ESPN Radio 1310 Mixed Martial Arts Talk Show to Launch August 2, 2008

By Curtis Clontz

This Saturday marks a huge day for sports in the Tidewater area. A new radio show on ESPN Radio 1310 could be the spark that ignites the fire of MMA in our own backyard. TSR has kept you up to date with events in the area for the past few months and an extended coverage can be expected in the future. If you have no clue what MMA is check out this intro by TSR.

In that introduction, I provided you with a few gyms that are sure to give you the tools needed to become a better person, get in shape, as well as compete. The two owners of those gyms (Bushido MMA and Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts) along with seven cities boxing will be hosting the hour long special from 8-9 every Saturday morning.

Bushido MMA 757-391-0321 3050 High Street Portsmouth, VA 23707 www.bushidomma.net

Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts 757-490-6909 5476 Virginia Beach Blvd. Suite 127 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 www.hybridacademy.com

Seven Cities Boxing 757-962-5964 633 10th St. Ste.101 Virginia Beach, VA 23451 www.7citiesboxing.org

The show will talk about all aspects of mixed martial arts and boxing. The combination of hosts is sure to provide an action packed hour and many different opinions. This is sure to spark fireworks and great commentary.

This will not be your run of the mill MMA show!Along with hearing about these two exciting sports on the national level, you will also hear about it in your local area. They will be talking about upcoming fighting events that you can view in person, give you up to date information on local fighters and follow them on their quest to be a professional fighter.

Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport in the world. Everywhere you go you can see proof of it. You see Bushido MMA or Tapout stickers in windows as you drive to work. You are starting to see MMA apparel in stores such as Foot locker and JC Penney.

The sport is here to stay. Get onboard the bandwagon, and start right here in the Tidewater area. You can do that by tuning in every Saturday morning from 8-9.As of right now the show will not be published as a Podcast, the second it does we will share that with you right here on TSR.

As always stay tuned to TSR for your local MMA headquarters and other Tidewater news!

Virginia Militia Announce Open Try-Outs in Williamsburg, Virginia

Location: Williamsburg Indoor Sports Center (WISC), Williamsburg, VA
Dates: Saturday, August 23 & Sunday, August 24, 2008
Time: 8-9:30 PM
Cost: $40 per player required at signup - tryout fee is NON-REFUNDABLE and pays for either session or both. Attendence at both sessions is strongly advised.

We are looking to fill 2 teams.

Players must bring the following to tryout:

- Full inline hockey gear
- Light and Dark colored jersey
- Proof of Age (Age 16 by Dec 1 minimum)

All players are required to arrive at least 30 minutes (7:30PM) to fill out paperwork.

Players interested in getting in some pre try-out practice time are encouraged to attend weekly practices at 10:30pm every Tuesday night at WISC. There is no charge for these practices.

If you plan on attending, or if you have any questions, please email: dmorgan23464@gmail.com

757 Bloggers, Opinionatedsports.com Contribute to Tidewater Sports Blogosphere

Tidewater Sports Report isn't the only sports blog in the 757. I've done some research and found some other Hampton Roads sports blogs you might like.

Check out Marc Winder's blog, where he blogs about various sports events in Tidewater. Also on this blog, you will find a nice list of other 757 sports bloggers.

Just look on the right sidebar for his blogroll.

Curtis Clontz has written some fabulous articles for TSR, but I think many of you failed to actually check out his sports website. Opinionatedsports.com is basically the sports world of Clontz, so check it out and see if your views match up with his--and tell him TSR told you to.

Tidewater Sports Car Club Lets You Race Your Own Car

Photo by Ernesto Andrade

If you enjoy racing your car, but don't want to get in trouble for street-racing (or get a speeding ticket) and aren't ready to train for the NASCAR circuit, consider autocross.

"Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe, low-cost competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a temporary course marked by traffic cones, rather than racing on a track with multiple other cars, as in road racing or oval racing," according to Wikipedia.

The Wikipedia entry notes that "One of the primary attractions of autocross is that it is an inexpensive way to get involved in motorsports. The potential for car damage is low because of autocross' low average speeds, lack of physical obstacles, and lack of wheel-to-wheel racing."

Races are usually held in large, closed-off, paved areas such as parking lots.

You can use your daily car to race--no need to lay down money for a tricked-out car or to rent one. Just bring your every day car and compete.

For those of us in Tidewater (or Hampton Roads or 757--whatever you prefer), we've got the Tidewater Sports Car Club.

"Founded in Norfolk, Virginia in 1953, Tidewater Sports Car Club (TSCC) has a strong foundation within the local Hampton Roads autocross community and surrounding areas (180+ club members in 2007)," according to the club's website.

The Tidewater Sports Car Club hosts up to 11 autocross events a year, so there's plenty of opportunities for you to compete. While the club is big on autocross, that's not all they do. They also put on car shows and social gatherings. At least once a year they hold a charity event, donating all of the money to a designated charity.

Autocross is a fun, generally safe way to test your driving skills--and very affordable. In addition to using your own car, membership fees for the Tidewater Sports Car Club start as low as $30.00 for a basic membership.

So, Tidewater car racing enthusiasts, get your race on and check out the Tidewater Sports Car Club. Why don't you find out if you've got what it takes to be the best driver in Hampton Roads?

Contact Information:

Tidewater Sports Car Club
4876-118 Princess Anne Road PMB (417)
Virginia Beach, Va. 23462

www.tidewatersportscarclub.com

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Andre Dawkins of Atlantic Shores in Virginia Beach Commits to Duke University

Sponsored by Robust Writing

By Curtis Clontz

The Duke University Blue Devils is not something that you normally read about in the Tidewater Sports Report (TSR). However, thanks to Andre Dawkins of Atlantic Shores Christian School (ASCS) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we may be hearing a lot more of them in the future.

Andre has committed to the basketball powerhouse. He is a 6-5 rising junior here in the Tidewater area. He is expected to play very well for the rest of his tenure at ASCS and help the blue devils be one of the best teams in the country.

Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is among the top five college basketball coaches of all time. He boasts three NCAA titles as a coach and will be coaching our Olympic team this summer in China. He is much more than a basketball coach--he is a life leader and is dedicated to helping his players on and off the court.

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In an interview with the Virginia Pilot, Dawkins said “"I felt comfortable with them," Dawkins said "I felt like that's where I wanted to go. I didn't feel like there was a need to drag out the process if I already knew where I wanted to be. It's a dream come true. I'm very excited."

In his career to date, Andre has not had problems putting the ball in the hoop. He averages 22.4 points a game, making 42 percent of his three point attempts. If you follow college basketball then you know that Duke has no problems giving their players the green light to shoot the 3. We will see how the new distance of the 3 point line affects this, but it is anticipated that only the percentages will go down not the attempts.

In addition to the commitment always come comparisons. Andre is already considered to be one of the best players that will come out of this area and is being compared to some of the best players to ever play at Duke. He is generating comments that he may be the next J.J. Reddick. Reddick (also from Virginia) is arguably the best shooter to ever play D-1 College ball.

He led the Blue Devils to the NCAA tournament but never got over the hump and cut the nets down as a National Champion. Dawkins may not be able to shoot as good as J.J. but one thing is for sure, he is more athletic. Duke will also be losing several key guards between now and Dawkins’ freshman year at the school. There is a very good chance that he may be able to step onto campus and be part of the starting 5 of this elite school.

Expect more information to follow as this Tidewater athlete continues to push his game to the next level and hopefully become another great athlete to come from our very own backyard.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to TSR for free to get the latest posts delivered to your email. Join us as we continue to bring you unique sports information from the Tidewater, Virginia region.