Wesley Chapel T-Ballers Win Districts!
Tampa Bay Inferno Hoopsters Stay Hot!
All Star Baseball
They practice up to four days a week, preparing for basketball tournaments all over the state, and also in cities like Atlanta for exposure to college scouts. They train in the summer with Jade Givens, starting point guard for the University of North Florida. Their behavior is professional and serious, with a competitive drive that strives to win. And they’re a group of local 6th grade girls. The Tampa Bay Inferno is a nononsense Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team. Their coach, Harold Givens (photo), a 6-foot-6 Tampa native, trains the Inferno with a sort of tough love that is uncommon in today’s youth sports. No team member is guaranteed playing time in games, and practices are outdoors, in the summer. There is no doubt that these 11and 12-year-old girls are run hard, but the intensity seems to be working. The Inferno is currently on a hot streak. This team, which has only been together for six months, has competed in seven AAU and Youth Basketball of America (YBOA) tournaments in Florida (placing in the top three in most of them). They also won the AAU State Championship in Clearwater in May. The team does not play regular season games, choosing only to compete in tournaments and camps, and their record so far is an impressive 35-12. Some people have called Givens’ coaching methods “too militant” or “too tough,” but Givens smiles and calls it “old school.” Givens, 51, says he has been coaching in the Tampa Bay area since he was 13. He focuses on fundamentals, and the team’s defense. It is not uncommon for Givens to run the same defense drills over and over in practices at the Meadow Pointe II Recreation Center. “I was never a very good basketball player,” Givens admits, “But, I’ve always been a good coach.” The local group was established in 2005 by Givens, his wife JoAn, and a group of concerned parents to create a
The Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA) baseball and softball All-Star teams are currently in fullswing. For the third consecutive year, both WCAA T-Ball All-Star teams — the Nationals and the Americans — finished as Champion and Runner-Up, respectively, in the Dixie Youth District 6 T-Ball TournaWesley Chapel National T-Ball All-Stars: The ment. The two teams competed in a week2011 Dixie Youth T-ball District 6 Champions! long tournament in to West Pasco in the championship Bushnell June 4– June 11. game, 7-2. The National All-Stars won Note-We will provide updates Game 1 (35-24), and Game 2 (19and wrap-ups for all Wesley Chapel 15) to capture the 2011 Dixie Youth District Championship at the Bushnell All-Star teams in our next issue. District Park. Both teams have now Pemberton Hits WCAA’s advanced to the Florida Dixie Youth First Softball Homer State Tournament, July 2-6, in Mariah “Mimi” Pemberton is Freeport, Fla. going down in the Wesley Chapel Last year, Wesley Chapel’s AmerAthletic Association (WCAA) record ican All-Stars advanced to take both book. Pemberton is the first softball Regional and State Championship player to ever hit an out-of-the-park honors. home run at the softball fields at the Wesley Chapel District Park. On Softball Success March 3, the 11-year-old Pemberton The Angels 10U All-Star team is struck the 170+ foot homer during celebrating its first-ever District 4 the WCAA Spring Season while playChampionship. After losing their first ing for the Seminoles. game to West Pasco 2-0, the girls Way to go, Mimi! — Sean Bowes made some great hits, coming alive to win 2-0 against Hernando out of the loser’s bracket. The Angels eventually faced West Pasco again in the Championship, outscoring their opponent 34-1. The Wesley Chapel Darlings 8U All-Star softball team finished in second place, as the Darlings managed to beat Spring Hill 24-3 in just three innings. The Darlings played hard throughout the tournament, but lost Mimi Pemberton
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team that embraces education, a positive work ethic, and God, he explains. The girls also must maintain good grades and an upbeat attitude to stay on the team. Four of the girls live in Wesley Chapel and the others live elsewhere in Tampa. Traveling to different tournaments and practices is part of the commitment for the parents. Carol Brower, the Inferno’s team mom and the parent of Stephanie Brower (a 6th grader at John Long Middle School), explained that the parents of this organization are as tightknit as the team members. “We all work together; taking turns driving to tournaments or bringing snacks,” Brower says. The Inferno hosts annual try-outs for any girls that want to be a part of this competitive basketball team; however, there is a major commitment involved for the players and the parents, especially in terms of cost. According to Brower, it costs approximately $1,300 a year to have a child compete with the Tampa Bay Inferno, without factoring in hotels and travel expenses for the parents, although the team regularly works together to fund-raise to ease stress on the wallets of parents. Desmond, parent of D’Asia James, a small forward for the Inferno, says it can be hard making the time to get his kid to practices and tournaments. “It is difficult, but it is worth it,” he said. For more info about the Tampa Bay Inferno, call Coach Givens 9979933 or visit them on the web at LeaugeLineup.com/TBI. — SB
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 14 • July 2, 2011 • www.WCNeighborhoodNews.com