Ft. Lauderdale’s George Deeb, 70, runs the South Florida Senior Softball Club in Pompano Beach. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Gary Curreri

For three days a week, members of the South Florida Senior Softball Club hit the diamond in Pompano Beach. There are no set teams and it is inexpensive. However, the competition can be fierce.

Ft. Lauderdale’s George Deeb, 70, runs the club, which is an offshoot of the club that started in Deerfield Beach in 1962. Deeb started the Pompano Beach-based club three years ago when Deerfield began renovating Pioneer Park.

“We started here three years ago when we were left with one field and over 100 men,” Deeb said. “The older men stayed up there, and the younger men came down here. We created an Over-50 club and that became South Florida Senior Softball two years ago,” he said.

It costs $35 a year. The members get shirts and hats, plus they will go out once every other month during the season when the snowbirds are down, and they will also host a Christmas Party. Games are played Monday, Wednesday and Friday beginning at 9 a.m.

“I make up all of the teams and assign the players to the teams based on who is there that day,” Deeb said. “It is the best thing we have ever done. It is also good for the guys who just turned 50, so they don’t have to play with guys who are in their 20s.”

Deeb said there are retirees, as well as firemen, police officers and EMS workers who can play multiple days based on their schedules. Players come from as far away as Aventura and as far north as Delray Beach.

Normally, the games are played at 4-Fields complex, but have been at Kester Park in Pompano Beach after spending some time at Blanche Ely High School. They should move back to 4-Fields in a few weeks.

“I retired when I was 65, and I am 70 now,” said Deeb, who had a hip replacement last year. “Many of the members in our club play on national championship travel teams. The guys are terrific, and we have made a lot of friendships over the years.” The players range in age from 49 to 76, and the average age is in the mid-60s. Deeb said the mission statement is to provide seniors, like themselves, who are retired, or on the verge of retirement, an opportunity to come and play ball at their leisure with no pressure.

Ely continues to roll

Darren Allen completed seven of nine passes for two touchdowns and returned a punt 55 yards for a score as host Blanche Ely throttled Coconut Creek, 56-8, to run its record to 3-1.

Robert Scott hauled in a 40-yard score from Allen and added a 3-yard run for another Tigers’ score. Also scoring for Blanche Ely were Edensky Loremues, Jordan Fields, Adrian Burton and Avery Johnson. Alex Edwards threw for two scores, while John Belfort added seven extra point kicks.

A few weeks ago, I had some ideas as to what events should be held at the new FAU Football Stadium.

I spoke to Associate Athletic Director for Corporate Sponsorships Michael Smith. He took this position after serving as Director of Collegiate Sports Properties for the University of Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference.

Smith gave me his reasons why he moved to Boca Raton and in this Observer interview, he talked about what the South Florida Community has to look forward to.

Q: What made you decide to take this position at FAU?

A: To be Associate Athletic Director was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I am looking forward to the inner workings of working behind the scenes, of what it takes [to build]  a new stadium for a Division I School. I see the athletic program growing into a Conference USA, Big East or ACC member one day. I am thrilled to see the excitement of the Boca Raton Community.

Q: How many events do you foresee and what type of financial benefit will Boca Raton receive?

A: I anticipate that the stadium has a $1.7 million impact to the community of Boca Raton. It’s the largest facility between Miami and Orlando. It will hold 15 events the first year … five football games, along with 10 other events. I anticipate concerts, college events, international soccer, high school all-star games and, eventually, landing a college bowl game. We hope to expand to at least 20 events.

Q: Were you familiar with FAU before you took this position?

A: Yes. Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger’s reputation speaks for itself. Mike Jarvis won 21 games this year for the basketball team and has an excellent track record for taking his teams to the NCAA Tournament. John McCormack’s baseball team [players] are perennial winners.

Q: How will your previous position benefit you here?

A: I worked in the multimedia areas. I worked in marketing, advertising and promotions so we have lots of inventory here. I will be working on selling signs for the Football Stadium, radio spots, coach’s call-in radio shows for all sports, Internet and promotions on the field.

According to Smith, there has been an increase in landing new students. Last year, FAU had 9,000 applications from incoming freshman. This year, the total is 22,000.

Oct. 15 is right around the corner and, by the end of the week, the FAU Football Team will be in training camp, preparing for that inaugural season. It will be interesting to see which players go down in history as the ones who score the first touchdown, have the first yard, etc.

If the growth of the football program goes according to planned, the football stadium has the ability to be expanded in two phases, from 30-45,000 and 45-65,000. The addition of more students, as aforementioned, could be the beginning of what lies ahead.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

By Gary Curreri

Shortstop Mia Veliz fields a grounder during a recent practice at Deerfield Beach Middle School. The Sharks are the No.1 one USSSA 10-Under girls softball team in the country. Photo by Gary Curreri

Deerfield Sharks girls softball coach Karla Antonio had a feeling her team would be good, just not this good.

The 10-Under girls team added another tournament title to their growing resumé as they hope to close out the season as the top-ranked USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) team in the country.

The Sharks won the Swamp Classic in Palm Beach Gardens recently to run their overall record to 64-3. The team is still 56-1 in the USSSA, the organization that hosts the World Series. Deerfield Beach has won 13 out of 15 tournaments since October.

Antonio said they started the team in 2009 and were playing out of a local high school before getting “kicked off their field.”

“So, for six months, we were homeless,” said Antonio, who also has an alliance with Nova Southeastern University softball coach Lesa Bonee, one of the team’s coaches. She has also allowed them to use their Davie facility.

“We were just going to different parks or we would play in the grass. We spoke to [Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Manager] Blaise Leone and asked, ‘if he could please, please, please let us practice at [Deerfield Beach] Middle School. He caved in last year and gave us a home and ever since, we have been doing really well.”

And how … The Sharks finished last season 45-17 and in the top half of the USSSA, taking 17th out of 34 teams at the Disney Wide World of Sports venue.

“This year, we hope to win it,” said Antonio, who has a couple of 11-year-olds on the team because their birthdates fell inside the eligibility rules. Players need to be born in 2000 or later. “Last year, we were mainly an Under-9 team, so we are a year more experienced.”

Shortstop Mia Veliz said when she started on the team in the beginning, she wasn’t sure how good they would be.

“I definitely did not think we would be this good,” Veliz said. “We got a lot of new girls and we improved in offense and defense and we’ve gotten better as a team.”

One of Antonio’s twin daughters agreed:

“It is awesome that we are No.1,” said Brooke Antonio, who, along with sister Brandi, is one of two of the key players on the squad. “It means we are the best team in the nation. I didn’t know we’d be this good! After a few tournaments and we didn’t lose, I knew we were pretty good. Some of them were tough and some were pretty easy.”

The team will open its quest for the USSSA World Series title when it plays in the USSSA State tournament in Vero Beach from July 8-10.

By Scott Morganroth

Ever since the FAU Owls lost their Lockhart Stadium Finale “The Good Riddance Bowl” on Dec. 4, 2010 to the Troy Trojans, 44-7, there has been a lot of interesting news regarding Coach Howard Schnellenberger’s connections at both the professional and college levels.

This past week, the Tennessee Titans decided to part ways with Quarterback Vince Young and retain Coach Jeff Fisher, who has $6.5 million left on the final year of his contract. Titans Owner Bud Adams was hoping that Young and Fisher could settle their differences, but when their working relationship couldn’t be salvaged, the owner had to move on with the longest tenured coach in the NFL.

The Titans quarterback, who has a chance to compete for the starting job in Fisher’s 18th season, is former FAU Owl Rusty Smith. If Fisher hopes to continue his time in Nashville, Smith’s development figures factor into the equation, as Tennessee hopes to rebound from a 6-10 season. Once Young is moved, the Titans will have veteran Kerry Collins, Smith and third stringer Chris Simms.

Schnellenberger’s former school, the University of Miami, has made a coaching change hours after the University of South Florida Bulls defeated the Hurricanes, 23-20, on Nov. 27 at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Following the UM loss, where only 26,369 fans showed up, Randy Shannon was fired after four seasons, as he compiled a 28-22 record. With Shannon long gone, Miami lost the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, 33-17, to Notre Dame on Dec. 31, 2010.

Miami hired former Temple Owls Coach Al Golden, who led his former team to 9-4 and 8-4 seasons in 2009 and 2010, along with one bowl appearance.

The 41-year-old signed a five-year contract on Dec. 14, as he hopes to improve on Shannon’s 16-16 Atlantic Coast Conference record and zero titles. Since the start of the 2007 season, 47 teams have more wins than Miami, including four from the state of Florida. Shannon was also 0-2 in bowl games.

Despite FAU’s 4-8 record, they will be represented at a couple of College All-Star Games.

Wide Receiver Lester Jean will showcase his skills in the 86th East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Last year, Schnellenberger coached in the Texas vs. Nation Game. This year, two of his players will be playing in this contest, which will take place on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. ET at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas.

Quarterback Jeff Van Camp will be playing for the Nation’s squad, while his Tight-End Rob Housler will be catching passes for the Texas team.

These games are becoming more significant because of the emergence of the United Football League, which is a developmental league for the NFL. The New USFL, which is tentatively set to begin play by the spring of 2012, could be another place for professional prospects.

NFL and Canadian Football League scouts also figure to be on hand at these games.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.