By Kyle Coppola
FCA Outdoor Fishing Tournament Returns to Mount Dora in September
The FCA Outdoor Fishing Tournament is returning to Mount Dora this fall, bringing together faith, family, fishing and football for a day of friendly competition and community spirit.
Set against the scenic backdrop of Palm Island Park at 411 S. Tremain Street, the tournament will take place on Saturday, September 13. Lines hit the water early, with the event kicking off at 6:30 a.m. and weigh-in scheduled for noon.
(Hayden Berryman right and Mason Bush left hold up their fish they caught at last years FCA Fishing Tournament.)
Registration is $50 per team, with up to four participants allowed per vessel. An optional $10 buy-in is available for the Big Bass Pot, and 100% of registration fees will be paid out as prize money. Sponsorship opportunities are available via a QR code on the event flyer.
All participating boats must have a live well on board. Anglers will weigh their best five fish, and no more than five fish may be kept in the live well at any time. A 1/4-pound deduction will be applied for any dead fish at weigh-in. Organizers stress the importance of catch-and-release to help maintain a healthy fish population in Florida’s lakes.
(The FCA Fishing Tournament is organized by former NFL player Sammie Smith.)
The tournament is organized by Sammie Smith, a former Florida State Seminole and NFL running back who played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Smith, the ninth overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, recently moved back to Lake County a few years ago where his daughter attends Mount Dora Christian Academy (MDCA).
“It just feels good to be home,” says Sammie, who previously worked with the Ole Miss football program and now devotes his time to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). “Logically, coming back to Lake County, we have some of the best lakes in the USA. The Harris Chain is always a great competitive lake to fish on. It was only natural to have the tournament here.”
(Students had a great time last year and some fantastic fish were caught.)
Smith has been involved with FCA for nearly 15 years, helping promote youth fishing across Florida and beyond. He says he’s seen a growing number of high school students getting involved in the sport.
“I see more and more kids on lakes in our area and more competing in tournaments in and around Florida than I have ever seen, and that’s a wonderful thing,” says Sammie. “We’ve even got kids coming in from Georgia and other states. High school fishing is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation.”
(This event is still looking for sponsors. If you would like to help partner with FCA Outdoors you can scan the QR code in the bottom right of the flyer.)
The FCA Outdoor Fishing Tournament promises a meaningful day on the water for anglers of all ages, celebrating not just the thrill of the catch, but also the values that tie communities together. The event is still looking for sponsors. If you would like to help partner with this great event you can scan the QR code in the above image.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
