Community sports | Bradenton teams sweep top spots at horseshoe state tournament
BRADENTON -- The horseshoe world of Florida will converge on Bradenton in April and after the Bradenton Horseshoe Club's performance at the Florida State Club Team Event in Sebring it's fitting. Teams from Manatee County swept the top two spots at the 12-team event Feb. 2.
The Bradenton Horseshoe Club, which is the southmost Florida team in the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association, meets at G.T. Bray Park every Tuesday and hosts larger tournaments the third Saturday of every month, which draw teams from around the state. From April 20-23, G.T. Bray will host the individual and doubles state championships.
"You could do two or three tournaments every week if you were willing to travel around the state of Florida," said Lois Hottinger, the president of the Bradenton Horseshoe Club.
Hottinger is part of the six-person team which grabbed first place last week. She's only been playing for about five years, which pales in comparison to some of her teammates, including husband Tim Hottinger, who has been playing for upwards of 20 years. Kent DeBruler, Eddie Herald, Jack Wagner and Stuart Lindberg make up the rest of the first-place team, which scored 3,656 points. Last year, a team with nearly the same roster finished second at the team event.
The No. 2 team is made up of Paul Dumas, Wayne Goforth, Hazel Ingles, Brust Mackay, Jim Mitchell and Bob Wood, and scored 3,664.
"Every Tuesday, all of us pitch," Hottinger said. "We're all friends. We're all part of the same club."
Field hockey comes to Manatee County
USA Field Hockey only has three affiliated clubs in Florida -- and none withing 200 miles of Manatee County -- but this weekend the sport will get a chance to make an impression locally. The USA Field Hockey Presidents Day Showcase will spend Feb. 13-15 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch. More than 60 teams from across the country, including one from Florida, will field U-16 or U-19 teams with dozens of colleges watching.
Play begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and concludes with championship games and award ceremonies Monday afternoon. Doral Field Hockey, the only in-state team in the Presidents Day field, opens play Saturday at 8 a.m. against Virginia's TCOYO Hockey.
More than 35 Division I programs will also be represented at the tournament, including three of last year's final four teams and defending national champion Syracuse.
Club soccer registration opens
Registration for Braden River Soccer Club's 2016 spring season is now open through Feb. 15. The season begins Feb. 29 and concludes May 22 with all eight games being played on Sunday afternoons throughout the winter and spring. The club is also seeking volunteer coaches.
Dues for new players are $115 and returning players need only pay $100. Registration is online only at bradenriversoccer.org. Each player will also have the opportunity to train once a week with professional trainers.
This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Community sports | Bradenton teams sweep top spots at horseshoe state tournament ."