Sports
Commentary
Since moving to Orlando 15 years ago, I’ve watched my fellow residents get the shaft in almost every category: wages, education, infrastructure and housing affordability. It’s the same tired story of local governments serving at the behest of Big Tourism, while their employees barely scrape by. Now, after decades of billionaire Rays baseball owner Stuart […]

Since moving to Orlando 15 years ago, I’ve watched my fellow residents get the shaft in almost every category: wages, education, infrastructure and housing affordability. It’s the same tired story of local governments serving at the behest of Big Tourism, while their employees barely scrape by.
Now, after decades of billionaire Rays baseball owner Stuart Sternberg twisting the arm of Tampa Bay-area taxpayers, another wealthy group wants to bring their version of the grift to Orange County. It appears the investors, who haven’t been named, likely have their sights set on building a stadium on 35.5 acres of valuable county-owned land near SeaWorld. Outside of famed former major-league player Barry Larkin, the Dreamers are quiet on who exactly is behind the push. Armed only with vague verbal commitments and letters of intent, it seems the group is taking the temperature of local lawmakers.
Mafia-style tactics are common in the sports stadium world, as almost every market in the country usually bows at the knee to team owners, giving corporate welfare to the 1%. Make no mistake, these are anonymous rich folks wanting a public resource for free.
Our home in Central Florida is unique, as the Tourism Development Tax (TDT) provides a bounty of extra monies. This makes the area extra enticing for future Major League Baseball owners, more so than even a Nashville or Charlotte market.
The consultant and ruling class make excuses for not spending the money on pressing local needs, saying their hands are tied unless changes are made to state laws in Tallahassee. Good timing. As of this writing, two bills have passed the Florida House of Representatives, (HB7033 and HB1221) in an effort to add flexibility to how municipalities can spend the public money. In theory, this cash could be used for residents, as opposed to Big Tourism expenditures. Per usual good ole boy network cowardice, our local Orange County and City of Orlando politicians sit silent, knowing exactly which donors will line their campaign’s pocket next election.
The usual leeches are bothered by the new legislation: Chambers of Commerce, quasi-corporate tourism boards, lobbyists, connected lawyers, career politicians and corporate overlords. Their argument is simple: why should we advertise and spend on ourselves, when public funds can foot the bill? It’s an absurd notion, as if people will simply stop going to Disney if bed-tax money isn’t used to market the household name.
I believe the International Drive stadium location would be a disservice to locals and tourists alike, with I-4’s pain felt by everyone in the region at any time of day. For anyone who thinks Bay area fans will routinely make the traffic-ridden drive, keep dreaming.
State and local leaders (both Republicans and Democrats) have been replete with opportunities to build rail and improve public transport, which ironically could have been used to bolster the convention center/I-Drive stadium argument. Instead, they blew these community minded improvements off again and again. Instead, opting to dump $400 million or more into the FDR-era Citrus Bowl, gifting Universal new hotel-adjacent infrastructure and advertising (via Visit Orlando) on New York City subways.
As a longtime baseball fan, it’s no secret that I’d love to see professional baseball back in Orlando. But it should likely be minor-league, centrally located and most important — privately funded.
Central Florida isn’t just for tourists. It consists of hardworking hospitality employees changing beds, serving guests and making the theme parks thrive. I’d like to see us do better. That starts with how our “public servants” respond to billionaire asks.
Jonathan Beaton is president of Inside Advantage PR, a media relations agency and crisis PR firm based in Orlando.
Sports
Track Trio Earns Southland All-Academic Honors
Story Links OFFICIAL SOUTHLAND RELEASE NEW ORLEANS – For their efforts in the classroom this year freshman Daryl Bachmann, sophomore Emma Bourg and senior Gary Sandrock were all named to the Southland Conference’s Track and Field All-Academic team on Wednesday afternoon. Sandrock was named Southland All-Academic for the second time in his […]

OFFICIAL SOUTHLAND RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS – For their efforts in the classroom this year freshman Daryl Bachmann, sophomore Emma Bourg and senior Gary Sandrock were all named to the Southland Conference’s Track and Field All-Academic team on Wednesday afternoon.
Sandrock was named Southland All-Academic for the second time in his career after earning his degree in chemistry with a perfect 4.0 grade point average during his four years on the Lakefront. Sandrock was named Privateer of the Year at the 2025 BrUNO award ceremony for his efforts in the classroom, in the community, and on the track.
He finished his time at UNO with outdoor personal bests of 4:05.15 at 1,500M, 8:55.59 at 3,000M, 15:13.72 at 5,000M and 32:32.67 at 10,000M. Indoors his personal bests include 4:23.25 in the mile, 8:38.50 at 3,000M and 15:52.71 at 5,000M.
With Wednesday’s announcement Bachmann is the first Privateer track and field freshman to earn All-Academic honors from the league. Daryl finished his first two semesters at UNO with a perfect 4.0 grade point average while working on a degree in marketing. Tennis student-athletes Julian Franzmann, Sep de Visser and Fleur Sprengers are the only other freshmen in UNO history to be named Southland All-Academic.
On the track this season Daryl was a key component in a 4×100 squad that qualified for NCAA Regionals for the fourth season in a row. Alongside Christopher Murphy, Darryl George Jr., and Madonna Favour their fastest time this season was 39.51 – the third fastest mark in the conference, and the third fastest mark in school history.
Bourg complemented her solid season on the track with a 3.91 grade point at the conclusion of the spring semester while working on her degree in Human Performance & Health Promotion.
Emma was selected Cross Country team MVP by her coaches and set multiple personal bests this season including 9:55.07 at 3,000M, 17:30.63 at 5,000M indoors, and 4:31.54 at 1,500M. Emma also picked up a victory in the 3000M race at the South Alabama Jaguar Invitational, a third-place finish at 1,500M at the Lurline Hamilton Invitational, and a fifth place finish at the Southland Outdoor Championships in the same event.
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Sports
Milwaukee Unveils 2025 Volleyball Schedule; Season Opens on Aug. 29
Story Links 2025 Milwaukee Volleyball Schedule MILWAUKEE – Susie Johnson has announced the 2025 schedule for the Milwaukee volleyball team. The slate features seven opponents that qualified for postseason play in 2024, including four teams that reached the NCAA Championship. The season will […]

MILWAUKEE – Susie Johnson has announced the 2025 schedule for the Milwaukee volleyball team. The slate features seven opponents that qualified for postseason play in 2024, including four teams that reached the NCAA Championship.
The season will begin with a pair of matches against host Omaha on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30. Last season, the Mavericks were 14-2 in Summit League play, reached the conference semifinals and earned a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC), where they advanced to the ‘Super 16’.
Following the season-opening trip to Nebraska, the Panthers will make their home debut at the Klotsche Center with the return of the Panther Invitational for the second straight year. Milwaukee will face Iowa State of the Big 12 Conference on Sept. 5, followed by Central Michigan on Sept. 6, and South Alabama on Sept. 7.
For the second consecutive season, the Panthers will play against in-state rival Wisconsin, who reached the Elite Eight before falling to Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers finished 2024 with 26 wins, including 17 in Big Ten play, and will host Milwaukee at the UW Field House on Sept. 9.
The Panthers will remain in-state the following weekend for the Marquette Tournament. Action at the Al McGuire Center begins with James Madison on Sept. 12, and Ball State on Sept. 13, before concluding with host Marquette on Sept. 14. Last year, the Golden Eagles earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship and reached the Sweet 16, where they were eliminated by eventual champion Penn State.
Milwaukee will take on its second-straight Big East opponent when DePaul visits the Klotsche Center on Sept. 17. The Panthers have won the last four home matchups against the Blue Demons, all in straight sets. DePaul reached the third round of the 2024 NIVC and finished the season with 21 victories.
The final weekend of non-conference play will take place in the desert, as Milwaukee will head to Arizona State for a trio of matches from Sept. 19-21. The Panthers will face Grand Canyon and Pepperdine over the first two days, marking their first-ever meetings with both programs. Host Arizona State, the third NCAA Championship team on the non-conference schedule, finished 2024 with a 30-3 record, won the Big 12 title, and reached the tournament’s second round.
“When you look at the schedule as a whole, it looks really tough,” stated Johnson. “We know our team will be challenged and pushed in conference play, especially with so much parity across the league. We thought it would be beneficial for us to schedule non-conference opponents who would help prepare us for Horizon League competition.”
Horizon League play will commence the final weekend of September, as the Panthers host Oakland on Sept. 26-27, followed by a home match against Green Bay on Sept. 30. Other home conference matches include Northern Kentucky (Oct. 10-11), Purdue Fort Wayne (Oct. 31-Nov. 1), and Robert Morris (Nov. 7-8).
On the road, Milwaukee will travel to IU Indy (Oct. 3-4), Wright State (Oct. 17-18), Youngstown State (Oct. 24-25), and finish up the regular season at Cleveland State (Nov. 14-15).
“There was a lot of turnover across the league, with a lot of seniors graduating – including on our team,” Johnson added. “The Horizon League feels wide open this year, and we believe we have a realistic chance to compete again, thanks to our mix of returning players and newcomers.”
Wright State made the NIVC in 2024, while Cleveland State captured the Horizon League title and represented the conference in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2025 Horizon League Championship will be held Nov. 21-23, hosted by the highest seed. The tournament champion will earn an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship, which begins Dec. 4-5.
Sports
Hamlett Tabbed to 2025 Beach Collegiate National Team
Story Links COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Volleyball announced on Monday that TCU senior Hailey Hamlett will be a member of the 2025 Beach Collegiate National Team. The selection marks the second straight year Hamlett has been named to the prestigious team. The elite group of 17 women will participate in a 10-day training […]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Volleyball announced on Monday that TCU senior Hailey Hamlett will be a member of the 2025 Beach Collegiate National Team.
The selection marks the second straight year Hamlett has been named to the prestigious team. The elite group of 17 women will participate in a 10-day training block running until Thursday, June 19, in Hermosa Beach, California.
The Beach Collegiate/U26 National Team will train alongside USA Volleyball’s Beach A2 National Team, gaining valuable experience in a high-performance environment. The training block will conclude with the NORCECA Playoff on June 18-19, where BCNT/U26 and Beach National Team athletes will compete for the chance to represent the United States at upcoming NORCECA international events.
Throughout the training block, athletes will also take part in classroom sessions led by members of USA Volleyball’s Beach National Team performance staff.
A maximum of four females on the BCNT/U26 may be selected to represent the U.S. on the U23 and/or U26 Beach Age Group National Teams following the training block.
In 2025, Hamlett competed in 34 matches for TCU and posted a record of 25-7. She competed alongside Daniela Alvarez at the No. 1 position, and the pair posted an 11-1 record. The senior also saw action with Maria Gonzalez at the No. 2 spot with the duo going 10-4. She began her season with Anhelina Khmil at No. 2, going 4-2.
One of the highlights of her season came at the TCU Invitational, when she compiled a 4-0 record with Gonzalez to earn the duo Big 12 Pair of the Week honors. She also picked up All-Big 12 Team and Second Team AVCA All-America accolades as a result of her strong season.
BCNT/U26 Women’s Roster
Gella Andrew (6-4, Newport Beach, Calif., FSU, Lone Star)
Gabrielle Bailey (6-1, Canton, Ohio, LSU, New England)
Kelly Belardi (5-9 (Torrance, Calif., Stanford, Southern California)
Charlotta Bell (6-3 Moraga, Calif., Stanford, Northern California)
Maggie Boyd (5-11, Lewisville, Texas, UCLA, North Texas)
Kennedy Coakley (6-2, Tampa, Fla., USC, Florida)
Ella Connor (6-1, Kihei, Hawaii, Cal Poly, Aloha)
Emma Donley (6-4, Arlington Heights, Ill., Cal, Northern California)
Alexis Durish (5-10, Sarasota, Fla., FSU, Florida)
Piper Ferch (5-10, Aurora, Colo., Cal Poly, Southern California)
Malia Gementera (5-6, Chula Vista, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
Taylor Hagenah (5-11, Oceanside, Calif., Long Beach State, Southern California)
Hailey Hamlett (5-11, Bulverde, Texas, TCU, Lone Star)
Erin Inskeep (5-9, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Cal Poly, Southern California)
Audrey Koenig (6-3, Wesley Chapel, Fla., FSU, Florida)
Izzy Martinez (5-9, Winnetka, Calif., Cal Poly, Southern California)
Natalie Myszkowski (5-11, Manhattan Beach, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
Michelle Shaffer (5-10, West Hills, Calif., Loyola Marymount, Southern California)
Portia Sherman (5-9, Ventura, Calif., Cal, Southern California)
Logan Walters (6-0, San Mateo, Calif., Cal Poly, Northern California)
Sports
Greenwich Native Dedicated To Raising Awareness For Tunnel To Towers Foundation
GREENWICH, CT — Even though Greenwich native Jack Holl wasn’t alive when the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks took place, he’s dedicated to making sure people of all ages never forget the events from that day, while also raising awareness about a good cause. Holl, a graduate of Greenwich High School and a senior water […]

GREENWICH, CT — Even though Greenwich native Jack Holl wasn’t alive when the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks took place, he’s dedicated to making sure people of all ages never forget the events from that day, while also raising awareness about a good cause.
Holl, a graduate of Greenwich High School and a senior water polo player at Pennsylvania State University-Behrend, was recently announced as the newest member of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Student-Athlete Advocate Program for spring 2025.

Caitlin Collins, a freshman lacrosse player from Rutgers University, was also named as a member.
Find out what’s happening in Greenwichfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“We are excited to expand the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Student-Athlete Advocate Program and have Jack and Caitlin join the ranks of other incredible student athletes across the nation to raise awareness of the Foundation’s mission to do good,” said Tunnel to Towers CEO and Chairman Frank Siller in a recent announcement. “Not only are they champions in their respective sports, but they are becoming champions for America’s military and first responder families. Their commitment inspires hope and ensures the legacy of our fallen heroes lives on.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was founded by Siller as a way to honor the sacrifices made by first responders on 9/11, notably by his brother, FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, who was off-duty on that day but responded to the World Trade Center after the attacks began.
Find out what’s happening in Greenwichfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Stephen got to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which was closed off to traffic, and made the trek to lower Manhattan on foot wearing 60 pounds of firefighting gear. He later died when the towers fell.
The nonprofit has supported Gold Star and fallen first responder families with mortgage-free homes and specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
To date, according to Holl, Tunnel to Towers has delivered over 1,500 mortgage-free homes and committed over $1 billion across all of the nonprofit’s programs. Additionally, over 10,000 of America’s homeless veterans have been provided housing assistance and services to date.
The nonprofit’s advocate program allows student-athletes to serve as brand ambassadors, representing the foundation to media, donors and sponsors. The program is made possible through the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) initiative, which began in 2021.
John Daniel Marshall, who was best friends going back to childhood with Holl’s father, John, and served as best man at John’s wedding, was an FDNY firefighter with Ladder 23. He died on 9/11 at the age of 35.
“He’s been our family role model,” Holl said of Marshall. “My dad definitely always talked about John growing up.”
Holl credits his father with instilling in him a respect for all first responders and members of the armed forces. His family visits the 9/11 reflecting pools at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum each year to pay respects to the victims.

Holl’s grandfather also served in the New York City Police Department for a number of years, so when he found out about the Tunnel to Towers Student-Advocate Program in 2021, he jumped at the opportunity to apply.
Holl believes there’s a growing responsibility to ensure that younger generations not only understand what happened on 9/11, but to understand what came out of that day: selflessness, courage and unity.
“The Tunnel to Towers Foundation plays an essential role in making this possible. Through outreach, education, and their tireless support of Gold Star Families, injured veterans, and first responders, they ensure that the legacy of all those lost on 9/11 lives on in our hearts and minds to ensure that their courageous actions may never be forgotten,” Holl added.
Holl noted that 93 cents of every dollar the foundation takes in goes directly towards programs and services.
Programs include the Smart Home Program, Fallen First Responder Home Program, Gold Star Family Home Program, Homeless Veteran Program, the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Institute, and Footsteps to the Future Endowment.
Holl, who is studying business economics, has one more semester of school left. Next school year, he’ll be on the water polo coaching staff at Penn State-Behrend. After he graduates, he could pursue a master’s degree overseas at Durham University in Durham, England.
For now, he’s focused on Tunnel to Towers and spreading the nonprofit’s message far and wide.
“Being a part of something so big and collective is an amazing feeling,” Holl said.
For more information on Tunnel to Towers or to donate, visit the organization’s website.
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Sports
How to watch the NCAA Track and Field Championships: Full TV schedule, free streams
The 2025 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships take place from Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14 in Eugene, Oregon. Here’s your full guide on how to watch the championships every single day. 2025 DI NCAA Track & Field Championships TV Schedule All times listed in ET Wednesday, June 11: 7-11 p.m. | […]

The 2025 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships take place from Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14 in Eugene, Oregon. Here’s your full guide on how to watch the championships every single day.
2025 DI NCAA Track & Field Championships TV Schedule
All times listed in ET
Wednesday, June 11: 7-11 p.m. | ESPN | STREAM
Thursday, June 12: 7-11 p.m. | ESPN | STREAM
Friday, June 13: 8-10:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | STREAM
Saturday, June 14: 9-11:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | STREAM
How to watch 2025 DI NCAA Track & Field Championships
There’s multiple ways to view the Track and Field Championships. If you have cable, ESPN will have the main broadcast on Wednesday and Thursday night, and that’ll transition to ESPN2 on Friday and Saturday night.
If you’re looking to stream the event, there’s multiple ways to do so for free. DirecTV and fuboTV both have access to ESPN and ESPN2, each of which offer free trials.
ESPN+ does not offer a free trial, but has the most broadcasts for the event. Along with access to the main broadcasts each day, ESPN+ offers individual event streams Wednesday through Saturday. They’re the ideal streaming service for those who want as much track and field access as possible.
Streaming services such as Sling and Hulu + Live TV are other viable streaming options to watch this week’s track and field events.
Other things to know
The event takes place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, which is on the University of Oregon’s campus. You can find tickets for the event on Vivid Seats.
For information on the daily event schedules, parking and shuttles you can find that on the NCAA website.
Here’s a recent NCAA sports story from the Associated Press:
Sydney Moore and Sabrina Ootsburg were surrounded by hundreds of college athletes at a convention in Charlotte when news broke that the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement had been approved by a federal judge. In a room full of college athletes, they felt like the only two people who understood the gravity of the situation.
“I’m about to get paid,” Moore said a Division I football player told her.
“Yes, you are about to get paid, and a lot of your women athlete friends are about to get cut,” she responded.
Moore acknowledged that her response might be a stretch, but while the sprawling House settlement clears the way for college athletes to get a share of revenue directly from their schools and provides a lucky few a shot at long-term financial stability, it raises genuine concerns for others.
Schools that opt in will be able to share up to $20.5 million with their athletes over the next year starting July 1. The majority is expected to be spent on high-revenue generating sports, with most projections estimating 75% of funds will go toward football.
So what happens to the non-revenue-generating sports which, outside of football and basketball, is pretty much all of them?
It’s a query that’s top of mind for Ootsburg as she enters her senior year at Belmont, where she competes on the track and field team.
“My initial thought was, is this good or bad? What does this mean for me? How does this affect me? But more importantly, in the bigger picture, how does it affect athletes as a whole?” Ootsburg said.
“You look at the numbers where it says most of the revenue, up to 75% to 85%, will go toward football players. You understand it’s coming from the TV deals, but then it’s like, how does that affect you on the back end?” Ootsburg asked. “Let’s say $800K goes toward other athletes. Will they be able to afford other things like care, facilities, resources or even just snacks?”
Moore has similar concerns. She just completed her fifth and final year of eligibility at Syracuse University, where she was a key member of the volleyball team. Like Ootsburg, she’s become a pioneer in the NIL space and an advocate for college athletes, even though her on-court ventures are behind her.
Moore says most female athletes aren’t worried about how much – if any – money they’ll receive. They fear how changes could impact the student-athlete experience.
“A lot of us would much rather know that our resources and our experience as a student-athlete is going to stay the same, or possibly get better, rather than be given $3,000, but now I have to cover my meals, I have to pay for my insurance, I have to buy ankle braces because we don’t have any, and the athletic training room isn’t stocked,” Moore said over the weekend as news of Friday night’s settlement approval spread.
One of the biggest problems, Ootsburg and Moore said, is that athletes aren’t familiar with the changes. At AthleteCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, they said, perhaps the biggest change in college sports history was a push notification generally shrugged off by those directly impacted.
“Athletes do not know what’s happening,” Ootsburg said. “Talking to my teammates, it’s so new, and they see the headlines and they’re like, ‘OK, cool, but is someone going to explain this?’ because they can read it, but then there’s so many underlying factors that go into this. This is a complex problem that you have to understand the nuances behind, and not every athlete truly does.”
Some coaches, too, are still trying to understand what’s coming.
Mike White, coach of the national champion Texas softball team, called it “the great unknown right now.”
“My athletic director, Chris Del Conte, said it’s like sailing out on a flat world and coming off the edge; we just don’t know what’s going to be out there yet, especially the way the landscape is changing,” he said at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. “Who knows what it’s going to be?”
What about the walk-ons?
Jake Rimmel got a crash course on the settlement in the fall of 2024, when he said he was cut from the Virginia Tech cross-country team alongside several other walk-ons. The topic held up the House case for weeks as the judge basically forced schools to give athletes cut in anticipation of approval a chance to play — they have to earn the spot, no guarantees — without counting against roster limits.
Rimmel packed up and moved back to his parents’ house in Purcellville, Virginia. For the past six months, he’s held on to a glimmer of hope that maybe he could return.
“The past six months have been very tough,” he said. “I’ve felt so alone through this, even though I wasn’t. I just felt like the whole world was out there – I would see teammates of mine and other people I knew just doing all of these things and still being part of a team. I felt like I was sidelined and on pause, while they’re continuing to do all these things.”
News that the settlement had been approved sent Rimmel looking for details.
“I didn’t see much about roster limits,” he said. “Everyone wants to talk about NIL and the revenue-sharing and I mean, that’s definitely a big piece of it, but I just didn’t see anything about the roster limits, and that’s obviously my biggest concern.”
The answer only presents more questions for Rimmel.
“We were hoping for more of a forced decision with the grandfathering, which now it’s only voluntary, so I’m a little skeptical of things because I have zero clue how schools are going to react to that,” Rimmel told The Associated Press.
Rimmel is still deciding what’s best for him, but echoed Moore and Ootsburg in saying that answers are not obvious: “I’m just hoping the schools can make the right decisions with things and have the best interest of the people who were cut.”
What is ESPN+?
ESPN Plus is like having a VIP pass to all the best sports action, including live games and original content from UFC, MLS, NHL, MLB, college sports and more. You can stream it on your phone, tablet, smart TV, or even gaming console for $11.99/month or $119.99/year, or bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for just $16.99/month.
Sports
Stuttgart volleyball begins inaugural season today
Stuttgart’s inaugural volleyball season gets underway this afternoon when the junior high and senior high teams hold their first official practices. Head Coach Hannah Work says she is excited and ready to see her teams take the floor. “I was surprised at how much raw talent came to try out,” said Work. “Over the three […]



Stuttgart’s inaugural volleyball season gets underway this afternoon when the junior high and senior high teams hold their first official practices. Head Coach Hannah Work says she is excited and ready to see her teams take the floor.
“I was surprised at how much raw talent came to try out,” said Work. “Over the three days of skills and drills before tryouts, the girls picked up on some stuff and improved tremendously, so I’m ready to see how much we can learn this summer.”
Both the senior high and junior high teams will practice four days a week throughout the summer. The Junior Birds will practice each afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m., while the Senior Birds will practice from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday’s practice is scheduled in the George Burke Fieldhouse, and Thursday’s practice will be held in Ricebird Arena.

Working on a schedule
Because Stuttgart is starting its program in the middle of a two-year Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) athletic cycle, the team faces challenges in building a full schedule. That, however, is not stopping Work from doing her best.

“We’ve got some games scheduled right now, and we might even have the junior high team in a tournament,” said Work. “Most teams already have their schedules made, so we’re trying to fit in where we can.”
Work said Stuttgart may have several scrimmage-style dates this fall.
“We’ll get as many games as possible. We might scrimmage a lot. I know Watson Chapel is beginning a program this fall too, so we might play them several times.”
Volleyball on the AAA calendar
High school volleyball in Arkansas runs parallel to football on the AAA’s athletic calendar.
This means that volleyball benefit games begin during week seven (Aug. 17–23), while official games begin during week eight (Aug. 24–30).
According to Coach Work, the volleyball season runs through the end of October and sometimes overlaps with the start of basketball.
Helping Work lead Stuttgart’s program is newly hired assistant coach Savannah Shandy, who graduated from Arkansas Tech in May of this year.
Shandy is a Cabot High School graduate who played both softball and volleyball. She will teach fourth grade at Park Avenue Elementary and played softball during her time at Arkansas Tech.
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