Hilton Head Monthly Connecting the Lowcountry 
PARENTS GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR YOUNG SOCCER STARS
How far would you go to help your child succeed in a sport where he or she showed promise? How much would you sacrifice?
While many parents in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island spend their afternoons and evenings chauffeuring their children to after-school activities and sports, these parents of young local soccer superstars are in it to win it.
SPECIAL OLYMPIANS ENJOY THE CHALLENGES OF ATHLETIC COMPETITION
As they lace up their sneakers, grab their bowling balls and step out onto the tennis court, local Special Olympics competitors all have the same mantra: “Let me win. If I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
It’s a message they learned from Kathy Cramer and Cherie Taylor, co-directors of Special Olympics South Carolina Area 8, which was established 27 years ago and includes Beaufort and Jasper counties. It started as a single track and field event but today includes multiple sports and year-round training and competitions.”
CJ CUMMINGS CALLS IT HIS DOUBLE LIFE.
Walking around campus at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, it’s easy to mistake him for any other freshman — though his muscular build might lead his professors or peers to suspect he’s on the Sand Sharks’ baseball or track team.
In between classes, when he’s home in Beaufort, Cummings is an ordinary 18-year-old who likes to hang out with his friends and play video games.
TOP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS RECOGNIZED
With the 2018 high school football season in the rear-view mirror, LowcoSports.com recently recognized the area’s best players by naming them to the R Bar & Grill All-Lowco Football Team.
ISLAND REC CENTER UNVEILS NEWLY EXPANDED AND IMPROVED FACILITIES
When it opened in 1988, the Island Recreation Center offered state-of-the-art to meet the needs of Hilton Head Island’s residents.
But the island — and its residents — have changed over the decades, and when the renovated Island Rec Center reopens this month in the new Carmines Recreation Building, it will again reflect those needs.
VIM HELPS WOMEN GET HEALTHY THROUGH LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Do you know how many steps you walked today? Participants in Volunteers in Medicine Clinic Hilton Head Island’s Wellness Program do — and chances are they’re on their way to meeting and exceeding their step goals, too.
The second annual Blitz Border Bowl all-star football game pitting the top players from the Lowcountry against the stars of the Georgia Coastal Empire is scheduled for Jan. 12 at Bluffton High School.
Two area volleyball players were named to the SCISA All-State team, and two others were picked to play in the SCISA North-South All-Star Game.
Former Hilton Head Island High School star Poona Ford made his first NFL start in the Seattle Seahawks’ 43-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 2, and his performance earned rave reviews.
Hilton Head High’s Emily Ruckno claimed All-State honors at the SCHSL Class 5A/4A singles tennis tournament in Columbia in December. Ruckno went 4-2 in the tournament to finish sixth.
