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Fall Sports for Dummies

Learn the rules of the game for some of the less common fall sports so you can cheer on your high school student athlete with confidence.

By Marc Sznapstajler and Lyndsay Fogarty

Sports allow children to learn timeless values like working as a team, developing a solid work ethic, and winning and losing with grace. As a spectator, many sports are easy to follow because their popularity leads to a common knowledge of the game. Others are trickier though.

Luckily, the Florida High School Athletic Association shares the rules for all high school sports in its yearly manuals, which are easily accessible online. Here is the breakdown of three fall sports.

Cross Country

Varsity-level cross country teams include five to seven runners while teams at the junior varsity level or below can have an unlimited number of runners unless a meet director puts specific restrictions in place. During the regular season, meet directors can allow up to 10 runners, but only the first seven runners to complete the 3.1-mile course will be scored. Boys and girls are required to run the course separately.

Each runner receives points based on the place in which they finish the race. For example, the first place finisher receives one point, the second place finisher gets two points and so on. The points of the first five finishers for each team are added up for a combined team score. The 6th and 7th place finishers can displace scorers on opposing teams, pushing them to higher scores. Just like golf, the team with the lowest combined score wins.

Soccer

In soccer, games are broken into two 45-minute halves that contain stoppage play before the half ends. The game clock doesn’t pause, even when the players aren’t active, so the referee determines how many extra minutes should be played.

Players must remain onside and will be called offside if the referee notices an offensive player closer to the goalie than the nearest defensive player before a pass. Free kicks occur when a player is fouled, and yellow and red cards are distributed if the referee determines that a hit or kick was illegal. Corner kicks are awarded to the offensive team when a defensive player pushes the ball over their goal line and out of bounds. A goal is scored when the entire soccer ball passes over the goal line.

Volleyball

In volleyball, teams consist of six players who rotate on the court. Games are played to 25 points and teams must win by two points. Matches can be best of three or five.

A point is started when one side serves the ball over the net. If the ball is not touched after a serve, it’s called an ace. Players can only hit the ball on their own side three times before returning it, and a player may not hit the ball twice in a row. There are boundary lines that the ball must remain in to be considered a point, and players cannot carry, palm or throw the volleyball.

Education Never Ends!

Through various programs and partnerships, the West Orange Chamber of Commerce provides its members with continuing education tools that allow businesses to grow and employees to thrive.

By Stina D’Uva, West Orange Chamber of Commerce

Business, professional, and workforce development - the three Ds, as we refer to them at the West Orange Chamber, are important for all businesses, large and small. Over the years, through our own programs and partners, we have been able to deliver instructional resources to employers and employees on a host of topics by various means. The programming includes ways for businesses to grow their businesses, to train their employees with specific job-related skills, peer learning, as well as providing learning opportunities for employers and employees on the latest technologies and best practices.

Our partnership with the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida allows us to bring one-on-one consulting with a certified business consultant directly to businesses without having to drive downtown. Our “Revive and Thrive” program, every fourth Tuesday of the month at our office, brings personalized counseling to businesses. Whether a business needs help with a business plan, finding funding sources, developing a marketing plan, or any business-related issue, help is available. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit wochamber.com/revive-and-thrive-with-the-florida-sbdc.

Another great resource available to businesses are the programs provided by our partner, CareerSource Central Florida. This organization not only helps employees find jobs, it provides training to current employees and new hires of businesses so that they have the skills to meet the business demands. This program, Incumbent Worker Training (IWT), is just one of the ways CareerSource helps businesses develop their employees to ultimately better their businesses and achieve their business goals. It also provides on-the-job training programs, youth summer programs and internships to assist businesses and provide valuable experience to emerging leaders. For more information, visit careersourcecentralflorida.com.

In addition to these partners that provide assistance and learning opportunities for our businesses, the Chamber facilitates virtual and in-person programs. The topics are determined by our members and provided virtually or through Lunch and Learns. Chamber members tell us what they need to know and we find the resources to satisfy their needs. This year, the chamber is providing Tech Talks by author Beth Z in a virtual format. The final two of the sixpart series will take place in September and December. This series is a fun, informational conversation on the myriad of apps, technology, social media and new trends to help businesses and people.

Our networking groups also provide members with weekly and bi-weekly presentations by fellow members. These 10-15 minute presentations are valuable in sharing information on the various industries represented in these groups. To see upcoming presentations, visit wochamber. com/Events/ChamberGroups.