BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Want to become a Brevard County firefighter? Now is your chance with an annual sponsorship award offered by Brevard County Fire Rescue.

One young scholarship recipient says he has a personal motivation to serve the public.

Jeff Gauvin steps away from the stress of working two jobs, seven days a week, with his music. His goal is to pay his car off.

Jeff Gauvin is looking to become a firefighter-paramedic after his grandmother passed away in a house fire two years ago.

“For me, it’s just something I want to be a part of, to make sure nobody else has to go through that phone call, because my dad called me when it happened,” Gauvin said. “I found out through him. That’s something I want to help prevent.”

Gauvin is on his way to becoming a first responder after being awarded one of 34 Brevard County Fire Rescue firefighter sponsorships.

Gauvin and the others will attend Eastern Florida State College for emergency medical technician or fire academy training.

Since the program began in 2021, the department has hired 72 recipients, and 19 more are currently in the hiring process.

Gauvin, who now works two jobs, seven days a week and gets away from the stress of that with his music, learned about the scholarship through a friend who is an EMT in Orlando.

“He’s going to work with me when I’m going through school and help me through the process,” Gauvin says.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, about 25,700 openings for firefighters/paramedics were expected nationwide each year from 2023 to 2033.

The national average for demand nationwide by 2026 is 8%, and Florida stands at 7%, according to the Labor Department.

The increase in demand can be attributed to injuries, job transfers and retirements, officials said.

The training to get new firefighters and paramedics ready for their jobs is physically taxing.

“I lift Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I run every day after work,” Gauvin said. “I just get it in.”

He recommends the path to anyone.

“They are with you the whole way through,” Gauvin said. “They’re telling you what to do. They are motivating you and giving you some words of encouragement.”

The fourth annual BCFR sponsorship signing day is May 28 at 3 p.m. at Station 48 in the Viera community.

From the moment she was hired as Kearny boys volleyball head coach Ashley Latushko has made it clear that expectations were high for this group.

Now after starting the season 12-5, including 10-1 within the HCIAL American Division, the Kardinals feel ready to show that they belong in the conversation with the best in North Jersey, heading into their Hudson County Tournament quarterfinal game against Bayonne that was set for May 12.

“They’re ready for it. I know for a fact they’re waiting for that,” said Latushko, a three-sport athlete at Kearny who later played volleyball and softball at NJCU. “I’ve had some of my players come to me and be like, coach, I played volleyball last night and someone came up to me talking to me about our team and I didn’t even know them. And I was like, exactly, you guys are making a name for yourselves.”

Up until this point, Kearny’s success has been a product of balance on the offensive end. That starts at outside hitter, where Latushko has three she’s confident in putting out there at any time.

Senior Christopher DelRosario has led the contingent with a team-high 106 kills to go with 63 digs. Fellow senior Miras Azamat has 58 kills while Gadiel Casanova, after missing nearly the first month of the season, has added 12 kills and 48 digs in his last six matches.

At the opposite is senior Denzel Holloman, who after playing in the middle last year has thrived in his new role, posting 96 kills and 61 digs to go with a team-high 24 blocks.

Kearny starts a pair of juniors in the middle with Caleb Baptista (56 kills, 15 blocks) and Mark Saravia (44 kills, 17 blocks).

With five different players recording 44 or more kills, balance has been a strength for this lineup and a priority for Latushko.

“I’m a big advocate of having all of our hitters to be shining,” Latushko said. “The outside hitters can’t be the only ones (on offense). I need my right side hitter, I need my middles (to be involved).”

Tasked with maintaining that balance has been senior setter Cristian Perez-Cruz, who has thrived in his first season of varsity volleyball. Perez has 324 assists to go with 66 digs.

“The transformation you’ve seen from tryouts to now has been phenomenal,” Latushko said of Perez-Cruz, who did have years of club volleyball experience entering his first season of varsity. “He’s come such a long way.”

Javier Rodriguez, the lone sophomore on the varsity roster is the starting libero and leads the team in digs with 82. Casanova has served as the defensive specialist in addition to his time on the outside, making him one of the area’s most versatile performers.

Senior Dwayne Hopson and juniors Isael Quintero and Misael Tiburcio have also seen time in the lineup over the course of the season and are trusted to come off the bench in a pinch.

Kearny, which earlier this season went on an eight game winning streak was awarded the third seed for the Hudson County Tournament with quarterfinal opponent Bayonne, the sixth seed. The winner will advance to the semifinal on Wednesday against the winner of second-seeded Hudson Catholic and seventh-seeded Weehawken.

The final, which Kearny has appeared in three of the last four years, is set for Saturday at County Prep High School in Jersey City.

Following the tournament, Kearny will try to clinch the HCIAL American Division title outright when it plays at Dickinson on May 19 before an independent match with HCIAL National Division champion Hudson Catholic at home on Wednesday before the state tournament begins after Memorial Day weekend.

For this veteran group that wants to be noticed, strong performances in both tournaments will accomplish just that.

“They want to be heard, they want to be looked at and I feel like that’s a little bit of a confidence boost for them as well,” Latushko said. “I tell them all the time that they are probably one of the best groups to come out of here the last couple of years and it’s showing.”

Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer

Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)

Related

He was one of the fiercest Sharks in the pool when he made his debut in Paris, but off pooldeck Angus Lambie is carving a path of his own.

As an Olympian, Lambie’s journey is proof that a career outside of the pool doesn’t have to come at the sacrifice of one in it.

While working towards realising his Olympic dreams in Paris last year, Lambie was also working at a casino, implementing the skills he learnt in his Bachelor of Criminology at UNSW.

“The life of an athlete is one characterised by uncertainty – a lot of competing athletes don’t make enough money to support their lifestyles, a lot of athletes at some point or another will experience injury or illness, and every athlete will eventually retire,” Lambie said.

“In order to support your dreams, whilst simultaneously preparing for life after sport, you must pursue a meaningful career – one that presents a unique set of challenges, perpetuates your education and development, exposes you to a new group of people and sharpens the tools that you will use the rest of your life. 

“It’s not easy juggling both commitments, but it is worth it in the long run,” he said.

“My Dad has always been my hero”

Inspired by his dad who was a police officer and detective, Lambie developed an interest in criminology – a path which he pursued at university.

“My dad has always been my hero and I’ve always wanted to be like him, so as I started developing my own interests I loved that criminology was the nexus of so many different academic areas – psychology, social research and policy, sociology and law to name a few,” Lambie said.

“I never felt like criminology was boring, it was always exciting and the area of study was so broad that it allowed me to learn so many new and interesting things whilst simultaneously narrowing my focus when something specific grabbed my attention,” he said.

When an opportunity came up to apply his knowledge and skills in the ‘real world’, Lambie was quick to jump.

“I work in an investigative capacity at a casino. Without being too specific my role is to ensure that the casino remains free from criminal influence,” Lambie said.

“I first started with the casino in the surveillance team. I heard about the job through a friend and thought that it would be interesting…I was right. 

“Whilst working it became clear to me that the most enjoyment I got out of the job was “investigating” – seeing something that doesn’t make sense or seems off and “chasing it down the rabbit hole”.

“I followed this passion and found myself in the investigations team in a temporary role. I worked hard and passionately and before I knew it I was offered a role full time. I’ve been with the company five years now and I’ve continued to grow in the role and offer more through the skills I’ve developed,” he said.

The Balancing Act: Sport, Life…and Work!

When it comes to balance, Lambie admits that it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. 

“It’s not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is,” Lambie said.

“There’s a lot of early mornings and long days – you’ve got to make some personal sacrifices to fit everything in. 

“But at the same time a lot of people will recognise and respect what you’re doing and want to be a part of your journey. 

“The hardest part for me was asking for help. Once I did though, it became easier to balance my commitments. In some ways work and training became symbiotic. 

“The skills I developed in each commitment became ingrained in my character and I was able to apply those skills more broadly in my life. 

“Elite team sport teaches you collaboration, goal setting, patience, hard work, determination and resilience to name a few – any work place would be lucky to have someone with these qualities,” he said.

Advice for the next generation

As someone who grew up with strong-willed role models, Lambie has some ‘words of wisdom’ to share with the next generation.

“Take the opportunity to do as much as possible whilst simultaneously maintaining your health. As I said, anything worth achieving won’t come without hard work and perseverance,” Lambie said.

“Take the opportunity when you’re young to learn what you’re capable of, what your limits are. You will find more time in the day, if you make more time. 

“Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by things that won’t last. I’ve seen the rise and fall of several social media platforms and the trends that came along with them. 

“Get off your phone, get out of the house. Challenge yourself to see what you’re capable of. 

“For me having a career helped me become more reliable and confident. I only became the water polo player I am now through the things I learned working,” he said.

To sum it all up…

“Find something you’re passionate about and allow that passion to fuel your commitment,” Lambie said.

“Also get eight hours of sleep a night, don’t eat too much sugar, drink lots of water, tell your parents you love them, journal, exercise regularly and spend quality time with your friends,” he said.

Lambie together with the rest of the Ord Minnett Aussie Sharks is preparing for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, which will be held in Singapore in less than 60 days time.

– Advertisement –

Since the dawn of MySpace in 2003, social media use in the United States has continued to grow like a runaway freight train. With every new innovation comes another audience to connect to, engage with, and entertain. For over twenty years, traditional broadcast radio has faced challenges in how to grow audience through social platforms as the industry gives way to a more digitally educated audience with more ease of search and shortened attention spans. Very few sports radio stations have tackled the challenges of growing on social media like SKOR North, headed by Phil Mackey.

For the last 15 years, Mackey has been one of the leading minds with Hubbard Broadcasting in Minnesota, transforming what was ESPN 1500 into SKOR North, a totally digital sports media juggernaut. Mackey, whose background began in traditional sports radio, understands the mistakes that sports radio stations make in regard to how audiences find content in today’s playing field.

“We think of radio as the only distribution platform that we should pour our energy into, and if we get to the other stuff, so be it,” said Mackey. “The problem is when we half-ass those other platforms—social media, the longer form platforms, podcasts, or YouTube—what we’re doing is preventing people from discovering our content.”

A study from Data Reportal shows that of the 411 million mobile connections that were active in the United States in early 2025, it found 253 million total social media user identities, equating to 73% of the population of the country. The highest user bases are found on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, according to the study.

With Social Media Week underway this week, Mackey discussed how, over his time in the sports radio industry, he has seen stations and personalities be too narrow-minded when it comes to reaching the audiences available on social and digital.

“It’s hard to continue to try and keep the legacy business thriving if we’re cutting off all access to younger people that might stumble into our brands,” noted Mackey. “We’ve got to think more about content and brand across all of the platforms, even if radio remains our core business and our legacy business.”

Evolving Sports Radio Into SKOR North

The approach changed for Mackey in the fall of 2018 as he met with Hubbard Radio Minnesota Vice President/Region Manager Dan Seeman and developed a strategy that would transition a traditional radio programming lineup on ESPN 1500 to a compilation of shows and podcasts that migrated to a podcast network. Rebranded as SKOR North, the station continued to produce between six to eight hours of live radio each day. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the country, another transition was made as all the locally created content moved to digital media.

“We thought about radio for decades as the center of the wheel and everything must point back,” said Mackey. “The brand and the content are the center of the wheel, and distribution are the spokes around it. We have to treat all of those platforms, even if they don’t lead directly to revenue right now. We have to treat them as lifelines for the audience.”

For the first time ever, the radio industry’s digital revenue for a calendar year surpassed $2 billion in 2024, according to the latest RAB-Borrell Associates Digital Benchmarking Report. The issue remaining for most sports radio brands is how to truly take a locally produced product for digital and monetize—a struggle that Mackey faced head-on with the transition of SKOR North.

“It’s an education process internally and externally,” explained Mackey. “The content and audience building has been about three years ahead of the revenue building. Early on, we were selling radio spots and throwing in added value for podcast and social media exposure. Now it’s the other way around. Companies are buying the YouTube and podcast product, and we are selling radio completely separately as an ESPN-branded radio station.”

Mackey notes that there is no difference in selling social media or a podcast network compared to a radio program. The characteristics of building an audience, connecting a community, and then connecting the community to local advertisers is the core of how any sales department should approach the task.

“It’s a constant discussion and education process about where media is going and where it is right now,” Mackey says.

Being Social Is No Longer A Choice

While there is no one way to approach how personalities and sports radio brands should always approach a social media strategy, the need to do so is paramount. With so many content options presented to a consumer in a given day, it is becoming more difficult by the hour to connect with audiences and market a product—more now than ever. Instead of playing to just a specific group of social audiences to market your sports radio brand or talent, Mackey notes it’s an all-in competition.

“At SKOR North, we still create content for all of our different platforms, but we prioritize podcast and YouTube as the business drivers, with the other social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X) as marketing tools for us,” said Mackey. “We still put some revenue on those social platforms, but we consider those to be top-of-the-funnel, short-form, discovery-driven strategy versus the longform strategy.”

Furthermore, Mackey suggests that any sports radio talent or show that may have trouble finding which clips to use to market on social platforms should come in with a plan.

“I absolutely think if you’re going into a live radio show, you should be thinking in your pre-prep what are the things, topics, subjects that could be great on other social platforms,” said Mackey. “Always have your radar up for what could translate to more bite-sized or snackable platforms. Quite frankly, if you’re not thinking about that, it’s going to be hard to gain traction on those platforms where the younger audience is waiting to be connected with.”

A Talent’s Job Is To Build On Air And On Social

Bookmark this so you can all dunk on me in a couple weeks…

The Timberwolves have an *INCREDIBLE* shot to win the NBA title.

Since Jan. 1, only three teams have a better net rating than the Wolves:

Celtics (down 3-1, Tatum hurt)
Cavs (down 3-1, Mitchell hurt)
OKC (in a war…

— Phil Mackey (@PhilMackey) May 13, 2025

Sports radio personalities also differ on how they use social media to connect with their audience. Some talent choose to be more open and engage with their following, while others prefer to stray away, fearing too much exposure. Unfortunately, there are dangers and consequences that come from how some talent use social media, with no seven-second delay to protect them. This leads to some in the industry choosing to completely ignore social media usage altogether, which Mackey says would be a huge mistake.

“I think it’s hard to just not be engaging because part of your job is to build that community,” said Mackey. “We pride ourselves at SKOR North saying we are the most fan-friendly interactive podcast in the Twin Cities. If you are a fan with an opinion on something, we will create space for that interaction. If I were to go dark and never reply to anybody in a comment section or on social media, would I really be aligned with our mission statement as content creators? Probably not.”

Under Mackey’s leadership, SKOR North continues to be a model of success for how companies can take a traditional model and reshape it for a new generation of consumers utilizing digital and social media. As he embarks on his fifth anniversary of being named Director of Digital Content Development for Hubbard Radio, Mackey is always on the lookout for the next great challenge as an industry leader in the evolution of sports content.

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.

John Mamola is the sports editor and columnist for Barrett Media. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success.  Honored to be a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Media and honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL). Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.

The Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation is honored to announce a $25,000 donation from the Santa Barbara Foundation in support of the Everybody in the Pool! capital campaign. This leadership gift will help advance the development of a new community aquatics complex designed to serve the entire Santa Ynez Valley region.

Jackie Carrera, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, states, “The Santa Barbara Foundation is pleased to support local organizations that contribute meaningfully to the quality of life in Santa Barbara County. We commend the team that is working on developing this important community asset and look forward to the day when the residents of the Santa Ynez Valley can enjoy all that it will offer.”

This transformative project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring accessible, year-round public swim to the Valley while honoring the legacy of community volunteerism that built the original 60-year-old high school pool.

The future SYV Community Aquatics Complex will feature two state-of-the-art pools: a 25-yard warm water pool for recreation, swim instruction, and therapeutic use, and a 33-meter competition pool designed for CIF-sanctioned swim meets, water polo, and diving. The facility’s innovative design allows for simultaneous school and community use, ensuring that at least one pool remains accessible to the public at all times while maintaining a secure environment for students.

The complex is built around three core goals:

• Promote Health and Wellness through fitness, rehabilitation, and inclusive programming coordinated with local partners;
• Provide a CIF-sanctioned Pool to host competitive athletic events and support student athletes;
• Partner for Youth Development and Education with local schools and youth organizations to expand swim education and water safety.

“The Santa Barbara Foundation’s early investment sends a powerful message about the importance of local access to health, safety, and recreation,” said Lisa Palmer, Board President and Campaign Chair of the Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics Foundation. “This support brings us one step closer to creating a facility that will benefit our entire community—youth, families, seniors, and individuals with special or therapeutic needs.”

The SYV Community Aquatics Complex addresses a critical regional gap: the Valley currently has the lowest access to public aquatics programs in Santa Barbara County. The nearest public pools are 25 to 35 miles away, leaving thousands of residents with limited options for affordable swim programs, water safety education, and aquatic therapy.

The Everybody in the Pool! campaign seeks to raise $13.7 million to make the project a reality by December 2026. The Santa Barbara Foundation’s grant marks an important milestone in this community-driven effort.

To learn more about the project or to support the campaign, visit syvaquatics.org or contact us at campaign@syvaquatics.org.