As Adam Ruiz was wrestling with his ambivalence over which college to chose, Florida State University or University Central Florida, he created a sibling rival and a divided house.His older brother, Eric, attended FSU and wanted him to enroll at his alma mater, but his other brother, Brain, who attended UCF, was coaxing him to choose the school he graduated from. It was a tough decision for Adam Ruiz, but he choose to be a Knight...

  The Miami Lakes Heat All-Star softball team, from the Miami Lakes Optimist Club, got a surprise visitor last month to speak to them about playing college softball. Abi Valdes, who now attends Shorter University in Georgia, returned to her softball roots to encourage her younger peers to attend college and play softball at their July 14 practice. The Hawks player wanted to give back to the sport that she grew up playing since she was 7...

  Joseph Zaccheo is a well-known name in South Florida high school football. As the Head Coach of the Monsignor Edward Pace High School football team, he led the Spartans to their first football state championship in 2003. In 2005, Zaccheo was named Pace Athletic Director and retired from coaching until the 2015-2016 season.  He has returned as Head Coach of the football team in a move that has excited both the local and Pace...

  Hoping to improve the basketball program for boys and girls players, the Miami Lakes Optimist Club has found a man who coached in the NBA, college and in high school, willing to lend helping hand. Oronde Taliaferro, who coached NBA Superstar Blake Griffin when he was an assistant at Oklahoma, has volunteered his time to teach Optimist Club coaches and players the basic fundamentals of the game, skills development and overall knowledge...

  The Miami Lakes Fencing Club features competitors who practice three days a week at Miami Lakes Methodist Church, 14800 Ludlam Road.The group recently competed in the Sunshine State Games in West Palm Beach, where head coach and trainer Javier Andino and assistant coach Gary Cardenas led their team to a good rating for overall performance during the tournament.“Our youngest club member is 9 years old and our most senior is over...