What could be expected of a private school fielding a first-year football team with a group of kids playing the game for the first time in their lives? Some serious excitement to do it all over again, that’s what.

There wasn’t much Joe Clouse needed to get acclimated with when he moved back to East Orlando following seven years living near the Pacific Ocean in Southern California. Other than trading in those big waves off the coast of San Diego for the mild tides of the Atlantic, the honor student with an unweighted 3.56 grade point average felt right at home the first day he started classes at Timber Creek High School as a junior.

Spring football practices commenced on Friday with scrimmages that gave coaches and players an idea of where they stood on several fronts before entering the summer break. It was a time for varsity players to get an early jump on what’s expected of them in the fall and a time for junior varsity players to make a case for some extra playing time.

For the past 10 years the Central Florida Kraze of the Premier Development League has served as a breeding ground for future professional soccer players. During that time its alumni has moved through the ranks and into top divisions of the United Soccer Leagues and even Major League Soccer, giving validation to the kind of soccer talent throughout the area.

The thought of his final trip to the state tournament still causes the face of Brandon Tressler to cringe, whose attempt at claiming an elusive title was again out of reach as a senior. But despite not finishing his prep career the way he would have wanted, he instead got something he needed a little more.

Avalon Park Baseball at Timber Creek High School presents its Summer Baseball Academy throughout June and July for players age 12 through incoming seniors in high school. Each of the two monthlong sessions cost $305 and will be held over the following dates: June 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, 30 and July 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-31.

In years past Caryl Smith Gilbert would still be coaching at this point in the season as the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships got underway earlier this week. Instead, the first-year head coach at UCF has been spending her mornings helping three former student-athlete sprinters prepare for their shot at Olympic glory.

Barry Wagner, Arena Football League legend and recently retired Ironman, will be honored during halftime of the Orlando Predators final game of the season on Friday night. Part of the festivities recognizing Wagner’s contribution to the team will be his induction into the Predators Ring of Honor, which also includes Perry Moss, Herkie Walls, Paul McGowan, Fran Papasedero, Ben Bennett and Durwood Roquemore.

For someone often referred to as the definition of the Arena Football League’s term “Ironman,” it didn't take much for Barry Wagner to melt in front of 13,423 fans last week at Amway Arena. During halftime of Orlando’s crucial 51-49 win over New Orleans on Friday night, Wagner’s retirement became official as he was honored for his stellar career and inducted into the Predators “Ring of Honor.”

Terry Rooney was introduced as UCF’s new baseball coach last week, less than two months after 26-year-veteran Jay Bergman was relieved of his duties with just two weeks left in the 2008 season. With the new hire came a feeling of change, optimism and anticipation in what lies ahead for a program that appears to be headed in a new direction.