The Polk Experience

Lakeland Originals: Gene Engle and The Orange Cup

The Orange Cup has been one of the premier powerboat races in the Southeast for nearly 90 years. For nearly all of those years, a member of the Engle family has been at the helm. Today we talk to Orange Cup Race Director Gene Engle about the fastest sport on water, powerboats that go nearly 150 mph, and the future of the Orange Cup -- to be held this year Oct. 16-17, 2021. 

A day trip to Bartow

Here's something a little different -- a proposed day trip to Bartow. 

 

We visit the Cookie Jar, Rafal Natural, the LB Brown House and the Netflix-featured, Wonder House. 

Lakeland‘s RP Funding Center hosts the world‘s largest box lacrosse event Sept. 17-19

Box lacrosse -- a six-man sport played on a court the size of a hockey rink -- might be the fastest growing discipline in the game. The Interstate Box Lacrosse Association is brining the top 17 teams in the nation to the RP Funding Center in Lakeland from Sept. 17-19 to determine its champion. 

 

We talk to Brandon Scharaga of the IBLA to learn more about the sport and what to expect this weekend.

A golf guy and a baseball guy walk into a podcast...

Meet Alex Dry and Gerald Richardson, two new members of the Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing team. 

 

Gerald comes to use from First Tee Lakeland, where he used golf as an outreach to area youth. 

 

Alex Dry comes to use from IMG in Bradenton and has an extensive background in the sport and business of baseball. 

Married living Florida Southern College legends who shaped women's sports, Norm and Kathy Benn

We start the second season of The Polk Experience with two living Florida Southern College legends, Norm and Kathy Benn.

Mrs. Benn spent 48 years at Florida Southern as a faculty member in the school’s physical education department and was instrumental in organizing the school’s women’s athletic program. She was their first coach in women’s basketball, volleyball and tennis.

Mr. Benn was the head women’s basketball coach from 1985-97. He led the Lady Moccasins to five SSC regular season titles, six SSC Tournament titles, and the team’s only South Region Championship and Elite Eight appearance.  

Union Academy graduate and NFL great Dr. Sam Silas

Wanting to test his skills against all comers, Sam Silas left Union Academy for Southern Illinois and, eventually, an eight year NFL career -- and then a career in academia. 

He's a 2020 Polk County Sports Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greatest scholar athletes ever from Polk County.

The Fire host an opening round of the NAIA Baseball National Championship with Adrian Dinkel and Nick Bottari

With the SEU Fire Baseball hosting the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round Lakeland Bracket at the Chain of Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, we sit down with Adrian Dinkel, the head coach of the Fire, and slugging first baseman Nick Bottari. A special thank you to co-host Donnie Smith, the director of athletic communications for the Fire.

Mo Triner on her softball journey from USF to the pros and coaching at Florida Southern

Meet Mo Triner, the softball head coach for Florida Southern College.

A legend in the sport, she is a former professional player and USF Sports Hall of Fame member. She talks to us about growing up in Gibsonton, her journey through professional sports and her return to coaching at Florida Southern.

Tigers scribe Lynn Henning talks Lakeland, baseball and a career in the Motor City

With a career that started with Kirk Gibson and continues through Tarik Skubal, few journalists have had as storied careers in a single city as Lynn Henning has had in Detroit. He shares with us his favorite memories of covering sports in one of America's greatest sport cities and the special connection between Detroit and Lakeland.  

Dancing with Deric C. Feacher, the City Manager of Haines City

Renaissance man Deric C. Feacher is more than just the City Manager of Haines City. A Polk County native, he’s also a musician, a forward thinker and one heck of a dancer. He joins us to talk about multiculturalism, the power of sports and tourism, the art of city management and the future of our own City of Angels.