball players of the year awards. In 2009 a special award will be added for Team of the Year. Nominations will be accepted until December 31, 2008

For more information on the 2nd Annual Greater Charlotte Area Hot Stove League Dinner, please call Tripp Roakes @ 704-906-5466 or visit www.hotstovedinner.com

BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY AT WWW.HOTSTOVEDINNER.COM

South Charlotte Sports Basketball Tryout Boot Camp

Friends

I wanted to share this new and exciting basketball camp with you

When I heard about the 125 kids that tried to earn a spot on a local Middle School roster last winter, I knew that I had to come up with something to help kids through the emotional rollercoaster of tryouts. So many of these kids had all the tools needed to earn a position, but somehow became lost in the pack of players.

I have worked real hard to develop a first class basketball event that will focus on preparing 6th-9th graders for the School Tryout Process. My goal is to provide a simulated basketball tryout to give your child every advantage possible for the school tryout. This two day event (October 18 and 19) will feature many of the coaches that work at the school your child attends, giving them a chance to become more familiar with the kids. I am also very excited to say that Ardrey Kell Head Coach Mike Craft is helping me with the overall leadership of the camp. Mike is one of the top teachers of basketball in this area and has been a huge help to The South Charlotte Sports Report and our basketball programming.

This camp, held at Community House Middle School will focus on 4 key elements of the basketball tryout process:

Gaining a Psychological Advantage during the tryout.

Developing the Physical Conditioning necessary for a successful tryout

Applying the proper basketball fundamentals in each tryout drill

Catching the coaches eye when the court is crowded with other players.

We cannot guarantee that our camp will earn your son or daughter a place on their school team, but we can guarantee that if your child will accept the teachings of the camp and apply what they learn during this camp, they will enter tryouts with an advantage other players may not have.

This camp, open to boys and girls will operate under the same commitment to first class instruction that the community has come to expect from The South Charlotte Sports Report.

Please be kind enough to pass this around to others that may be interested. Don't wait to long to register at http://southcharlottesports.com/news/2008/bballbootcamp.html

We have a limited # of positions open in this camp and I didn't want any of you guys to miss out.

Thanks so much for your support,

Tripp Roakes

Sign Up at http://southcharlottesports.com/news/2008/bballbootcamp.html

For those that receive this that may not have a child in these grades, please keep an eye out for our next youth camp to be held before basketball season.

ZICO PASUT HEADED FOR PIRATE COUNTRY

Ardrey Kell High School tight end Zico Pasut has been in the stands for East Carolina's two season opening wins over nationally ranked Virgina Tech and West Virginia. Those two wins propelled East Carolina to # 14 in the country and led Zico to cast his lot with the Pirates next season. The multi talented tight end made an official commitment to East Carolina on Wednesday night, choosing the Pirates over Virgina Tech and West Virgina.

The Pirates have to be excited about landing the rugged football player. The offense run by Skip Holtz at East Carolina should make good use of Zico's pass catching abilities.

The South Charlotte Sports Report congratulates Zico Pasut on achieving this level of success and choosing the East Carolina Pirates!

NOT ENOUGH JERSEYS FOR AREA KIDS

NOT ENOUGH JERSEYS FOR AREA KIDS

Last season I penned a column about the number of kids trying out for middle school athletic teams versus the actual number of positions available. The response I received was overwhelming to say the least. As schools were jammed full with kids, no one thought about how we could provide equal opportunities to these very athletic and ambitious student-athletes. Some Charlotte Mecklenburg Middle Schools witnessed 130-150 7th and 8th graders attempt to earn a position on the school football team. Basketball teams offered 15 positions for the 100-120 kids that tried out. Baseball followed with similar turnouts. A lot of very talented kids were left without a fair opportunity to compete for their school.

Let’s compare two Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Middle Schools and the opportunities they provide. School A, located in another part of Charlotte had 700 Middle School Students and a maximum roster of 45 football players. School B, located in South Charlotte has been jammed full to the point of needing trailers to handle 1800 plus students. Number of football opportunities for School B…. 45. So with nearly three times as many students, they offer only 45 opportunities to play football and wear the colors of their school with pride.

I sent an inquiry to Vicki Hamilton, CMS Athletic Director and a very talented one at that. I wanted to find out if CMS thought this was a problem or if anything was being done and why things were so different between CMS and Union County School. Vicki’s reply included some of the CMS rules and regulations as well as the comment that “there is no plan at this time to budget to expand middle school athletics to create a 7th grade and separate 8th grade team in 13 sports offerings.”
Probably not what a lot of current Middle School parents would like to hear. Especially the ones that dealt with very upset children this week that were cut from the football team.

Since I mentioned Union County, I believe it’s very important to commend them on the approach they have taken to middle school athletics. Every sport except for basketball and basketball cheerleading is operated by very strong booster clubs. These booster clubs work hard to provide more opportunities for their students. For instance, Weddington Middle School has a 6th, 7th and 8th grade Football Team. They begin practice on August 1 versus September 3rd for CMS. They play big games on Saturday afternoons and never have to worry about darkness cutting their games in half like CMS Middle Schools run into for the last two games of the season. The Union County Schools also have a playoff system and treat the season as something special. Kudos to the Weddington and Marvin Ridge Booster Clubs.

It’s also important to point out that budget should not be something that prevents the schools from providing more opportunities. The kids already pay a large activity fee to participate and I know the power of parents in South Charlotte. If they need to raise money to make something happen they will, at no extra cost to the school system. If the wonderful folks out at Weddington and Marvin Ridge can make this happen, why can’t the families of South Charlotte Middle Schools?

Maybe it is time for some “outside the box” thinking. I would like to see CMS follow the Union County method of letting the Middle School Athletic Programs be run by Booster Clubs. It would be one less thing for CMS to worry about and they can take the money they spend on the programs and use if for something else, maybe even start to build another much needed middle school in South Charlotte.

We are leaving too many kids on the sidelines by sending them to middle schools with 1800 kids and 140 kids trying to earn one of 45 positions on a football team. If CMS can’t address the problem, then maybe it’s time for someone else to come in with a plan that will create competitive opportunities for these student-athletes. The South Charlotte Sports Report is always open to new programming ideas and joint ventures. If you have a plan we can work on, give me a call or send an email to Tripp@southcharlottesports.com

It’s important to note that I don’t intend for this column to be against CMS as I am a proud CMS Parent and Supporter, but the size of the school district and overcrowding of the schools has created some problems and this is one that probably doesn’t get a lot of attention downtown at the main office. That’s understandable with all the eligibility problems and paperwork they have faced the last year. Vicki and her staff are good people, they work a ton of hours each week to stay on top of all the high school and middle school programs and maybe deep down they realize the problem, but know the time and resources aren’t there to fix it.

It kind of scares me to know exactly how talented my five year old will have to be when he gets to middle school. By then, there will probably be 2500 kids at his school, with 40 trailers parked around the football field like a campground with 250 kids trying to earn a spot on the football team.

The South Charlotte Sports Report operates under the goal of creating opportunities for the youth in the community. We have a lot of smart folks in South Charlotte; maybe one of them will come up with the right idea and give me a call. Let’s work together to find more opportunities for the kids.

CHARLOTTE LATIN STAYS ON TOP OF SUPER SEVEN FOOTBALL POLL

SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS REPORT

SUPER SEVEN POLL

August 30, 2008

RANK LAST WEEK TEAM Comments

1 Charlotte Latin A lot of “experts” have written off Latin
Bad Move, The Hawks are still loaded with talent.

1A Butler A 49-7 win over North Meck for the Dawgs!

3 South Meck The South Meck running game is unstoppable with Spencer Shuey and Tim Palmer.

4 Catholic Big 21-20 win over Myers Park. Joe Felts runs, and runs and runs his way to victory.

5 Christian 28-0 shutout of Augusta Christian. Schedule will toughen up as the year goes.

6 Ardrey Kell An off week was just what the Knights needed to work on their offense.

7 Providence Will not stay winless for long.

Marvin Ridge vs Country Day

Word to the wise........ If you want to get a good seat for the Marvin Ridge vs Country Day game out in Marvin Friday night, GO EARLY!


Word has it the Mavericks are planning for a big turnout

The South Charlotte Sports Report will be there on the scene!

Arrest made in School Bus Prank

I read this morning that the 26 year old prankster has been arrested for getting on the school bus yesterday, Thats very good news. Next move should be to discipline the DJ known as Brutha Fred since he says it was his idea.

Yes Fred, it was an idea that went to far.......

NOT VERY FUNNY IN MY EYES

I just read the story of the 96.1FM radio stunt this morning to put a 26 year old person on a school bus with kids. Pardon me, but I don't see a lot of humor in the stunt.

My son starts his first year of school tomorrow and i have a middle schooler and a high schooler. I personally don't want any adult other than a teacher or a bus driver on the bus with my children and I bet most of you agree.

Dr. Gorman seems more concerned with the bus driver letting the adult on the bus. I don't disagree with him, but where is the outcry to have this dunce arrested for trespassing and any other related charges?

If I am a parent of a child on this bus, I am calling both the 96.1 boss as well as Dr. Gorman.




http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/150677.html

Adult on middle-school bus causes stir

By Ann Doss Helms
ahelms@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Monday, Aug. 25, 2008

An adult who boarded a Southwest Middle School bus as part of an on-air prank has gotten a Charlotte-Mecklenburg bus driver in trouble and marred an otherwise smooth opening of school, Superintendent Peter Gorman said today.

The stunt was part of 96.1 The Beat's “A.M. Mayhem” show. A character called Cubby went to a random bus stop around 8:30 a.m. today to see if he could get on.

“The point is not to make you look like a child molester,” an on-air personality said in a recording of the stunt posted at the station's Web site. “”The point is Cubby looks like a small child but is an adult.”

When the bus arrived, the recording captures Cubby asking the female driver whether this is the right bus for Southwest, getting confirmation and boarding. He got off at the next stop, as the studio personalities howled with laughter and speculated on whether he was breaking any laws.

“You're 26 years old and you're on a bus with a bunch of 7-year-olds!” one exclaimed.

Station officials could not be reached for comment this afternoon.

Gorman said the driver will be removed from driving until CMS supervisors can figure out why she let an unauthorized adult board.

CMS Releases new Eligibility Rules for Athletics

After a review of the current CMS athletic eligibility rules, Superintendent Peter Gorman released new rules today. He had enlisted a committee of local citizens and CMS employees to help with these new policies. (For the record I was turned down for a position on the committee. I also must add that Dr. Gorman never even acknowledged the receipt of my emails on some ideas I thought would be very helpful. All of that was disappointing and left me with a few opinions that I will not share here.)

Let's move past that and talk about the new rules. First off, I agree with most everything in the press release posted below. A lot of it deals with an Honor system, which I think is great for some, but I can assure you the same people that cheated the system before, certainly aren't going to all of a sudden become honest because they have to sign an Honor Code.

The Hot Line to report violations is a good idea, but CMS must insure that each accusation is dealt with in a consistent matter. The whole South Meck football issue compared to how the West Charlotte and Independence football issues were handled, was a major mistake.

I fully support the idea that Athletic Directors jobs need to be full time jobs. I see first hand how hard some of these AD's work and to tell them they also need to teach 2-3 classes is a little too much. With that said, you have to hire competent AD's that know the rules and know how to follow them. You can't have AD's that are breaking rules as we saw at one high school last year.

We are lucky in South Charlotte to have some incredibly talented people serving as AD's. Going back to South Meck football, a mistake by an AD should NEVER, EVER lead to a kid being penalized or a whole team having a season yanked out from under them.

I applaud CMS for not making the decision to require a kid to sit out a year if he makes a legitimate move from one school to another. I was really worried this was going to happen and I think that would have been a mistake. We are in a big city, people are going to move, school lines are going to change, don't penalize a kid for this.

Overall, good job, I just wish I could have been a part or at least gotten an email or call returned by Dr. Gorman.

CMS announces improvements to

athletic-eligibility system

Changes include honor codes, better training

and a whistleblower e-mail and phone line

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 15, 2008 – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced widespread changes to improve verification for athletic eligibility. A new rule requires students, parents and coaches to sign an honor code before participating in sports. Other changes include a system to track student-athletes, a dedicated phone number and e-mail address to report suspected violations, and additional training for principals, athletic directors and coaches.

“We believe it’s important for everyone involved in sports to play fair,” said CMS Superintendent Dr. Peter C. Gorman. “These changes will help ensure that happens.”

The changes were based on 11 recommendations made by a 24-member athletic eligibility advisory committee formed in January after a record number of student-athletes were declared ineligible during the 2007-2008 fall and winter sports seasons. Four CMS football teams also forfeited their seasons due to eligibility violations. The committee reviewed district procedures and school board policies regarding athletic eligibility.

The committee spent four months studying and learning about athletic-eligibility issues before issuing 11 non-policy recommendations. Since then, CMS staff has been researching ways to put the recommendations into practice.

The first major changes affecting students, parents and coaches are required meetings and honor codes. The athletic eligibility advisory committee recommended required open houses for parents and students before fall and spring sports seasons. Schools have held open houses for parents of student-athletes in the past, but they were not required.

Starting this school year, parents and athletes must attend preseason meetings that will include a presentation on athletic-eligibility rules. Parents must sign an honor code pledging that they will follow all eligibility rules and will report suspected violations. The parent honor codes must be signed before student-athletes can play their first game. Student-athletes were required to sign an honor code before practicing. In addition, all CMS coaches were required to sign an honor code before coaching their teams.

“I believe that signing this honor code shifts some of the responsibility to play fair where it belongs – to coaches, to players and to parents,” said Dr. Gorman.

The athletic eligibility advisory committee also recommended the district create an anonymous whistle-blowing system for the public to report suspected eligibility violations. CMS has developed a dedicated phone number and e-mail address for students, parents and members of the community to report suspected athletic-eligibility violations. The phone number is 980-343-1098 and the e-mail address is playfair@cms.k12.nc.us. The phone line and e-mail address will be monitored by CMS Law Enforcement and all suspected violations will be investigated.

Another recommendation included developing a system to track student-athletes. CMS is now using the online student records database to document the school placement and eligibility status of student-athletes.

The athletic eligibility advisory committee also suggested CMS communicate clearly the eligibility rules and consequences to students, parents and staff. District staff created a list of frequently asked questions that will be available at each CMS high school, the learning community offices, and on the CMS Web site.

Eligibility rules and consequences are also posted on the athletics department page of the CMS Web site and in the CMS Parent-Student Handbook and the CMS High School Planning Guide. CMS TV will produce a series of programs explaining eligibility rules and consequences, and is developing an athletic-eligibility DVD that will be shown in all high schools.

Other recommendations from the athletic eligibility advisory committee included:

• Ensuring adequate personnel to launch and monitor processes.

CMS is exploring the option of making the athletic director position a full-time one. The superintendent will include funding for those positions in the 2009/2010 budget-planning process. The district also added a temporary part-time compliance position in the athletics department that is funded from August to December 2008.

• Creating a slogan for eligibility and the role of athletics.

All athletic-eligibility materials will include the “Play Fair” message to remind students, parents and coaches that only eligible players will participate in CMS sports.

• Creating a structured education process for principals, athletic directors, coaches and students.

Coaches, principals and area superintendents were required to attend a pre-season eligibility meeting to review the rules and consequences. Athletic directors also attended a full-day opening of schools meeting which included an extensive session on eligibility. Monthly athletic directors’ meetings will also include sessions on eligibility. In addition, high school registrars and magnet-school staff will receive detailed athletic-eligibility information in their training sessions before school starts.

• Developing a required compliance test for coaches.

CMS supports mandatory ongoing education programs for coaches to reinforce the importance of knowing and following all rules. However, CMS staff believes the test would be better if it were developed and administered at the state level. CMS will propose the requirement at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s October meeting.

• Developing a video that all student-athletes and their parents must view before participating in sports.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association produced a presentation on state athletic eligibility rules that will be shown at every required preseason parent meeting.

“The work of this committee has been very important in strengthening our verification process,” said Dr. Gorman. “We are grateful for their hard work.”

The athletic eligibility advisory committee also reviewed proposed policy changes, but generally favored keeping the district’s existing policies on eligibility with some minor changes. The first change affects tuition-paying students. Effective in the 2008-2009 school year, students will not be allowed to play sports the first year they pay tuition. Students who already pay tuition to attend CMS, or who lived in the district in 11^th grade and are paying tuition to finish their senior year in CMS, will not have to sit out a year. Previously, tuition-paying students were allowed to play sports without sitting out.

The district also changed its rules for students living with a non-parent adult. Under the new rule, students living with a non-parent adult as a result of a documented hardship will be allowed to play sports after they have been enrolled in CMS for two semesters. Strict documentation of the family situation is required to determine hardship status. Under the previous rule, students living with a non-parent adult who did not have legal custody or legal guardianship were not eligible to play sports.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education approved a change to the student-assignment policy at its meeting on July 22. The change will allow juniors and seniors who move out of an attendance area after school starts to stay at their original school until graduation. Previously, students who moved out of an attendance area could remain at the school until the end of the year. They had to change to the school serving their new address the following school year. The amendment aligns with the Board’s longstanding practice of not requiring rising seniors to attend different schools when CMS opens new schools or changes high school boundaries.

###

ASU Mountaineers Raiding South Charlotte for Baseball Players

The Appalachian State Mountaineers have come down off the mountain to grab a fantastic trio of South Charlotte baseball players in the past week. The Mountaineers have picked up commitments from Tyler Tewell, (Butler), Ryan Stetston (Ardrey Kell) and Tyler Zupcic, (Providence)

These three kids are all super baseball players and quality kids. Sounds like ASU is going to get serious about their baseball with these three players.

As we begin to look at the 2009 baseball season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see any of these three players as a finalist for the Greater Charlotte Hot Stove League Player of the Year. The award will be given on January 24th at the 2nd Annual Hot Stove League Dinner.

Congratulation to all three players!

Pineville Legion Team down 2-1 in Series, Must Win tonight

Coach Edwards and his American Legion players for Post 337 Pineville face a must win game tonight versus Cherryville. After 2 straight losses, the Best of 5 series now stands at 2-1 Cherryville. Pitching could be at a premium tonight as Pineville will bot have Jordan Darnell, Daniel Glenn or Mac Hunter available to start as they have all started a game in the last three days.

The bats must also come back alive for Pineville after falling silent the last two evenings. Someone for Pineville must step up and be a leader at the plate tonight.

It's time to get back to playing the type of baseball that got the team this far. If that happens, Pineville wins and heads to Cherryville for a decisive game five, possibly with Jordan Darnell on the mound.

No plans tonight? Come join me at Ardrey Kell to cheer on the home team. Cherryville will have plenty of fans there, hopefully Pineville will as well

Huge Game 3 tonight for Pineville Legion Team

Tonight's game 3 in the 5 game series between Pineville and Cherryville should be a big one. Both teams have been on opposite sides of blowouts in games 1 and 2. The winner of the Series moves on to the State Championship Tournament.

Last night at Ardrey Kell High School, the Pineville squad seemed to be way out of sync, committing tons of errors and baserunning mistakes. It was so out of character for this super talented team.

So what happens tonight in Cherryville? It could come down to pitching. Both teams are now a little deeper into their pitching rotations, so the first 4-5 innings will be very important. The Pineville defense must stay away from the errors and mistakes from last night. If they can do this and the bats of Jordan Darnell, Matt Crump and other stay hot, I can see Pineville returning home on Tuesday night with a 2-1 lead.

Regardless of what happens tonight, Tuesday night will be a great night for area fans to join me at the ball park at AKHS for an outstanding evening of baseball. Tyler (my 5 year old) can't wait to see his two favorite players, Jordan Darnell and Matt Crump one more time.

Good luck tonight Pineville!

South Charlotte Sports Action Sports Photography

Our Action Sports Photography company is now scheduling the fall sport season. Call us to come visit your games this fall. At no cost, we provide first class sports photography for the South Charlotte community. From action photos and posters to the team and player posed photos, our company provides the best level of service around.

You can rely on the South Charlotte Sports Report Photography division to provide the same positive results as you find in each issue of our newspaper.

We offer our services for individual games, tournaments, travel teams, leagues, schools and anyone in between. We can structure a program that will also return money to your organization

Take a moment to view some of our work.

www.scsractionphotos.com


Give me a call at 704-906-5466 or email Tripp@southcharlottesports.com to schedule us for a game this fall.

Can't say it Enough, Think First

Tragic news flows in from nearby Stanly County. Three rising seniors are killed in a car crash. Car was going 85 in a 55mph zone and lost control in a curve. I repeat, three rising seniors, who also played football are dead. There will be no celebrating touchdowns on Friday nights, no Senior Exams, no Prom, no graduation, no college, no families, no kids of their own. Their lives are over.

http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/728068.html


HIgh Schoolers, if you are reading this, please note there is a reason your parents preach to you about being safe and not doing dumb things. They don't want to bury you, they want to continue to enjoy life with you.

Be careful, think before you do something dumb.


Many times, you don't get a second chance

The ESPY's -- My favorite memory

I grew up an NC State fan. It came from the days of David Thompson and Monte Towe. I remember being a mere child and watching those guys win the national title. Jim Valvano arrived at NC State 6-8 years later and I attended 3 of his basketball camps. He was so charismatic and passionate about the game. While NC State quickly fell to the wayside when I chose East Carolina for college, I kept a special feeling about Jim Valvano.

It was crushing news to hear about his cancer. I was lucky enough, along with my friend Chip Hutchinson to attend a basketball game near the end of Jim Valvano's life. It was a game versus Duke and Jim was there to announce it for ABC Sports since he had already left coaching. He was barely hanging on at this time, but at halftime they held a special event for Coach V. Almost all of his players were in attendance from the past, he talked of his love of NCSU, he knew this was one of his last times in public and he took full advantage of it to entertain the crowd. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

I don't remember is this was before or after his famous Never Give Up Speech at the ESPY's. That speech was one of the greatest speeches of all times and I encourage you to go to You Tube and watch it if you have never had the opportunity. I still have my bumper sticker that says DON't EVER GIVE UP!

Watching the ESPY's tonight reminded me of Coach V and his legacy.

His lasting words should be remembered by all DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T EVER GIVE UP

Rest on Sunday

After 9 tee ball games in a 5 day period, I was exhausted. As many of you know, tee ball may require more coaching than any level of baseball. The kids and parents in this organization were super to work with, but I was on empty after Saturday's final game.

I fell asleep late Saturday night and didn't wake up until 10:00am on Sunday. I don't think I have slept that late since the days of waking up at noon while in college!

My first USSSA baseball tournament

I have a feeling a lot of you will be able to relate to this posting.

We concluded our run in the USSSA Tee Ball World Series last night at 10:30pm, yes 10:30pm...

Stepping back a few days, I received a call from Don Mason at Crystal Carolina Sports last week. He said, "Tripp, I need some help. I have a tee ball team coming down from Pennsylvania for the World Series and we don't have anyone for them to play."

Don knew I had a tee ball all-star team full of kids between the ages of 4 and 5 years old. We had tried to play some other teams earlier this summer, but they were all 6 and 7 years old. Needless to say, those games were not pretty.

Don told me the team from PA was mostly 5 and 6 year olds and asked me for a favor. So I gathered 10 of my kids and we showed up at Olde Providence on Tuesday. A team from Thomasville, NC had joined the affair as well. They were loaded with older kids including a couple that were clearly a little to old to be qualified for the event (that's another story for another day)

Our group of determined little boys and one girl took the field twice on Tuesday and another two times on Thursday. We were outmanned for sure, but our kids played hard, showed great sportsmanship and became better with each inning. By the final game, we took the World Series winner, Thomasville, to the final inning in a very close game.

I was so proud of all my kids. Their tanks were on empty as the tournament times were not conducive to 4,5 and 6 year old kids, but they tried their best every play. The experience is something everyone will remember and as I told each of the parents, "your children learned more in these 4 games than they did in the entire regular season."

I had a ball coaching the kids, it was mentally draining for sure, but I will always remember it.

The kids each received a great trophy and that made it all worthwhile to see their smiles at 10:30 at night.


Side note -- We can always tell people we finished third in the Tee Ball World Series!!!!! We don't have to tell anyone that there were only 3 teams playing!

SHE'S BACK!

Yes, one of the top volleyball coaches in the state is heading back for the sidelines. Zoe Bell has left her job as the AD of Providence to join the Ardrey Kell High School roster of coaches. After a 2 year break from coaching, Zoe will return to the court and build a team for the Knights.

She has a nice group to work with , led by Samantha Gosling. Give her a year or two and watch the Knights become one of the top teams in the state.

Good luck Zoe!

Wrigleyville

I really enjoy going to historical sporting venues. One of my favorite places in the world is Yankee Stadium. You can feel the history all around you as soon as you step off the train to walk into the House that Ruth built. Last year I added Fenway Park to my list of great places. I am no Red Sox fan, but it was easy to recognize how special of a park it is. I even had a first row seat on the first baseline.

On Wednesday night, my friend Jeff Schaeffer of CBC BAseball hooked me up with a ticket to see the Cubs and the Reds at Wrigley Field. I was in Chicago and had an open evening for the game. What a special place it was. Any of you that have been will relate to some of the things I am going to mention.

It all starts with the parking, there are no parking decks or standard lots around Wrigley. Its in a community full of old duplexes and quad houses and everyone seems to have an alley behind their home. These alleys are used as parking spots and you pay someone between $20-40 to use their parking spot for the night. I ended up parking inside an old two car garage four blocks from Wrigley Field. Everything looks alike there, so I was careful to write down that I was at the corner of Racine and Newport.

I picked up my ticket at Gate 10 Will Call and walked to my seat behind home plate for the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning.

What a neat place, the Cub fans love their team! Carlos Zambrano pitched a 1 hitter through 8 innings and the Cubs won 5-1

Wrigley is a special place and I hope to return again! They don't build ballparks like they used to, thats for sure!

A great two weeks of camp

We just completed two weeks of camps with our basketball and cheerleading programs! I can't even begin to express how excited I am about how the camps turned out. We hired a quality staff to work with all our campers and the results showed in the end. It was very rewarding to watch kids progress as the week went along. The younger cheerleaders were amazing as they picked up the basic skills of cheerleading.

Hats off to all my coaches for their hard work and to all the campers and parents who supported the camps.

Look for some exciting announcements on upcoming camps!

Time to spend a little bit of that money NCHSAA

A couple of months ago, I called on area schools to find a way to purchase Automated External Defibrillators for emergency use. These machines can be used to save lives when every second matters. One was used this spring at Cardinal Gibbons School to save the life of a lacrosse player. A local Charlotte doctor from OrthoCarolina was involved in the life saving.

I have found the perfect way to purchase these machines and it will not cost the schools a single penny. A recent report by the News and Observer out of Raleigh, NC revealed that the North Carolina High School Athletic Association had built up a very nice reserve of money (18 million dollars)

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1108786.html

It's time to spend a couple hundred thousand dollars and guarantee that every high school in the state has an AED and the training needed to use it. Summer is here, the kids are out of school for two more months, spend the money and make this happen by August 15th. Please spare me any excuses NCHSAA, I don't want to hear about red tape, I want to see action

Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day, always a very special day. I am lucky to have a son, a step son and a step daughter that all look to me in different ways as a Dad. For Tyler, my 5 year old son, he believes I walk on water and to be honest I really try to walk on water for him. He has been everything a father could ever want in a son. He is very loving and he never wants me to leave his side. We share a lot of things together, but our # 1 activity by a longshot is baseball.

Tyler first started picking up a bat at age 2. I guess it looked neat to him, a year later he was hitting a plastic ball and learning more and more about the game. At age 4 he spent three weeks over the summer learning about baseball from Jeff Schaefer at Carolinas Baseball Center. Jeff was holding camps for little kids and we wanted to let Tyler learn more about the game. Those three weeks did wonders for Tyler as he truly fell in love with the game, much the same way I had as a child. I can't even begin to describe the pride I feel when watching Tyler play baseball.

On this Father's Day I am happy to say that Tyler made an all-star team and continues to make Dad very proud.

Will, my 12 year old step son came into my life almost 8 years ago when his mother and I first met. I have been very proud to provide all the support and love I can possibly give him. I know life isn't easy as a step-child, but all I can do to make it a little easier, I do. He has caught onto the baseball fever his younger brother is experiencing and he returned from a 3 year layoff to play baseball this summer. Each game he gets a little better and its very cool to sit in the stands and watch him learn and grow with the sport.

Hannah, my 15 year old step-daughter just finished her ninth grade year of school. HOLY COW! Where did that little 7 year old girl go to that I first met? She has turned into a beautiful young lady that seems to learn and mature with each day. As many of you can relate, it's not easy for a Dad or Step-Dad to completely understand a teenager. You want nothing but the best for them, but it's hard to understand what they are going through at times. The best part is always when she comes back to me and says "You were right." At that point, I think she realizes, that I know a little bit about the way teenage boys behave. It's scary to know that in the next year she will hit the roads of South Charlotte behind the wheel of a car. My how time flies!

Being a Dad isn't easy, but I know deep in my heart, I try to be the best that I can be. I want to do all I can to give all my children the very best opportunity to succeed in life. If you are a Dad reading this, I am sure you can relate.

Happy Father's Day to all Dads, Step-Dads and Grand Dads across this great nation.

Hey Buddy! That's Lightning!

Just got back from a baseball game tonight and the more I think about what happened, the more I shake my head. As you know, thunder and lightning were bouncing all over South Charlotte around 7:45 tonight.

The field I was at seemed to be right in the middle of it. After a 5 minute rain, the thunder continued with lightning off in the distance. The lightning seemed to draw closer and kids and parents started to question what was going on. The plate umpire, an older man seemed to be relying on the method of how many seconds were there between the thunder and lightning to tell us how close the lightning was. Now I remember doing something like that on my Grandmother's porch when I was little, but I don't think there is a lot of truth to it.

Someone called out "Hey Blue! This stuff is getting close, lets be careful here!" He hollered back "It's 20 miles away!" About that time, a huge blast of thunder and bolt of lightning blasted from the sky just 100's of yards from the field. He called the game off at that point.


Point being, that old method of calculation doesn't work and one of his supervisors may need to let him know.

If that blast of electricity had hit the playing field, it would have been a bad situation.

I also think we as parents, coaches and fans may need to be more proactive in the future as well, sometimes you don't get a second chance. My wife lost a classmate at Latin to lightning on the baseball field.

Be careful out there!

At some point, the kids have to come first

I was at a local Babe Ruth Recreation Ball baseball game for 13-14 year olds yesterday. I saw something crazy happen. In the 100 degree heat, a coach let his pitcher throw 145 pitches over 6 innings. This was rec ball, nothing more on the line than one team winning and one team losing.

145 pitches from a full length baseball mound.....

I wonder if this coach even had a clue as to how many pitches the kid threw?

Bad thing about it is the pitcher had talent and threw really hard. With some good coaching, he could be a pretty good pitcher. At this rate, his arm will fall out of joint by the time he is 15 years old...

Coaches, keep your eyes on your pitch count, no game is worth hurting a kid over

South Charlotte Summer Camps Kick off in less than 2 weeks

I am getting excited about our summer series of sports camps here in South Charlotte. We are offering basketball, soccer, cheerleading and multi-sport camps this summer for kids 5 and up.

I am most excited about the folks I have partnered with on each camp.

With basketball, Ardrey Kell Head Coach Mike Craft has proven to be one of the top teachers in the area. With a college and high school coaching background, the kids are sure to learn more about basketball.

Cheerleading Camp should be wonderful with Caroline Adkisson as the camp director. Unlike many cheerleading coaches, Caroline is still in cheerleading shape, having cheered for Wake Forest prior to arriving as a new teacher and coach at Ardrey Kell High School. The girls are in for a treat at this cheerleading camp.

Soccer and Multi Sport Camps are partnerships with Mike Stricker, a very dynamic youth coach with vast experience through his Dynamic Performance Sports company.

To learn more or to fill one of our final spots, please visit www.southcharlottesports.com

We guarantee a great summer of camps!

South Charlotte Sports Action Photography

Our youth sports photography company is busy getting ready for the summer. With an outstanding debut year behind us and over 1 million photos viewed online the last 8 months, we are ready for the summer.

If your swim team, all star team, travel baseball or softball team would like us to come photography you in action, give us a call at 704-906-5466 or email Tripp@southcharlottesports.com

We offer great looking action photos from high level professional photographers. Talk to us about becoming the official photographer for your organization and we can work out a fundraising plan to let your organization earn money back on each photo as well as free advertising in the South Charlotte Sports Report.

Check out our current photos at www.scsractionphotos.com

Don't miss a second of the action, give us a call!

McKenzie Morenus HR leads Butler to 3rd straight Title

The Butler Bulldogs captured their third straight softball title this afternoon. McKenzie Morenus blasted a home run to put Butler into the lead.

Congratulations to the Bulldogs!

Greenville Rose beats AK with last at bat

Great season by both teams, AK was just a few errors away from forcing a game three. I know these boys and Bags are hurting right now, but once they return, they need to hold their heads high for an amazing season

Butler one win away, Ardrey Kell has a tough task today

Someone finally scored an earned run on Constance Orr. North Davidson squeezed a run across to spoil the perfect season for Constance, but Butler rebounded and won the game and one more to walk into the final game today. I expect nothing less than a 15 strikeout performance from our player of the year.

Ardrey Kell lost a heartbreaker in extra innings last night. Errors seemed to hurt the knights and Greenville Rose. I also beleive the sheer size of the minor league field may have kept a few hits from being home runs and basehits.

The Knights must win todays first game with Alex Wood on the mound. Alex is a super pitcher, headed for Georgia in a year, he is a lefty with nice action on his pitches. I guess i could use the term "crafty" with Alex. He rose to the occassion versus Providence last week and may do the same today against an awesome Greenville Rose team. I felt really old when I looked at the Rose roster last night and saw the name Trey Little. 16 years ago I worked with Trey's mom at East Carolina when Trey was born...... Man, I feel old......

Someone has to come up big at the plate for Ardrey Kell today, I will guess Zico Pasut does something big and I expect a better game at the plate from Jordan Darnell since he is finished pitching for the season after last night.....

AK 6, Rose 4 in game two..........

Area Players named to State Games Team

Congratulations to these local baseball players for earning a position on the Region 6 State Games Baseball Team

Ryan Stetson – Ardrey Kell

Alex Wood – Ardrey Kell

Corey Roberts – Olympic

Luke Bard – Charlotte Christian

Ty Linton – Charlotte Christian

Danny Vliet – Charlotte Catholic

Carter Bumgardner – Charlotte Country Day

Tyler Tewell – Butler

Pineville American Legion Junior Roster

The Pineville American Legion Junior team is loaded with talent this summer. Many of these 10th and 11th graders will be leading players for their high school teams next season. A summer full of legion ball will help these players gain valueable experience

20	Robbie	Baer	SMHS
2	Sean	Barcellona	Catholic
16	Aaron	Barton	A. Kell
24	Alex	Breneman	SMHS
3	Ryan	Glass	Butler
26	Jake	Hall	Providence
9	Derek	Ham	A. Kell
15	Jack	Hartpence	Catholic
21	Stephen	Hasty	SMHS
28	Jordan	Mackey	SMHS
22	Colin	Manning	Catholic
13	Lenin	Pena	SMHS
4	Derek	Rowe	SMHS
7	Kevin	Smith	Butler
8	Lee	Sutton	SMHS
10	Jonathan	Wall	Sun Valley
14	Tim	Youtsey	SMHS

Who are the current 8th graders that will star in varsity sports next season?

After watching Logan Ratledge, Brett Austin and Jessie Rappe play starring roles in baseball and softball this season while in ninth grade, it made me wonder, what 8th graders can step up to star in varsity sports next season.

Look at the incredible season Liska Dobberstein had on the AK soccer field.....

I know a few 8th graders that are going to have a chance next season. Jay M Robinson 8th grader Jackson Campana is a big boy that starred in football, baseball and basketball this season. You will probably hear his name a lot the next 4 years. Preston Tiller has the ability to help the Ardrey Kell football team next season. He is a superstar baseball player as well, maybe he can follow Logan Ratledge onto varsity as a ninth grader? Mike Massardo out at Weddington Middle School will bring a wealth of talent to the high school level.

Click on the comment icon below and tell me about the 8th graders you beleive can play a varsity sport next season. With the quality of volleyball players in this area, there is sure to be a rising ninth grader ready to star on a varsity team. What about track, cross country, tennis, swimming, or soccer?

Sending out Best Wishes to Ardrey Kell and Butler

The Knights and Bulldogs begin their state championship games in baseball and softball tonight.

Ardrey Kell will play Greenville Rose in a three game series. Our prediction---- If Jordan Darnell gives his usual bulldog type performance on the mound and the Knights win game one, they will win the series and be crowned state champions. Defense will be key for both of these well coached teams. A big home run from Zico Pasut sure would go a long way towards a win tonight.


Butler plays in a 4 team, double elimination softball championship series with game one versus North Davidson. No one has scored an earned run on pitcher Constance Orr yet this season, so why start now. We say Butler wins three straight and is crowned state champion

The 2008 South Charlotte Sports Report All-South Softball Team

SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS REPORT

ALL-SOUTH SOFTBALL TEAM

The South Charlotte Sports Report is proud to announce the 2008 All-South Softball Team. The squad of 14 players has been selected by gathering the opinions of area coaches, scouts and observers. The South Charlotte area may be the top community in the state for overall softball talent. It’s important to note that these selections are based entirely on each players high school performance and do not include any outside softball achievements. As with any all-star selection process, outstanding players may be left off the final team. The South Charlotte Sports Report salutes all high school softball players in the area for their hard work and dedication to the sport.

This squad is chosen from all schools in our primary coverage area.

Jessica Bowen, Butler

Allie Cashion, Weddington

Jessica Fellmuth, Weddington

Lauren Curran, Charlotte Catholic

Erin Kayton, Marvin Ridge

Kalie Lang, Ardrey Kell

McKenzie Morenus, Butler

Taylor Morris, Weddington

Constance Orr, Butler

Leah Quant, Providence

Jessica Rappe, Butler

Kelsey Spurrier, Butler

Mykaela Williams, Ardrey Kell

Missy Wills, Providence

Player of the Year: Constance Orr

Freshman of the Year: (TIE) Erin Kayton, Marvin Ridge, Jessica Rappe, Butler

Coach of the Year: Brian Cottom, Butler

The 2008 South Charlotte Sports Report All-South Baseball Team

SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS REPORT

ALL-SOUTH BASEBALL TEAM

The South Charlotte Sports Report is proud to announce the 2008 All-South Baseball Team. The squad of 15 players has been selected by gathering the opinions of area coaches, scouts and observers. The South Charlotte area may be the top community in the state for overall baseball talent. It’s important to note that these selections are based entirely on each players high school performance and do not include any outside baseball achievements. As with any all-star selection process, outstanding players may be left off the final team. The South Charlotte Sports Report salutes all high school baseball players in the area for their hard work and dedication to the sport.

This squad is chosen from all schools in our primary coverage area.

Luke Bard Charlotte Christian

Shane Basen Marvin Ridge

Brenton Bersin Charlotte Latin

Mickey Brewer Butler

Jordan Darnell Ardrey Kell

Jonny Eaker Ardrey Kell

Ty Linton Charlotte Christian

Tyler Pilkington Weddington

Joseph Shealy South Meck

Richie Shaffer Providence

Ryan Stetson Ardrey Kell

Tyler Tewell Butler

Adam Walton Country Day

Brent Watkins Weddington

Tyler Zupcic Providence

Player of the Year: Jordan Darnell

Freshman of the Year: (TIE) Logan Ratledge, Ardrey Kell; Brett Austin, Providence

Coach of the Year: Hal Bagwell, Ardrey Kell

Major League Baseball is out to Lunch

http://www.wbbm780.com/Major-League-Baseball-Tells-Little-Leaguers--We-Ow/2248736


Major league baseball has taken something positive and tuned it into a huge negative, once again. If I am the commissioner, I have a youth program that encourages little leagues to use the names of my teams and I offer a $7.00 t shirt with any team logo on it. The league makes their money, the teams make theirs and more kids are exposed to the game.

I can still remember my first little league team being the A's and thinking it was so cool!

South Charlotte Sports Report All-South Baseball and Softball Teams to be named on Wednesday

Along with our Player of the Year Awards. The voters had some real hard choices to make on their ballots. We will reveal the 15 baseball and softball players on Wednesday

Stay Tuned!

American Legion Baseball

Growing up in Rowan County, NC American Legion Baseball seemed like the big leagues to me at a young age. Crowds of 2,000-3,000 a game, the players were hometown heroes. I cant tell you how much fun the games were.

There are three Legion Teams here in our coverage area. One of those is sponsored by the Pineville American Legion Post 337. The team roster is loaded with some very good high school players and first year college players. I can easily see this team winning a lot of baseball games.

Here is the roster

1	Evan Wilkerson	OF	Lenoir-Rhyne	Freshman
2	Nick Verhein	IF	Coastal Carolina	Freshman
3	Ben Berkey	IF/C	Butler HS	Junior
4	Cory Lee	OF	Providence HS	Senior
6	Mason Bradley	P/OF	Charlotte Christian	Senior
7	Jonnie Eaker	IF	Ardrey Kell	Senior
8	Chris Moore	C	Butler HS	Senior
9	Daniel Glenn	P/OF	South Mecklenburg	Senior
10	Brett Nyenhuis	IF	Ardrey Kell	Senior
11	David Chandik	OF	USC	Freshman
12	Steven Baker	P	Providence HS	Senior
16	Brent Lalas	OF/P	NC State	Freshman
17	Hunter Glass	IF	Lenior- Rhyne	Freshman
18	Matt Crump	C/OF	Wingate	Freshman
19	Jordan Fuller	P	Providence HS	Junior
20	Ryan Markham	P/OF	Ardrey Kell	Senior
21	Teddy Ritger	P/OF	Providence HS	Junior
22	Shaun Wixted	IF	West Point	Freshman
23	Jeff Barkley	P/OF	South Mecklenburg	Junior
24	DJ McMurchie	P/IF	USC	Freshman
26	Beau Tench	C	South Mecklenburg	Junior
31	John Coppedge	P	South Mecklenburg	Senior
32	Blake Parsley	P	Ardrey Kell	Senior
47	Jordan Darnell	P/IF	Ardrey Kell	Senior

A couple of names really stand out.

Jordan Darnell -- A super pitcher and hitter, he will help a team every night of the week.

Shaun Wixted -- Shaun has been at West Point the last year. He is a first class young man that everyone needs to meet.

Jonny Eaker -- A lot of colleges are going to be upset that they passed on him, I believe he is headed to UNC-A next season



Mason Bradley -- Very good baseball player, sure to help this squad

All of these players are solid and should help the team

If you live anywhere around the AK area and are looking for quality baseball under the lights, grab your yard chair and head on over the Ardrey Kell field. While it will never be like Rowan County Baseball in the 70's I still enjoy Legion Baseball

TEAM SCHEDULE

Wednesday May 21 Lancaster Away 7 pm

Thursday May 22 Lancaster Home TBD

Saturday May 24 Newell Away 7 pm

Monday May 26 Clover Away 5 pm

Tuesday May 27 Union County Butler H.S. 7 pm

Wednesday May 28 Rock Hill Home RESCHEDULED

Friday May 30 Gastonia Home 7 pm

Saturday May 31 Kings Mountain Away 7 pm

Sunday June 1 Clover Home 4 pm

Monday June 2 Caldwell County Away 7 pm

Wednesday June 4 Gaston Braves Away 7 pm

Saturday June 7 Denver Home 7 pm

Tuesday June 10 Cherryville Home 7 pm

Wednesday June 11 Cherryville Away 7 pm

Monday June 16 Huntersville Away 7 pm

Tuesday June 17 Charlotte Away 7 pm

Friday June 20 Newell Home 7 pm

Saturday June 21 Union County Away 7 pm

Sunday June 22 Gastonia Away 7 pm

Monday June 23 Charlotte Home 7 pm

Wednesday June 25 Kings Mountain Home 7 pm

Thursday June 26 Caldwell County Home 7 pm

Friday June 27 Gaston Braves Home 7 pm

Saturday June 28 Rock Hill (DH) Away 4 pm

Monday June 30 Shelby Home 7 pm

Tuesday July 1 Denver Away 7 pm

Thursday July 3 Shelby Away 7 pm

Friday July 4 Huntersville Home 7 pm

Area Playoffs: July 6^th

State Tournament: August 5^th – 9^{thsup> – Gastonia1:city>, NC}

^{Southeast Regional Tournament – August 14thp> – 18th – Shelby, NC}

^{World Series: August 22nd – 26th – Shelby, NC 2008}

^{Head Coach: Mike Edwards}