THE 100TH ISSUE OF THE SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS REPORT

By Tripp Roakes, Publisher

Wow!   It's so exciting to reach the landmark of 100 issues of The South Charlotte Sports Report.  Without the incredible support of our advertisers and readers here in South Charlotte this dream would have never become reality.  I want to thank all of you for helping us make it to 100 issues. It has been so exciting to become a part of the wonderful South Charlotte community.

From day one, the best part of my job has been hearing kids talk about seeing their photo inside the South Charlotte Sports Report.  It brings back the same memories I had as a youngster growing up in Salisbury, NC.   As I have mentioned before, I still have many of the newspaper stories and photos from my childhood.  No matter how we grow or which direction we take in the future, my number one priority will always be to provide this same opportunity to as many good kids as we can.

In looking back at the path I have traveled from issue 1 to issue 100, it has been quite a ride.  What started out as an idea of having a youth sports newspaper has grown to include 15-20 sports camps throughout the year, a professional youth sports photography company, an events company that hosts the following; The Carolinas Gridiron Classic Pop Warner Football Bowl Game, The Battle of the Border All Star Baseball and Softball Showcase, three youth basketball tournaments, The Ladies Sports Summit, The Winter Training Baseball Academy, an Arm Care Clinic for baseball players and my pride and joy, The Greater Charlotte Hot Stove League Dinner.   I have had some wonderful partners with all these events and my thanks go out to each of them as well. 

None of these things would have been possible without your support.  It's especially important to note that without all the important members of our Family of Advertisers, we may not have made it past three or four issues.   Please give every advertiser you see in The South Charlotte Sports Report the opportunity to earn your business. 

I am very proud of the direction the paper has taken.  We have maintained our original commitment to print positive news that is suitable for every member of the South Charlotte family.  We have done our best to only publish stories on student-athletes that are committed in the classroom and more importantly on the field of play.  Our philosophy has been from day one, if someone can't work hard in the classroom, then our paper isn't the place to highlight their efforts.  We believe and will continue to believe very strongly in the concept of student first, athlete second.

I have also enjoyed taking on the role as an advocate for saving middle school sports in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system.  At the very first hint of middle school sports being eliminated, I went to work to offer solutions.  It was very exciting to see two of my original ideas; $1.00 surcharge on high school admission and the athletic participation fee finally be accepted by the CMS School Board.  It's very exciting to know that come September, the middle schools will once again have athletic programs.

In closing, I can't say it enough, thank you for all of your amazing support. Thank you to my wife Grace, and children Hannah, Will and Tyler for their help and support along the way. I promise I will keep working hard to showcase many of the outstanding student-athletes and teams in the South Charlotte community.  If I can every be of assistance to you, your school or your athletic association, please don't hesitate to give me a call at 704-906-5466 or send an email to Tripp@southcharlottesports.com

If your company or service would like to be a part of The South Charlotte Sports Report, I would certainly appreciate the advertising support.  Our rates are ultra-affordable and we would love to make a space for you inside our paper.

Thanks again for everything.

SOUTH CHARLOTTE SPORTS REPORT
SUPER SEVEN FOOTBALL POLL
August 25, 2010

1. Butler - Defending state champions will overcome the drama of the offseason and get down to playing solid football once again.  The core of the football team remains intact and will work towards one common goal, a second state championship.
2. Charlotte Latin - Defending Private School State Champions have talent in many key positions.  Offense will be as exciting as ever.  Defense should provide solid play, allowing the offense to take lots of chances.
3. Charlotte Catholic - A whole set of new names will lead an improved Cougars team this season.  As they have done for decades, Catholic will run, run and run again on their way to many touchdowns.
4. Marvin Ridge - Coach Chadwick has built a nice program in Mavericks Country.  Don't be surprised to see Marvin Ridge advance 3-4 rounds into the state playoffs this year.
5. Providence - The Panthers may have lost a batch of Division 1 football players, but they return a solid core of hard working football players.  Should contend for second place in Southwestern 4A Conference.
6. Charlotte Country Day - The Buccaneers have improved over the last couple of seasons.  If they can take care of business in the rival games, the team will be well prepared for the state playoffs.
7. Weddington - Coach Hardin will continue to find success now that the Warriors enter their second year of 3A play.  After watching two new schools pull players from Weddington in the last 3 years, things will begin to settle down.

MARA SHOWS GROWTH AND DEDICATION TO REC SOFTBALL

With affordable fees, top notch facilities, full uniforms provided and a strong volunteer base, the Matthews Athletic and Recreation Association (MARA) has shown incredible growth recently.   The organization has made a strong commitment to recreation softball with 100% of the league resources being committed to the program. MARA now offers the largest softball program in Southeast Mecklenburg County with 12 teams in 2010.
 
The organization has paid attention to the smaller details of recreation softball as well.   All coaches are Babe Ruth certified, roster sizes are managed to 11, and a challenge program is offered for the recreation players.  All of these details, plus an energized volunteer network has formed a rock solid foundation for the organization.(complete story)

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO POST THAT?

NEWSFLASH!!   That photo of you with a beer in your hand following the high school football game just came across the desk of the college admissions director just as she was in the final stages of accepting or declining your application.  Since you were right on the border with your ACT score, the admissions director decided to give your spot in next year's freshman class to another student that decided not to post any questionable photos on their Facebook page.

Don't believe this really happens?   A recent survey of college admissions officers found that over 35% had visited a Facebook page to gather more information on an applicant.  Over half of those admissions officers stated that content on the Facebook page played a role in the final decision on the prospective student.  Scary numbers in my opinion.

Take a moment and think about your own Facebook page.  Is there anything on there that you would be embarrassed to share with your parents or your minister?  If there is, then it's pretty safe to assume, that it would be viewed in a negative light by a college admissions officer or even a future employer.  

Facebook can be a wonderful tool for students and adults, when used wisely.  However one needs to always remember that no matter how private you think your postings may be, they are never as private as you would like them to be.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to access everything you have ever posted on your Facebook page.  A simple Google search can lead anyone to your inner most thoughts and comments on the internet.

We all saw last week where the UNC Chapel Hill football player thought it would be cool to post photos of his trip to Florida on his Twitter account.  These photos simply provided the proof needed for NCAA official to connect the dots on an investigation which will more than likely end his NCAA career and possible lead to sanctions on his university.  While the football player thought he was looking cool for all his followers, he was actually embarrassing himself and his school with his actions.

This is a high profile incident, but the list of local incidents of embarrassment is a mile long.  Think smart and don't embarrass yourself by making a mistake on the internet.  It may be good for a laugh today, but how is it going to feel when it costs you a job or a chance at the college education you have worked so hard for?

I will leave you with this thought; if you keep posting all your private stories in the open for the world to see, you are going to make your life very public.  The internet doesn't come with an eraser, everything is written in permanent ink.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and keep working towards a positive future.

BRETT LANG WILL CONTINUE BASEBALL CAREER WITH THE FORTY-NINERS

Ardrey Kell High School senior Brett Lang has always let his bat do the talking on the baseball field.  Instead of telling folks how far he can hit a baseball, Brett has always chosen to walk up to the plate and swing with all his power.  The 17 year old son of Larry and Lori Lang recently accomplished his goal of playing college baseball by accepting a scholarship offer from UNC Charlotte and Head Coach Loren Hibbs. 

Brett has worked extremely hard the last few seasons as a member of the Ardrey Kell Knights team and the South Charlotte Panthers showcase team.  Brett is a catcher and he has labored away over the last year to raise his defensive skills to the level of his offensive power.  A hot bat this summer led many teams to make official contact in the month of July.  In the end UNC Charlotte won the recruiting battle over Brett’s favorite team from childhood, Kansas.(complete release)

BEYOND THE GAME WITH DAVID HERLOCKER

By Shauna Rust, Myers Park High School

David Herlocker, a rising junior at Charlotte Catholic High School, participated in three varsity sports last year as a sophomore. David not only competes in football, basketball, and track and field, he excels at all three sports.  Finding success in athletics for the Herlocker family is nothing new at Charlotte Catholic.  His parents, Tom and Beth are recognized as two of the best athletes in the history of the historic school.  His older brothers, Joel and Ben also found great success in Cougar athletics.  Now it’s David’s turn to leave his mark on the fields, courts and track at Charlotte Catholic.

How old were you when you started playing football and basketball?  What got you involved with it?
“In 6th grade I started playing football and in 3rd grade I started playing basketball.  I never ran track before this year.  My dad played them all when he was a kid and my brothers played, so I just picked it up.”(complete story)

The South Park Youth Association 10U All Stars won the Dixie Youth League State Championship and will now  head to the National Tournament in Gonzalez, LA. 


Front row:  (L-R) Hank Borda, Justin Murray, Sean Rogan, Kyle Wood, Sean Caldwell, Spencer Kraizel, Colin Wholey.

Middle row:  (L-R)  Michael Graci, Jake Peter,  Grayson Hickert, Baylor Molnar, Reilly Koren.

Back row:  (L-R)  Ron Caldwell (Manager), Darrell Murray (coach), Bill Borda
(coach)