Northeast Florida October/November 2017 Edition

Athletes All Around Ricky Armstrong, West Nassau

Swinging for the Pros

Brandon Mancheno

PERSEVERANCE. DETERMINATION. PERSPECTIVE. Rich Collier

Carroll Taking It One Shot at a Time GAME NORTHEAST FLORIDA

$4.00 / Issue

IN THE

OCT/NOV 2017

Cody Carroll, Middleburg High School

2 | itgsportsnetwork.com

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In The Game | 3

STAY In The Game @InTheGameNation

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LIVING IN THE GAME At 91 years old, Johanna Quaas is the world's oldest gymnast. “My face is old, but my heart is young," she said. "Maybe the day I stop doing gymnastics is the day I die."

She is still competing on the parallel bars. Quass is living In the Game by proving age does not matter when you do what you love.

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In The Game | 5

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e u s s I s i h t T n I 15

The Benefits of a Certified Athletic Trainer at Your Child’s School

19 29 30

Player Profiles

34

Swinging for the Pros

41 45 46 51 54

Major Moves Athletes All Around Ricky Armstrong, West Nassau Brandon Mancheno

Perseverance. Determination. Perspective.

Rich Collier Jacksonville Fencing Club Hopes to Make Comeback

Rough Start Turns to Winning Inaugural Season for Jumbo Shrimp Icemen Invade Jacksonville Carroll Taking It One Shot at a Time Cody Carroll, Middleburg High School

57

3 Ways to Stay Hydrated

58

Run, Zeke, Run

59

Promising Future Ahead for St. Johns Football

8 | itgsportsnetwork.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER The coming of autumn signifies change. Leaves Change from green to red. Flavors change from strawberry and watermelon to caramel and pumpkin. The smell of sunscreen and flowers changes to bonfires and cinnamon. The South Georgia weather changes from unbearably hot to comfortably cool.

With all that change in the air comes a renewed sense of purpose, a need to make ourselves and those around us better. In this issue, we highlight the student-athletes and coaches in South Georgia who are reaching for success on the field and in the classroom, those people who are challenging expectations and rising to new heights both athletically and academically.

On our cover is the 2016-17 Florida 2A boys golf state champion, Middleburg High senior Cody Carroll. Carroll believes in looking to the future, and his plans of going pro are about as big as it gets.

Speaking of the pros, we talk with the owners and players of some professional teams in Jacksonville to get the scoop on what’s next for the minor league baseball and ice hockey teams in the area. We also take a look at North Florida’s pro wheelchair basketball team, the River City Rollers, and one of its players, Rich Collier.

We speak with West Nassau head football coach Ricky Armstrong, a man who wanted nothing more than to pass his athletic genes on to a son but was instead blessed with three athletically inclined daughters.

All that and more can be found in the pages of this magazine. However, it isn’t just about the athletic abilities and achievements of these teams and players; while their talents may bring them to the center of conversation, it is their character, work ethic, support systems, and drive that will make them successful in life. On the field, in the classroom, around the community, being In the Game isn’t being in our magazine.

It’s about living In the Game.

We are looking for people who understand what it means to passionately persevere, inspire, and strive for greatness in all areas of life. In short, we are looking for people who understand what it means to BE In the Game.

So the question is: ARE YOU IN? Our mission is simple: to inspire your inner athlete toward the passionate pursuit of excellence, on and off the field. So, if you know of a player, coach, or fan deserving of recognition, head to our website and officially nominate that story!

We thank you for your continued support of your local athletic programs and In the Game Sports Network. Follow us on social media @InTheGameNation and visit us at www.InTheGameSportsNetwork.com in order to #StayInTheGame!

If you’re in search of great stories, we have the answer. inthegamesportsnetwork.com features stories from the magazine, trending topics, your high school teams, and much more all at your finger tips. There is even a spot to submit your ideas to us.

Tell us what you thought about the August/September issue of In the Game! info@itgsportsnetwork.com

Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editors Anna Limoges Graphics Mandy Douthit LaDarius Dennison Cover Photography Aaron Musgrove Feature Photography Aaron Musgrove Garrison Muelhausen Lisa Marie Mannino Photography Feature Writers Brent Beaird Dylan Hutchinson Phil Jones Jeff Elliott Alex Dunn LaDarius Dennison Copy Editor Anna Limoges Alex Dunn Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes

mark@itgsportsnetwork.com

Website Manager Mandy Douthit

In the Game is published bi-monthly (excluding July). The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. M&S makes no representation or warranty of any kind for accuracy of content.

All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct. Copyright 2017 M&S. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1945-1458

@InTheGameNation In The Game | 9

At Farah & Farah, the name of the game is never stop fighting for our clients. We are proud to provide you and your family with the expertise and dedication that your case deserves. Based right here in Jacksonville, we are perfectly positioned to faithfully serve Northeast Florida with care and determination.

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904.202.6905 In The Game | 11

Contributors

BE IN THE GAME

Mark Dykes

Brittany k. Wyche

Mandy Douthit

Chief Executive Officer

Account Executive

Graphic Designer

Founder Mark Dykes is the entrepreneur and mastermind behind the In the Game vision. Back in 2007, Mark set out to create a company that captured the passion, intensity, and unrivalled commitment toward high school athletics in the South Georgia area. Today, that vision has become a reality, and he continues to be the leading influence in what lies ahead for In the Game Sports Network, despite his annual prediction that UGA will win the national championship.

Whether it’s creating relationships with clients or designing the cover of a magazine, Brittany’s multiple talents bring value, and personality, to the In the Game team. Upon recognizing her natural ability to sell, combined with her insatiable drive to succeed, her original role as a graphic designer evolved into primarily client relations. Yet unfortunately, her and her husband, who looks like Shaun Livingston, are big Golden State Warrior (bandwagon) fans.

As a Pine Mountain, GA native, Mandy’s move to Valdosta has brought enhanced artistry and intricacy to the ITG design team. The University of West Georgia alum graduated with with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design. Her artistic nature has allowed her to use graphic design to win national and international design competitions, all of which are meant to serve as diversions and coping mechanisms for Alabama’s loss in the championship game.

Garrison Muelhausen Video Coordinator

Alexis Myers

aNNA Limoges

Moving from Atlanta, Garrison is now a member of our growing video department in Jacksonville. As a graduate of Thomas County Central and Valdosta State University, this filmmaker has been filming and working in a variety of sports since high school all the way up to working for CBS Sports. He always strives to add creative pizzazz in all of his work and in his own personal hobbies such as drawing graphic novels.

As the demands of our video department have escalated, Alexis has risen to the occasion. As a graduate of Lowndes High and the College of Southern Nevada, this award-winning filmmaker has raised the bar for ITG video productions through her creative eye and blossoming skill set. When she isn’t creating videos, Alexis handles the constant disappointment of being an Atlanta Braves fan by traveling, singing and songwriting with her ukulele, and hanging out with her dog, Abi.

After four years as an interdisciplinary studies major at Valdosta State University and nearly two years as an ITG intern, Anna has remained a member of the team as a copy editor. Since her start in early 2016, she has devoted her editorial eye toward serving as one of the first and last lines of defense against errors within these pages. More importantly, while her Facebook page says that she likes the Saints, there is fortunately no other sign of such irrational fandom.

Aaron Musgrove

LaDarius Dennison

Alex Dunn

Contributing Photographer

Graphic Design Intern

Copy Editing Intern

Originally from Live Oak, Florida, Aaron found his home as a multitalented photographer and graphic designer after moving to Valdosta in 2007. As the lead graphic designer at Colquitt Regional Medical Center since 2010, Aaron has found his passion in corporate graphic design and commercial photography, but he also loves capturing the unique dynamics of sports with ITG. Fortunately, his notable lack of any sports career that lasted more than a single day does not impact his sports photography.

LaDarius grew up as a Lowndes Viking but graduated as a Valdosta Wildcat.

Since teaching himself the fundamentals of graphic design, he has developed his raw talents into real-world application and adapted to the workload while here at ITG. The Valdosta State Mass Media major will graduate this spring with aspirations of going to graduate school for design, as long as he doesn’t embrace the mediocrity that his favorite team, the Georgia Bulldogs, has modeled for him.

Alex is a senior English-Journalism major at Valdosta State University. She recently started working for In The Game the summer of 2017 to lend her editorial eye to the many articles that filter through her before heading on to print. Although her main job is devoted to copy editing, she does a little bit of everything from creating closed captioning for a video to writing the occasional article or two for the magazine.

videographer

editor

What to look forward to:

2017 High School Fall Sports Awards Banquet Each January, we gather the top players, coaches, and fans from North Florida to celebrate the season.

Stay tuned to see how you can get involved!

February – March 2018 Fall Champions With every season brings on new winners. We start off the year by celebrating the triumphs of the last season.

2017 High School Winter Sports Awards Banquet After each school year, we come together to recognize the top athletes from across North Florida.

It is a night to honor all players no matter the sport.

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In The Game | 13

ARE YOU In?

Northeast Florida

In the Game Stay hungry.

Never be satisfied with where you are now.

Always look toward where you’re going.

Set goals. Achieve them. Set more.

Stay In the Game.

14 | itgsportsnetwork.com

The Benefits of a Certified Athletic Trainer at Your Child’s School With the football preseason in full swing, young high school athletes across the state are working hard to improve their skills in order to be ready for the upcoming season. Athletic trainers are there to offer support and care for those who are training hard each day and to make sure they are maintaining a healthy status.

Athletic trainers are the first line of defense when it comes to your child possibly becoming injured on the field. They are highly qualified health care professionals who provide preventative measures, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, and rehabilitation to injuries to assess if your child can stay in the game.

Assisting with Offseason/ Preseason Conditioning Programs Athletic trainers can develop programs in the offseason that are safe and appropriate for the students and the variety of sports they may play. They can work with the coaches to gather data on each athlete to calculate which exercises and conditioning are appropriate for that age group while supervising their training sessions to ensure they are not getting over heated.

Teaching Preventative Care Preventative care targets a wide range of injuries and medical conditions. Athletic trainers can direct athletes on how to prevent common injuries like sprains, strains, or tears in the muscle. Athletic trainers are valuable in this field because their overall job is to look after the athlete’s best interest. A coach may be able to recognize an injury and sit an athlete out, but an athletic trainer who has extensive knowledge in the area can be more beneficial with a more specific course of action.

Supervising General Care to Student Athletes They are the health care professionals that stay late after school to monitor student health and injury follow-ups. An athletic trainer will re-evaluate injuries and rehabilitation process, consult with physicians, check the weather condition for heat and humidity, and conduct concussion follow-ups. They are there to ensure that every athlete is approved for the field and healthy enough to play.

The benefits of an athletic trainer at your local high school can greatly impact your child’s athletic career. They offer the support and care a young athlete needs to stay in the game and give it all they have without having to worry about injury.

In The Game | 15

WHERE ARE YOU ON

FRIDAY NIGHT? our hearts are

BIGGER. our bonds are

STRONGER.

our cheers are

LOUDER. 16 | itgsportsnetwork.com

FAST BREAK

POWER RANKINGS after WEEK 2

RANK

1

CHIEFS 2-0 34.3

397

pts/game

yds/game

RANK

2

RANK

2-0

raiders

3

falcons 2-0

299

29.0

388

pts/game

yds/game

pts/game

yds/game

RANK

steelers 2-0

6

4

patriots 1 -1 33.0

440

pts/game

yds/game

RANK

broncos 2-0

7

packers 1 -1

21.3

302

27.3

355

22.3

360

pts/game

yds/game

pts/game

yds/game

pts/game

yds/game

RANK

8

RANK

27.0

RANK

5

Photography courtesy of www.kctv5.com

RANK

lions 2-0

9

RANK

seahwaks 1 -1

28.3

316

16.0

323

pts/game

yds/game

pts/game

yds/game

10

buccaneers 1-0 23.0

326

pts/game

yds/game

Rushing Yard Leaders-2017 RK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

PLAYER

Kareem Hunt, RB C.J. Anderson, RB Dalvin Cook, RB Carlos Hyde, RB Leonard Fournette, RB Javorius Allen, RB Chris Carson, RB Todd Gurley, RB Lamar Miller, RB Jay Ajayi, RB

TEAM

KC DEN MIN SF JAX BAL SEA LAR HOU MIA

ATT

30 45 34 24 40 35 26 35 35 28

YDS

229 199 191 169 140 137 132 128 126 122

LONG

58 28 33 61 17 37 30 18 19 20

TD

3 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0

In The Game | 17

18 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Rachel Shapiro

Any shout outs?

COACH RYAN AND COACH AMELIA. We love Coach Ryan and think he is the best! Amelia helps me through countless workouts.

The Bolles School Cross Country

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

Travelling and winning state with my team.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

Business or medicine.

Who is your biggest inspiration in the world?

My parents.

In The Game | 19

Caitlin Collier The Bolles School Cross Country

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

My favorite memory from my high school career is the day before our state championship meet for cross country last year. Everyone was so happy and excited to compete unlike ever before.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

I want to try and stay in the sport when I am done competing, so maybe a career such as sports psychology.

What makes you different from everyone else?

I am extremely

COMPETITIVE in everything that I do.

Whether it be racing or playing ping pong, it doesn’t matter.

I want to win.

20 | itgsportsnetwork.com

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SATURDAY | 3:30 P.M. | WJXT PRESENTED BY

22 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Charles Hicks The Bolles School Cross Country

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

Winning our team’s first district title because it reminds me of how far Bolles has come as a cross country program.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

I’d like to work with a privatized space program working on engineering.

What makes you different from everyone else?

ODDITY. Anyone that knows me can confirm this.

In The Game | 23

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

Last year making it to state championships.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

Working in the medical field (nursing).

What makes you different from everyone else?

I’m hardworking and a great team player who gets along with anyone.

Who is your biggest inspiration in the world?

MY PARENTS

because they inspire me to be the best I can.

24 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Liliana Kinder Ponte Vedra High School Volleyball

Nominate Male and Female Athlete of the Year Submit your nominations to northflorida@itgsportsnetwork.com

In The Game | 25

26 | itgsportsnetwork.com

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

Making varsity as a freshman.

Who is your biggest inspiration in the world?

My father, who works hard every day to support his family.

Any shout outs?

Coach Robin Mignerey for being my club and high school coach; my parents for pushing me to be a better person and fulfill my potential.

Paige Johnson Ponte Vedra High School Volleyball

What makes you different from everyone else?

I LOVE TO VOLUNTEER AND HELP UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS IN DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE. In The Game | 27

Who is your biggest inspiration in the world?

MY DAD IS MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION.

Celeste Valinho Providence School Golf

What is your favorite memory from your high school career?

My favorite has been placing Top 10 in states the past few years.

After your sports career is over, what do you see yourself doing?

Working for a business that I made or working for my dad.

What makes you different from everyone else?

I think what makes me different is how outgoing I am.

28 | itgsportsnetwork.com

FAST BREAK

N2O

ball

U E

A

S

V

B

M

P

N

17.3 8.3 9.8 pts

ast

reb

"

old faces

U

G

Wow! The jaw dropping 2017 NBA offseason moves is one for the books. The Golden State Warriors demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers to become the 2017 NBA Champions. That defeat tarnished the chemistry between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, forcing Irving to request a trade. Shockingly, rumors say it was because LeBron might be going to play for the Lakers next season.

“My intent is to be happy and to be with a team I can grow with,” Irving said after being traded to Boston in a Blockbuster Deal, a deal that sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2020 pick, and a 2018 first-round pick to Cleveland. The most exciting part will be when these two new teams meet each other for the first game of the season.

“I’m the king of the world,” must be the way James Harden felt after signing the biggest contract extension in the history of sports. Harden and the Rockets inked a massive four-year, $228 million contract.

“Everything is going to happen here in Houston, and that’s the reason I’m here forever,” Harden said.

That is $156,164 a day. Can you imagine having that much money? Harden was not the only one to score a big payday. Steph Curry signed a whopping five-year, $201 million contract. Out of nowhere, Blake Griffin re-signed for a five-year, $173 million contract with the Clippers. NBA teams were dishing out contracts like assists.

It seemed as if every team got a new face through free agency or a trade. Crazy thing is, nearly all the Eastern All-Stars went to the Western Conference. Jimmy Butler got traded to Minnesota, Paul Millsap signed with Denver, etc. Most notable is Paul George. Pacers traded George to the Oklahoma City Thunder, giving OKC the piece they need to help Westbrook get back to the playoffs.

Will that be enough to take down the Warriors? Rockets acquired Chris Paul in a trade, teaming him up with MVP finalist James Harden. Do they have what it takes to dethrone the champs? What makes it scarier for other teams is that the Warriors have gotten even better over the offseason by acquiring Nick Young and Omri Casspi while resigning their current players. In other news, Carmelo Anthony is still seeking a trade to Houston without waiving his no trade clause. Where will Anthony land? Or will he remain unhappy in New York?

M

Written by: LaDarius Dennison

R L

EA

ME

MAJOR MOVES

everything is going to happen here in houston, and that's the reason i'm here forever."

-james harden

new homes

"

My intent is to be happy and to be with a team I can grow with."

www.nba.com

www.nba.com

www.nba.com

www.nba.com

www.nba.com

www.nba.com

-Kyrie Irving

www.nba.com

www.gettyimages.com

In The Game | 29

Athletes All Around Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Garrison Muelhausen

Like any football-loving male, West Nassau head football coach Ricky Armstrong had dreams of having a son who would one day run for touchdowns, strike a Heisman pose afterward as he celebrated with teammates, and make game-saving tackles in front of a cheering stadium full of fans.

After all, everything in Armstrong’s life practically involved football in one way or another: He played high school football at the same school that he now coaches; married his high school sweetheart, Donna, who was a West Nassau cheerleader; and played at the University of Tennessee-Martin on a football scholarship, even starting at quarterback in his sophomore year for the SkyHawks.

So, it just seemed inevitable that when and if Ricky and Donna had kids, that their boys would follow in the footsteps of their athletic father. But, to borrow a phrase from another sport…life has a way of throwing you a

curveball every now and then.

The Armstrong’s are the proud parents of three athletic, sports-loving kids. But, things didn’t come easy for the proud couple. According to Armstrong, they tried for the first 10 years of their 26-year marriage to have kids, but were unsuccessful.

When they did finally receive the good news that Donna was pregnant, Armstrong just knew that this was finally that son he had thought of — the one that could follow in his footsteps — just as he had done so many times in his playing days. When tests revealed the baby would be a girl, Armstrong admitted he wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel. After all, they tried for so long, and now, finally, they were having a child.

Armstrong thought it was okay. He and his wife would try again, and the next pregnancy would be a boy. But, five years after baby girl Bailey's arrival, baby girl No. 2, Trinity ,

30 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“I don’t miss many games at all, but it’s tough. With football responsibilities year-round, there’s never really an 'off-season' anymore, but we make it work.”

— Ricky Armstrong

was born.

After being blessed with two beautiful and healthy girls, surely one more try would bring a boy. The odds just had to be in his favor. But, sure enough, the football coach heard the all too familiar news from the doctor: “Congratulations…you’re having another girl!” Thus, Ricky and Donna Armstrong welcomed to the world a third girl. No boys, and so far none of the girls are football players

(You never know!), but the coach and his wife did have three athletes, which should come as no surprise in the Armstrong family.

Meet the Armstrong sisters: Bailey, now 18; Trinity, 13; and Tru, 12.

(Kyleigh Tru Armstrong is her full name, but she goes by her middle name.)

While the three Armstrong girls haven’t yet given football a shot, they are collectively involved in just about every other

sport. Bailey loves and plays basketball despite being only 5’1”. Trinity plays a little bit of everything: She runs track, plays volleyball, and — like her big sister — plays basketball. But, it’s softball that she has excelled at: She was selected to the USA Team Florida softball team 12 and under squad and traveled with the team to Oklahoma City.

Tru is just now becoming involved in middle school sports, and — like

her 13-year-old sister — plays several sports including softball, volleyball, and basketball.

Armstrong admitted that while he is happy with his sports-loving girls, there was a time he was hoping a boy would come along.

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think a lot about having a boy,” he said. “Each time Donna became pregnant, I’d ask the doctor if he knew the gender of the baby.

And every time, it was the same answer: ‘It’s a girl.’ I think it’s only natural when you’ve been involved in football all your life, as I have, you think about having a boy who will play football one day. But, things

turned out perfect.

I couldn’t ask for a better situation with

three healthy girls.

We are very blessed.”

Donna Armstrong, serving as wife of a head football coach and as mother of three active student-athletes, is truly the “head coach” of the Team Armstrong family.

“She does a lot,” coach Armstrong said.

“It’s tough having all of us going in different directions, but Donna keeps us all in line.”

Speaking of going in different directions, as high school football grows into an almost yearround sport now, coach Armstrong’s schedule as head coach and supporting father of his girls activities has become quite a challenge. But the coach makes sure he is there.

“I don’t miss many games at all, but it’s tough,” he said. “With

football responsibilities year-round, there’s never really an 'offseason' anymore, but we make it work.”

Armstrong is now beginning his fourth year as head coach of the Warriors of West Nassau. His focus with his football team is trying to improve on last year’s 3-7 season. So far, so good. (At the time of this story's writing, Armstrong and his football warriors were just coming off a 48-0 victory.)

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In The Game | 33

SWINGING FOR THE PROS Written by: Jeff Elliott Photography Courtesy of Andrea Mancheno

“Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this year’s PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP. Now stepping to the tee, please give a warm welcome, from Jacksonville, Florida, Brandon Mancheno.”

Oh how Mancheno would like to hear those words. The 18-year-old recent graduate from Mandarin High School knows that he won’t hear such a greeting any time soon.

First, there is a four-year stint at Auburn University, followed by the PGA Tour qualifying school, and eventually his tour card. Once all that comes

to fruition, however, Mancheno would welcome listening to such a phrase.

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it that much, but it would really be cool to play in that event one day,” Mancheno said. “You would realize that you’ve made it in golf if you could play in The Players. That’s one of the biggest tournaments each year. It would be really cool for my family and friends to be out there for that.”

One might say that it would complete the cycle

34 | itgsportsnetwork.com

that started for Mancheno when he was just 4 years old. That’s when his father, Robert, would take his youngest son with him to the driving range at NAS Jacksonville Golf Course, a military facility located at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station where Robert is employed in the public works division on the base.

Mancheno said that was all his son wanted to do as a youngster — play golf.

“He didn’t want to do race tracks, play other sports, or have me read him books,” said his fa-

ther, a former scratch golfer himself. “He asked me to read him Golf Digest, and he would say, ‘I can do that; I can do that,’ just by looking at the pictures.”

Turns out, young Mancheno knew what he was talking about. His ability to play the game was shown early. For instance, when he was 12 years old, he won the NAS-Jax club championship, beating out a number of adult golfers. That’s when Dad knew his son’s game was something special.

It got better as he progressed to high school.

His freshman year at Mandarin, he was the team’s No. 1 player, a spot he held for four seasons. He didn’t make it to the state tournament that first year, but he did the following three years. He improved his finish each year in going from a ninth-place finish as a sophomore to fifth place in his junior season to finishing as a medalist in the 3A state tournament as a senior.

He became the first Duval County public school state champion in the last 49 years and was named the Florida Times-Union’s Boys Golfer of the Year.

Mancheno has taken advantage of his like to follow until one day realizing his golf skills to tour the United States and indream of playing on the PGA Tour. First , ternationaly. He was a member of the Unithowever, is getting his degree at Auburn. ed States team that finished first in the 2017 “A college degree is important to have TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup played in in case things don’t turn out for golf, but my Toyota City, Japan, this past June. Competfocus in attending Auburn for four years will ing against the world’s top golfers in the 15be to better my golf game,” said Mancheno, 18 age group, Mancheno finished ninth in who will major in public administration in the elite field. It marked his first internationcollege. “I want to do the best I can in golf al competition and was and eventually turn prothe first time that he had fessional. I’ll definitely go “A college degree to qualifying school and ever been out of the U.S. “That tournament was is important to have in then turn pro.” so organized,” he said.

“That’s my dream, my case things don’t turn main goal ever since I “The interest there was really great with big crowds out for golf, but my fo- was a young kid,” he said. all four days. It was tough cus in attending Auburn “Tiger [Woods] was a big with the time adjustment influence on me growing though. It took me about for four years will be to up. He was my idol growthree days to get adjust- better my golf game.” ing up and still kind of is ed.” for golf.”

— Brandon Mancheno His first world event Mancheno’s game is close to perfection combehind him, Mancheno is now focused on his career at Auburn. He pared to the average elite player. He boasts chose the SEC school over three local quala plus-4.7 handicap, which means a normal ity programs in North Florida, Florida, and round of golf for him on a par-72 course Florida State — three schools that are much would be a 67 or 68. He shares Woods’ closer to his family and friends in Jacksonstrength off the tee where he consistently ville. hits drivers in the 300-320 range. There’s “I’ve been committed to Auburn since few problems with the long irons either. But my sophomore year,” he said. “The camthe short game — chipping and putting — pus was really nice, the practice facilities has been his Achilles hell. And then there’s were ridiculously nice – they’re probably the mental aspect of the game. the best in the country in my opinion — and “My dad first taught me about having the coaching staff is really great. Auburn is patience with this game, and that’s still hard a Top 10 golf program in the country and for me to do at times,” he said. “I get a little is the place where I can take my game to hot-headed sometimes like all young kids, another level.” but I’ve learned to let it go, forget about a Mancheno is looking to follow the lead bad shot, and move on to the next shot. I of a number of former Auburn golfers who use to be pretty bad about it, but I’ve mahave taken their talents to the next level. tured and have learned not to let it bother Three former Tigers golfers are listed in me.” the Top 100 FedEx Cup rankings, including Once Mancheno fully learns to temper Blayne Barber, Dominic Bozzelli and Pathis patience and hone in on his short game, ton Kizzire. Several others are now playing the road to The Players Championship may on either the Web.com Tour or the Swing be shorter than he thinks.

Thought Tour. It’s a path Mancheno would

In The Game | 35

F AS T BREAK

5 Hard-Core Football Training Exercises Uphill Speed Ladder

Bounding

Dumbbell Bench Press

Landmine Row

Tricep Press

Start at the ladder at the bottom of a hill. Rapidly tap each foot on each rung until you reach the top. Repeat.

Bound from one leg to the other, try to get as much distance as possible with each bound.

Get into position and hold the dumbbells near your chest. Drive them toward the ceiling until arms are fully extended.

Try not to arch your back as you lower the dumbbells to starting position.

Straddle the bar with your back flat and chest up. Get into a 45-degree forward bend at the waist and grab the rope. Pull elbows back until your hands reach the outside of your chest and lower weight until arms are straight.

Hold handles with palms facing out and extend arms while leaning at a 45-degree angle. Bend elbows until they are behind the head and repeat.

Information courtesy of stack.com

Top 10 2017 College Football Players 1. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston 2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville 3. Sam Darnold, QB, USC 4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma 5. Derwin James, S, Florida State 6. Connor Williams, OT, Texas 7. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

NCAA Leader in Rushing Yards Diocemy Saint Juste, Hawaii - 434 yds

8. Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan 9. Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

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2017 Passing Yards Drew Lock

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In The Game | 37

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In The Game | 39

F AS T BREAK

5 Exercises to Do Before Going Out on the Course 1. Seated Rotations

2. Handwalks

Sit straddling a bench or squeeze a pad or towel between your knees.

Hold a club behind your back with your arms so it sits in the crooks of your elbows. Set your palms flat on your stomach and maintain your posture.

Without moving your hips, rotate your torso to the right and hold for two seconds. Return to the starting position, then continue to the left and hold for two seconds. Alternate sides, 10 to a side.

Start standing up. Bend forward at the waist and set your hands on the ground so you're on all fours. Slowly walk your hands out into a pushup position. Then, making sure to keep your knees straight, walk your toes toward your hands.

Once you're starting to feel a stretch, walk your hands back out and repeat for a total of 10 reps.

1

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3. Physioball Pushup

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Do a set of 10.

Lie down on a bench with your left glute and left shoulder blade on the bench and right glute and right shoulder blade off the bench. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and hold on to the bench above your head with your left hand. Slowly lower the weight until your elbow is horizontally level with your shoulder.

Return to the starting position. Complete 10 reps and switch sides.

5

Lie on one side with the bottom leg straight and the top leg bent with the inside of the knee on the ground. Rotate your trunk back, attempting to put the top shoulder blade on the ground. Hold two seconds, return to start position, and repeat for 10 reps. Switch sides.

Information courtesy of www.mensfitness.com

tips for hitting straight

1. Keep Your Hands Low 2. Give Your Spine The Forearm 3. Use Your Body For Power 4. Hinge For Power 5. Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down 40 | itgsportsnetwork.com

5. 90/90 Stretch

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PERSEVERANCE. DETERMINATION. PERSPECTIVE. Written by: Ann O’Keeffe Rodgers Photography by: Lisa Marie Mannino Photography

These are qualities that spring to mind upon meeting Rich Collier.

Collier is an athlete who has not let life’s circumstances define him. His past situations were humble. He worked at Walmart in the produce section after graduating from high school, where he played football. He brought up his GPA while attending Valdosta State University.

In 2006, he was recruited by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he played until 2008.

On Sept. 2 of that year, he suffered gun violence in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood. That was the moment when those qualities of perseverance, determination, and perspective became crystallized for him.

" I was a very determined person – football was my life, and my focus was on that and where I wanted to go."

— Rich Collier

In The Game | 41

“I was a very determined person — football was my life, and my focus was on that and where I wanted to go,” Collier said. “I never thought about the Super Bowl — as long as I did my job and everyone else did theirs. I just wanted to focus on being the best player I could be, best offensive tackle I could be.”

After the long recovery process of surgeries to heal from the gunshot wounds, Collier decided to propose to and marry his longtime girlfriend in 2010. Even though he now uses a wheelchair to get from place to place, he was able to actually stand for his

42 | itgsportsnetwork.com

wedding vows at his marriage ceremony. He and his wife have twin boys who are now entering preschool in Jacksonville.

Now, Collier’s circumstances allow him to play competitive professional wheelchair basketball and to play for the River City Rollers in conjunction with the Push Beyond Foundation. He travels nationally with the team, and he now represents Jacksonville in the basketball arena, a great segue from his professional football days. His comments about wheelchair basketball and playing with the River City Rollers tell the story:

"Possibilities are endless.

We are always going to inspire, and everything is happening at the right time with the things I am involved in."

— Rich Collier

“I would think to myself, 'I am just gonna go out there and kick some butt,' but the smallest guys could kick MY butt,” he said. “It made me look at it in a different light. This is hard, and you have to train just as hard as in the professional football …. The little things are the ones that count. Just because I am the biggest guy doesn’t mean that I am the best. I just want to be all around a team player.”

What does the future hold for Rich Collier?

“Possibilities are endless," he said. "We are always going to inspire, and everything is happening at the right time with the things I am involved in. I want to be a great family man and husband. I want to see my boys see me as inspirational. How would my boys receive me as a disabled person? I always want them to see me as their hero. 'Keep pushing on.' That is the motto.”

River City Rollers and the Push Beyond Foundation have the mission to empower and enhance the quality of life for children, adults, and veterans affected by physical or emotional disabilities through sports, outreach, and community involvement. Information about River City Rollers can be found at rivercityrollers.com.

In The Game | 43

2017 Fall Sports Awards Banquet January 2018

44 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Jacksonville Fencing Club Hopes to Make Comeback Written by: Ryan Hennessy Photography courtesy of jaxfencingclub.org

The Jacksonville Fencing Club has been a first coast secret for years. The club started in the 1950s in Jacksonville and didn’t become an official club under the United States Fencing Association until 1960. The club during the beginning stages of existence would meet at the old YMCA. During the 1980s and into the early 1990s the club thrived with a great membership. The club struggled during 1992-95 until a man by the name of Raul Toro resurrected it in 1995.

Toro has been fencing his entire life, even during his childhood in Brentwood, New York. In 1995 Toro became the president and head coach of the Jacksonville Fencing club. Toro based the club out of Clay County at Ridgeview High School. As word got out about the club and its success, more people in Jacksonville wanted to fence. The club had three locations across the city until Toro decided to move the non-profit club to Riverside, where it still is today. Toro made that move because he wanted to be closer to the city of Jacksonville.

The club did very well in its new location, having around 100 members coming to their facility. When the economy tanked in 2008, the club lost a lot of its members. Participation dropped from 100 members to around 50-60. This drop did not stop Toro’s drive to make this club nationally recognized.

The club not only competed nationally, but did a very good job competing as well. It won over 100 medals a year in competitions all over the country. In fencing, there is a ranking system A-U for fencers, A being the highest rank. Toro’s club had the most A-ranked fencers in the state. They dominated for a long time.

One competitor that stood out to Raul Toro was Princess Rasheed, a student who had incredible success under Toro. There are three ways to fence: foil, saber, and epee. In 2005, Princess Rasheed went to the national championship and finished top eight in foil. In 2006, she went back and won a national championship in epee. Raul also won the national coaches medal that year. In 2007, Toro challenged Rasheed to compete in saber, the third of the fencing types. She lost in the national championship by a score of 15-13 due to a pulled hamstring After all the success and versatility that Rasheed gave Toro, he knew she was the right person to hand the club over to when he was ready to move on. In 2016 Raul Toro retired as president and head coach of the Jacksonville Fencing Club and handed it over to Rasheed. She is still the head coach today and hopes to bring more competition and success out of the city of Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Fencing Club is out of Riverside at 3955 Riverside Ave. Suite A, Jacksonville, Florida, 32205. The club is a non-profit organization for all ages. A membership fee is $100 per month. The head coach is Princess Rashid, who has been with the club and fencing for many years. Visit jaxfencingclub.org to learn more.

The Minor League Baseball System Rookie The Rookie level is the lowest level of minor league baseball. Players usually come straight from high school or college. The shorter season allows for them to get used to the pro league.

Class A Short-Season Class A Short-Season is similar to the Rookie league in that it is made of younger athletes, and only 75 games are played.

Rough Start Turns to Winning Inaugural Season for Jumbo Shrimp Written by: Jeff Elliott

Class A Class A plays a full 140-game season. The teams consist of players that have been promoted from Rookie and Class A Short Season and players that come down from higher leagues to work on skills and recover from injuries.

Double A Double A players are talented athletes that have a chance to make into MLB.

Triple A Triple A is the highest form of the minor leagues.

Many players in the Triple A go on to play in the majors.

Information courtesy of www.coachup.com

46 | itgsportsnetwork.com

For the rocky start to 2017 that the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp endured both on and off the field, it turned out to be a pretty good initial season for the Shrimp.

When word filtered out last November that Ken Babby, who bought the Jacksonville Suns in September of 2015, was planning on dropping the revered Suns name to something called the Jumbo Shrimp, the howls heard around Jacksonville were loud, threatening, and frequent.

“Who is this new guy to change the tradition of the Suns?" a fan said. "I’ll always call them the Suns."

Those were words that Babby heard on a fairly regular basis leading up to the start of the 2017 season in April. But not anymore.

“I think at this point we can say that this community has accepted 'Jumbo Shrimp' as our hometown minor league baseball team,” Babby said. “That was not a forgone conclusion at the beginning when we changed the name. We faced adversi-

Things weren’t much better on the playing field in the first couple of months of the season.

The Shrimp faced some early season injuries that cost them two of their top prospects — pitcher Dillon Peters and outfielder Austin Dean. Both were among the top 10 minor league prospects for parent club the Miami Marlins, according to Baseball America. Both players were hurt within the first two weeks of the season and were out the rest of the first-half season.

— Ken Babby The Shrimp missed them. The ty early on. Change was team struggled to win hard. We still honor the games on the road (losgreat tradition of all the ing all seven road series) years of great baseball and finished in last place history here in Jackson- with a 30-40 record. The ville. None of that has second half was much gone away. It’s just that more positive, almost from this point forward, coincidently with the it's Jumbo Shrimp base- growing acceptance of ball.” the team’s new moniker.

"We still honor the great tradition of all the years of great baseball history here in Jacksonville, none of that has gone away. It’s just that from this point forward, its Jumbo Shrimp baseball.”

Photography by: Jim Brady

In The Game | 47

Dean finished the season strong, hitting .285 and ranking among Jacksonville’s top hitters in a number of categories. Peters found his groove even quicker. He was so dominant in his performances that in mid-August he was promoted to the Major League, where he finished the season in the Marlins starting rotation.

Along with the Southern League’s leading hitter, Braxton Lee, they helped turn the Shrimp’s fortunes in the second half into a first-place finish. And while the Shrimp went on to lose to Pensacola in the playoffs, it was a most memorable and success-

ful season overall.

As for the growing support for the Shrimp name, things went better than even Babby could have imagined.

Long-time fans didn’t stay away from the baseball grounds as a protest to the name-change. In fact, they showed up in near-record numbers.

Over 60,000 more fans attended Shrimp games this year than in 2016, giving Jacksonville the largest increase for any Double-A ballpark from a year ago and making it the largest increase in the history of the baseball grounds. It was so dynamic that it ranked as

the second-largest jump in all of domestic Minor League Baseball in 2017.

The Shrimp gained notoriety throughout minor league circles when their cap with the Shrimp logo on it finished among the four most popular hats among all minor league teams this year.

“The support of our fans, partners, and the Jacksonville community in the inaugural season of the Jumbo Shrimp has been nothing short of amazing,” Babby said. “We are so grateful for their enthusiastic response to affordable family fun at the baseball grounds. The credit goes

to our staff. We’ve subtlety, but very intentionally, repositioned the business to be for families.

“Everywhere you see Jacksonville Shrimp, you see affordable family fun,” he said. “You see young kids with their families.

We have the Wolfson fun zone beyond the wall in center field, where we’ve tried to create a special place for families. We’ve made it affordable to get into the ball park so that you can get a $5 ticket every game, and once here, a hot dog for $2 as well as a lot of shrimp choices.

We have a phenomenal facility and a great community that came out and

really supported the team this year.”

It was another challenging season for Babby. As owner of another Double-A minor league team, the Akron Rubber Ducks, Babby made countless trips between Jacksonville and Akron, more than he wanted to count, often bringing his 9-year-old son, Josh, with him. Come October there will be a new addition to the family when Babby marries fiancé Liz Bryan.

Babby, who is a member of several Board of Trustees including Jacksonville University and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, is one of a

“The support of our fans, partners, and the Jacksonville community in the inaugural season of the Jumbo Shrimp has been nothing short of amazing.”

— Ken Babby

Photography by: Edwine Pierre Louis

48 | itgsportsnetwork.com

rare breed in that he’s a hands-on owner. Countless times during the season, Babby could be seen on Bragan Field throwing Shrimp t-shirts into the stands. He’s jumped behind concession stands to lend a hand when the lines for food got too long. He’s a frequent visitor to the team store on the mezzanine level of the ball park, always talking to fans to check on their needs and how he can make things better for their experience at the baseball grounds.

“I enjoy doing those things,” said Babby, 37, who gets as excited about being at the ball park as his son. “I’m a baseball fan, first and foremost.

I have a 9-year-old son who tells me when I get things right, and he tells me when there’s a promotion that isn’t so good."

Photography by: Jim Brady

“But this past year has been a blast,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Photography by: Roger C. Hoover

Neither would Jumbo Shrimp fans, who are now endeared with the new name.

Photography by: Roger C. Hoover

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Icemen Invade Jacksonville

Written by: Jeff Elliott Photography courtesy of jaxsports.com

The newest minor league sports team in Jacksonville will be unveiled in October, looking to create their own identity, yet follow the same successful formulas that a couple other city sports teams have endured already this year.

The Jacksonville Icemen will bring hockey back to Jacksonville for the first time since 2008, when the Barracudas called a halt to their existence. The Barracudas weren’t the only hockey team that failed to make a go of it in Jacksonville. Prior to the team’s six-year stint, the Bullets (1992-96) and the Lizard Kings (1995-2000) combined with the Barracudas to showcase hockey in Jacksonville for a stretch of 17 years. There were games at Skate World, the old Jacksonville Coliseum, and the current Veterans Memorial Arena.

All of the three aforementioned teams enjoyed some success during their time in Jacksonville, but eventually ceased operations due to lack of funding and crowd support. The ownership group of the latest hockey franchise predicts that things will be different with the current organization for several reasons.

“Jacksonville is a different city than it was back then,” Bob Ohrablo, Icemen president, said. “The growth has been incredible, and much of that growth is coming from where people grew up with hockey.

Another important factor is that we’re well-funded. We’re very comfortable in that department. The third thing is I’ve brought in an experienced team, both with players on the ice and the front office staff, many of whom have worked with me before. We think we know what we’re doing. This is my 33rd year in hockey, so I’ve been through this a lot. If you provide people with family-priced, good fun and a very entertaining product, they’re going to come out, and we’re seeing it already.”

Ohrablo is taking a page from the Jumbo Shrimp’s success story this past season. The Shrimp, who set a record in raising their per-game attendance average by nearly 1,000 fans per game, harped on the theme of “affordable family fun.” They lowered ticket prices, took the concessions food to another level, and brought in more entertaining promotions than ever before. Of course it helped matters when the Shrimp turned their season around at the half-way point and won their division in the second-half title race to qualify for the playoffs.

“Just to see what Bob and the ownership group have done here is really great. They’re committed. It’s exciting. When you can come to work each day with that environment, it makes it unreal.”

— Jason Christie

In The Game | 51

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52 | itgsportsnetwork.com

“Jacksonville is a great city and we want to be sure we build a fan base here for every game. The facility we’ll play in is unbelievable, so we’ve had players and agents calling us, inquiring about playing here. Our goal is to build our product and that we’re competitive each and every night.”

— Jason Christie

FO

The Sharks and Giants also claimed league championships this past season. The Giants made it backto-back American Basketball Association (ABA) titles in April, and in July the Sharks captured the second championship in franchise history with a win in the final game of the inaugural National Arena Football League.

Having the Icemen become Jacksonville’s fourth minor league champion this year won’t be an easy task for the Icemen in their initial year in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League (ECHL).

The Icemen will be one of 28 teams in the ECHL for the 2017-18 season. A 72-game schedule will feature a Southeast-heavy alignment with nine contests against the Orlando Solar Bears and 14 matchups against the Florida Everblades from Estero, near Fort Myers.

Among other opponents who will face the Icemen double-digit times this season are the Atlanta Gladiators (11 games), Greenville Swamp Rabbits (10), and South Carolina (10). By contrast, the Icemen won’t have any games against several distant ECHL teams such as the Alaska Aces and Idaho Steelheads.

Taking on the task of leading the Icemen is Jason Christie, a 48-year-old former coach in the ECHL who accumulated 547 wins over 14 years before moving from Evansville and then taking a one-year hiatus to help the Jacksonville staff get organized. He’s had coaching stops with the Tulsa Oilers (his most recent coaching spot), the Peoria Rivermen, Ontario Reign, and Utah Grizzlies. Christie will serve as vice president of hockey operations in addition to is head coach position.

“We’ve got a good core group that we’ll have to build upon,” Christie said. “Jacksonville is a great city, and we want to be sure we build a fan base here for every game. The facility we’ll play in is unbelievable, so we’ve had players and agents calling us, inquiring about playing here. Our goal is to build our product and that we’re competitive each and every night.”

Christie said the Icemen ownership group has shown that they are totally committed to Jacksonville and bringing a winning product here for the fans.

“Just to see what Bob and the ownership group have done here is really great,” he said. “They’re committed. It’s exciting. When you can come to work each day with that environment, it makes it unreal.”

The Icemen, who will be a minor league affiliate of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, will play 24 of their 36 games on the weekend, including several Sunday afternoon contests, none of which will coincide with Jacksonville Jaguars games.

“To have 24 home games on the weekends, that’s when people will want to come out and see hockey,” Ohrablo said. “We already had a 1,500 season fan base in place by Labor Day, and we should be around the 3,000 mark by the time the season starts in October. We’d like to see around 5,000- 6,000 fans a game.

We think that’s a realistic number.”

“It’s going to be like a 2½-hour party at our games,” he said. “We’ll do a lot of things between periods, let kids come out on the ice, and we’ll have things during stoppage of play as well. We’ll have meet and greet sessions between our fans and the players after the game. We want our players known throughout the community. These things have worked with the Shrimp and Sharks, and we’re confident our fans will also have the same fun experience at our games.”

FAST BREAK

Volleyball Strength Training Box Jumps • Assume athletic stance an arm's length away from plyo box.

• Lower into quarter-squat, then explode through hips, knees, and ankles and jump for maximum height.

• Land softly with bent knees on top of plyo box.

• Step down slowly; repeat for specified reps.

Sets/Reps: 4x5 Coaching Point: Always start jump on balls of feet.

Photos courtesy of www.shape.com

Dumbbell Forward Lunge • Hold dumbbells at side.

• Step forward into lunge position without touching knee to ground.

• Using front foot, push back into standing position.

• Repeat for specified reps.

• Lead with other leg.

Sets/Reps: 4x4 each leg Coaching Point: Keep back flat and chest up. // Don't over stride on lunge. // Don't allow knee to touch ground.

Dumbbell Forward Lunge • Lower yourself into the squat.

• Explode as forcefully as you can into the jump, jumping as high as you can.

• Control your descent.

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10 reps Coaching Point: Stay straight as you’re coming down so that you don’t land off balance.

Information courtesy of www.stack.com

Kerri Walsh Once you win a semifinal, the gold medal match is easy. No disrespect to win the gold medal, it takes everything you have, but you're going to go home with a medal. The bronze medal match is the gnarliest match I've ever played in my career because you either go home with a beautiful medal or you get nothing. And for me it just meant so much more because last night just felt so bad to play like that. Losing happens, but losing that way is just something that is unacceptable to me.

– Kerri Walsh Jennings Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won 21 consecutive Olympic matches and only lost one set (to Austria in 2012) during their 11-year run together.

She became the most decorated beach volleyball Olympian of all-time after winning bronze in 2016.

She has three gold medals and one bronze in beach volleyball and is a five-time Olympian.

Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won three straight FIVB world championships in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

Information courtesy of www.teamusa.org

Olympic Experience 2016, BRONZE 2012, GOLD 2008, GOLD 2004, GOLD In The Game | 53

Carroll Taking It One Shot at a Time Written by: Alex Dunn Photography by: Aaron Mustgrove

54 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Cody Carroll is a senior at Middleburg Carroll wants to follow in Woods’ footHigh School and has had a progressing golf steps. If Carroll thinks he has a shot at going career since he was a little kid. He credited his pro like Woods, then he is not going to hespassion for golf to his parents, who bought itate to take it. him his first golf clubs.

“I definitely have plans to go pro as long “I started playing golf when I was only 3,” as I keep improving,” Carroll said. “I'm verhe said. “My parents bought me a little bally committed to the University of plastic set of golf clubs as a toy, North Florida on a golf scholonly I didn't treat it like a toy; arship. I considered Florida, "When I was 4, I played with the golf clubs South Florida, Central Florexclusively for over three ida, Ole Miss, and Liberty, they bought me my months. When I was 4, they as well as UNF.” first set of real clubs, bought me my first set To have a successful and all I've wanted to do of real clubs, and all I've career in his sport, Carwanted to do ever since is roll has a specific stratever since is to play and to play and practice golf.” egy he implements in practice golf.”

Carroll finds his inspiraevery game to ensure he tion in the pro athletes. He either comes out on top or — Cody Carroll said that he feels lucky to have knows that he tried his best grown up watching them play. to do so.

“Tiger Woods inspires me be“I try to play every shot one at cause of how much he dominated his a time,” he said. “If you get ahead of sport,” he said. “I think every junior golfer asyourself and start looking into the future or pires to dominate like Tiger did. I'm honored dwelling on the past, you are setting yourto have grown up in his era.” self up for failure.”

JOI: Proud team physicians keeping the Jaguars and you on your game.

Kevin M. Kaplan, MD - Head Team Physician

FAVORITES Food: Sushi.

Dream car: Ferrari 488 GTB. Movie: “Wedding Crashers.”

Musical artist: Russ Athlete: Tiger Woods.

Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute and Baptist Health are pleased to offer area athletes and weekend warriors unmatched sports medicine expertise and complete orthopaedic care.

As team physicians for the Jaguars, area high schools, colleges, and universities, you’ll find us on the field and at convenient office locations across Northeast Florida. That’s good for the team — and good for you.

To learn more or to set an appointment, call JOI-2000 or visit joi.net

Place to travel: Philadelphia.

In The Game | 55

Another strategy CarEven earlier, Carroll roll uses is to never give remembers winning the up and work hard for first tournament he ever his goals. He thinks that played in. the extra time he puts in “My most memorable makes him stand out from moment from playing the rest. golf would have to be “I’m a real hard work- winning my first tournaer,” he said. “When other ment at age 6,” he said. kids are at home or hang- “I remember making a ing with friends, I'm put- 10-foot putt on the final ting in those extra hours hole to win and running on the course.” to my dad to give him a He also says that apart hug. I've accomplished from working hard and bigger things, but it was putting in extra course definitely the most memorable.” time, his coach, Dan Carraher, Besides his dream of has really “When other impacted becoming his golf a profeskids are at home or career. sional hanging with friends, g o l f e r, “My I'm putting in those Carroll swing also likes coach, extra hours on the the idea Dan Carcourse.” raher, has of teaching — Cody Carroll made a others about the sport too. huge impact on my golf game,” “I can see myhe said. “Without him self coaching a college I don't think I would have golf team,” he said. “As much the mechanics as solid as as I love competing, I would they are, nor would I be love to push kids in the right as highly ranked as I am direction and win some tournow.” naments as a coach, not only Carroll’s favorite mem- as a player.” ory in his high school caFor others interested reer can be chalked up in playing golf, Carroll to wining the state cham- had a few words of adpionship as a junior. He vice. said that he felt honored “My advice for others to play against other playis to stay patient,” ers and gave it all he had he said. “Golf is the to end up on top.

“Winning the FHSAA toughest sport out state championship as a there. You're not gonna junior was amazing,” he get good fast. Stay said. “Earning the honor patient and committed of beating everyone and other high school golfers to the process, and in the state is one of the results will come.” highest achievements you can accomplish.”

Golf Tips For Beginners Check your alignment every practice session.

Create a stance that is wide, solid, stable, and balanced.

Information courtesy of free-online-golf-tips.com

56 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Focus on great posture by tilting at your hips and not at your waist.

Practice holding the club in the correct position even when you are not playing golf.

Learn on the driving range before you head for the course.

3 WAYS TO STAY HYDRATED Written By: Hillary D. Griffin

1. 2. 3.

KEEP A WATER BOTTLE WITH YOU

EAT WATER RICH FOODS

CHECK YOUR URINE

An easy way to stay hydrated is to always keep a water bottle with you. This is a neat way to trick your mind into drinking more water throughout the day.

It also helps keep your skin clear.

Vegetables, fruits, and yogurts are rich in water, which helps keep you hydrated. You will notice that you are going to the bathroom more frequently, flushing out all of the toxins that are inside of you.

Check the color of your urine to test your hydration levels. You typically want your urine to fall between a clear or light yellow color. If your urine tends to be a darker color, that is a clear sign that you are dehydrated, and it is time to start sipping on some water.

In The Game | 57

F AS T BREAK

Run, Zeke, Run Written by: LaDarius Dennison

Ezekiel Elliott is an absolute beast on the field, amassing 1,735 rushing yards on 346 attempts accompanied with 15 touchdowns in 2016. Elliott’s rookie performance earned him All-Pro honors, a trip to the Pro Bowl, and the 2016 Offensive Player of the Year award, making him the premiere running back of the NFL. Everything wasn’t peaches and cream for Elliott as he encountered legal issues by violating the personal conduct policy before the start of his rookie season. Accusations have been made by his ex-girlfriend on numerous occasions of domestic violence abuse in 2016.

After the NFL conducted a yearlong investigation, they decided not to charge Elliot but to suspend him for six games for the 2017 season. In mid-August, Elliot appealed the suspension, but it was later upheld by an NFL arbitrator.

Cowboys fans were panicking, but luckily a federal judge came to the rescue by granting a request for injunction by the NFL Players Association, putting the suspension on hold.

What does this mean for the Cowboys? Zeke “The Beast” will be running all over defenses this season.

2

1 ZEKE

LIOTT E LRB

| 1,631 YDS

3 TONY

D ORBR S E T T

| 1,007 YDS

EMMITT

SMITH

RB | 937 YDS

ROOKIE SINGLE SEASON RUSHING RECORD 58 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Promising Future Ahead for St. Johns Football Written by: Brent Beaird | Photography by: jacksonville.com

St. Johns Country Day School football is a unique experience. Spartan athletics is a true combination of academics and athletics.

The talent pool for players is much smaller than most schools. SJCD has only 100 males in the entire school. Coach Bill Sellinger, in his second year, said the roster numbers are in the 20s for this season.

“We will be at around 22,” Sellinger said. “The first five years we had around 25-28 players.”

The SJCD roster is fairly balanced with four seniors, four juniors, and the majority underclassmen.

Offensive coordinator Rocky Bantag said he is hoping the future numbers increase.

“We get our 20 percent of the guys,” Bantag said. “We wish more kids would come out. If they aren’t in a sport, we’re going to ask them to come out.”

Lineman Tyler Kuramoto said he has had an awesome experience playing football in his second year with the team.

“There’s a lot of excitement in school, and people want to play,” Kuramoto said.

Sellinger said the program is growing. One huge asset for SJCD that few schools possess is having its feeder system and middle school program located at the school. Both the varsity and junior varsity practice together on a daily basis.

Eli Morton said he has been in the program since the sixth grade.

“It’s an advantage for being on the team in middle school,” Morton said. “They let us practice so we get to know the coaches.”

Senior Cade Weldon said he loved getting involved with the program early.

“I’ve been playing since sixth grade,” Weldon said. “It’s good to see middle school kids in the varsity program so when they get up here they’re already ready to go at it.”

Despite a smaller offensive line, the Spartan

coaching staff are trying to implement more of a running game this season.

“We are stressing a different way to run the ball,” Sellinger said. “We’re smaller compared to most teams. We have to find a more creative way to run, which means more bubble runs. It’s hard for us to run between tackles. We have great throwing game.”

In The Game | 59

“It helps to come out after a long day in school to have fun on the practice field.”

— Eli Morton Another improvement for the team is the addition of a new strength and conditioning coach to help all sports including football.

“He’ll be with us Monday through Thursday 2:30-4:30 p.m.,” Sellinger said. “He’ll be really huge for us next year. He’s with each skill set and gives them their own workouts.”

The school has helped the overall athletic program by adding baseball field lights, paving parking lots, and buying and purchasing some new uniforms.

Sellinger said the staff has joined Hudl, a video review and performance analysis tool, which should lead to more film watching for the team and aid in recruiting.

Academics are the priority at SCJD. The football practice schedule is created as to further enhance study time.

“School’s so difficult here,” Sellinger said. “When they’re here (for football practice) we want them from 3:30-5:45 p.m. We copy what Oregon does. No one is standing around.

We can get it done in two-and-a-half hours, then they go home and study. Our team GPA is at least a 3.9.”

Morton said SJCD has a good balance of academics and sports.

“It helps to come out after a long day in school to have fun on the practice field,” Morton said.

College scholarships are viewed differently at SJCD. “I’m 100 percent for it,” Sellinger said. “We’ve put three in college football with scholarships, but if a player can get in a larger school for academics than a smaller school for football, then our students usually will go for academics.”

Sellinger said the coaching staff and administration are scheduling smarter in terms of competition and travel. When the previous football coach Todd Zehner, who is now the school’s headmaster, came aboard, the Spartans were playing teams in much higher classifications and had to travel long distances. Zehner changed those dynamics to help the team.

The Spartans compete in the North Florida Conference in Class 1A. One of the strengths of the Spartan football team lies in its continuity of the staff that have coached together in Pee Wee football, in junior high, and now at the high school level.

Bantag said he has had a lot of fun as a part of the SJCD staff.

“It’s a blast,” Bantag said. “This is my last coaching gig. If I get fired, then I will come watch them anyway. We understand academics is priority. We have a school first mentality. He (Sellinger) is the right person for the job.”

Freshman quarterback Max Monroe is one reason Sellinger is looking forward to the future.

“He was a middle school player too,” Sellinger said. “He was our backup in seventh grade.

He grew in his eighthgrade year. We had him on varsity last year. He is 6 feet, 180 (pounds) now.

He’s projected to be 6-4 and 200 soon.”

Monroe said he is excited to be working with a very young team. He said he has gained valuable experience over the past few months.

“Last year I started half the season on varsity,” Monroe said. “It’s the same offense since my sixth-grade year. The only change is bigger people and a lot more film work.”

Monroe wants to play football on the college level.

“We pass the ball 50 or 60 times a game, which helps me toward my goal

to go to college,” Monroe said. “It’s been my dream since I was a kid to play in college.”

Monroe also works with a quarterback coach during the offseason. He also said he likes the new addition of a strength coach to help the football team and other sports.

Bantag said he has been impressed with Monroe.

“He wants to play Division I college football,” Bantag said. “He’s growing from play to play.

He’ll eventually become a Division I quarterback.

He’s tough for being a ninth-grader. He’s willing to stand in there and take hits.”

Like several players on the team, Monroe plays multiple sports.

SJCD athletes are encouraged to play on different teams.

“I play football, soccer, tennis, and baseball,”

Monroe said. “Tennis and baseball helps my arm strength, and soccer helps me in conditioning.”

Troy Myers said he also benefits from playing more than just football.

“It helps my strength and conditioning,” Myers said. “I jump into baseball right after football.”

Patrick Lindholm echoed the comments of his teammates.

“I mainly play soccer and came out here to kick,” Lindholm said. “My nickname is ‘the kicker,’ but I don’t even kick.

I also play on special teams.”

SJCD has its share of challenges. It also has a promising future. This is one school to follow over the next few years in terms of its model for academics and sports.

HOW TO STAY COOL IN THE GAME 1. CONTROL THE ANGER Don’t blow up at the referee after every bad call. Take a deep breath and keep playing.

2. SUPPORT YOUR TEAMMATES Maintaining positive support for you teammates will improve your game play and keep you in a positive attitude.

3. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE Before you start the game, think of positive things to keep your spirits up and mind sharp.

60 | itgsportsnetwork.com

4. DON’T MAKE EXCUSES If you mess up, owe up to it. Don’t let it get you down and affect your game play. Tell yourself that you can do better and improve without worrying about how you messed up.

5. DON’T HANG YOU HEAD Opponents will look for signs of weakness. Don’t show your exhaustion or frustration for them to prey upon once you get back in the game.

FAST BREAK

Going the Distance PREFERS TO RUN LESS THAN 3 MILES 1.4% .9% PREFERS 5Ks 17.8% 21.2% PREFERS 10Ks 14.5% 15.4% PREFERS Half Marathons 35.2% 39% PREFERS Marathons 16.2% 10.2%

Spent over $100 on Running Clothes

80.4%

77%

Average Number of Running Shoes Purchased Last Year

Information courtesy of community.tribesports.com

In The Game | 61

F AS T BREAK

5 Most Common Basketball Injuries

1. Foot and Ankle

• Rolling an ankle or getting stepped on are the most common causes of these injuries.

• Prevention: Make sure that footwear has enough support and non-slip soles.

2. Hip and Thigh

• Pivoting, rebounding, and jumping can strain the legs and hips.

• Prevention: Stretching is always a failsafe way to prevent these muscles from over extending and causing injury.

3. Knee

• These mostly minor sprains and strains are some of the most common incidents on the court.

• Prevention: Strengthen the muscles in the legs to get more support and improve movement.

4. Wrist and Hand

• While less common, injuries to the wrist, hand, or forearm are possible.

• Prevention: Avoid running into other players and keep your eye on the ball when passing.

5. Head and Face

• Colliding with other players or getting hit in the head by the ball can cause injuries that put a player out of the game.

• Prevention: Be aware of concussion symptoms.

Information courtesy excelsioortho.com

62 | itgsportsnetwork.com

Written by: Alex Dunn

Best Places to Play College Basketball

1. DUKE

2. Kentucky

5. Louisville

8. Indiana

3. UNC

6. UConn

9. UCLA

4. Kansas

7. Arizona

10. Michigan St

Traits Every Scout Wants to See Skills

Temperament

Physique

• Having good techniques to apply in practice and in the game will show scouts your level of training and experience.

• Keeping your temper under control on the field or court will show scouts your patience and sportsmanship.

No one wants a player who will blow up at the referee every call.

• Having the right height, weight, and endurance helps play a great game.

Tactical Awareness

• Being aware of your surroundings on the field or court will help you make the best decisions during a game and shows durability.

Information courtesy of feildoo.com

Coach of the Year In The Game | 63