Florida Sports Foundation

Florida Sports
Monthly Update - March, 2016
More excitement at the Daytona International Speedway
In 57 previous runnings of the Daytona 500, there was never a finish as
close as the on witnessed on Sunday, February 21 when Denny Hamlin
edged Martin Truex, Jr. at the finish line. It was a sight to behold and
worthy of another look.
Upcoming Events
Daily throughout March
Florida Grapefruit League
Baseball
15 teams in 14 Florida
Locations
March 27, 2016
Sunshine State Games
Artistic Roller-skating
Championships
Skate Reflections,
Kissimmee, Florida
May 13-15, 2016
Sunshine State Games
Broward County Festival
Sports Offered: Figure
Skating, Rugby
FSF Sponsors
The legendary track in Daytona Beach didn’t rest on its laurels and
immediately following the photo-finish race, construction began in the trioval area between pit road and the start/finish line to create the
demanding and challenging course for the Daytona Supercross By Honda,
scheduled for Saturday night, March 5.
The Speedway has been hosting the Daytona Supercross By Honda since
1971.
Big Night for Baseball at aGovernor’s Baseball Dinner in Lee
County
The 2016 Governor’s Baseball Dinner
featured Hall of Famers, Most Valuable
Players, World Series winners and the
Commissioner of Baseball among the 300 in
attendance at the Hyatt Regency Resort and
Spa in Lee County, Friday evening February
19.
Representatives from the 15 Major League
Baseball teams holding their spring training in Florida were in attendance
as well as members of the communities hosting spring training in their
respective areas.
Prior to speaking to the assembled crowed at the annual Governor’s
Baseball Dinner to kickoff the 2016 Florida Grapefruit League season,
Commissioner Rob Manfred (pictured at right with FSF President John
Webb) met with the media at a Florida Media Day. He addressed topics
such as the new stars that emerged last season, the speed of the game,
fan safety and the number of established players teams bring when they
travel around the state.
Grants approved at February Board Meeting and Granted Events
for March
Before heading out for an evening of talking Baseball at the Governor’s
Baseball Dinner, the FSF Board of Directors approved 24 Grants that are
projected to bring more than 128,000 visitors to the State of Florida and
over $74 million in economic impact. The third-quarter of the fiscal year
Board Meeting was held in Fort Myers on Friday, February 19.
Among the events receiving grants were the U.S. Olympic Team Rowing
Trials, at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota in April and the 43rd AAU
Junior National Girl's Volleyball Championships, in Orlando in June.
In March, 13 sporting events will be taking place that received a FSF
Grant. These events will bring 82,918 out of state visitors to Florida and
$73.9 in economic impact. The Beach n'Boards Festival in Brevard County
is expected to bring 19,000 visitors to the area March 10-13.
Through three quarters of the 2015-16 fiscal year, the FSF has approved
85 sports events grants, projected to bring over 489,000 visitors to
Florida and more than $387 million in economic impact.
SSG Calendar complete and sports are taking
registration
Now in its 37th year of providing amateur sports
opportunities for Floridians, the Sunshine State Games
rolls into a full calendar year of events with Artistic
Florida Sports Foundation
A Division of Enterprise
Florida, Inc.
101 North Monroe Street
Suite 1000
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 488-8347
Clearwater Satellite Office
1501 N. Belcher Road, #238
Clearwater, FL 33761
(727) 724-3082
www.flasports.com
Roller Skating competition on March 27 at Skate Reflections in
Kissimmee.
Registration is also open for Sunshine State Games Figure Skating to be
held in Broward County, the weekend of May 13-15. A total of 28 sports
are offered in the state’s annual Olympic-style Sports Festival to be held
in 10 different Florida communities.
The 2016 Sunshine State Games schedule features multi-sport festivals in
Broward County, Sarasota and Palm Beach County. 10 other sports will
hold individual championship events in locations between March and
November.
Florida Senior Games Series Qualifiers in March
Senior athletes, age 50 and over, have the opportunity to qualify for the
2016 Florida Senior Games in six Florida communities during March.
The Heartland Senior Games (Sebring), Good Life Games of Pinellas
County, Charlotte County Fit For Life Senior Games, Polk Senior Games,
Capital City Senior Games (Tallahassee) and The Villages Senior Games
are all in action during the month. Check www.floridaseniorgames.com
for a listing and dates.
Three of the state’s most-attended qualifiers are held in March at the
Good Life Games in Pinellas County, the Polk Senior Games and The
Villages Senior Games. Over 1,800 senior athletes competed in these
three Series Qualifiers in 2015. Nearly 10,000 athletes competed in
Series Qualifiers statewide in 2015.
The 2016 Florida Senior Games Series Qualifiers are the starting line for
athletes competing the 2017 National Senior Games in Birmingham, AL.
Florida Sports Directory and Facilities Guide now
available
The State of Florida’s most definitive sports resource
guide is now available. The 2016-17 Florida Sports
Directory and Facilities Guide features 144 pages of what
the Sunshine State has to offer in support of the $44
billion annual industry.
The state’s 27 sports commissions are featured and the sports directory
highlights a variety of sports ventures in the state from amateur to
collegiate to professional.
The guide is currently available online at
http://www.flasports.com/sports-development/directory-and-facilitiesguide/. To request a copy, please email [email protected].
The World’s Best Golfers call Florida home during
March
Adam Scott claimed the first of four PGA Tour events being
held in Florida during the month of March edging Sergio
Garcia, by one stroke, at the Honda Classic in West Palm
Beach. Scott and Garcia began the final day tied at
201. Over the final 18 holes Scott carded a 71 on Sunday
while Garcia finished with a 72.
Remaining on the calendar during the month of March is the highest purse
of the Florida Four, the World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championships
in Miami, with a total winnings over $9 million (March 3-6), the Valspar
Championship at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor (March 10-13) and
the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard at the Bay Hill
Club and Lodge in Orlando (March 17-20)
Each of the Florida Four tournaments are broadcast on NBC Sports.
Frozen Four in Tampa
The 2016 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four will be played out on the ice at
Tampa's Amalie Arena. National Semifinals will be held April 7, and the
National Championship will take place April 9. This is the 69th annual
NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship and the second time that
the City of Tampa and Tampa Bay Sports Commission (2012) will host
this premier college men’s ice hockey championship event.
Regionals for the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship will be
held March 25-27 at four locations to determine those advancing to
Florida's west coast.
Midwest – Cincinnati, Ohio
Northeast-Worcester, Massachusetts
East – Albany, New York
West – Saint Paul, Minnesota
The NCAA Frozen Four was held in Tampa in 2012 and Boston College
defeated Ferris State for the National Championship. The University of
Minnesota and Union College rounded out the 2012 Frozen Four
Florida NHL teams among the League’s best
After both Florida NHL teams made the post-season after the 2014-15
season, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the
Eastern Conference’s best in 2015-16. The Panthers and Lightning are
tied for the second-most points in East with 80 each.
The two teams head down the homestretch during March as the Panthers
have six home games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. The Lightning will
be at the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa for eight games in March,
including a five-game homestand in nine days between March 22-31.
The two Florida teams meet for a final time in the regular season on
March 26 in Tampa and the regular season ends on Saturday, April 9.
March Madness in Florida
College basketball will heat up during the month of March and the State of
Florida will be adding to the madness. Post-season conference
tournaments will be held in Jacksonville and Orlando.
The Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball
Tournament will be held at Jacksonville’s Veteran’s
Memorial Arena, March 2-6. The fourth-seeded
Florida Gators play the winner of the LSU/Kentucky
matchup on Friday, March 4.
The University of Central Florida and Central Florida
Sports Commission host the American Athletic
Conference Men’s Tournament at the Amway Center
in Orlando, March 10-13. Heading into the last week of the 2015-16
regular season, the Central Florida Knights and South Florida Bulls are in
eighth and ninth place in the conference, respectively.
As teams look ahead to the NCAA Post-Season Tournament, Florida
boasts four women’s teams in the AP Top 25 and one “also receiving
votes,” that will seemingly earn a post-season spot. The Florida State
Seminoles lead the way ranked 12th, the South Florida Bulls are 20th, the
Miami Hurricanes are 21st, the Florida Gators are 25th and the Florida Gulf
Coast Eagles are also receiving votes.
The Miami Hurricanes are the lone Florida men’s team in the AP Top 25
ranked 12th.
Back to the Pitch for Orlando City Soccer
After an inaugural season in the MLS that saw impressive crowds flock to
the Citrus Bowl, Orlando City Soccer President Phil Rawlins said Friday he
is confident the club will sell out their MLS regular season opener for a
second consecutive year.
The team has sold more than 43,000 tickets for their home opener on
Sunday, March 6 against Real Salt Lake. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
Miami Open Tennis offers the best in the game
The Miami Open, considered to be the most glamorous event on both the
men’s and women’s tours, once again brings the brightest stars in tennis
to the Crandon Park Tennis Center for a two-week sports and
entertainment spectacle (March 21- April 3) that has become the place to
be in Miami each spring. Its 2016 lineup is unrivaled among tour events.
With all 76 of the top ranked men and 72 of the top 73 ranked women
currently entered, the Miami Open player field ranks best on the tennis
calendar. The player field includes a combined 16 Grand Slam singles
champions, seven men and nine women, so whether you are looking to
see a future Hall of Famer, a multiple Grand Slam champion, or a rising
star, all will be on display at the Crandon Park Tennis Center.
Nathan Benderson Park hosts Community Day
Sarasota’s World Class Rowing facility hosts this free family-friendly
event, Saturday, March 20 from 10 am – 2pm. The event will showcase
everyday programming and amenities offered at Benderson
Park. Refreshments will be available and NBP staff will be on hand to
answer any questions on upcoming programming, classes and events
offered at the park!
This event will be held on Regatta Island
Spring means Horse Racing in Florida – On
the Road to the Kentucky Derby
Tampa Derby – March 12
The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby is a “Road
to the Kentucky Derby” points race, which offers
50, 20, 10 and 5 qualifying points to the first four
finishers toward eligibility for the 142nd running of
the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands on May 7 at Churchill
Downs in Louisville.
Florida Derby – April 2
The biggest race day of the year in South Florida, the Florida Derby is a
showcase of the world's best horses and jockeys, who all are competing
for the coveted title of Florida Derby Winner on their road to the Triple
Crown.
Jimmy Johnson National Billfish Championship in Key Largo
This 2-Day Billfish competition will feature the top anglers in the country
as they hit the waters for a guaranteed purse of over $100,000*. In its 4
year history, this tournament has awarded $1,000,000 in prize money
and 4 championship rings as the anglers join in the Keys for this grueling
competition.
The Last Word - Over 25 million fans have attended Spring Training
Baseball games in the State of Florida since 2000. To push that total over
26 million in the 2016 season, visit www.floridagrapefruitleague.com and
find a game between now and April 2. Baseball fans can also follow the
2016 Florida Grapefruit League season on Twitter @flaspringtrain or
download the Florida Grapefruit League Mobile Phone App.