Manchester Xtreme 14& under softball team played last weekend in Smyrna and won first 1st place. They played 3 games and outscored their opponents 60-5. Heather Bretz received the all-tournament award for the day with her outstanding catches in left field and her first home run of the season. They will play this weekend in Manchester at the SEAA State Tournament. Manchester Xtreme is sponsored by Thunder Radio.

Thunder Radio is proud to sponsor the Firecracker 5K and 10K race on July 4th (7am) at The Manchester Parks and Recreation Department. Sign up at the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department by June 25th to be guaranteed a shirt. We would love to have everyone out there having fun.

The Nashville Predators will open the season on the road against the team they knocked out of the playoffs when they play the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 12. It will be the fourth time in five seasons the Predators have opened the season on the road under the schedule released Thursday by the NHL. The Predators will return immediately to Nashville for their home opener on Oct. 13 against Central Division rival St. Louis. Nashville will make its longest road trip in franchise history with a 7-game stretch away from home between Oct. 22 and Nov. 6 to make room for the CMA Awards on Nov. 9 at the Bridgestone Arena. The Predators also must clear out in March for the Southeastern Conference’s men’s basketball tournament.

In other Predator news: Nashville Predators forward Mike Fisher is the recipient of the 2011-12 NHL Foundation Player Award. The award recognizes an NHL player who applies the core values of hockey — commitment, perseverance and teamwork — to enrich the lives of people in his community. The NHL Foundation will present $25,000 to the Room In The Inn, a full-service homeless facility located a few blocks from Bridgestone Arena.

Motlow Bucks rising sophomores Jeff Graham, Michael Tomlin, and Raul Tutton, Jr. instruct camp participants in shooting technique during the 2012 Motlow College Elite/Skills Basketball Camp. Head coach Jerry Nichols and his team welcomed more than 70 participants to Copperweld Arena for the camp. Motlow College photo.

More than 70 area children recently spent three days on the Motlow College campus as part of head coach Jerry Nichols’ 2012 Elite/Skills Basketball Camp. Nichols was also joined by the majority of student-athletes that will make up the 2012-13 Bucks basketball team.

“This year’s camp was a huge success,” said Nichols following Wednesday’s final session. “This is by far the largest camp we have had here at Motlow in at least 10 years.”

One of the reasons for the explosion in Nichols’ camp is that parents know when they bring their children to Copperweld Arena for camp the kids won’t be wasting time. With almost 20 players helping instruct and teach, there is very little time spent watching and waiting.

Although the primary goal of the annual camp is to give area kids an opportunity to learn solid basketball skills, Nichols also embraces the other benefits of having over 70 potential fans, plus the parents and family members who bring them, inside the arena.