Tyler T . Gibson
PUBLISHER Tyler T . Gibson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Megan Hart
Joe Drake
MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
elcome to the baseball
W edition of the North Port Athletic Rewind ! Inside this issue , you will find stories and photos of some of the biggest leagues , teams , and athletes in our community . I want to give a special thanks to the Major League Baseball organization and the Tampa Bay Rays for allowing the NPAR to receive credentials for a recent spring training game . My staff and I are excited to be able to highlight the team this year and look forward to a continued relationship .
As most know , last month I released the debut issue of the North Port Athletic Rewind in its digital format . Since its release , the amount of feedback I have received has been incredible and I cannot believe the support I have received from coaches , athletes , organizations , and businesses . Through many conversations I have had , one question has been most commonly asked .
“ Why did you start the NPAR ?”
Those who have known me growing up have always been aware of my interest in writing and photography , but they also know that sports were never an interest of mine . That all changed during my years at North Port High when my journalism advisor , Mr . Shoop , asked me to take photos for the yearbook of a track meet . I ended up with some pretty good shots and ended up becoming one of the photography editors .
The more I began shooting sports and writing about it , the most I became fascinated with what I saw . There is something about seeing people join together and supporting their friends , children and students , in an athletic event . The sense of unity was something I began to thrive on .
I recently attended a NPHS district basketball game in which the boys basketball team won and advanced to the regional semi-finals . During this time , I noticed the school spirit , the excitement from the staff and the outpouring of laughs , tears , and hugs that were shared .
The goal of the North Port Athletic Rewind has been listed several times as a mission to unite the community through sports and recreation and I am proud to be able to provide an outlet that accomplishes this goal .
Sincerely ,
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Monica Amaya
Tami Garcia J . Gordan Photography
MARKETING / PR INTERN Robby Hibbins
SPECIAL TO THE NPAR Hannah Bulicsek Jacqueline Moore
Tamara Patzer
Kelly Pomerville Kevin Rouse Larry Taylor Dominque Tollis Andrew Wagner
BUSINESS SPONSOR Thivent Financial : Daryl Mendez
Front Cover photo by : Tami Garcia
**** The North Port Athletic Rewind is published by Reflections Media , LLC
P . O . Box 6914 North Port , Florida 34290 info @ reflectionsmedia . net Toll Free 888-598-0882