INSIDE: 2024 R.O.C.K. Coaches Mentoring Symposium Recap
welcome to the THSCA hall of honor...
2024 Coaching SChool
JULY 21st-23rd in san antonio
CHECK OUT pg. 20 to see our growing SPEAKER LINE-UP, mandatory education updates, event INFO & MORE!
lee bridges ken cook chris koetting mel maxfield jack murphy
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TEXAS COACH - (ISSN 0040-4241) - Copyright 2024
Texas High School Coaches’ Association, Inc.
PUBLISHER
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION, INC.
PUBLISHING/EDITORIAL OFFICES: 2553 N INTERSTATE 35 FRONTAGE RD SAN MARCOS, TX 78666-5924 web: www.thsca.com
Subscriptions: Annual subscription to TEXAS COACH for members of the Texas High School Coaches Association is $20.00, which is included in the $70.00 membership dues. For non-members: one-year subscription price is $30.00; two-year subscription price is $50.00; Foreign: one-year subscription price is $50.00. Single copies are $5.00 per current volume. TEXAS COACH is published monthly except in June, July, and August and is dated the first of the publication month, although it is mailed around the 10th of the publication month. Change of address: Request for change of address must reach us 30 days before the date of issue with which it is to take effect. Duplicate copies cannot be sent to replace those undelivered through failure to send advance notice. Email change of address notice to admin@ thsca.com or members can go online and make the change in your member portal profile at www.thsca.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Marcos,
JOE MARTIN joemartin@thsca.com
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GLEN WEST glenwest@thsca.com
Chief Operating Officer of THSCA
BRIAN POLK brianpolk@thsca.com
Chief Operating Officer of THSCEF
LIBBY PACHECO libbypacheco@thsca.com
Director of Publications & Technology
BECKY ADAMS beckyadams@thsca.com
Director of Administration
MARGARET BEYER margaretbeyer@thsca.com
Director of Exhibits & Sponsorships
MOLLY FLY mollyfly@thsca.com
Director of Membership
ALLIE HERRMANN allieherrmann@thsca.com
SHERYL HONEYCUTT sherylhoneycutt@thsca.com
Director of Finance & Accounting
GORDON MACKEY gordonmackey@thsca.com
Director of Hotels & Hospitality
CHELSEA MILLER chelseamiller@thsca.com
Director of Public Relations & Awards
TYLER WATTS tylerwatts@thsca.com
Finance: Dave Henigan, B.J. Gotte, Kendall Miller, John Snelson, Mark Torres, *Lee Wiginton
Bylaws: Chip Darden, Charley Drum, *Chad Dunnam, Ricklan Holmes, Todd Quick, Shaun McDowell
Ethics: Kevin Crane, LaQueisha Dickerson, Robert Flores, Clint Hartman, *Jeff Rayburn, Fred Staugh
Policy: Chris Cochran, Jerry Carpentier, Leo Mireles, Juan Morales, Aaron Roan, *Amanda Wolf-Schramm
Magazine: Allen Gratts, *Matt Lovorn, Lance Moffett, Marvin Sedberry Jr., James Williams, Jerod Womack
Hall of Honor: *Ronnie Gage, Johnny Taylor, Dub Farris, Gary Joseph *Denotes Chair
Director-Elects & Alternates:
DIRECTOR-ELECTS
Region 1 – Todd Winfrey, Canyon; Region 2 – Sterling Doty, Stephenville; Region 3 – Marvin Sedberry, Jr., Terrell; Region 4 – Jeff Ellison, Odessa Permian; Region 5 – BJ Gotte, Pearland; Region 6 – Chris Cochran, Lindale; Region 7 – Reuben Farias, La Joya; Region 8 – Joe Hubbard, East Central; 1ST ALTERNATES
Region 1 – DJ Mann, Lubbock Coronado; Region 2 – Casey Pearce, Breckenridge; Region 3 – Josh Gibson, Pleasant Grove; Region 4 – Michael Pry, El Paso Coronado; Region 5 – Brian Randle, Randle; Region 6 – Don Hyde, La Vega; Region 7 – Ben Bitner, CC Veterans Memorial; Region 8 – Eddie Salas, San Antonio Harlan; 2nd ALTERNATES
Region 1 – Andy Cavalier, Canadian; Region 2 – Sammy Burnett Brownwood; Region 3 – Marcus Shavers; Region 4 – Daren Walker, El Paso Franklin; Region 5 – Rick LaFavers, Ridge Point; Region 6 – Clint Fuller, Kilgore; Region 7 – David Sanchez, Laredo United; Region 8 – Tony Salazar, Westlake;
R-1 Jason Richards, Muleshoe
R-2 Russell Lucas, Sweetwater
R-3 Seth Stinton, Melissa
R-4 *Jaime Boswell, Andrews
R-5 Virginia Flores, Cy-Fair
R-6 Don Drake, Ennis
R-7 Rob Davies, Harlingen
R-8 Stan Laing, Northside
R-1 *Trey Hayes, Lubbock
R-2 Casey Pacheco, Abl. Wylie
R-3 Eric Vogan, Texas High
R-4 Michael Waldmann, Andrews
R-5 Robert Kelly, Sam Rayburn
R-6 Daniel Gonzalez, Longview
R-7 Hector Castaneda Jr., Harl. South
R-8 Kari Brothers, Northside
R-1 Thomas Brockman, Idalou
R-2 Allen McGee, Graham
R-3 Josh Wheeler, Muenster
R-4 Juan Orozco, EP Coronado
R-5 *Corey Cephus, Cy-Ranch
R-6 Matthew Anderson, Franklin
R-7 Adrian Alaniz, Sinton
R-8 Tom Alfieri, SA Churchill
R-1 Jason Pillion, Amarillo
R-2 *C.J. Villegas, Brady
R-3 Ty Tabor, Krum
R-4 Jason Archibald, Wink
R-5 Danny Russell, Katy
R-6 Jake Russ, Franklin
R-7 Sean Armstrong, G. Portland
R-8 Andrew Brewer, Alamo Heights
At-Large Richard Flores, Cy-Falls
R-1 Tyler Helms, Idalou
R-2 *Kenni Patton, Electra
R-3 Donna McCullough, Sachse
R-4 Steve Lee, Pebble Hills
R-5 Christina Jamerson, Dulles
R-6 OPEN
R-7 Clarissa Arredondo, McAllen Mem.
R-8 Christina Camacho, Judson
At-Large Brooke Brittain, Mansfield
R-1 Jay McCook, Canadian
R-2 Glenn Griffin, Holliday
R-3 *Logan Kelly, Lovejoy
R-4 Alonzo Samaniego, Presidio
R-5 Kenneth Decuir, Paetow
R-6 Josh Sypert, Eustace
R-7 Efrain Ambriz, Harlingen
R-8 Kelly Thompson, Leander Rouse
At-Large Scott Hippensteel, Lockhart
R-1 Ray Baca, Canyon
R-2
Loy Triana, Burkburnet
R-3 *Susan Bailey, Highland Park
R-4 Corina Marrufo, Del Valle
R-5 Jim Darcey, Katy
R-6 Edward DeLaCruz, Waxahachie
R-7 Joey Rendon, Santa Gertrudis
R-8 Rachel Freeman, SA Reagan
At-Large Karmen Sanders, Taylor
R-1
R-2
Jason Richards, Muleshoe
Sterling Doty, Stephenville
R-3 *Joe Castillo, Little Elm
R-4 Ruben Rodriguez, Eastlake
R-5 Rick LaFavers, Ridge Point
R-6
R-7
R-8
Keylon Kincade, Winona
Brent Davis, G. Portland
Alan Haire, Chaparral
At-Large Clint Fuller, Kilgore
R-1
R-2
R-3
R-4
Justin Wilborn, Lub. Cooper
Jason Hodges, Stephenville
Charlie Means, Denison
Paul Bustamante, Pebble Hills
R-5 *Mike Martin, Memorial
R-6
R-7
R-8
Brant Bennett, Midlothian Heritage
Celso Gonzalez, McAllen Mem.
Glenn Phair, New Braunfels
At-Large Paige Martin, Southlake
R-1
R-2
R-3
R-4
Roger Wipkey, Frenship
Chris Sims, Abilene Cooper
Kerry Gabel, FM Marcus
Shawn Trousdale, Eastwood
R-5 *Angela Chancellor, Kingwood
R-6
R-7
R-8
Joel Davenport, Ennis
Jennifer Ruiz, McAllen
Patrick Pruitt, Westlake
At-Large Brent McCuiston, Alamo Heights
R-1
R-2
Hugo Aguillon, West Plains
Justin Rhodes, Stephenville
R-3 Pablo Regalado, Kemp
R-4 OPEN
R-5 Ben Powell, Bellville
R-6 *Cashan Clark, Alvarado
R-7
Julian Robles, Harl. South
R-8 David Rogers, SA Lee
At-Large Jason Meekins, Katy Jordan
R-1 Alistair Caldwell, Lub. Coronado
R-2
R-3
R-4 Lindsie Swarb, Monahans
R-5 Katie Roberts, Brenham
R-6 Same Weeks, Troup
R-7 Audra Troutman, Sinton
R-8 Jennifer Fox, Alamo Heights
R-1 Darby Norman, Canyon Randall
R-2 *Carrie Castleberry, Vernon
R-3 Sylvia Sims, Frisco Heritage
R-4 OPEN
R-5 Daniel Marshall, A&M Consol.
R-6 OPEN
R-7 Eddie Marquez, Roma
R-8 Teri Saunders, Pf. Hendrickson
R-1 Jon Murphy, Stratford
R-2 Andy Howard, Brownwood
R-3 *Janson Head, Denton Ryan
R-4 Brien Burchett, Greenwood
R-5 Jason Haddock, Clements
R-6 Josh Rankin, Longview
R-7 Bob Bechtold, McAllen
R-8 Keith Randle, SA Johnson
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
R-1 Crista Jones, Lub. Monterey
R-2 *Jeremiah Butchee, Stephenville
R-3 Ashley Broom, Sunnyvale
R-4 Robert Ontiveroz, Monahans
R-5 David Pollack, Seven Lakes
R-6 Jordan Johnson, Midway
R-7 Stacy Zamzow, Goliad
R-8 Jen McHugh, SA Reagan
R-1 Kelly Lozada, Lubbock Monterey
R-2 Shay Douglas, Stephenville
R-3 Jennifer Chandler, Northwest
R-4 Heather Archibald, Wink
R-5 Jenny Adcock, Stratford
R-6 Arden Johnson, Troup
R-7 Jess Odem, Goliad
R-8 *Rachel Torvik, SA Reagan
At-Large Jacob Thompson, Leander Rouse
BOYS WRESTLING
R-1 Dalton Clear, Canyon
R-2 OPEN
R-3 *Kyle Stevens, Anna
R-4 Oscar Norez, EP Montwood
R-5 Vinnie Lowe, Katy
R-6 Collin Stroner, Midlothian Heritage
R-7 Donald "Ed" Arvin, CC Veterans Memorial
R-8 David Burdick, Vista Ridge
Carl Wiersema, WF Rider
Kelly Thompson, Allen
R-4 *Cecilia Kellar - Odessa
R-5
Evelyn Torres, Ridge Point
R-6 Gerald Slovacek, Midlo. Heritage
R-7 OPEN
R-8 Bailee Perrine, Dripping Springs
At-Large Aaron McGough, Highland Park
R-1 Styler Haddock, Canyon
R-2 Cynthia Herrera, Stamford
R-3 *Kathy Schoettle, Allen
GIRLS WRESTLING
R-1 Tyler Frausto, Canyon
R-2 OPEN
R-3 *Jessica Fresh, Northwest
R-4 Stephen Scott, EP Franklin
R-5 Nicholas Johnson, Cy-Woods
R-6 OPEN
R-7 Ronald Pratt, Rio Grande City
R-8 Garvin Smith, San Marcos
* DENOTES CHAIR
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The month of April means that spring sports can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Track is entering postseason with area, regional, and state meets where we all watch with anticipation to see if this is the year that maybe a decades old record gets broken. Softball and baseball teams now are fighting for final playoff spots, while golf, tennis, and soccer will crown a new state champ. Many 5A and 6A football teams will pull out the pads for spring football and give their schools and communities a preview of what’s to come this fall. As we are wrapping up our THSCA Spring Board Meeting, we would like to remind you of a few very important items:
• As the temperature rises, don’t let the price rise on you for coaching school. The $60 pre-registration deadline is approaching. If you don’t register by June 1st, the price will rise to $75. Please take advantage of the early registration. We are looking forward to the BEST Coaching School yet in San Antonio this July.
• Be on the lookout for upcoming Spring POI meetings. All head coaches and athletic administrators are welcome. We would LOVE to know any areas that need addressing in your region.
• SUPER ELITE TEAMS and COACH OF THE YEAR – Nominations for track, golf, baseball, and softball will be open in May and June.
We are excited to announce our new Hall of Honor Inductees in this issue. Their biographies are included on page 34. It’s always interesting to read about the journeys of these legendary coaches. This issue also includes details from this year’s ROCK Symposium. It wrapped up last month and was another huge success. The newest ROCK class you will get to meet and serve at Coaching School this summer.
At our district track meet last week, I heard “FINISH” repeatedly yelled by coaches. As WE come out of the final curve and head down the stretch of this semester, we can all use a coach telling us to “FINISH!”. Despite how easy or tough this particular race has been for us, we always want to finish strong. Let’s finish strong with every opportunity we get to pour into a kid or defend our profession.
FINISH STRONG!
Kendall O. Miller, THSCA President
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Coach Stephen Mackey of 2Words Character Development along with our THSCA Communication and Collaboration Committee have worked together to generate a library of short video lessons for coaches to use as a professional development tool. Check out some sample lessons we have available at www.thsca.com/4l and then login to your THSCA Member Portal Account to access the full library of lessons.
• Seven Keys to Building a Healthy Locker Room
• The 10 Lies of Leadership (And what to do about them)
• Listening to our Coaches and Athletes to Learn the Best Ways to Encourage
• The Impact of Athletics Begins and Ends with the Coach
• Three Shifts to Better Take Care of Yourself so you Can Take Care of Others
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We are always on the hunt for article content for publication in Texas Coach! Article submissions can be sport-specific skills and techniques, or be related to program administration, team culture, building relationships with athletes, parents, administrators, etc. Maybe a top 10 list you want to create or a “Do’s and Don’ts guide?” We publish articles from both members and non-members... so we encourage you to reach out to all of the different sport coaches on your campus, your athletic administration, spouses, student-athletes, school administrators, booster club presidents, etc. and ask them to share their knowledge and wisdom with our Texas coaching family! Please email all article submissions to beckyadams@thsca.com – Word Document format is preferred, and 2-4 pages would be ideal length.
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“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don't wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
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“Clutter is not just physical stuff. It's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.”
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“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
Henry Ford
Tryouts are the worst: Uncomfortable meetings with parents; Administrators questioning the selection process; Tense meetings with an athletic director; Tears from moms and players; Bad-mouthing in the community.
Tryouts are hard on kids, they’re hard on parents, and they’re hard on coaches. All the things I mentioned above resulted from basketball tryouts I have held at Alamo Heights High School as the head boys’ basketball coach over the last thirteen years. Each August, during my first few years as head coach, when the first round of tryouts approached, I knew I was about to step into a bear trap. Tryouts were a lose-lose proposition for me. Either I cut all the kids I thought would never be able to help us win varsity games and endured painful parent meetings, or I kept the marginal kids and had sub-varsity rosters that were too big to offer kids quality opportunities for development. Consequently, the following year(s) the varsity roster were rife with cantankerous seniors who never played enough and caused unhealthy team dynamics. Savvy coaches know that every community has voices that demand to be heard, and I was worried that at some point I would fall victim to one of those voices.
In my fifth year as the head coach, I was at a crossroads. After years of having my gut questioned by parents and administrators more often than was comfortable, I knew I had to come up with a tryout process that was objective but one that also allowed me to select the best players for my teams and cut the kids who couldn’t help our varsity team win games.
To hold good tryouts, coaches need to be fair and give every player a chance to show what he can do.
Coaches also need to treat players and their parents with kindness, transparency, and consistency. Good leaders must also curate the best teams they can. That means picking the best players. Parents can be difficult to deal with in tryout situations, but as parents of kids who have played competitive sports, my wife Meredith and I know that tryouts can be extremely hard for parents too. One of the hardest things for parents to accept when coaches’ decisions don’t go their way is a coach’s gut feeling. Coaches know who they want on their teams and who they don’t, but in my experience gut feelings get called into question, objective data does not. In order to run consistently successful programs, and have longevity at a school, coaches must be able to pick the players they want without being questioned. This is what this essay is about.
Parents have natural biases toward their kids; it is human nature. As parents of one kid who was near the top of his age group in natural ability and one who was towards the bottom, Meredith and I know that common sense doesn’t always enter parents’ assessments of their kids’ abilities. Armed with a little empathy and the experience of holding years’ worth of tryouts as a head coach, I have learned that you can’t defeat a parent’s gut feeling with your own gut feeling; not when your decisions come under scrutiny.
So now let’s talk about how we select our players in tryouts at Alamo Heights High School. In our tryouts, we only strive to do one thing: identify the most productive players. To win games, coaches need players who produce. Legendary San Antonio MacArthur Boys Basketball Coach Lee Stubbs once told me he didn’t want shooters on his teams, he wanted makers. That just made sense to me.
Years ago, we had an 8th grader at our feeder junior high who was a pretty good shooter. The handful of times I saw him play he looked like the best player in the grade. He was long, he had good mechanics, and he was a willing shooter. However, I only got to go to a few games. I only got snapshots. I didn’t get real data. So as this class moved to the high school, I was determined to gather data that would stand up to scrutiny in a parent meeting. I wanted productive players who did more things to help their team win than they did to help their team lose. My good friend Brad Lacey was the head coach at New Braunfels Canyon and San Antonio Churchill High Schools for many years. One night he and I were talking about how we determined playing time for our varsity guys. Coaches’ decisions regarding playing time, like tryouts, are tough to defend without objective data. Coach Lacey shared with me the grade out form he used to determine minutes for the guys on his varsity. Grade outs give players a number grade after each performance. Whenever a player makes a shot, makes a free throw, makes an assist, gets a deflection, or takes a charge, he gets points. If he misses a shot, turns the ball over, fouls, or misses a free throw, he loses points. Troubled by how I run tryouts at Heights, I asked myself, "Why can’t I use this grade out for my tryouts?" Grade outs are an objective tool that assesses players’ productivity. Going into tryouts, I told that particular 8th grader to feel free to shoot those deep threes whenever he wanted, just be prepared for the outcome if he missed a bunch more than he made.
Here's what we did. On the first day of freshman tryouts, we laid out the plan. We were going to have a three-day tryout. Each day of the tryout would be an hour and a half long. The first thirty minutes of each day would be dedicated to getting loose, ball-handling drills, shooting drills, and installing some basic building blocks of our offense. None of the first thirty minutes was formally evaluated. But the last hour of each day was five on five scrimmaging, and we graded out every single solitary possession of every game. I put the kids into four even teams and let them play for an hour. My assistant, the managers, and I took stats on it all. My assistant or manager would stand behind me as I called out, “Blue number 22, three-point attempt. He missed. White number 11 defensive rebound. White number 11 assist. White number 24 two-point make.” I would continue like this through the hour of scrimmages each day. If the manager or assistant got behind on charting stats, I would blow the whistle, repeat what I had just said until he got caught up, and then play would resume.
Each game was about six minutes in length. And at the end of the three days, we added up all the points and kept the eleven kids with the highest scores. The rest were cut. That 8th grader didn’t heed my warning, whenever he was a couple feet inside halfcourt, he launched it, again and again. He made a couple, but not nearly enough. He never passed or rebounded or defended or did anything but shoot. Needless to say, he didn’t make the team.
You’re thinking: I get it. Nobody wants a player with the shot selection of Steph Curry and the shooting percentage of Jackie Moon. But what about a long, lanky kid with huge feet who could be really good one day, but just isn’t ready yet? You can’t cut that kid! He’s got potential! I totally agree with that assertion. A coach must have a little wiggle room. Prior to tryouts, I had to be clear with parents and players that the grade out was a big consideration when we selected teams, but it wasn’t the only consideration. Other things I made clear to parents and kids prior to tryouts was that other than size and height, I would consider participation in our summer leagues, attendance at our camps, assessments made by junior high coaches, and kids’ reputations in the classroom.
Coaches also need to be clear with kids and their parents about their vision for roster sizes. At AHHS, freshman and JV teams are developmental. That means kids on each of these teams will play a ton. That means keeping rosters as small as possible. In the freshmen class, I will keep as many kids as I can; but I only need eleven for that team since they practice by themselves. On the JV, I like to have eight to ten players. The varsity team is competitive, not developmental. Winning games, not developing talent is the primary goal for the varsity team. So, if a player makes it to the varsity basketball team at Alamo Heights it’s because he’s good enough to get on the floor and help us win games. If something happens along the way and I mess up an evaluation and keep a senior on the varsity who ultimately doesn’t get on the floor- I can live with that. But if I place a sophomore or a junior on the varsity and he isn’t getting at least six minutes a night, I must move him down to the JV.
I get to this point by keeping up to fourteen players when a class is in its freshman year- I’ll put up to eleven guys on the freshman team and up to three freshmen on the JV. By the time that class is sophomores, that number needs to get down to ten, and the final cut in that class of players occurs at the beginning of its
junior year when I ideally cut that number to four to six players. If my staff and I develop players and cull our numbers when necessary, and our varsity team is lean, everybody plays, and all the players are engaged throughout the season. Eight to ten players on a JV and eight to ten on the varsity may seem like a small roster that won’t be able to endure injuries or a wave of the flu, but since our JV and varsity practice together, and we run all the same stuff, there’s no need for a surplus of players. If a handful of varsity guys go down, it’s healthier to throw some young JV guys into the fire of a varsity game than it is to give those valuable minutes to seniors who won’t be able to benefit as much from varsity playing time.
The beauty of this system is that any coach can modify their grade out form however they like. I value offensive rebounds more than defensive rebounds, so offensive rebounds are worth two points while defensive rebounds are worth one point in my system. I want my teams to share the ball, so assists are worth two points, while scoring a two-point basket only has a net worth of one point five points. I really love it when my guys take charges, so when I first implemented this system, I made taking charges worth five points in tryouts. That ended up being too many because guys started to figure that out the scrimmages became more like charge-taking contests than basketball scrimmages. Taking a charge in tryouts is now only worth three points. And I have adapted over the years to deduct points for fouls and adding deductions to the form when a defender gets blown by. Another huge benefit of this system is that as soon as kids set foot on campus, they begin their indoctrination into our system. Without having to be explicitly told, incoming players know that the high school coaches value players who share the ball, take great shots, take charges, finish around the rim, and don’t turn it over.
In the seven years since I implemented the grade out system into tryouts my stress level has gone down considerably. I won’t tell you that parent meetings have been eliminated entirely, but we have way fewer than we used to. The kids know what they must do to make our teams. I even look forward to tryouts now because they have become a way to keep our program lean, healthy, and super competitive.
Coaches, please reach out if you would like a copy of the grade out we use in games and the grade out we use for tryouts. My email is abrewer@ahisd.net and my cell number is 713-824-3862.
Planning for the 2024 Coaching School & Convention in San Antonio and we are excited to host all our Texas coaches! We want to provide you with some details & updates and what to expect for 2024!
» REGISTRATION The price for Coaching School registration will be the same as last year. Please make note of the registration deadlines to afford our staff time to get registrations processed before the event.
MARCH 1 - JUNE 1 - $60 PER COACH
JUNE 2 - JULY 1 - $75 PER COACH
ONSITE AT CONVENTION - $90 PER COACH
(Please note convention registration fees are separate from the annual membership fee. Membership fee/renewal is a separate $70 fee.)
Registering a group of coaches with a school payment? You can now find a Registration Checklist & a Registration Payment Cover Sheet under the "Downloads" tab on our THSCA website. www.thsca.com/downloads
» TRANSFERS & REFUNDS The deadline to request a refund or transfer of payment for a Coaching School registration will be July 1st. If you are paying with a school check and still need to hire a coach, you may send in the registration fee with the rest of your staff and make a note that you would like us to store it in our system as open credit on your school's account until you are able to hire that person.
» THSCA MEETINGS AT COACHING SCHOOL
Regional meetings will be on Monday afternoon, from 3:45-5:00 PM as the final agenda item to finish out the day. The THSCA general meeting will still be held on Tuesday morning at 11:30 AM, and we will vote on the THSCA President-Elect nominees.
» HALL OF HONOR We will celebrate all of our Hall of Honor Class of 2024 Inductees (Lee Bridges, Ken Cook, Chris Koetting, Mel Maxfield & Jack Murphy), our State Champion coaches, and our esteemed award winners at the Hall of Honor Banquet. This banquet will kick off our Coaching School schedule on Saturday, July 20th at 7:00 PM in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Stars at Night Ballroom on the third floor. Tickets will be available for purchase in advance only.
» WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE 2024 COACHING SCHOOL REGISTRATION FEE:
► IN-PERSON ACCESS to LIVE Demos, Sport Lectures & Professional Development Lectures
► IN-PERSON ACCESS to Exhibit Show and Sponsored Networking Events
► IN-PERSON ACCESS to THSCA Regional Meetings & General Meeting, including your OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE OR BE NOMINATED in our 2024 THSCA elections.
► IN-PERSON OPTION to print/laminate your THSCA membership card for upcoming year.
► Email Certificate of Participation for Continuing Education Hours to provide to your School. (Only available to those who attend the convention in-person and pick up their packet onsite.)
Booking for the THSCA housing block and updates on hotel availability and parking are only accessible on our website at:
Online booking will require a credit card in order to secure the room, however the card will not be charged until you check-in or 72 hours before arrival. THE DEADLINE FOR BOOKING AT THE DISCOUNTED RATE WILL BE JULY 1ST.
Cancellations made after June 1, 2024, and 72 hours prior to arrival date will be charged a $50.00 cancellation fee per room. Continue to use Orchid.Events for all changes and cancellations through July 1, 2024. After July 1, 2024, cancellations must be directed to your assigned hotel at least 72 hours prior to arrival or a one night’s room and tax charge will be assessed by the hotel.
Please note the following fee is not included in room rates: 1.25% Tourism Public Improvement District (PID) Fee. Room rates and PID fees are subject to 16.75% Hotel Tax per Night. (Subject to change) Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency have additional state cost recovery fees that will be added to the rate. *Additional fees may apply for 3rd or 4th person in room: If a rollaway bed is required.*
Orchid.Events is the ONLY THSCA designated housing provider for the 2024 THSCA Convention & Coaching School. Beware of other companies misrepresenting themselves as affiliated with THSCA.
SATURDAY, JULY 20
8:30 AM New Board Member Indoctrination
1:00 PM THSCA Board Meeting
7:00 PM Hall of Honor Banquet
HBGCC Stars at Night Ballroom
SUNDAY, JULY 21
Registration Open
THSCA Office & Help Desk
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Exhibits Open
LIVE Turf & Court Demonstrations
10:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
11:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
12:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
1:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
2:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
3:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
- NCAA FBS Div. I Head Football Coaches Panel
Discussion
4:00 - 5:15 PM
- Leadership in Women's Coaching Panel
Discussion
- Athletic Trainers Networking Reception
Networking Receptions:
- HS/College Networking
5:30 - 6:30 PM
- Baseball/Softball Coaches
- Basketball/Track Coaches
- Soccer Coaches
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
MONDAY, JULY 22
Registration Open
THSCA Office & Help Desk
Exhibits Open LIVE Turf & Court Demonstrations
9:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
10:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
11:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES 12:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES 1:00 PM
LINE-UP OF LECTURES 2:00 PM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES 3:45 - 5:00 PM REGIONAL MEETINGS
Networking Receptions:
- Girls Sport Coaches
- Regions 1/2/4 Social
5:15 - 6:15 PM
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Regions 3/5 Social
- Region 6 Social
- Region 7/8 Social
TUESDAY, JULY 23
THSCA Career Center
THSCA Office & Help Desk
Exhibits Open
LIVE Turf & Court Demonstrations
9:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
10:00 AM FULL LINE-UP OF LECTURES
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM GENERAL MEETING
Check out some of our confirmed 2024 Coaching School speakers:
Cross Country speakers:
wesley kirton, canyon hs
Football - Turf Demos:
Albany HS
Aledo HS
Anna HS
Desoto HS
Doug Conrey - TX Long Snapping
Duncanville HS
Gilmer HS
Gunter HS
Malakoff HS
Timpson HS
Football - Lecture hall:
Angelo State
Baylor
HArdin-Simmons
North Texas
Rice
Sam Houston State SMU
TArleton State
TCU
Texas A&M
Texas State
Texas Tech
University of Houston
University of the Incarnate Word
University of Texas
UTEP
UTPB UTSA
Volleyball Speakers:
Dani Bosboom Kelly- University of Louisville
- Sponsored by Sports Imports
Haley Eckerman- Kent State University
- Sponsored by AVCA
Jamie Gill- Pearland HS
Monica Gonzales- Harlan HS
Leslie Jackson- Southlake Carroll HS
Ryan McGuyre- Baylor University
Joe Morales- A&M Commerce
Jacob Thompson- Rouse HS
University of Houston Staff
University of Texas Staff
Casey Veen- Barbers Hill HS
still to come, speaker content for:
The THSCA will award a certificate/plaque to honor member coaches in football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, track, wrestling and golf. In order to receive a certificate or plaque, the coach must be a member of the THSCA for several consecutive years. It is each coach’s responsibility to mail/fax this form along with their coaching record (varsity level) to the THSCA as soon as the career victory milestone is passed
One complimentary certificate and one complimentary plaque will be awarded when you reach the appropriate career vi ctory mile stone (milestones noted below). Plaques and certificates are only ordered for the career victory milestones listed below. For example, if a Career Victory Form is submitted for 300 victories in football, the plaque will be ordered to say 200 victories, unless arrangements have been made to purchase a plaque through our office. If you would like to purchase a plaque for any victories past the milestones listed below, please contact Tyler Watts at (512) 392-3741 or tylerwatts@thsca.com Plaque cost is $55.00.
It is very important to denote head coaching victories from assistant coach victories. Assistant coaches will only be awarded certificates and must count victories in VARSITY sports only.
BASEBALL 300 victories
Certificate
500 victories Plaque
BASKETBALL 300 victories Certificate
500 victories Plaque
FOOTBALL 100 victories Certificate
SOCCER
200 victories Plaque
200 victories Certificate
400 victories Plaque
SOFTBALL 300 victories Certificate
500 victories Plaque
VOLLEYBALL 300 victories Certificate
500 victories Plaque
MAIL OR FAX THIS FORM TO:
THSCA PO BOX 1138
SAN MARCOS, TX 78667
FAX: (512) 392-3762
When will I receive my certificate or plaque?
SPORT CAREER VICTORY MILESTONE CERTIFICATE / PLAQUE
CROSS COUNTRY
GOLF
SWIMMING & DIVING
TENNIS
TRACK & FIELD
WRESTLING
300 points* Certificate
600 points* Plaque
300 points* Certificate
600 points* Plaque
300 points* Certificate
500 points* Plaque
300 points* Certificate
500 points* Plaque
300 points* Certificate
500 points* Plaque
300 points* Certificate
600 points* Plaque
*ALL SPORTS ABOVE USE THE FOLLOWING POINT SYSTEM:
10 pts - each year as varsity head coach
10 pts - each team district championship
1 pt - each regional qualifier (per event)
3 pts - each state qualifier (per event)
20 pts - team regional championship
30 pts - team state championship
• CERTIFICATES: Certificates are mailed throughout the year and will be mailed as soon as the forms are processed.
• PLAQUES: Plaques are ordered only once a year, in June, and will be available in July. All forms must be received by May 31st for the plaque to be available in July. Any form received after May 31st will go on the following year’s order. All plaques must be picked-up at the plaque booth at coaching school, unless you choose to have it mailed to you. If you would like your plaque mailed to you, please enclose $8 for shipping. Mailed plaques will be mailed when they arrive in July.
NAME: _________________________________________________________ THSCA MEMBER NUMBER: __________
MAILING ADDRESS: _____________ _____ C, S, Z: _____________________________
SPORT: → (MUST denote boys or girls – points/victories for separate teams cannot be combined)
YEAR VICTORY MILESTONE WAS ACHIEVED:
SCHOOL: _ _
PLEASE CHECK ONE:
I WILL PICK UP MY PLAQUE AT COACHING SCHOOL
I WOULD LIKE MY PLAQUE MAILED TO ME & HAVE ENCLOSED $12 FOR SHIPPING
HEAD or ASSISTANT COACH: VICTORIES:
Your questions and concerns about your health matter. Ascension Seton care teams are here to empower you and your family by listening, respecting your experiences, and creating a care plan that works for you. You deserve to be seen and heard. That‘s why our doors are always open to provide health and healing, for the whole you — body, mind and spirit. To us, you are more than a patient. And together, we are a community.
Our #1 goal is to help you prepare for a winning season. That’s why we stock massive amounts of inventory from top brands in our warehouses, offer custom uniforms that ship in 4 weeks or less and place local sales teams in communities across Texas. Working hard to make your job easier.
Up to $2,000,000 per insured per occurrence/$ 3,000,000 per occurrence, plus the cost of defense, investigation and legal fees
• Applies in the event a member is alleged to have caused injury or damage to others while performing his/her professional duties
• Errors and omissions insurance for claims for damages arising out of a member ’s duties as a professional educator, including all defense cost
Note: The duty of the insurer to defend extends even to groundless, false and frivolous suits and accusations.
COVERAGE B - REIMBURSEMENT OF ATTORNEY FEES
Up to $10,000 per insured per occurrence
• The policy provides reimbursement of attorney fees in a broad range of situations not included under Coverage A. This includes allegations of criminal and/or sexual misconduct and employment related actions
other professional rights and duties.
or resignation, the matter in dispute must be resolved in favor of the member to qualify for the full reimbursement of $10,000. However, $2,000 of this amount is available for initial consultation and research, whether or not the member prevails, to determine if there exists a reasonable chance of the case being resolved in the member ’s favor.
Up to $2,000 premium on bail bonds
COVERAGE A: Up to $2,000,000 per insured per ccurrence/$3,000,000 per occurrence, plus the cost of defense, investigation and legal fees.
COVERAGE B: Up to $10,000 per claim per Insured. Coverage for criminal proceedings and /or sexual misconduct limited to $10,000 aggregate per policy term.
COVERAGE C: Up to $2,000 premium on bail bonds.
COVERAGE FEATURES:
Criminal/Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The policy provides reimbursement of attorney fees up to $10,000 under Coverage B if the educator is acting in the scope of his/her duties.
Corporal Punishment
Corporal punishment is covered under Coverage A (Liability) if administered according to the rules of the jurisdiction in which the school is located.
Outside Activity
As long as the educator is within the scope of his/her professional duties, the policy covers liability for injury to students and others while the educator is conducting visits to industrial and commercial establishments, entertainment automobile, watercraft, & aircraft exclusions
Coverage B
Reimbursement of Attorney Fees - Such reimbursement as is afforded the professional rights and duties is assured under the policy and is not contingent on the approval of a board or review committee, as might be the case where the only available assistance is from a defense fund.
•
The Texas High School Coaches Association offers a Coaches Professional Liability Insurance option to eligible members with coverage beginning July 1, 2024. The THSCA has chosen the John A. Barclay Agency, Inc. to provide this coverage to our members. This plan was devised to offer liability insurance and legal assistance to THSCA members. In order to be eligible for this coverage you must meet the following criteria:
• Your THSCA Membership must be current for the school year in which the coverage is effective – 7/1/24 - 6/30/25
• PROFESSIONAL, AFFLIATE and LIFE members are eligible only if they meet the criteria above. This insurance is not available to STUDENT or RETIRED members.
If you choose to purchase this insurance coverage and do not meet the criteria for eligibility, this coverage will not be valid. This coverage will be in effect July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Insurance purchased after July 1, 2024 will commence on the payment received date. This insurance coverage is not retroactive.
Payment should be made directly to the THSCA. The total 24/25 annual premium for the insurance coverage will be $65.00 per member.
Annual Insurance Premium: State Taxes and Fees (4.89%)
$ 54.00
$ 2. 4
Association Administrative Fee: $ 8 6
TOTAL 2024/25 Annual Premium: $ 65.00
Checks should be made payable to: THSCA
Mail payment to: THSCA, P.O. Box 1138, San Marcos, TX 78667
DO NOT MAIL PAYMENT to the Barclay Agency
Eligible members will be able to purchase the Coaches Professional Liability Insurance on the THSCA website, or by selecting to purchase the coverage on the THSCA membership application form and submitting
NOTE: In order to be eligible to purchase the coverage your membership must be current for the same year of policy coverage. (7/1/24-6/30/25)
Q
UESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
Do you have the bility to defend yourself in the event of claim?
Do you have the expertise to he best legal counsel for your situation? THIS IS NOT A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE POLICY BUT A SUMMARY AND IS PROVIDED FOR REFERENCE ONLY ALL COVERAGE PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE POLICY IN THE EVENT OF A LOSS OR OCCURRENCE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THE MASTER POLICY ON FILE WITH THE POLICYHOLDER, INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS, ENDORSEMENTS,
Shall
education fee.
EVERY DAY IS A WORKDAY: 6 INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES TO MAKE EVERY DAY A WORKDAYBY MARCUS WASHINGTON HEAD GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH - FORT BEND MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
My name is Marcus Washington, and I have coached for ten years. I spent the last eight years at my alma mater, Fort Bend Marshall High School, coaching football and girls’ basketball while serving as the Character Development Coach for both programs. Currently, I am the Head Girls' Basketball Coach at Marshall High School. At Marshall, we pride ourselves on helping our students succeed in the classroom, sports, and in life. While I certainly do not have all the answers, five years ago I used my experience as a Master Teacher, Championship Coach, and SEC student athlete to publish “Success Is My Only Option: The Official Handbook for the Modern Student”. The purpose of this handbook is to provide student athletes with the necessary tools to help them reach their full potential. Inside this book, I included 100 original inspirational messages that were used in my Character Development lessons over the past eight years to motivate students to work every day towards their goals. Here are six messages you can share with your students or use as the basis for character development lessons. #IssaWorkDay
Today, we adjust our vocabulary. We no longer set goals; we identify and hit targets. Identifying our target(s) requires us to be specific as we establish what needs to be accomplished because no target can be hit without precision. Aiming and hitting our target will require us to take intentional action as we can’t afford any wasted motion! Let’s go to work! #IssaWorkDay
1. Specifically Identify Your Target
2. Aim With Precision
3. Take Intentional Action
4. Hit The Target
Human beings are goal-seeking organisms. We work best when we’re working towards something that is important to us. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? Setting goals helps students stay focused in a world filled with distractions. The definition of focus is a center of activity, attraction, or attention. Students must put something positive at the center of their life upon which to bring their attention. Once that positivity has become the epicenter of their life, students will begin to narrow their vision but must be aware of distractions that will attempt to regain their attention and cause them to be unproductive. Because of students’ commitment to being focused they will see that every day #IssaWorkDay
“Crazy” is normally used to describe someone in a derogatory way, but once I began to research the word, it became very clear that the only way to succeed is to go crazy! To start to accomplish your goals you must break your “usual” habits and begin to do things normal people around you are not doing. Once you become obsessed with your targets, the world will start to move out of your way. Let’s go to work! Let’s go crazy! #IssaWorkDay #GoCRAZY
Belief drives behavior. If students’ goals are truly important to them, they will be willing to do whatever is necessary to make progress towards the goal. Students must understand that to accomplish goals they have never achieved before they must become someone they have never been before. Their thoughts, actions, and behavior will shift as they passionately pursue their goals every day, thus becoming a new person.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Let’s go to work! #IssaWorkDay #GoCRAZY
Success requires taking the less-traveled path and making sacrifices. This path will require you to do more things that are hard and necessary versus things that are fun and easy. Students must be willing to separate from the crowd to walk the narrow path to success.
In this life, you reap what you sow, so if you have planted negative and unproductive seeds, eventually you will reap that harvest. If you think in negative terms, you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you will get positive results. You will become what you constantly think about. Be mindful of the content that you consume as it can unconsciously affect your thoughts which can unconsciously affect your actions. Let’s go to work!
#IssaWorkDay #GoCRAZY
Your thoughts shape your reality. It’s like your thoughts are seeds, and they grow into the kind of life you’ll have. Focus on positivity to achieve success.
Sacrifice - an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important.
Most people will never succeed because they lack the willingness to sacrifice. It must be understood that to receive what you desire you will have to give up something FIRST! If you are delayed in receiving, you must ask
yourself “Am I sacrificing enough?” There is a price tag for EVERYTHING, even your own success. How much are you willing to pay? Let’s go to work! #IssaWorkDay #GoCR8ZY
If a student were to go to the store for some candy, they would not dare leave without paying first. Once they pay the correct price with tax to the clerk, they will gladly receive their candy and receipt. Students accomplishing their goals is no different. Students must sacrifice their currency of time and effort in exchange for their goal, and don’t forget the tax! Once the goal is accomplished, the receipt is their reflection on the journey and identifying the steps they took to achieve their goal.
Michael Jordan didn’t win his first championship until his seventh season in the NBA. Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons and won five championships; that means 15 seasons he missed his target. LeBron James didn’t win a championship until year nine. Three of the greatest basketball players the NBA has ever seen have experienced failure, but that’s not what we remember them for. Do not let your lack of current success define or discourage you. Learn the lesson and persist until you succeed. SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION. Let’s go to work! #IssaWorkDay #GoCR8ZY
Getting to your desired destination is going to require you to acquire new information and master new skills. You are where you are, and you have what you have because of what you know. Information changes situations! BUT you must understand what this LEARNING process is going to look like. DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF YOU STRUGGLE AND TAKE SOME Ls OR LOSSES AT THE BEGINNING. It may be L after L after L but it is ok because you’re LEARNING.
These are just a few Workday messages from my character development lessons over the years that have resonated with my student athletes. If you have any questions about character development, my successful methods for motivating middle school, high school, and college students, or how to obtain a copy of ‘Success Is My Only Option: The Official Handbook for the Modern Student,’ please feel free to contact me at marcus.washington@fortbendisd.com.
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2024 THSCA Hall of Honor Banquet by Balfour, will be Saturday, July 20, 2024 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Stars at Night Ballroom (3rd Floor) in San Antonio, Texas.
Ticket info available at www.thsca.com/awards
Davis Lee Bridges was born into a military family on October 13, 1956, at Fort Hood, Texas. “Lee” was the youngest of five children born to Evelyn J. and Frank M. Bridges. He was raised in Lampasas and graduated in 1975 from Lampasas HS where he excelled in athletics, lettering three years in baseball, three years in basketball and two years each in football and track. He played with his close friend and co-captain in football, Gary Milligan, and his dear friend, Johnny “Lam” Jones. At Lampasas High, Lee also met the person who would change his life forever, Connie Grusendorf.
After high school, Lee attended UT Austin along with Connie---she more than anyone encouraged Lee to become a coach when she realized he was not happy in his chosen major. Connie and Lee married at the end of their freshman year at UT. Lee was a UT walk-on football player from January through August 1977 where he learned the intricacies of secondary play from UT legend Alan Lowry.
After graduating Cum Laude from UT in May 1979, with a B.S.E. and concentrations in English and Physical Education, Lee was hired to coach and teach at Victoria HS by his high school coach, Scott Boyd—here, he taught 9th grade English and learned a great deal about football and track in four years from Coach Boyd and fellow coaches, Alan Weddell and Zoe Simpson.
In 1983, Lee was hired to come back to Austin by Wally Freytag at John H. Reagan HS, where he served
for nine years as the men’s head track coach and as an assistant football coach, eventually becoming the defensive coordinator under Dennis Cedar. Continuing in the English classroom, he won the “Teacher of the Year” award in 1987. As head track coach, his teams won several district and regional titles and his 1988 4 X 100-meter relay set a national record at the state meet. Lee also started to understand very quickly (Based on Coach Freytag’s great staff of mentors and servantcoaches) that this was more about the students and how the coaches and the game could help students grow.
In 1992, Lee was hired as the Athletic Coordinator/ Head Football Coach at Austin HS and served in that capacity for four years. Along with his good friend from Reagan, Lee Penland, they turned the Maroons into a playoff team for the first time in over 15 years finishing 8-3 in 1995—losing in the first round to eventual state champion, San Antonio Roosevelt. Lee was named the 1995 Central Texas Coach of the Year by the Austin American Stateman.
After serving as the Head Football Coach at Killeen HS, where he hired a great up-and-coming assistant coach, Drew Sanders, Lee was hired in 2000 by Athletic Director Dub Farris and Principal Harold Maldonado to be the Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach at William H. Taft HS in San Antonio. In 2001, the Raiders finished 12-3 losing in the 5A state title game, 14-13 to the undefeated Mesquite Skeeters. Lee was named 2001 Coach of the Year by the San Antonio Express News. Playoffs over the next three years and another trip back to the quarterfinals in 2004 finished Lee’s time at Taft.
Encouraged by his Principal, Harold Maldonado, Lee moved to John Paul Stevens HS with the challenge of opening a new school. Lee led the Falcons' young athletic programs to success in all sports and the football
program exceeded expectations by making the playoffs four years in a row with a deep run in 2010. After starting 1-3, the team rebounded by winning 10 games in a row, losing in the semifinals to eventual 6A state champion, Pearland.
In 2013, he moved to Leander HS as the head coach and finished his career as the athletic director for Leander ISD in 2015.
Lee attributes any of his success to the wonderful players and coaches he has had the great privilege to learn from and work with at every stop----These coaches were willing to work hard and continue to learn the game, and these players gave their absolute best on the field and in the classroom. More than a dozen assistants have become head football coaches and dozens of players played football in college—many of them becoming coaches themselves.
On a personal level first and foremost, Lee knows that successes as a teacher and coach were due in large part to the unflinching support he has had from his wonderful family—his wife Connie, a master math teacher and huge football fan—and his beautiful daughter Katie, who coached as hard from the stands as he did—both of whom were always there at every game—win or lose— “all in” for the team.
Professionally, he served as the THSCA 5A Selection Committee Rep for the North all-star football team in 1999 and served on the Board of Directors of the THSCA and as Senior Director for Region 8. He was nominated for and coached the 2005 THSCA South All-Star football team to victory at that year’s THSCA convention in San Antonio and was nominated for President of the THSCA in 2006.
On a national level, Lee served on the AFCA High school program committee from 1999 until 2013 and was presented the AFCA TEXAS HS POWER OF INFLUENCE award from Grant Teaff & RC Slocum in 2012.
Ken Cook grew up in Sanger, Texas with younger brothers, Keith (13 months younger) and Scott (5 years younger). After graduating from Sanger High School in 1967, he attended Ranger College to play baseball and ultimately receiving his B.S. degree and M.Ed. degrees from North Texas
State University in 1971 and 1974, respectively.
He began his coaching career at Groesbeck Jr. High followed by two years at Carroll Junior and Carroll High Schools. Ken returned to his hometown of Sanger for five years where he served as head boys basketball, head baseball, and varsity football assistant coach at Sanger High School, during which he implemented and coached the boys' golf program.
In 1979, he began an exceptionally long and successful career at Carroll High School in Southlake where he served in more progressively senior capacities including Athletic Coordinator, UIL Coordinator, and concluding with interim Athletic Director in 2002-2003. During his tenure at Carroll, Ken has served as a classroom teacher, head boys basketball (24 years), and head baseball coach (6 years), and varsity football defensive coordinator (17 years). Ken Cook led teams, across football, basketball, and baseball, teams consistently were crowned district, regional, and state champions. He retired from Carroll in 2003. And was selected to the Carroll Athletic Hall of Honor in 2013.
During his Southlake Carroll coaching career, Ken won five Texas state championships: three in football serving as Defensive Coordinator in 1988, 1992, and 1993, one as head boys basketball coach in 1993, and one as head baseball coach in 1982. Ken also served as Interim Athletic Director during Carroll’s football state championship in 2002.
Ken served on Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Board of Directors and in 2002-03 assumed the role of TABC President. He has served on too many THSCA and TABC committees to name and was honored as 1993 TABC State Coach of the Year. Cook was selected to coach three basketball all-star games and two football all-star games hosted by several Texas coaching organizations. In the summer of 2000, Ken was elected to the THSCA Board of Directors and served a term of four years.
As a retire-rehire starting in fall 2003, Ken served as head girls basketball coach and girls' athletic coordinator at Boswell High School in the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD. In 2015, Cook put down his coaching whistle for good with in favor of retirement accumulating a career record of 728 wins in 40 years as boys' and girls' head basketball coach. Not one to remain stagnant, he took on and still holds the part-time position at EMISD Athletic Department as Assistant Athletic Director ,where he oversees three football stadiums and other district facilities and acts as primary EMSISD UIL liaison for the district. He fulfills his retirement golf quota most
mornings and weekends at the Resort at Eagle Mountain Golf club where he is a member of the MGA Board and oversees the “Dew Busters” morning golf group.
Ken and his wife, Kerry, live in Fort Worth at the Resort on Eagle Mountain Lake. Kerry, also a teacher, taught seventh grade math at Carroll ISD for 26 years prior to completing her 17th year at EMSISD. Kerry recently retired after teaching middle school math for 43 years. Ken and Kerry have two children. Their son Casey received his master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. Casey works as Director of Commodity Risk at Macquarie Bank in Houston. He and his wife Krista have two children, Kai (10) and Kaine (7). Their daughter, Courtney, also graduated from Oklahoma State University and is a Senior Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist for AstraZeneca. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, Derek, and two children, Blakely (6) and Everly (4).
Chris Koetting was born on September 10, 1968, in Groom, Texas to Terri and Herman Koetting. He grew up in Panhandle and attended school there from kindergarten through graduation. His love for football began when his father took him to watch Groom compete in a state championship in 1975.
Chris graduated from Panhandle High School in 1987. He was a starter for the Panhandle Panthers as a freshman at a whopping 125 pounds but hit like he was 180 pounds. He played running back and defensive back for the late, great, Stocky Lamberson, who always conditioned his players to be mentally and physically tough. Chris got to play for a state championship against Groveton in 1984. Because of Coach Lamberson and the other coaches at Panhandle, he decided he wanted to coach students. He always respected his coaches and decided it looked like they were always having fun being around each other.
Chris attended West Texas State University and graduated from there in 1992. He married his high school sweetheart, Rosemary Surratt, later that year.
Chris’s coaching career began when Dan Hurley hired Chris to work in Perryton in July of 1992. He oversaw coaching receivers and 8th grade boys’ athletics. Later, Coach Hurley took a job in Lockhart, Texas in 1994 and
took Chris with him. He then coached receivers & track.
Chris and Rosemary started their family while in Lockhart. Lauren was born in 1998, and twin boys, Bill and Jack, were born in 2001. After being in Lockhart for eight years and having three kids, it was time to move back to the Panhandle to be closer to family. In 2002, Bryan Gerlich was Chris’s ticket back to the Panhandle. He hired him to coach the defensive line and was the special team’s coordinator at Hereford High School.
Not looking to move, Chris received a call from Kyle Lynch in June of 2003. He needed an offensive coordinator, and someone had given him Chris’s name. Crazy enough, he almost told him no. Thankfully he said yes, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life. He and his family then moved to Canadian. Chris was the Wildcats offensive coordinator, coached track, taught science at the middle school, and coached 8th grade girls’ basketball.
Prior to 2007, Canadian had been a primarily “run” team. For the 2007 season, the Wildcats changed to a no-huddle, air raid, NASCAR-type offense because they really didn’t have any big players to run. Most of the players were smaller but could catch and were tough. Canadian, under the direction of Kyle Lynch, won their first state championship that year.
In 2008, Canadian went down in classification and won a 2nd state championship under Lynch, with Chris calling the offense. Canadian had a chance to 3-peat for a state championship in 2009, but Goldthwaite had other plans. Canadian ended up losing to Goldthwaite that year.
In 2010, Kyle Lynch was moved up to Superintendent and Chris Koetting was hired as AD/HC. Nothing changed with the football program except Chris was on the field and not in the press box. Canadian lost to eventual State Champion Mart in the semi-final game. Record was 131.
In 2011, Canadian lost to Albany in the Area round. 2012 and 2013 Wildcats lost in the quarterfinal rounds against Sonora and Cisco prospectively.
However, 2014 marked a new, exciting year for the Wildcats. They went undefeated and played in their first state championship under the direction of Chris Koetting. They beat an undefeated, talented Mart team for a chance to play for a state championship. Chris also hired Andy Cavalier as defensive coordinator prior to the start of the 2014 season. Canadian defeated Mason in the state championship game 34-7, which also led to a 15-0 record that year.
That same 2014-2015 school year marked Canadian’s first state championship in boys’ basketball under the direction of Andy Copley. Most of those players played football; which meant they didn’t start any basketball until after Christmas.
Even though 2015-2016 was a new school year, the Wildcats still maintained high expectations and goals by winning a second state championship in football, defeating Refugio 61-20. It has been reported by multiple sports writers that this Canadian Wildcat team could potentially be the best 2A team in the history of the UIL. The name “Air Canada” became synonymous with the Canadian Wildcat offense. Once football was finished, many of those same players went on to win another 2A state championship in boys’ basketball. Never in the history of the UIL has a classification gone back-to-back state champions in football and basketball. This accomplishment was a direct reflection of the hard work, passion, and drive of both the players and coaches.
Canadian’s enrollment had grown and in 2016, they moved up a classification to 3A-II. Again, they won their way to the semifinal round, but lost to Gunter who went on to win a state championship. The same result happened in 2017. In 2018, Canadian beat Gunter in the semifinal round to get to play in a state championship against the powerhouse Newton. The Wildcats, behind 21-0 at half contained the potent Newton offense in the second half by keeping them scoreless. The final score was Newton 21-16, but many were proud of the grit and tenacity of the Wildcat team.
Again in 2019 and 2020, Canadian faced Gunter in the semifinal round. Gunter won the matchup in 2019, but Canadian won in 2020. In the 2020 state championship, coming down to the final minute of the game, Canadian won in an absolute thriller, 35-34 against Franklin during the covid pandemic.
In the year 2021, this was the first year since 2014 that Canadian didn’t advance to the semi-final round. However, Canadian returned to the semifinals again in 2022 only to lose to Gunter by one point. Gunter went on to win a state championship that year.
In April of 2023, Chris Koetting decided to retire, leaving the Canadian Wildcat athletic program in the able hands of Andy Cavalier. Chris was inducted into the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in June of 2023. He has received various awards over the years as a head football coach, including Coach and Program of the Year awards. One of his favorite honors was serving as a board member for the Texas High School Coaches Association,
getting to know and value many of his relationships with coaches across the state. However, the most special and memorable award he received was the naming of Chris Koetting Field at Wildcat Stadium this past fall. Getting honored in front of his family, closest friends, former players, coaches, and community members was something he will cherish forever.
Raymond Mel Maxfield (Mel) was born in Kenedy, Texas on October 30, 1958. He was the son of G. W. and Anna Belle Maxfield. He graduated from Gorman High School, where he was a four year lettering quarterback and safety, leading his team to two state championship titles. From there, Mel took his talents to the University of Texas at Arlington while earning his bachelor's degree. He later received a master’s degree from East Texas State University.
Valuing family above all else, Mel benefited from the love and support of his wife, Jill. Married for more than three decades, they had four kids: Payton, Kylie, Max and Reece. In all his endeavors, Mel drew strength from his Christian faith and family.
Mel Maxfield has been in the coaching business for 40 years. He has been the head coach and athletic director for four different districts. He was at Forney High School (1987- 2000), Burleson High School (2001-2009), Amarillo High School (2010-2018), and Monahans High School (2018).
Coach Max is also noted for his expertise in the heavy “run game”, as he patented the Wing-T offense for high school football.
At Forney High School, Coach Maxfield had the record of 129 wins and 43 losses with one tie. He holds the title of the winningest football coach in Forney ISD history. While serving the Jackrabbits, he guided his team to five undefeated regular seasons, nine District Championships, seven Bi-District Championships, two Area Championships, two Regional Championships, one State Qtr Final, one State Semi- Final Championship. In total, the Jackrabbits qualified for the playoffs in 11 out of 15 seasons.
In 2000, Coach Max accepted the Head Coach position at Burleson High School. He coached the Elks for eight seasons. In a very short period of time, Max flipped
the program. He led BHS to five playoff appearances and one District Championship.
In 2010, Max moved to coach the Amarillo High Sandies. Coach Maxfield found himself on the winning side of every season. Maxfield posted a 65-29 record during his time at Amarillo High. Maxfield took the Sandies to the postseason in all eight of his seasons at Amarillo High School. In back-to-back 2012 and 2013 seasons, Maxfield took the team to the third round of the Texas high school football playoffs. His record credited him as the winningest coach in the Panhandle area of Texas.
Mel achieved over 250 career wins making him one of the most winning coaches in Texas high school football history. Mel was a dedicated member of THSCA, winner of the 2006 Nike Coach of the Year award, winner of multiple UIL Coach of the Year awards, and recipient of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Tom Landry Award in 2016.
Jack Murphy was born in 1938 to John and Gertrude Murphy. Jack was a native of Tyler, Texas and was one of ten children in his family. Coach Murphy was married to Jo Leah Murphy and had three children, Kelly, Jack, and Jill. Growing up, he was raised in the shadows of Whitaker’s Food Store. He viewed athletics as his ticket to a college education. Jack fondly recalled that coaching was all he ever wanted to do; it was his first love and his first ambition. He believed with his whole heart that the good Lord blessed him in that capacity. From shooting hoops through a neighbor’s bushel basket to playing full-contact football inside on rainy days with a ball made of socks, sports were in his blood. Jack was a standout athlete at Chapel Hill High School, a foursports letterman who excelled in baseball and football, garnering All-District recognition.
After high school, Murphy received a football scholarship to Tulsa University where he played his freshman season before returning to Tyler Junior College where he earned All-Conference and junior college All-American honors. He returned to Tulsa for his remaining two years where he earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for his aggressive athletic ability on the field. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Life Science and received his
Master of Education from East Texas State University and Mid-Management certificate from Stephen F. Austin University.
Murphy’s coaching career began with short stints at Clarendon High School and Judson High School before arriving at Gladewater as an assistant football coach in 1965. He was named head coach during the 1969 season and led the Bears to the state quarterfinals for the first time in the school’s history. He continued to build one of the most dominating football programs in the state, winning or sharing a district title nine times while making a class AAA state record eleven consecutive trips to the playoffs. The Bears returned to the state quarterfinals five times after Coach Murphy’s 1969 debut, advancing to the semifinals in 1989. During his stellar career, Murphy amassed a 215-116-7 overall record, standing with a select few East Texas high school coaches to top the 200-victory mark.
In 1982, Coach Murphy assumed the double title of Athletic Director and Head Coach. He served on the Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association for four years and was nominated Region VI football coach candidate for the THSCA All-Star game four times. He was voted district football “Coach of the Year” eight times and was voted East Texas “Coach of the Year” two times. In 1998, Coach Murphy was the recipient of the prestigious “Tom Landry Award”. His honors also include being inducted into the Tyler Junior College Sports Circle of Honor, induction into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor, and in 1998, Coach Murphy was honored with the Gladewater High School football stadium being renamed the “Jack V. Murphy Bear Stadium”.
Coach Murphy’s influence continues to this day through the lives of many young people in the classroom and on the field. He was a man who loved his students and athletes; a man who was a strong leader on and off the field; a man who demanded the best from his players, but not without demanding the same from himself; a man who was very humble yet proud, leaving an indelible mark on the lives he touched. His inspiration has helped so many of Gladewater’s youth build character, develop good morals, and foster a strong work ethic which has enabled them to be successful individuals in many different walks of life. Jack Murphy was a husband, a father, a PaPa Coach, a brother, a Christian, a friend, a philosopher, a teacher, and a valued citizen of Gladewater. To those who knew him best, Jack Murphy was “Always a Winner in our Hearts.”
Coach Jack V. Murphy retired in 1997 and passed away in October of 2000 after a battle with cancer.
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There has been much written about hitting: from the stance, to the load, to the plane of the swing, and the attitude of the hitter. To me, the most important thing when hitting is your eyes. Sometimes in our zeal to provide instruction on proper hitting, we forget the impact a hitter's eyes have. I believe the eyes have the most significant impact on whether they can hit the ball or not. Your eyes are what help you with pitch recognition; from spin and type, to location of where the pitch is in relation to the strike zone. This article focuses on how having good pitch recognition when it comes to location can help increase your effectiveness as a hitter.
Count hitting and using the strike zone is an easy way of improving your overall batting average. Hitting while understanding the strike zone and the count can help equalize the battle between the hitter and pitcher. I always say my favorite sound in the world is a hard hit baseball.
Besides the newborn cry of my baby boy being born, the sound of a well-hit ball will always be the best sound I have ever heard. Hitting is one of the toughest athletic skills to master.
Understanding the count, and the zones you hit in is one way of improving your overall average and effectiveness at the plate.
You walk up to the plate at 0-0 and there is alot going through your head. First, depending on your skill level, situation, and importance of the at-bat both team-wise and individually, it can be challenging to keep your composure. The most important thing is to first take a deep breath when stepping into the box and try and relax your mind/body as much as possible. In order to count hits using the strike zone, this has to be practiced mentally many times over. You can’t walk into the box and attempt this without practicing in the cage and on the tee. I walk into the box and the count is 0 - 0, the first thing in my head is understanding where I like to hit the ball, for me that was slightly low and outside. Every hitter has to be able to hit the fastball down the center (zone 1); so for me, I
step in the box with the intent of hitting a fast ball in either middle of zone 1, the top half of zone 4 and bottom of zone 2.
I have always called this approach shrinking the zone. Any other pitch location and I am laying off. This accomplishes two things: first, I am being aggressive on the first pitch within reason, as you go higher and higher in baseball it becomes harder to hit the ball. Being too aggressive on the first pitch as you increase in level difficulty will lead to many more weak ground balls or pop flies that will not get you on base. Second, if the pitch thrown is a strike Now I have watched it up close and personal to gauge the speed and delivery of the pitcher. If the pitch is a ball now I am up on the count.
Lets just say the first pitch is a ball, and now the hitter is working with a 1 - 0 count. Now the hitter has a few more options. He can continue with the same method at 1 - 0 as he did with 00, remembering that it is early in the count and he wants to manipulate the pitcher into pitching the pitch he wants to hit. For me at 1-0, I would use the exact same method. Now, if I notice a trend that the pitcher throws either inside or offspeed when they are down in the count, then I can adjust accordingly. I can move my smaller strike zone inside or be prepared for an off-speed pitch in the same location. Let's assume I get ball 2 after the second pitch.
At 2-0 my approach is going to be the same. I may even shrink my hitting zone even further in order to make it easier for me to focus on one part of the plate. Again, remember that whatever zone you hit best at is where your shrinking it to, but it should always include zone 1 (down the middle of the plate).
Now, if you get a third ball and the count is 3-0 you are in an excellent position as a hitter. You have seen 3 pitches, and are way ahead of the count. In this instance you have now shrunk the plate for the pitcher; they cannot necessarily mess with the inside or outside of the plate for fear of walking you. At all youth levels, you are going to be told to take the next pitch (rightfully so) but at the more advanced levels (college, professional) you will be allowed to swing. At those levels, you should shrink the zone even further and using what I like to hit you would hunt fastball in the middle to slightly outside (again your zone may be different based on the area you hit the baseball best).
Let's say you decided to play it safe and not swing at 3-0 and the pitcher delivers a strike. Now you're sitting 3-1. At 3-1 you have a decision to make and have three options: Option 1, you can go back to your 2 - 0 zone; Option 2, go to a slightly larger zone (see below); or Option 3, you can go to a close to full zone. Which option you choose
should be based on how well you hit with two strikes. Learning to hit with two strikes is extremely important and is a skill that has to be mastered to move up in baseball. For the sake of utilizing the techniques we are talking about let your answer to that question guide you in what option you select.
pitchers have a tendency to either throw at the edges a bit more or throw something off speed to see if you will bite. At 0 - 2, or 1 - 2 pitchers will usually throw off the plate, high or low out of the zone, or an off speed pitch.
Once you get to a 3-2 count, you now have to push the strike zone to it’s fullest extent. At the youth and high school level you will need to push the zone slightly wider than the strike zone. At this point, you have battled the pitcher to a position that is just as advantageous to them as it is you. Two things you get by using this method even if you fail at this at bat: First, you have now seen a lot of pitches (maybe you foul off one or two). All of those pitches add to your knowledge as a hitter vs this specific pitcher. Secondly, you have made the pitcher work for the out. He does not get to throw one pitch and the next batter is up. Remember, the first step is determining where you like to hit the ball in the zone, obviously this should be where you make the most consistent contact.
Remember, as you increase your effectiveness with this approach pitchers and coaching staff may start (they will the higher you go) to track where you hit the ball well and what type of pitch you like to hit. It will be important that you continue to develop the ability to hit all pitches located in every zone.
Of course, if a pitcher starts you off with a strike then you go behind in the count and basically the opposite starts to happen. You widen the zone more and when you get to two strikes you push the zone even further. Here are some things to think about when the count goes in favor of the pitcher.
0-1 - pitchers now have a margin for error. Most
When you get to an even count (1-1, 2-2) everything is sort of in play, the pitcher has a margin for error, but depending on their level of confidence and how they are pitching that day you can many times guess what they are throwing. If they are struggling. (Let's say they have thrown a few walks), you can usually assume they are coming into the strike zone in order to not get behind in the count. If the pitcher is rolling, limited walks has a lead, pilling up the K’s, then you cannot count out their ability to throw out of the zone or an off speed pitch in or out of the zone at this stage.
Ultimately, hitting comes down to recognizing with our eyes the type and location of the pitch being thrown. Utilizing this method of count and zone hitting will increase the hitter’s chances of swinging at pitches they hit best, while giving them the most opportunity to see the types of pitches thrown by a particular pitcher. I am not a sole believer in one statistic over another, as a coach I look at a combination of average, quality at bats, on base percentage, walks vs strikeout ratio, and hitting for power. This method will definitely help increase a hitter’s quality at bats and on base percentage as well as the hitter’s overall ability to hit the ball.
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100% of graduates are fully employed.
83% of all graduates received a promotion or star ted in a new job since they
72% of graduates are full time employed in the spor t enter tainment industr y
81% of female graduates are full time employed in the spor t enter tainment industr y
(data as of January 2023)
April 2024
Spring is here! The beautiful bluebonnets are a reminder that warmer days are on their way. School is flying by! Basketball and Powerlifting seasons are over, and other spring sports are gearing up for playoffs and wrapping up their seasons. Then comes testing, Prom, graduation, and finally, summer break! Make the most of every moment!
Looking ahead to July, we have our annual convention with exciting events planned for Coaching School!
San Antonio Convention 2024
Ways You Can Be Involved:
Sponsorships: As a new 501(c)(3) organization, we're seeking sponsors! If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them contact us at txcoacheswives@gmail.com. We have sponsorship levels ranging from $150 to $5,000.
Auction Baskets: We need each region to contribute at least one auction basket. Your regional director will be contacting you, but you can also reach out to them directly. We can provide their contact information upon request.
Door Prizes: We love door prizes! The more, the merrier! Feel free to bring as many as you'd like – everyone loves winning something fabulous.
Bring Your Staff Wives: Encourage your fellow coaches' wives to join you at Coaching School! The bigger our community, the stronger our coaching family becomes.
Join THSCWA: If you haven't already, now's the perfect time to join THSCWA! We're accepting new memberships until June. By joining, you help contribute to the scholarships we present at our State Meeting.
Scholarships: Encourage your high school senior coach's children to apply for our THSCWA scholarships! The application form and instructions are available on our website (https://www.thscwa.org/) and are due by 11:59 PM on April 30, 2024.
Woman of the Year: Nominate a deserving coach's wife for Woman of the Year! We'll be surprising the winner at our State Meeting. Nomination forms can be found on our website and must be submitted by May 1, 2024.
If you have questions about your membership, please contact Cynthia Griffing at thscwatreasurer@gmail.com.
See you in San Antonio! We can't wait to reconnect with you at the convention. Thank you for your continued support of the THSCWA. Stay tuned for exciting news by following us on social media and visiting our website (website link here: https://www.thscwa.org/). Time is flying! Summer's almost here, so remember to take some time to relax and recharge before the busy season begins.
Best wishes for a great spring!
Misty Houston, THSCWA President txcoacheswives@gmail.com
THSCWA OFFICERS: 2023-2024
PRESIDENT: misty houston
PRESIDENT ELECT : justine palmer
SECRETARY: daisy greek
TREASURER: cynthia griffing
PAST PRESIDENT: shelby b. shelby
DIRECTORS
REG 1: clara simmons
REG 2: JESSICA ATWoOD
REG 3: KRISTEN HAYWOOD
REG 4: angie torres
REG 5: erin smith
REG 6: LYNDSEY RATLIFF
REG 7: rita romero
REG 8: AMANDA AGUIRRE
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS:
REG 1: autumn softley
REG 2: victoria dugeon
REG 3: valerie harris
REG 4: GENTRY STAUGH
REG 5: courtney reeve & leigh montgomery
REG 6:
REG 7: Alisa masters
REG 8: Hilary moore
THSCWA will award a minimum of two (2) $2,000 scholarships to children of active THSCWA members who are graduating seniors Selection of the recipients will be based on the following criteria:
1 2024 Graduating Senior who has maintained a “B” or better average throughout high school
2 Participant in a school sponsored activity during his/her high school career
3. Not a recipient of a full scholarship
4. Recipient must use the scholarship towards an accredited college or university, trade or vocational school
5 Mother must be a current member of THSCWA
6. The essay MUST respond to the prompt to be considered by the committee
Applicants should be prepared to submit the following information with the items (PDF format) listed below: Name: Phone(s): Personal (not school) Email
Submit yo ur information with PDF versions of the following:
Resume (Including: Educational & Career Goals, Awards & Recognitions, Extracurricular Involvement-activity and years of participation)
Official transcript (including Fall 2023 grades)
Essay
Student ’s picture (to be used for THSCWA media)
Mother ’s current THSCWA membership card
Selection will be made by the THSCWA Scholarship Committee.
All applicants will be notified when selections have been made
Submit all information on Google Form (scan QR).
Only applications submitted on the Google Form will be considered for selection
All applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2024. Any applications submitted after this point will not be accepted.
Any questions can be directed to THSCWAScholarship@gmail.com
*Recipient ’s checks will be sent directly to the school on the recipient ’s behalf once enrollment has been verified.
In 2017, I was hired by Amanda Wolf to be head basketball coach and an assistant track coach at Elgin High School. I quickly learned that if you want to learn not just success, but high-level sustained success, you learn from Amanda Wolf. Wanting to build a similar culture, I would stop by the softball field after track practice to observe one of the most storied programs in all of Texas. Coach Wolf and her assistant coach Shanika Randle have a philosophy of “June-to-June.” The idea is that the journey to play in a championship cannot start in January, when softball officially starts, and finish in June after your last game. A championship culture demands a year-round investment and commitment from all involved.
When I was a high school athlete at Seguin High School, we had a mantra of I.N.A.M. which stood for, "It's Not About Me." Since those days as an athlete, my overarching belief-system has always been We > Me (another Amanda Wolf credo). Whatever the team needs is what
needs to be done. In 2016 at my first job, when Maypearl High School asked me to coach three sports, it was an immediate and excited, “YES!” When Elgin High School asked me to coach two additional sports while also being head basketball, it was an immediate and excited, “YES!” Now at Hays High School, when I was asked to coach three sports, I immediately and excitedly said, “YES!” There is no other option but to do what our schools, athletic departments, and students need to be successful.
I feel the most comfortable on a basketball sideline, but we are often asked to coach sports that put us outside of our comfort zone. The athletes on those teams don’t care if you only played middle school volleyball and little league softball, or if your lack of a vertical kept you in the horizontal jumps rather than the high jump in track. What matters is being the best coach you can be for those athletes who are looking to you for guidance. This requires stepping out of your comfort zone, seeking
knowledge from experienced coaches, attending THSCA in the summer, and embracing the mentorship of those who possess the expertise.
Finding your role on each staff is pivotal in the success of the programs of which you are a part. My reputation as a coach is built on my energetic and upbeat approach, coupled with my knack for building relationships - you don’t become the “dugout intensity specialist” on a staff with Coach Wolf and Coach Randle without great energy - and while I may not be the most knowledgeable on a coaching staff, our coaches and athletes trust and believe that my energy will be infectious and more than great.. By finding my roles on each staff, I try to be an invaluable asset to our team and its success.
In the summer as volleyball season is upon us, I set up individual Google Drives for volleyball, basketball, and softball with folders for practice calendars, tournament set-up, specialty nights and other game day information, equipment, and any other needed forms and documentation that helps our staff and head coaches focus as much as possible on our actual coaching. Volleyball overlaps with pre-season basketball, which overlaps with the pre-seasons of softball and track, which overlaps with the off-seasons of volleyball and basketball, so I want to do everything I can to help because I know that my coaching of three sports takes away a coach in my two other sports. Taking that time-consuming but necessary work off of our head coaches is integral in allowing our coaches time to do what we all want to do: coach! Whether you are taking care of equipment, travel and food, heading up strength and conditioning for the program, or being a spark of energy for the team in the middle of a big game, no job is too small - recognizing that every role, no matter how seemingly small, contributes to the greater tapestry of the team's achievements.
Being the best version of myself also involves recognizing the power of saying no. When your instinct is We > Me, that can be an incredibly challenging idea - if the team needs you, who are we, as individuals, to say no? However, to truly be the best version of myself, I must ensure that
my “yes” is not just a response, but a resounding and committed, “YES!”
I have coached three sports in nine out of ten years. I get asked all the time how and why I do it, and continue to do it after ten years. The answer remains the same: I love every single moment. I love the early mornings and I love the late nights. I love practices and games and tournaments and the postseason. I love seeing our athletes succeed. I love getting to know athletes who I’d otherwise not get to meet. I love seeing our multi-sport athletes succeed in both their main and "fun" sports. I love to learn and grow from all of the incredible coaches that I have been lucky enough to work with.
I can’t remember the last Tuesday or Friday that I was able to sit in my house, feet propped up, watching a movie. Saturdays without a tournament or practice are few and far between. Time with my family is limited to only three or four days during Thanksgiving break, five days over Christmas break, and a few weeks in the summer when sports camps aren’t happening or I’m not working our strength and conditioning camp. Being in-season all year due to coaching three sports, or as I have to come to call it, coaching “June-to-June,” is undeniably challenging, but the opportunity you have as a coach to impact our kids is worth every moment. As coaches, we are not just mentors; we are architects of character, shaping the leaders of tomorrow. If we don’t do it, who will?
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One of the things I take a lot of pride in as a coach is our staff’s willingness to adapt and change each year. We try to get better each year at everything we do. We have a great staff that commits to research and clinics, and we don’t do things because “it’s how we’ve always done it.” Special Teams have played a huge role in some success we’ve been fortunate enough to have. Our coaching staff decided that we needed to get better at KO coverage after the 2021 season. Joey McGuire, Kenny Perry and the Texas Tech staff were kind enough to let us learn some kickoff fundamentals and schemes that have really helped our program.
We have had some decent kickoff coverage units, but we felt like we needed to get better. A lot of that had to do with SOC returning an opening kickoff for a touchdown in the state semifinals, but a lot also had to do with us realizing that “decent” wasn’t good enough. In 2021, we averaged 19.39 yards per kick returned. Since we implemented this kickoff that average has gone down to 13.86. Also in 2021, teams started short of the 25 yards line on 18% of our kickoffs. That number jumped to 36% the year we started this. We also haven’t given up a kick-return touchdown since that state semifinals game. It has truly helped us win the field position battle.
Before I specifically talk about our Kickoff coverage unit, I would like to briefly mention our overall special teams keys that have helped us improve.
1. Starters will play on special teams. If you are tired and need a break, you get it on offense or defense, not special teams.
2. If you want a single digit number, you have to be a starter on at least one special team.
3. Involve every coach on staff in our special teams in some way. Some are scout team coaches and some are directly coaching a position. All coaches will be involved.
4. Similar to a lot of people’s offense philosophy we try to game plan players over plays on special teams. This helps us prep for games and it gives us an advantage in several areas (field position, stealing a possession…etc.)
The basic idea of our kickoff coverage is to cut the field in half. We have a right-footed kicker so we put the ball on the left hash. We align 5X5 from outside the numbers on the left to the right hash. We typically don’t start with a player outside of the right hash. The spacing of the L5 and R5 can change depending on the kicker’s approach to the ball (see figure 1 for alignments).
The ideal kick for us will land between the numbers and the sideline at the 5 yard line. We would like there to be four seconds of hang time on the kick. We are fortunate to have an elite kicker that can get this done, but this kickoff coverage works if you have an average kicker as well. If you get the kick to the proper spot
on the field (on or outside the numbers), the teaching becomes easy for everyone else. Teaching points that make this kickoff easy:
1. Players have no lanes; Read your key and run to the ball (Figure 1).
2. When we get to the ball, it is simple run fits.
3. Work with your partner to make each other right (Figure 1).
4. If the first one or two to the ball can defeat one block, you disrupt the entire return.
The hardest thing for our staff to figure out was how to personnel each position. I knew how to personnel for an old school kickoff with wedge busters, but this one was different. The picture (Figure 2) shows how we personnel this half field kickoff. We still need 10 guys that can run and tackle, obviously, but this figure will show you where we put the faster guys. Some key take aways are that R1 and R2 need to be some of the fastest on the team. L2 and R2 must understand box and spill techniques. Typically we will put OLB types here because they do that in our defense. L3 to R4 are our most physical players and best tacklers on the team. The only spot that has to think a little bit is R3. He cannot let the ball cross his face but is also a big part of the fit. He has to see the big picture.
So as you saw in figure 2, each player is working with a partner. We assign one coach to each pair. Each week we gameplan who they are reading initially. They read this key to get an idea of what the return team is trying to accomplish. We then teach three different zones that the kickoff team works through. We have the speed zone, the win zone and the war zone (see figure 3). We have a few key coaching points in each zone that we give our guys:
Stick knife instead of dip and rip. The key is keeping your speed. We don’t care where you go in reference to blockers, just maintain speed.
We will also call this “butt side zone.” In this area when you have someone trying to block you, you can still avoid, but you must do so on the butt side of the blocker. If we can get two players to win on the butt side, we feel like we will have a productive kickoff.
You have to engage and cannot avoid any longer. This is where we really work our run fits with our partners. The second man always makes the first one right.
Now that we have our personnel and our three zones, it is easy to practice our kickoff without just running 60 yards every single rep. We will spend our
kickoff time, especially early in the year, in groups working on one of the three zones. We will do a simple circuit where the players work on each zone. We let our coaches get creative with how they work each zone and we try to change the drills often so they don’t get bored. Here is an example of the circuit we will do during a 10 minute kickoff period:
• Speed Zone - we will put a stand up dummy or another player 5-10 yards away from the runner. We will work our stick knife with the emphasis on speed and stabbing the knife into the blocker after avoiding. Even though we don’t have lanes, we will do this on a yard line so they can feel themselves re-stacking in whatever direction they are going.
• Win Zone - we will start 2 KO coverage guys 5 yards in front of 2 KOR blockers. On the whistle the blockers retreat at a 45 degree angle and the coverage guys “chase” them. After 5 yards the blockers turn one way or another and the coverage guys must rip through on the butt side. As this happens, there is a ball carrier 15 yards away running up the sideline. The two coverage guys will attack with leverage and work fitting off of each other.
• War Zone - Using hand shields we will work engaging the blocker with extension. We stress violent hands and early hands. Someone (coach or player) will be a ball carrier and once they pick a direction to run, we shed the blocker and fit on the ball carrier.
Another thing we like to do is put all three zones together for one drill (see figure 4). We typically do this drill in spring football and in fall camp. It allows us to learn the basics of the three zones and get a lot of reps. It also gets a lot of kids involved and eliminates standing around during special teams. We will have 50 kids involved in the drill that are actively doing something every rep. As you look at figure 4 you can imagine that the KO coverage guy runs down a certain yard line. The first guy he encounters is in the speed zone. Here, he will stick knife without losing speed. Next, he will face a win zone player that will turn one way or another, and the KO coverage man has to win butt side. Lastly, a man will have a hand shield at the end. The coverage man must lock up and press the shield until the returner picks a direction to run. On a whistle, the coverage man sheds the shield and fits on the returner.
Another way we practice our kickoff coverage is simply in individual. We will put them in pairs (i.e. L3 and L4) with their coach and work fitting off of each other. Some of our coaches will let them compete by having a 10-15 yard race to make the tackle and then the partner has to break down and fit opposite of the guy that got there first. Others will send a blocker to the two and change how the first man takes on the block. If they go inside, the second man fits outside and vice versa. We just try to change up how we can work two players learning how to fit off of each other.
I believe this kickoff scheme can benefit a lot of teams whether you have a good kicker or not. If you would like more information on our kickoff coverage or anything else please contact myself (cdarden@ lcisd.net) or our special teams coordinator Taylor Read (tread@lcisd.net).
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