The SBA Way Newsletter #6
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This addition of the the SBA Way is focused on providing a wrapup to the winter sports and an introduction to the spring sports. I have also included some motivation and a story about an unlikely hero. !
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When you really think about unlikely hero’s, it is somewhat of a mind twister. To be a hero one must do something great that is mostly unexpected and unimaginable. But even more, to be an unlikely hero means that even though you perform that heroic act, society, or whoever is out there, deems you unfit to perform that act until after you have become a hero.!
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What makes an unlikely hero? Is it because someone has given up on a person’s expectations? Maybe that individual has been in and out of trouble that we think there is no hope? I bet if you asked Malcolm, someone always believed in him. Someone was always pushing him to get better. There was a mom, dad, coach or friend, who made sure Malcolm did what was required to become the Super Bowl XL hero.!
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As coaches we understand that hero’s don’t just show up to make those great plays or perform those heroic acts. In fact, each person has prepared for those opportunities their entire career. They have worked tireless hours for the opportunity to become heroic. !
! Lets prepare to be GREAT everyday!! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Season Update
! ! ! Bowling - GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONS! Congratulations to our Girls Bowling Team as they won the TSSAA DII AA State Bowling Championship! Coach Wells had his teams competing at a high level all year which culminated into another team state championship. In addition, Nicole Hardy was awarded 2014-15 TSSAA DII Bowler of the Year. Thanks so much for representing SBA this season and all of your hard work.!
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Boys Basketball! The varsity men’s basketball team under the guidance of Coach Templeton currently hold a 12-14 record. They will take on CBHS tonight and finish the regular season next Friday versus MUS. Make sure to purchase your t-shirts for tonight’s game at The Nest.!
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Girls Basketball! The varsity girls basketball team hold a 16-9 record as they take on St. Agnes tonight and will also finish the regular season versus Hutchison next Friday. !
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Swim! The swim team will be heading to the State Tournament in Knoxville, TN next week. SBA swimmers had a 4th place finish at the county meet last weekend, and have 13 swimmers who have qualified for the state tournament. We wish our swimmers the best of luck as they try to bring home a title next week. !
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Wrestling! The wrestling team had a very strong showing at the State Tournament meet in Nashville this past weekend. The team finished 5th in the state. They are preparing for the Regional Meet tonight at CBHS and are prepped to make a run at several individual state titles next week at the Individual State Wrestling Tournament. Noah Kurtz, Nesto Rivas, Morgan Green, and many others are looking for a strong finish to the year.!
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The SBA WAY
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! When working with student-athletes, a successful coach will work towards building our culture as a program and as a team. The SBA Way is not about what we do, but how we do what we do. As coaches, we want to create a championship environment, and teach our players to lead an entire team. Each player will understand the SBA Way and our athletic culture. Our culture is explained by the acronym SCHAPE:!
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S - Spirited, enthusiastic, excitement - Our environment will be one that is loud, excited, spirited about what we are doing. Our culture will be full of energy and our coaches will demand it. The difference about championship practices is they are full of sound, they are intense, and everyone is involved.! C - Communication enhances every human experience - Our student-athletes will be leaders not only by example but also in their communication with the coach, teammates and parents. Coaches will teach each student-athlete how to communicate by calling names, delivering valid information, having a positive tone and making eye contact. If our communication follows this format, all communication is done directly, face to face, and not behind each other’s back.! H - Hard work - Working hard is very contagious and we will have a relentless persistence to achieve any goal. We will be the hardest working coaching staff and teams in our league.! A - Approach - Our approach to everything is the attitude we choose to bring to something; the path we take to arrive at our destination. Our approach will be made up of three rules: showing up early, learning something and adding value to our culture. Our teams will be mentally tough which will direct our focus to every situation.! P - Precision - Our student-athletes will have a ridiculous attention to detail. They will be taught to have the discipline to do something as well as it can be done, every single time, even if its uncomfortable or inconvenient (even if the coach isn't looking).! E - Enhance - We will contribute to an environment or unselfishly offer a service. SBA student-athletes will also be asked to leave their environment better than they found it by being contributors rather than contaminators. !
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Spring Sports February 9, 2015 marks the beginning of our Spring Sport Season. The baseball, softball, tennis, track, boys soccer, water polo and lacrosse teams are all primed for great years. !
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Baseball - Steve Heinz! Softball - Joe Pearson! Tennis - Barbara Hervey! Boys Soccer - Nick Dressman! Track - Dianna Cervetti! Water Polo - Ray Wynne! Girls Lacrosse - Garrett Wimberly!
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These head coaches are excited about their respective seasons. A lot of hard work and preparation has been paid to get their teams ready to compete at a championship level. If you know of any athletes interested in playing these sports, please send them an email! !
! First Games:! !
Baseball will host Bartlett (Feb. 24 @ 3:15pm) and Jackson Christian (Feb. 27 @ 4pm). ! Softball will participate in a play-day at Bolton (Feb 28) and will leave for their Disney Tournament (March 9-15).! Tennis will host Harding (March 23 @ 3:30) and will visit MUS (March 24 @ 3:45) to open their season.! Boys Soccer will host Lausanne (Feb. 26 @ 5pm) and will play at an Arlington Tournament (March 6-8).! Girls Lacrosse will host Lausanne (March 5 @6pm) and will travel to White Station (March 7).!
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Go to sbaeagles.org/atheltics to see an updated spring sport schedules and rosters.!
MOtivation ! !
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TSSAA Calendar
Coaches Corner MALCOLM BROWN - RAGS TO RICHES
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FOXBORO — Malcolm Butler was lost. He was without a college, without football and unsure what was next. Butler got a late start with football while growing up in Vicksburg, Miss. He only played for two seasons at Vicksburg High School, during his freshman and senior seasons, and when he graduated the only opportunity he had — in part because of his grades — was at Hinds Community College. But in one fell swoop his football career almost came to crashing halt. After five games during his 2009 freshman season, Butler was kicked out of school. (Though he wouldn’t confirm the reason, the only arrest on his record shows a charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.) It was that next year, in 2010, that he calls “lifechanging.” He got a part-time job at Popeyes and worked there for most the year before taking summer classes at Alcorn State University to get back on track. For the first time in his life, he missed football. “That just made me realize how bad I wanted it and how bad I really needed it,” Butler said. “You don’t know how good it is until it’s gone.” Butler was invited back to Hinds, where he played for one more season, in 2011. From there he went to Division II West Alabama. In what has started to become a trend, Butler persevered. For two years he was one of the best cornerbacks in the Gulf Coast Conference. His performance was enough to get him signed by the Patriots, on May 19, as an undrafted free agent. After taking an unusual and tumultuous road to Foxboro, Butler entered training camp facing an uphill battle to even earn a roster spot. But if there’s one thing this 24-year-old knows, it’s that he’ll never quit. “You just can’t blow opportunities like this,” Butler said. “You’ve just got to take advantage of the great things when they come. It’s been a long road to get here. Some ups, some downs, but I never
gave up. I kept pushing and kept believing. I always believed that I could play in this league. It’s just confidence, faith and hard work.”
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IT TOOK ONLY a few moments after the phone ring to make Will Hall excited. On the other end of the line was Patriots assistant special teams coach Joe Judge. Hall knew Judge, who worked under Nick Saban at Alabama for three years, through multiple mutual acquaintances, and the Patriots’ coach wanted to know all about Butler. Judge asked about Hall’s star cornerback and the West Alabama coach gushed. He talked to him about Butler’s skills in the return game, how he played on all four special-team units and showed exceptional tackling. He raved about his ball skills — he led the league in passes deflected as a senior — but more importantly, he talked about his character. “Joe called me and told me how much they thought of him, and I was fired up and had a good feeling because I know coach [Bill] Belichick does a good job of taking guys like him,” Hall said. “But the big thing is, I knew he would have the attitude coming from where he’s been in his life, and he would do whatever it takes to make it. And he would do it with a great attitude. “He’s just a great guy. He’s got a great heart and is a tremendous competitor. He feels like he belongs. He never walks into an arena where he doesn’t feel like he belongs there. But at the same time, he’s pretty humble. We thought he had a good shot. We really did.” During his time at West Alabama, Butler earned all kinds of accolades — AllAmerican and All-GSC first team. He was a catalyst when the team beat rival North Alabama in the final game of the 2012 season, clinching the first outright conference championship in school history. When a North Alabama pick-6 tied the game, 14-14, Butler returned the following kickoff for a touchdown and the Tigers never looked back.
But it was the little things that made Butler special. It was how the cornerback would volunteer to set up garbage cans around the field before practice, or how his work ethic carried over his parttime job at school. Butler worked for Hall’s wife, Rebecca, on campus at the fitness and wellness center for his work study. He operated the front desk, cleaned equipment and washed and dried towels. “She thinks the world of him. When you’re around him, he just lifts you up. He’s just one of those people,” Hall said. “Coming from his background, that’s why I knew, when he got up to New England, he would be willing to do whatever it took to make it.”
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BUTLER ALWAYS thought he had a chance to make it in the NFL. He always thought he belonged. And though it was the mention of special teams that brought him to Foxboro, it’s been his play at cornerback that’s opened up eyes. In the Patriots’ first preseason game, against Washington, he totaled seven tackles and deflected two passes. Then, against Philadelphia, he got the start opposite Darrelle Revis, collected seven more tackles and should’ve been credited with two forced fumbles. On Monday, he followed it up by forcing a fumble on Rob Gronkowski during 7-on-7 drills and then intercepting a Tom Brady on a pass during 3-on-2 drills. “I’ve been able to enjoy it and be shocked at the same time. It’s such a blessing,” Butler said. “Tom Brady, one of the best players, and Darrelle Revis — it’s just crazy. I’ve settled down and just hoping I can maintain a spot on the roster.” Friday, he’ll line up again with the Patriots as they take on the Carolina Panthers. It’s wild for him to think about the road he took to get to this moment. He hates to think about what would’ve happened if he didn’t go back to school in 2010. Of course, quitting was never an option. “It’s just that diehard attitude to never give up. If I gave up I probably would’ve been the manager at Popeyes right now, if
anything,” Butler said. “I didn’t give up. I just stuck with it and just believed.” The cornerback then paused for a second, looking around the Patriots locker room. “I just believed.”
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Credit: http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/patriots/content/20140820-intangibles-havehelped-patriots-malcolm-butler-write-his-rags-to-riches-story.ece