The Polk Experience

County Commissioner, Rancher, NASCAR Driver...Rick Wilson

Bartow native Rick Wilson may have made his fame as a NASCAR driver, but he's also a second generation Polk County rancher as well as an inventor and a recent inductee into the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame. 

Roy Fuoco on the start of the 2024 high school football season

The Ledger's Roy Fuoco joins Sports Central to talk high school football, the Olympics and more.

FSC Baseball Head Coach Rick O'Dette on Sports Central

With more than 700 wins in his 24 years of head coaching experience, Rick O'Dette will take the reins of Florida Southern Baseball as only the eighth head coach in program history. 

 

Rick joined Mark Jackson and Jack Cormier on a recent broadcast of Sports Central, which can be viewed on the Polk County Government page on Facebook or YouTube.  

Catapulting with Pinoy Cravings

The Polk Experience visits Catapult, a business incubator in Lakeland.

Joining us are Catapult's Kitchen Director, Maggie Leach, and the owners of Pinoy Cravings, Hyun Dobrea and Josephine Colorina.

Competitive Show Skiing for Dummies -- A Preview of the 2022 IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament

Not long ago, every theme park in Central Florida - and most in the nation - had their own water ski show complete with pyramids, jumps, stunts and more. 

Today, while the theme park shows are mostly history, clubs around the world keep the sport alive. 

When the best show water skiers in the world gather in Winter Haven, Florida from Oct. 19-23 to compete as both teams and individuals in the 2022 IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament, things will be a little different.

Long time water ski broadcaster Mark Jackson and Joel Shapiro, the President of the National Show Ski Association, are here to give you the ins and outs of scoring an international competition.

For more information, go to visitcentralflorida.com or worldwaterskishow.com.

 

Margaret Parry and the Pope Legacy

Dick Pope Sr.'s niece, Margaret Parry, joins Shauna Pasanen and Jack Cormier to talk about the birth of Cypress Gardens, growing up in the gardens - from spending time with Miss Americas to the Shah of Iran - and finally, what she thinks is the legacy of the Popes. 

All my rowdy friends...kick off season 3

Today, we kick off season with a visit from Neal Duncan and Ryan Buckley.

Topics included Ken Riley and the NFL Hall of Fame, Pete Rose, and the upcoming IWWF World Water Ski Show Tournament, to be held on Lake Silver in Winter Haven Oct. 18 to 23.

For more information on the World Water Ski Show Tournament, visit worldwaterskishow.com.

For more on Central Florida’s Sweetest Spot, Polk County, visit www.visitcentralflorida.org.

Dr. Jennifer Stoll on the power of Sports Tourism

Industry expert Dr. Jennifer Stoll, the executive director of the Greater Grand Junction Sports Commission, joins us to discuss not only the powerful impact of sports on a community, how the growth of travel teams is good for the tourism industry, and how to improve this segment going forward. 

Remembering Norm Benn

Polk County and Florida Southern sports legend Norm Benn recently passed. 

Having spent a lot of time with Norm up to his enshrinement in the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame, we felt that re-releasing what might be his last interview was the least we could do.

Quick witted with a sharp sense of humor, Norm will be missed.  

Haines City’s dynamic duo helps shape the northeast corner of Polk County

Despite what you saw on television, parks and recreation is serious business. 

In Haines City, Terrell Griffin and Ryan Ritchie use a mix of attractors and activities to not only infuse their city with visitors, but to shape the future of Polk's northeast corridor.