Texas Coach - December 2022 - Volume LXVII Issue No. 4

DECember 2022

TEXAS COACH - (ISSN 0040-4241) - Copyright 2022

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, TX & additional entries. “All rights reserved”. (USPS 540-600).

POSTMASTER Send address change to:

TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION 2553 N INTERSTATE 35 FRONTAGE RD SAN MARCOS, TX 78666-5924

Printed by Capital Printing Co in Austin, Texas.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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 Social Media KAYCI COHEN kaycicohen@thsca.com

Director of Exhibits & Awards 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 & Office Management CHELSEA MILLER chelseamiller@thsca.com

Director of Public Relations & Activation TYLER WATTS tylerwatts@thsca.com

matt lovorn region 1 - Stratford adam cummings region 1 - west plains

john king Past-Pres - Longview

kendall miller Pres-elect - emerson

Lee Wiginton

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

ATHLETIC DIRECTORS

R-1 Chris Koetting, Canadian

R-2 Russell Lucas, Sweetwater

R-3 Seth Stinton, Melissa

R-4 Rusty Purser, Greenwood

R-5 *John Snelson, Dickinson

R-6 Don Drake, Ennis

R-7 Rob Davies, Harlingen

R-8 Stan Laing, Northside

AQUATICS

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, Harl. South

R-8 Kristin Libardoni, Northside

BASEBALL

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 Eric Martinez, Mathis

R-8 Tom Alfieri, SA Churchill

At-Large *Chans Chapman, SA Reagan

BOYS BASKETBALL

R-1 Jason Pillion, Amarillo

R-2 *C.J. Villegas, San Angelo Central

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 Brad Lacey, SA Churchill

At-Large Richard Flores, Cy-Falls

GIRLS BASKETBALL

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 Amber Wiley, Tyler

R-7 Clarissa Arredondo, McAllen Mem.

R-8 Christina Camacho, Judson

At-Large Brooke Brittain, Mansfield

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

R-1 Jay McCook, Canadian

R-2 Glenn Griffin, Holliday

R-3 Calley Conner, Wylie

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

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

R-1 Ray Baca, Canyon

R-2 Loy Triana, Burkburnet

R-3 *Susan Bailey, Highland Park

R-4 Corina Marruto, Del Valle

R-5 Jim Darcey, Katy

R-6 Edward DeLaCruz, Waxahachie

R-7 Michael Villareal, Zapata

R-8 OPEN

FOOTBALL

R-1 Lyle Leong, Levelland

R-2 Sterling Doty, Stephenville

R-3 *Joe Castillo, Little Elm

R-4 A.J. Famaligi, EP Montwood

R-5 Rick Lafavers, Ridge Point

R-6 Keylon Kincade, Winona

R-7 Brent Davis, G. Portland

R-8 Alan Haire, Chaparrall At-Large Clint Fuller, Kilgore

BOYS GOLF

R-1 Cord Wilburn, Lub. Cooper

R-2 Jason Hodges, Stephenville

R-3 Charlie Means, Denison R-4 Paul Bustamante, Pebble Hills R-5 Clayton Brady, Hous. Memorial R-6 Brant Bennett, Midlothian Heritage R-7 Celso Gonzalez, McAllen Mem.

R-8 *Mike Martin, SA Johnson At-Large Paige Martin, Southlake

GIRLS GOLF

R-1 Cathy Palmer, Lubbock

R-2 OPEN

R-3 Kerry Gabel, FM Marcus R-4 Shawn Trousdale, Ysletta R-5 *Angela Chancellor, Kingwood R-6 Joel Davenport, Ennis R-7 Jennifer Ruiz, McAllen R-8 Patrick Pruitt, Westlake At-Large Brent McCuiston, Alamo Heights

BOYS SOCCER

R-1 Hugo Aguillon, West Plains R-2 Justin Rhodes, Stephenville R-3 Pablo Regalado, Kemp R-4 Chris Bryant, Midland Legacy R-5 Ben Powell, Bellville R-6 *Cashan Clark, Midlothian Heritage R-7 OPEN R-8 David Rogers, SA Lee At-Large Jason Meekins, Katy Jordan

GIRLS SOCCER

R-1 Alistair Caldwell, Lub. Coronado R-2 Carl Wiersema, WF Rider

R-3 Kelly Thompson, Allen

R-4 *Cecilia Kellar, Odessa R-5 Evelyn Torres, Ridge Point

R-6 Gerald Slovacek, Midlo. Heritage R-7 Juan Luna, Los Fresnos

R-8 Bailee Perrine, Dripping Springs At-Large Aaron McGough, Highland Park

SOFTBALL

R-1 Styler Haddock, Canyon

R-2 Cynthia Herrera, Stamford

R-3 *Kathy Schoettle, Allen 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

TENNIS

R-1 *David Denham, Lub. Corondao

R-2 Mark Hathorn, Abil. Wylie

R-3 Carrie Castleberry, Vernon

R-4 Sylvia Sims, Frisco Heritage

R-5 Daniel Marshall, A&M Consol.

R-6 OPEN

R-7 Jeff Davidson, CC Vet. Mem. R-8 OPEN

At-Large Teri Saunders, Pf. Hendrickson

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

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

At-Large *Will McCrary, Rockwall

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 Angela Moon, Tyler

R-7 Stacy Zamzow, Goliad

R-8 *Karmen Sanders, RR McNeil

VOLLEYBALL

R-1 Kelly Lozada, Lubbock Monterey

R-2 Shay Douglas, Stephenville

R-3 Jennifer Chandler, Northwest

R-4 Heather Archibald, Wink

R-5 Pamela McRae, Cypress Park

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 Mark Snow, Lub. Coronado

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 OPEN R-8 Kevin Smith, Lake Travis

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 - Cypress Woods R-6 OPEN R-7 OPEN R-8 Garvin Smith, San Marcos

* DENOTES CHAIR

FROM THE PRESIDENT

THSCA Family, December is such an exciting time of year. The fall semester is coming to an end and tons of memories have been made by athletes and coaches from across the state. Most fall sports have come to a close. I hope the transition from season to off-season is also allowing you the opportunity to catch your breath and get some well needed rest. To those of you who are just getting started with your seasons, good luck and embrace the journey. To the very large number of you out there who are bouncing straight from one long fall sport right back into the grind of an additional start, make sure you build in time for your family and for yourself. Congratulations to all the Fall Sport State Champions who have already been crowned as well as to the Academic All-State athletes who have been recognized. Football is nearing the State Championships, which is one of the most exciting sporting events in the country. Basketball is rolling through the tournament season and Soccer practices are officially starting up as well. Please remember to participate in the “Our Day to Shine'' program when your soccer scrimmages get started. Have a blessed Christmas Holiday season, and please never take for granted the honor of being a Texas High School COACH.

The THSCA Board of Directors just wrapped up our winter board meeting. One of the highlights of these meetings is hearing the great things that coaches are doing across the state. There are so many differences throughout Texas, but the constant is the Texas High School Coaches who are pouring into the lives of young people. Our report from the board meeting will be available in the January edition of Texas Coach or on the THSCA website.

THSCA coaches are encouraged to do a few things to continue to recognize the greatness of your peers. Please continue to nominate for the Coach of the Week in all sports through the membership portal. It’s such an easy thing to nominate those you respect, and it is greatly appreciated by those deserving coaches who are recognized. Also, please make sure you are making your nominations for the Coach of the Year Recognitions in ALL sports. This is the second year of the very prestigious NFF National HS Academic Excellence Award. Please take time to nominate your program and bring recognition for what your students are doing off the field as much as they do on the field. The deadline for applications for this award is January 13th, and you can find all you need to know here: https://www.thsca.com/nff

Another one of the perks of being a member of THSCA is the opportunity to apply for college scholarships for your daughter or son. Please take time to have your child apply for these scholarships. The deadline to apply is February 15th.

The AFCA convention will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina January 8th-10th. One of the highlights of the convention every year is the Texas Get Together on Monday evening. Every member of the THSCA who are in attendance are invited and encouraged to attend (and show up early) this awesome event. This Texas Get Together would not be possible without the support of our generous sponsors.

I hope you all are able to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones over the Christmas holiday. MAKE 2023 THE BEST YEAR EVER! We’ll all find a way to win some games and probably encounter a loss or two along the way as well. But please keep in mind that our student athletes need us. They crave the structure, discipline, and leadership that you were called to provide. You’re what they need, COACH!!!

Christmas and Happy New Year,

Lee Wiginton THSCA President

Merry

¨ Features only high school coaches as speakers.

¨ 18 Lectures will be given by top high school football coaches from Texas

¨ A discount to B Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will be given to each coach at the clinic. (Good only on selected items and only for the duration of the clinic.)

¨ Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World will provide hunting and fishing equipment as door prizes.

¨ The Embassy Suites Hotel is located adjacent to Bass Pro Shops and in close proximity to Grapevine Mills Mall and the Toyota Music Factory.

¨ FCA Lecture on Saturday.

¨ A clinic t-shirt for the first 700 coaches in attendance. (Sponsored by The Performance Course)

¨ Cash and Bass Pro Shops gear given away after each lecture on Sunday.

¨ $1000 Cash door prize after the last lecture on Sunday.

¨ “Texas Hold-Em” Tournament on Friday night

¨ 50 minute lectures and 45 minute breakout sessions.

¨ Job Board available.

High School Only Football Clinic in Texas!

Clinic Headquarters:

¨ E Embassy Suites Outdoor World at D/FW Airport, 2401 Bass Pro Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051

¨ Phone (972) 724-2600 or (800) EMBASSY

¨ To receive the special room rate of $159, make your reservation by January 4 and state you are attending the DFW Coaches Clinic. Embassy Suites Hotel provides a complimentary cooked to order breakfast and happy hour each day to every coach staying at the hotel. Each room comfortably sleeps four.

Registration

¨ $ $80 registration fee if mailed in by January 20 ($90 after January 20, no refunds after this date)

¨ To pre-register, please send the registration form and a check payable to:

D DFW Coaches Clinic 30801 Beck Road Bulverd e, Texas 78163

¨ Check our website for clinic updates or to register. www.coachesclinic.net

¨ E-mail coachesclinic@yahoo.com ¨ Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @dfwclinic

Largest

NOW

UPCOMING

DATES TO

What's a Power of Influence (P.O.I.) Meeting?

Region 1: Jan 11, 10 AM at Happy Bank Stadium

Region 2: Jan 25, 10 AM at Midwestern State

Region 3: Jan 11, 10 AM at TCU

Region 4: Jan. 11, 10 AM at Andrews HS

6:

Jan 11,

Wheeler Field House

Jan 13 at

Jan 20, 6 PM

NOVEMBER 2022

Obituary COACH RONALD W. COX

Ronald W. Cox (fondly known as Coach Ronnie Cox), 76, Grapevine, TX, died November 16, 2022, of Alzheimer's disease.

He was born on September 8, 1946, to William R. Cox and Mary Louise Cox in Castor, LA. He married Phyllis Ray on November 16, 1985, in Dallas, TX, at Temple Emanu-El. He was a high school football coach, track and field coach and history teacher in the DFW area for 35 years before retiring from his last job at Grapevine High School. He was a lifetime member of the Texas High School Coaches Association.

COACH WAYNE GANDY

Wayne Gandy, known to many as “Coach Gandy,” went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, November 17, 2022. He was born on November 2, 1950, in Sugarland, TX, to William and Dorothy Gandy. He graduated from Dulles HS in 1969. After high school, he went to Wharton Junior College to play football, later transferring to SFA where he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education. After college, he met and married his wife Cindy and began what would be a legendary 40 year career as a teacher and coach.

Coach was a man of many tales (most of them true), but if you talked to him long, you knew how deeply proud he was of his “three good sons,” Brian, Bradley, and Patrick. He taught them the game of football he so loved and the importance of investing in the lives of others both on and off the field of play.

Coach always pushed you to be a better version of yourself, with his charismatic personality and a never quit mentality. He kicked off his coaching career as an SFA grad assistant, then had stints at Dulles High School, Brazosport, Angleton, and Danbury. He went on to be head football coach for 21 years at Huffman, Groesbeck, and Joaquin.

A loving husband, Dad, and PawPaw Coach, Wayne loved his family fiercely, and we rejoice in knowing he has a new body and one day we will see him again. What a team he is with now! Not sure if there is football in heaven, but if there is, no doubt he is already calling tight rip 66 toss and looking for the prettiest girl to dance with.

“He fought the good fight, he finished the race, and kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 Until we meet again…

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Cindy Gandy, son Brian Gandy and daughter-in-law Sarah, son Bradley Gandy, son Patrick Gandy and daughter-in-law Lacey, grandchildren Ellisyn Gandy, Naomi Gandy, Lylah Gandy, and Brock Gandy, brother Travis Gandy and his wife Gloria, brother Dale Gandy, numerous nieces and nephews and a host of family, friends, and athletes.

He is preceded in death by his infant daughter Kimberly Ann Gandy, parents William and Dorothy Gandy, sister Candace Gandy, and twin brother Waylan Gandy.

We are always on the hunt for article content for publication in Texas Coach magazine! Article submissions can be sport-specific skills and techniques, or they could 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?” Please email all article submissions to beckyadams@thsca.com – Word Document format is preferred, and 1-5 pages would be ideal length & send graphics/photos as email attachments.

New and existing athletic department package customers are eligible for the Every Play, Earn $5K promotion, where schools have the opportunity to earn a minimum of $5,000 of livestreaming revenue in year 1.

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Eligibility Details:

• Sign a 3-year athletic department package

• Commit to using a paywall for livestreaming access

• Livestream varsity home games for all sports equipped with Hudl Focus cameras

• Install and activate all Focus cameras within 30 days of receipt

• Email parents and community each week with the streaming schedule

We offer an industry-leading 60/40 gross revenue share model, with 60% going back to your school.

wit wisdom&

WORK"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Thomas Edison

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work in hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.."

Alexander Graham Bell

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Paulo Coelho

"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."

George Lorimer

"You’ll find that education is just about the only thing lying around loose in this world, and it’s about the only thing a fellow can have as much of as he’s willing to haul away."

John Graham

SUCCESS

"We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them."

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race"

Calvin Coolidge

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of selfsatisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable"

Albert Einstein

"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation"

Herman Melville

John Wooden

"Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get." - W.P. Kinsella

Transitioning from Big School Assistant >>> to Small School Head Coach

By Eric Martinez Head Baseball Coach, Mathis ISD THSCA Region 7 Advisory Representative

In 2019, an opportunity was presented when I accepted my first head coaching job as head baseball coach for 3A Mathis ISD. A program I knew little about but knew the phrase, “The Mathis of old” and a period when they had success in the 2000’s under Coach Rey Cardona was something I wanted to get back to. I became the 4th head baseball coach since the late 1990’s but was the 3rd head coach in three years. I left Corpus Christi where I was an assistant baseball coach under longtime skipper Orlando Ruiz at 5A Ray High School and would start a new chapter of my coaching career 40 minutes away. The philosophies I gathered and learned from other coaches throughout the years were ready for trial and error. Here are the things I learned from since taking over and how our program has adapted throughout the years as I transitioned coaching as a big school assistant to a small school head coach.

Multisport Athletes

In Mathis, our athletes are busy all year long as they play football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and run cross country and track. As I arrived on campus, I quickly learned baseball wasn’t on their

mind 24/7 like their big school counterparts. There wasn’t a baseball only class to work 1st and 3rd and bunt coverages in November. Breathing, eating, and sleeping baseball were something we did daily at the big schools and now I would be adjusting to something different. I learned the pride the community and student-athletes took in playing every sport and learned one of our many athletic department goals that was shared by our AD/HFC Trae Stevens. “We want to out work our opponents in football, with the same kids in basketball, and with the same kids in baseball/track.” That quote has stuck with me since and it wasn’t just for athletes, but it was something we did for one another as coaches. We wanted to see our coaches succeed and help our athletes succeed so all sports can be successful, not just one. In doing that, I knew I had to be creative as head baseball coach to catch our athletes up to speed when I got them in January each year.

Back to the Basics

Most of our baseball players will find the cages during November and December after basketball practices which is important as we get into the break. But as we start the season, our basketball players are deep into their district season which allows time to develop our younger players and first timers through practices and scrimmages as we dive into

fundamentals. I get excited during this time because it allows us to teach baseball before we teach the game. As our basketball players arrive in mid-February, we implement game-like situations and intrasquad as much as possible because playing in games is the best practice a player can receive, and it strengthens our pitchers and hitters mentally. As we get into district, the goal is to be ready for the unexpected. We follow this defensive practice priority to get the most out of our practices as they arrive. What is most important and how are we going to plan to get them ready.

Team Defense Practice Priority

1. Fungo/Individuals, Pitcher/Catcher Preparation

2. Bunt Defense, 1st and 3rd Defense

3. Cuts and Relays (Sure Doubles, Game Winners) Infield/Outfield Communication

4. PFP - Pickoffs, Special Pix

5. Rundown Circuits, Early 1st and 3rd Practice Efficiency

Practice efficiency has been the most evolving part of our coaching and planning. Your coaching staff may not be available early on as they may be coaching other sports, or you may only have one overall assistant. Most important thing to remember, No Excuses. Most of the practice planning I learned involved up to four and five coaches and had the time and knowledge to focus on individual positions. Be an extra hand to your staff and teach them the best you can about the game of baseball. Be patient and a reliable resource.

Could we be successful with a small staff? I connected with other coaches and learned multiple competitions, baserunning, offensive and defensive drills that utilized one or two coaches to keep the flow of practice running and multiple repetitions as possible within a small time.

Quick Examples: Wildcat Defense, Clemson PFP, Chaos Baserunning, Intrasquad for live hitting and pitching, etc.

Instead of having bullpens during defensive practice, we learned to move them into the end of batting practice because most pitchers play infield primary positions. It allowed for them to get mound work and transition into defensive individuals without our team defense missing pieces. We also implement batting practice at the beginning for our track kids while they arrive and hit during our last group/station, so we can have all our kids for defense and intrasquad. Interval practice has benefitted us as each group will have quality focus as we start with the varsity and end with the junior varsity with limited coaches.

Varsity

4:00 Batting Practice

5:00 Team Defense Junior Varsity

5:00 Batting Practice/Baserunning for Varsity

6:00 Team Defense

Weightroom and Coaching

The weightroom has been the easiest transition for our athletes. They are all in boys’ athletics and are enduring a baseball offseason that prepares them for all sports, football. The intensity in the weightroom is something I’ve enjoyed because that lets me know that extra work being put in is establishing character and mental toughness. It allows our baseball coaching staff to focus on the baseball aspect in our practices as they arrive. They get to play for other coaches in their sports and receive a plethora of knowledge from each and learn different aspects of adversity as

they transition to baseball. I always say that baseball has it easy because the athletes arrive seasoned and mature for any mental aspects that approach them. Thank you, fellow coaches.

Coaching bits for first time head coaches.

Adapt your coaching philosophy if needed that matches your program that will allow it to flourish, but remember, the standard is the standard. Some ideas may need adjusting but always be willing to learn because the best coaches are sponges. Leadership is the characteristic I love the most. As leader, you’re able to create a vision and goals for your program that establishes accountability. Accountability is such a great life lesson athletics can provide through discipline, preparation, and tough love.

I remember asking Coach Steve Castillo one practice early on how his teams were able to sustain a long run of success and his answer was simple, but impactful. He jokingly took off his cap and said, “If you care, you’ll lose your hair.” His answer had nothing to do with baseball but everything to do with athletics being the platform. That’s when I learned about Building Relationships and the affect is has for the student-athletes in the program. Get to know the players that walk through your program and treat them like they’re your own.

Family is one of the many things I learned from Coach Orlando Ruiz. Involve your family in every aspect of your program because it’s important to show love and compassion indirectly. No family is perfect and as a team, it’s important to be family. We will see our student-athletes more than our own family so treat every player that comes through your program as one of yours. Be that person you needed growing up for your overall program.

Our Athletic Director Trae Stevens jokingly says, “Get right or get left!” Its self-explanatory because it’s that important in your student-athletes decision making but it’s just as important for coaches too. Have a no excuses mentality. One coach or five coaches on staff have the same job which is to grow and develop themselves for their programs. Be creative in your practice planning, organization, and efficiency. My early struggles as head coach were transitioning from

a big school assistant coach to a small school head coach because most of the philosophies and methods need tweaking as you utilize them in your program.

“Be where your feet are.” I was once told to treat every team you guide as the New York Yankees whether the team is coach pitch or the varsity team. Take pride in the everyday struggles and successes that help mold a coach and team. Enjoy the moments as an assistant that will ultimately lead to your first head coaching job. Don’t be in a rush because coaching is all about timing. People and places are meant to align for you and the right situation is always there.

Four outstanding organizations, transformed into one powerhouse. And while our name may have changed, everything you count on - great service, uniforms, and gear remain.

2022-2023

ACCESS TO THE THSCA MEMBER PORTAL

TO THE THSCA MEMBER PORTAL

UPDATE YOUR MEMBER PROFILE:

1. Navigate to www.thsca.com and select the gold button at the top labeled Member Portal Login.

download and print/screenshot your THsCA membership card:

2. The first time visiting the new portal you will be required to set up a new password, so select the Forgot your Password? option. Your initial username will be the email address we have on file for your member account.

3. The system will email a link/verification code for you to verify your account and set-up a new password. (If you have any difficulty remembering the email address you used for account set-up, or you do not receive the verification email to reset your password, please call our THSCA office 512.392.3741 and we can assist you.)

4. Click on the Round Grey User icon on the top right and select “Update Profile/View Membership”.

Your 2022-23 THSCA digital membership card is accessible through the THSCA Members Portal on our website. You can download your member card at any time and choose to either print it and carry it in your wallet, or screen shot a photo of it on your mobile device and keep it ready when you need it!

To print/screenshot your Member Card:

1. Login to the THSCA Member Portal and click on the Round Grey User icon on the top right and select “Update Profile/View My Membership”

2. Click on the Membership tab, and you will see THSCA in blue under My Membership. Click on the blue THSCA letters.

5. Select the blue pencil icon under “My Personal Information” to update your contact data. Choose the blue Update button at the bottom of the screen to save your changes.

3. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen and locate the option to "Download My Membership Card" under Membership Tasks

4. Your membership card should download as a PDF that you can print or screen shot on your mobile device for proof of membership. Please note if you do not see the download you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker first.

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

WHAT THE POLICY COVERS:

COVERAGE A - LIABILITY INSURANCE

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 against an educator involving dismissal, revocation of certification and other professional rights and duties.

•In actions involving termination, salary, reassignment, certification 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.

COVERAGE

C - BAIL BONDS

Up to $2,000 premium on bail bonds

WHAT THE POLICY PAYS:

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 centers, outings, picnics and other similar school functions, subject to specific automobile, watercraft, & aircraft exclusions

Coverage B

Reimbursement of Attorney Fees - Such reimbursement as is afforded the member for actions involving tenure, dismissal, revocation of certification & other 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.

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE & HOW DO I PURCHASE?

The Texas High School Coaches Association offers a Coaches Professional Liability Insurance option to eligible members with coverage beginning July 1, 2022. 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:

• You must be a Coach, Athletic Trainer or Athletic Director, including classroom duties, for an accredited secondary school, college, junior college or university, within the state of Texas.

• Your THSCA Membership must be current for the school year in which the coverage is effective – 7/1/22 - 6/30/23.

• 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, 2022 through June 30, 2023 Insurance purchased after July 1, 2022 will commence on the payment received date. This insurance coverage is not retroactive.

Payment should be made directly to the THSCA. The total 22/23 annual premium for the insurance coverage will be $58.00 per member.

$ 52.00

$ 2.56

Annual Insurance Premium: State Taxes and Fees (4.295%): Association Administrative Fee: $ 3.44 TOTAL 2022/23 Annual Premium: $ 58.00

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 it by fax, email or mail to the THSCA office with the insurance payment.

NOTE: In order to be eligible to purchase the coverage your membership must be current for the same year of policy coverage. (7/1/22-6/30/23)

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Do you have the financial ability to defend yourself in the event of claim?

Do you have the expertise to find the 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, AND ADDITIONS. QUESTIONS REGARDING SPECIFIC INSURANCE POLICY COVERAGE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO: The John A. Barclay Agency, Inc. 512.374.4927

FIVE LIES OF LEADERSHIP

BY STEPHEN MACKEY FOUNDER OF 2WORDS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Leadership is hard. Let’s not make it harder than it needs to be by believing the Lies of Leadership.

Here are five lies about leadership, and some encouragement on how to lead when these lies show their ugly face. Be sure to check out THSCA. COM/4Ls in your member portal to see the full list of 10 lies, and encourage your fellow coaches and athletes with the message.

LIE #1: YOU CAN’T HAVE BAD DAYS

WHEN YOU ARE A LEADER.

Bad days are guaranteed to happen. What’s not guaranteed, is what you do when they do. The way you respond to a bad day determines your success as a leader. Don’t sit and wallow in self-pity. Instead, choose to view the struggle as an opportunity. Let’s look at three mindset shifts you can make to turn your bad day into a “growth day.”

I am Learning. You’re not going to have it all together all the time; every day is a new opportunity for learning and growth. Whether you’re having a bad day due to an unfamiliar situation, a mistake you made, or an external event, there’s always something to learn. For example, if the bad day is because it’s raining and you didn’t bring an umbrella, you’ve learned to check the weather before leaving the house.

I am Responsible. Sometimes your actions lead to a bad

day. You are responsible for that day, and if you accept that responsibility, you unlock the ability to change the bad day. Own the mistake, learn from it, and take the necessary steps to make it right.

I am the Writer of my Story. People tell themselves a lot of stories about the world around them and their part in it. You tell yourself a story about a bad day every time you think “It wasn’t supposed to go like this” or “This is the worst day ever.” You are the only one who can rewrite the story to a positive: “Well, let’s see how I’m going to handle this now” or “Things are going to get better starting right now.”

Bad days will come, but bad days don’t disqualify you from leadership. Instead, they offer an opportunity for your leadership to shine!

LIE #2: YOU CAN’T FOLLOW WHEN YOU ARE A LEADER.

One of the ways you learn to be a great leader is by following the example of leaders you look up to and respect. Leadership mentors can be teachers or coaches, authors or speakers, faith leaders or family members. They are typically (though not always) older than you, and spark in you a desire to grow, learn, and serve better.

Having a leadership mentor is one of the best ways to make sure you are a leader worth following, because in addition to the example that they set they remind you of important lessons that are sometimes easy to forget.

You are not alone. It’s been said that leadership is lonely. Tough decisions, long hours, and high expectations can make it feel like you have no one you can talk to about how you are really feeling, or the struggles you are having. And that makes leading really difficult. When you have a leadership mentor you have someone in your corner that will listen to you without judgment, encourage and support you and help you navigate the challenges of leadership. As a leader you may be asked to make decisions that no one else can, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.

You are not the first. The pressures of leadership can make it feel like you are the first and only person to deal with a challenge. When you have someone in your corner that you can talk through things with, you can learn from their experiences and see that you aren’t the first to deal with this! There is nothing new under the sun, and though it may be your first time in this tough spot, you aren’t the first. A leadership mentor can also help you see how others have handled the situation you are in, and you can learn from them.

You are not the last. One of the traps leaders fall into is thinking that leadership is all about them, and that the position is meant to serve them and their future goals. While a benefit of leading may be building your resume or future opportunities, you do yourself and your team a disservice by forgetting that it’s not about you. A leadership mentor helps you stay grounded and see that your role as a leader is to steward, or take good care of, the team you are leading, and to leave it better than you found it. When you stay grounded, and realize that the next generation of leaders will start where you finish, it helps you lead better now and set up the next leader for success, too.

LIE #3: YOU CAN’T MAKE A MISTAKE

WHEN YOU ARE A LEADER.

The greatest leadership myth is that leaders don’t make mistakes. Leaders are human, too. They aren’t going to get it right all the time. You, as a leader, are not going to get it right every time. You will make mistakes. You will need others to point out areas where you can improve.

The mark of a mature leader is not a lack of mistakes. The mature leader is marked by the way he or she responds to making a mistake. Do they own it or try to hide it? Trying to hide a mistake is pointless for two reasons: 1)

people are probably going to notice, and 2) you can’t learn from it if you don’t own it.

A great leader, just like a great teammate, owns their mistakes. Not only does this take some pressure off of you, but it also takes some pressure off of your teammates. If their leader is allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, then so are the rest of the team members. By owning your mistakes, you give your teammates permission to make mistakes and own them, too.

When you do make a mistake (and it WILL happen), here is how you own your mistake, and turn it into an opportunity for trust to grow.

Ask Why. Investigate your actions by “asking why until you know why.” That means asking why three- five times. This allows you to get past your excuses and surface level symptoms, and get to the root issue. The more you ask why, and the more truthful you are with your answers, the more uncomfortable it will become for you. But remember: growth happens outside your comfort zone.

Believe the Truth. Once you identify why the mistake was made, you must commit to believing the truth about yourself and the situation. Failure is not a person; it is an event. Just because you made a mistake, that doesn’t make you a mistake. Negative self-talk like “I’m such an idiot!” or “I’m so stupid!” does little to make the situation better, and it positions you as a victim of your mistake, instead of an active participant in the solution. Remember: you can never shame yourself into growth.

Commit to do Different. The evidence of the sincerity of your apology and the quality of your leadership in the wake of a mistake will be how you act moving forward. With input from your trusted teammates or mentors, identify at least one action that you will do in light of what you have learned, how you will be held accountable, and a time when you will revisit the conversation to make sure your changes are producing growth.

Making mistakes will happen, but asking why, believing the truth, and committing to do something different will ensure you don’t make the same mistake twice.

LIE #4: YOU CAN’T SHOW WEAKNESS WHEN YOU ARE A LEADER.

This is one of the most dangerous lies of leadership,

because this lie tricks you into believing that to be a great leader you have to be a robot–no emotions, no connections, no mercy, no brakes, and most of all, no rest! As a result, you say “yes” to everything and stack your schedules full. You never sleep, and constantly feel overwhelmed, behind, stressed, and in search of the next shot of caffeine. Sound familiar?

Understand this: rest and recovery is not weakness; it is a rebuilding of your strength.

There’s only so much your body and mind can take before you need to be refueled, and to deprive yourself of that for fear of showing weakness, is like saying your truck is a piece of junk because you have to put fuel in it every week! It’s not a junker, it just needs more fuel to keep bearing the heavy load you have placed it under! And the same thing is true for you. You must regularly refuel your heart, mind, and body so that you can continue to lead well. It will be uncomfortable at first–maybe even feel like you are being lazy or falling behind– but push through, and you will be stronger on the other side. Try these things to rest and recovery:

Take time to be alone. Humans are social creatures, but we also need alone time to fully recharge. Some of us need more time alone than others, and only you will know how much time you need by yourself to recuperate and recharge for the next round of socializing.

Spend time with family or friends. Alone time is important, but so is strengthening relationships with your family and friends. During the school week, that can be difficult because everyone is running around doing their own thing, and you might be lucky to even see each other at dinner. Take time to reconnect and renew the bonds with those closest to you while there’s time. Do something chill like watching TV or playing a game. Go for a walk or play catch at the park.

Do something you enjoy. This could be with others or alone, but take some time to do something that you want to do. That could mean playing a game, reading a book, or staring out the window to watch the rain fall. Pick something that you find relaxing, not something that makes you feel like you have to be productive or “on.” Let your mind wander, let your focus drop, and just enjoy the time you have.

It’s not selfish to take time for self care. In fact, it’s one of the most selfless things you can do, because the more you fill yourself up with love and energy, the more you can do to serve others better!

LIE #5: YOU CAN’T BE A LEADER.

The biggest lie of leadership is that you can’t be a leader! This lie is driven by comparison, doubt, and disrespect. When you compare yourself to someone else, and the impact that they can make, it’s easy to think, “They have what I don’t. I can’t do what they can do.” That leads to doubting and disrespecting your talents, your influence, and the impact that you were put on this earth to make. Hear this, and hear it well:

YOU WERE CREATED ON PURPOSE AND FOR A PURPOSE.

Who you are, and the impact that only you can have is needed by your athletes, family, your campus, your community and the world. Positivity, hope, and change happen not when one, alpha leader makes all the impact there is to make, but when individuals choose to believe that their life and impact matters, and choose to act on it.

It’s true that you can’t make the impact that someone else can make. But it is equally true that they can’t make the impact that YOU can make!

This article was written by Stephen Mackey (@MackeySpeaks), founder of 2Words Character Development (www.2Words.tv), and is a part of the 4L’s: Listen, Learn, Love, and Lead Curriculum written by Stephen for the THSCA I.D.E.A committee. For more information, or to access the 4L’s Curriculum, visit www.thsca.com/4l, or contact Coach Mackey directly at 979-777-3022.

Meal Planning Made Easy for Student-Athletes

Proper and consistent fueling is important for high performance, as an athlete and as a student. Every meal is an opportunity to provide the energy and nutrients your body needs, plus it gives you an edge over athletes who don’t focus on nutrition.

Eat a Balanced Diet.

Incorporate dairy, whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats into your daily diet to ensure proper fueling and recovery.

Putting MyPlate into Practice

Meal planning can be fun and simple. Utilize MyPlate when choosing your meal to help you build a balanced plate. Check out these easy ideas to fuel using MyPlate!

• Breakfast: Mix up overnight oats the night before and grab it from the refrigerator on your way out the door in the morning.

• Lunch: A turkey sandwich, an apple, and a glass of low-fat chocolate milk is a quick, easy lunch idea.

• Snacks: String cheese and grapes is a portable, nutrient-rich snack option.

Dairy’s Role on the Athlete’s Plate

The diversity, convenience, and taste of dairy foods like Greek yogurt, cheese, and milk are great additions to meals and snacks. Chocolate milk after exercise is an example of a great-tasting recovery snack to promote muscle recovery.

With a little planning, meals and snacks can provide the nutrition to fuel you as an athlete and a student!

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THE HEAD PROTECTION LEADER

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ONE YEAR LATER

BY LIBBY PACHECO & BRIAN POLK CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS OF THSCEF & THSCA

-

One year ago, our job descriptions significantly changed. One year ago Brian Polk and I officially joined the THSCA staff as the newest members of the executive staff and our lives have been in constant motion ever since. Brian left the UIL, where he had been part of an amazing athletic staff for several years and I left Coppell High School where I had just completed my first season as the head volleyball

coach. We both left positions and jobs that we loved for the chance to serve the coaches of Texas in a completely different capacity, and without a doubt, we have loved every moment of it. This is a small glimpse into what we have learned and observed during our freshman year at the association.

► Standing on the shoulders of giants

THSCA is the largest association of its kind and that didn’t happen by accident. The moment you walk into the THSCA office, you are immediately struck with the Hall of Honor plaques of the great coaches that have served the association and the coaching profession. Additionally, there is a wall of headshots that represent the current Board

“Without change, we can’t evolve. Without evolving, we can’t grow. Without growth, we become obsolete.”

Unknown Author

of Directors. One can’t help but reflect on all the athletes and coaches that the pictures on the wall represent, and they are constant reminders of the rich history of the association and the continued work of those that presently serve. These coaching giants, along with many more, set the stage to ensure that coaches in Texas have a road map for coaching excellence.

► “So what do you do?”

One of the toughest transitions into our roles has been answering the simple question: “What do you do?” Telling people you are a coach, a teacher, or an assistant athletic director, is easy. People understand those roles. But now, when we tell people that we are C.O.O.s of the association, it is typically followed by silence, a blank stare, and the inevitable turning of the wheels as they form the next question in their head: “So what does that mean?” And honestly, even after one year, we haven’t been able to come up with a succinct answer that satisfies everyone’s curiosity. But it isn’t for lack of trying. As teachers and coaches, we learned that the best way to learn something new is to make a connection to something that is already familiar, so our explanations of our job description have sometimes included things that a coach or administrator might do. Although, that strategy never seems to describe what we really do.

But it only took a matter of days for Brian and me to realize that the coaches on the wall are not the only giants of the association: the talented staff, all who have servant hearts, work hard to serve Texas coaches and are giants of the association as well. Many of them started with the association as college students and worked their way into permanent positions. They represent exactly what coaches try to instill in their athletes every day: loyalty, hard work, persistence, selflessness, and the desire to make those around you better. It is mind-blowing what they accomplish, and we are lucky to get to work and learn from them. But more importantly, the coaches of Texas are lucky to have them on their team. So, between the plaques on the wall and the faces in the offices, we have a lot of giants around us to measure up to.

If we are talking to someone outside of the coaching profession, it is almost impossible to describe our job without going into a long explanation of the association itself. And it is even more impossible to describe everything that the association does in just a few sentences. It is easier to define our job to coaches and athletic directors because they are all familiar with THSCA and the work that we do. However, even then, our answer always seems to fall short of our daily job description. Over time we have gotten better at our “elevator speech” regarding the association, but the one answer that seems to encompass what we do is simply this: we get to work for an association that serves coaches and works to make the coaching profession better. We get to go to work each day with the goal of helping

all coaches help kids. And while that doesn’t quite answer the question, it usually satisfies the curiosity of the asker. But check back with us in another year and our answer might be better and more refined.

my entire career, and I’ve heard stories about what happens in football coaches’ offices, however, I’ve never actually been part of a football coaches’ meeting. So I was a little apprehensive about how my opinions would be heard. I wasn’t completely trusting that what I was told on my recruiting trip would actually happen. It turns out I had nothing to worry about.

► The coaches’ office

While answering the question about what we do is tough, the easiest part of the job has been transitioning from one coaches’ office to another. Brian and I previously worked together when we opened Byron Nelson High School. Our offices were right around the corner from each other back then, so falling back into that professional relationship has been easy for us. It has been made even easier because we get to work for two of the strongest head coaches in the state- Coach Joe Martin and Coach Glen West. When I was hired, I was told that one of the most important things that I was to do was to voice my opinion and thoughts about how our work impacted coaches that the association didn’t traditionally serve. I’ve been around coaches

When the four of us are together, it feels like every coaching strategy meeting I have ever been a part of. We go around the table, look at issues from every angle, we agree, we disagree. We challenge each other, we bring our past experiences and points of view to the table, and we talk some more. But more importantly, we laugh and enjoy the work we do. Brian and I are like brother and sister, always teasing and fighting with each other while Joe and Glen get to play referee to our antics. However, at the end of the day, we know that the work that we do is meant to help coaches, which is serious business. And just

like other athletic positions we’ve had, there are times that we walk away from the office feeling like we didn’t accomplish much other than sit in a bunch of meetings and talk. But overwhelmingly more so, we walk away from the office feeling like we have made progress, even if it is in small increments.

There is nothing better than being part of a staff that works together with the sole purpose of helping and serving others. Coaches all over the state do that every single day, and Brian and I are lucky to still be able to do that as well.

We know that you can determine how much someone values something by examining how they spend their time, energy, and money. There is no question that THSCA’s directors value coaches and they are willing to invest resources in whatever initiative helps coaches. Just a quick glance at our member benefits page will give you a glimpse into the work we do as an association. As I mentioned earlier, it is really hard to narrow down all of our initiatives to just a few sentences or a few bullet points on a page, and that is the way it should be. We wouldn’t want it any other way.

► What comes next?

Coaches, by nature, are always in a constant state of evaluation. They look at their athletes, at their practices, at their program, and at their systems and evaluate how things can be better. We are lucky to work with Joe and Glen, two of the best coaches in the business, who are also in a constant state of evaluation. It is because of their vision that the association has grown and evolved. In a time when associations all over the nation are struggling, THSCA is thriving. Joe and Glen are not afraid to look outside of their own experiences and listen to other opinions. They have recognized the need for the association to represent ALL coaches in the state, even if that means deviating from their comfort zone.

Just like the coaches we serve, we know that it is necessary to continue to evaluate, change, grow, and ultimately evolve. Coaches and organizations that don’t do that will eventually lose and become obsolete. And let’s face it, Brian and I are lucky that Joe and Glen have been willing to evolve because it has led us to the best job of our lives. So while we can’t predict exactly what will happen in our sophomore year, we do know that it will be filled with a lot of hard, but good work!

around the state

WINTER 2022

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SHOULDN’T YOUR TEAM DEMAND THE BEST?

biggest take-away from the R.O.C.K. Program?

Matthew McHugh, CC Miller HS says...

Within the ROCK program, I have gained knowledge in the fundamentals of Athletic Administration by visiting with my mentor, Anthony Boykin, and the other mentees within the program. We have built relationships and discussed similarities and differences in coaching strategies, while coaching economically disadvantaged athletes. This program has jump started my career and allowed me to meet and have discussions with coaches and administrators I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

Fred Rodriguez, Lehman HS says...

I’d say the biggest takeaway from the ROCK program is the different relationships and connections you get to create and develop. You have your mentor, who can talk with you about different coaching scenarios and as well as some real life situations that may have happened to them or even things that you may be going through in your young coaching career. They offer a great amount of insight and help. You also get to know other young and upcoming coaches that are in the program with you, as well as people from THSCA and UIL.

Anthony Thomas Jr., San Angelo ISD says...

My biggest take away from the R.O.C.K program is that it is a great opportunity to learn and grow as a young coach in this profession. Having the pleasure of networking with former/current coaches that can help mentor you in this profession as a young coach. Also being surrounding by the other great young coaches and having that opportunity to learn about them and grow with them is a blessing. It's awesome to see all the hard work that goes in behind the scenes that many don't get to see or be a part of. The thing that I enjoyed the most was being partnered up with a selected mentor, which is someone I can always count

on and build a positive relationship with. My mentor has helped me tremendously, giving me a positive outlook on this profession, guiding me and helping me that balance between work and homelife. I'm grateful to be a part of this program simply because it shows that there are people that do care about the coaching profession and want to see it grow in the right direction for our future generations.

Nicolas Summerfield, Rock Hill HS says...

My biggest takeaway from the program is the unity we have shown in our vision for THSCA and across all sports / classifications. The small workshops we have and constant connection throughout our time together has been enlightening. Cannot wait to see everyone in person again, but I'm happy to know we have a network of coaches and administrators that will answer any questions we have and will give us a shoulder to lean on when times get tough.

Phillip Callier, Tyler HS says...

My Biggest takeaways from THE ROCK program would have to be the sense of brotherhood that I received from not only my mentor, but the table as a whole. We communicate each week through our group message #TABLE4. We hold each other accountable, we celebrate each other’s achievements, and we even receive weekly words of affirmation to keep us motivated and inspired. THE ROCK program has helped me tremendously. I can’t wait to share a few tips & knowledge with the next class of Rocks in the future.

Bryanna Huntley, Prosper ISD

says...

My biggest takeaway from this program is that I've learned to further look "outside the box"--from all perspectives. I also took away how and why networking is important, especially being a young coach and trying to continue learning to grow in this profession.

What has been your

Garron Nash, Wichita Falls ISD says...

My biggest take away from the Rock Mentoring Program is the constant support and advice we get from our mentor coaches. It's always very helpful as a young coach to have someone with the expertise and knowledge of our Rock mentors available to help us with the many questions we may have.

Jim Garfield, Program Mentor says...

The scenarios that we receive from Richard on the ROCK SportsYou page. Valuable to both the ROCK and to the mentee. Real life situations presented and the examples of how to handle those situations is valuable for the growth of our coaches. Veterans and new one alike. I look forward to read each scenario and the responses for each one of them.

Carlos Lynn, Program Mentor says...

Having the ability to build an authentic relationship with an up and coming coach. The program removes all the barriers and excuses for building a life long friendship that you would have probably never made.

Tyler Foster, Commerce ISD says...

I am grateful for the THSCA and the Texas A&M Coaching Academy for the honor of having been a class of 2022 ROCK. The benefits of this program are not only great for the now but also for the foreseeable future. My biggest take away from the ROCK program is having the ability to have a mentor to connect with. I am blessed with having Coach Charles Ament, Associate AD for the Cy-Fair ISD school district, as my mentor. I have called upon Coach Ament many times during my time as a coach now to help me with certain situations that have occurred. His knowledge about situations and how best to handle them has helped me in my current spot, but also helping to shape me to become an Athletic Director one day. My knowledge has grown since pairing up with my mentor not in the X's and O's but in the life aspect of coaching. Helping my players, helping my school, helping my community, and also helping me with an ability to also be an impactful husband and father. Without programs like this one, our profession can not grow the way it should. This program helps to create better coaches, but the connections made can help to create better leaders of our families both at home and in the school building. Thankful for the Texas A&M Coaching Academy and my athletic director, John McSheffery of Commerce ISD, for nominating me for this honor.

D'Ondre

LeBlanc, Emerson HS says...

The first is that it takes a village, being a young coach juggling coaching, teaching, and being in grad school at times things can become overwhelming. But having people in your corner pushing you to be better every day makes it 10 times easier to keep

pushing. The second thing I learned is that you are going to make mistakes. Nobody's perfect, in my firstyear teaching and coaching I wanted everything to be perfect and I would become frustrated with myself when things didn't play out how I wanted them to. Through the ROCK program and those involved I learned it's a part of the game to make mistakes, but we have to learn from them and prevent the same mistake from happening. I am beyond blessed and fortunate to have been afforded this opportunity of being a ROCK mentee. Thank you Coach Kendall Miller and Coach Carlos Lynn for being on this journey with me.

Nick Smisek, SA Roosevelt HS says...

Although there have been countless things that have benefitted me and my young career, I would have to say that my biggest take away from the ROCK Program would be the amount of experienced and veteran coaches that want to and that are willing to help young coaches succeed. Being a ROCK, I have made connections with my mentor coach, along with many other veteran coaches, that have helped me and that I have been able to communicate with and ask for advice. The support throughout the profession has been amplified to a degree that gives the feeling that us young coaches are not only appreciated in the coaching profession, but that these established coaches want to help us succeed so that the State of Texas continues to not only have the best football programs, but more importantly our student athletes continue to be outstanding citizens in our communities. Us ROCK's have been exposed to a wide range of connections and mentors across the state that give us all the resources that we need to be successful.

Kayla Allen, Vista Ridge HS says...

It’s not who you know, but who knows you.” This really opened my eyes to how important networking really is. Through the R.O.C.K. Program I have had the opportunity to meet so many coaches, administrators, and former coaches who I probably would have never crossed paths with otherwise. You never know when your name will be passed through a friend of a friend.

Jared

Burchard,

Ennis HS says...

The biggest takeaways that I have gotten from the ROCK mentorship program are the tools that I am being equipped with to deal with difficult situations that I will face throughout my career. The curriculum has been super beneficial to me, and I have been able to apply things that I have learned about mental health, time management, and dealing with conflicts already this year! Through conversations with mentors and fellow ROCKs, I am being given the resources and relationships necessary to be successful in coaching for years to come.

Benefits of Season Passes & Season Tickets for your school's Sports Season

At HomeTown, we know how busy the days can be for Texas coaches and athletic directors. That’s why we want to connect you with a purpose-built platform with tools to easily get fans into your games, manage your events, and save you time.

HomeTown has already helped over 400 school districts in Texas use digital ticketing to save time on ticketing, but did you know HomeTown has the built-in option to sell season passes and season ticket packages to your events?

Why Do Schools Sell Season Passes and Season Tickets?

Both season passes and season ticket packages drive early ticket sales for your events, increase event attendance across the season, and provide an easy alternative to buying single game tickets. They also provide a lower fee option for fans when compared to purchasing tickets individually, rewarding your loyal fans with savings.

Season Passes

Passes provide an easy way for fans to purchase entry to multiple events at one time, while providing you with flexible options. Select the events within your season that you want to sell a pass for. When fans purchase their season pass, they will receive one QR code that can be scanned for entry. The QR code will be valid for one entry to each event within the season and can be stored on a mobile device or printed at home.

Season Ticket Packages

Season ticket packages allow your fans to purchase entry to each game of an athletic season for one price. Season tickets can be sent digitally, with individual tickets for each game that are easily scanned upon entry to ensure each ticket is valid for the correct date.

Season tickets also allow fans to choose a reserved seat within your venue and keep their seat for the entire season. For example, you may have fans who want to sit on the 50-yard line for the entire football season or want to be near center court in your gym. When it comes time to renew your fans’ yearly ticket package, you will work directly with your Client Success Manager to send out automated renewal information.

Ready to get started selling your season passes and single game tickets with HomeTown? Schedule a call with our team to get the answers to your questions and get set-up with your own HomeTown Box Office.

www.HometownTicketing.com

Build your Shield: Train Your Neck

By Josh Bryant & Adam Benshea

In the ancient Mediterranean world, there was a prominent city-state known as Lacedaemon which rose to military prominence because of their fiercely trained warriors. We know them as the Spartans.

Upon completion of the agoge—the rigorous education and training required for every male Spartan citizen—the young Spartan was eligible to become an active member of the Lacedaemonian army.

Conflict inside of Sparta (as Lacedaemon became known based on the name of its main settlement) and between other Greek city-states was frequent. The historian Thucydides tells us that before a Spartan man went off to war, his wife would hand him his shield (hoplon) and say: “With this, or upon this.” In other words, a warrior could only return to Sparta with his shield in hand or dead upon it.

The idea was that in the midst of battle, should fear overtake a Spartan and he run from the fighting, the first thing he would drop would be his shield. Coming home without his shield would be a telltale sign that cowardice had broken the Spartan warrior. This was unacceptable.

We all struggle with fear, but we cannot abide by the willingness to be bent, bowed, and broken by cowardice.

So, never leave your shield.

Now, a developed and muscled neck serves to safeguard your body, back, and brain from trauma, damage, and injury. Like a shield, your neck protects your body.

So, your neck is your shield. Build it, develop it, and don’t leave home without it.

Of course, neck training is a necessity, not a luxury, for football, wresting, or any contact or combat sport.

In fact, recent research has shown that there has been a dramatic rise in the number of sports

related concussions. One study found that “SRCs [sports related concussions] were determined to be a major health concern as diagnosed concussions have increased by 43% over the past 5 years. More significantly, there was a 71% increase in concussion diagnosis for patients who were 10-19 years old. The rate is even higher among younger populations involved in contact sports” (Toninato et al., 2018).

Unsurprisingly, the same study also found that “this drastic increase in SRCs has raised concerns for both parents and youth involved in youth contact sports” (Toninato et al., 2018).

When it comes to safeguarding the physical health and the athletic capabilities of high school athletes, these are frightening statistics because it tells us that the still developing bodies of young athletes are particularly vulnerable to concussions.

Although we can never completely prevent injury, we are able to reduce the risk of injury with neck training. For instance, one study found that “for every pound of neck strength, odds of concussion decreased by 5%” (Collins et al., 2014).

Therefore, with the right approach to strength training, coaches can extend the competitive careers of their athletes and, more importantly, increase the safety measures for their physical health.

Your neck supports the weight of your head and safeguards the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information from your brain down to the rest of your body. In an ideal world, your neck would be extremely flexible, sturdy, and strong. But, your neck doesn’t get that way just by chance. You need to train your neck. You need to build your shield.

Let’s talk about how you can do that. More specifically, we will go over strengthening flexion, extension, and lateral flexion.

Now, here is a brief overview of each dimension and a routine for how to strengthen them.

For completing all of these, use an innovative and ingenious training tool called the Strong Neck. This is an affordable device that can be used to easily load more or less weight, while providing a high level of comfort during the workout.

With a shallow learning curve, high school athletes can quickly adopt this training tool and the routine described below into an established strength program. This routine can be done 1-3 times a week.

capitis, semispinalis capitis, suboccipitals, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid (posterior fibers.)

To strengthen neck extension, lie face down with your whole body straight on a flat bench while holding the Strong Neck behind your head. Position yourself so that your shoulders are just above the end of the bench, with your upper chest, neck, and face off the bench. This is the starting position. From here, holding the Strong Neck securely, lower your head to a comfortable stretch, then extend your head up briefly in a controlled movement and hold the extended position.

Do this for three sets of 20 reps.

First, NECK FLEXION is tilting your head forward. The chief muscles involved are the longus colli, longus capitis, and sternocleidomastoid (anterior fibers).

To strengthen neck flexion, lie flat on a bench with your back flat on the bench and your feet on the floor. Place Strong Neck on your forehead. With your head hanging off the edge of the bench, flex your head up until your chin touches your upper chest, then extend your neck backward to a comfortable stretch.

Repeat for three sets of 20 reps.

Second, NECK EXTENSION refers to the action of moving your chin away from your chest. The mainstay muscles in this action are the splenius

And, third, NECK LATERAL FLEXION in lay terms means tilting your head to the side. The primary muscles involved in this function are the sternocleidomastoid and scalenes.

To strengthen neck lateral flexion, lie on your left side on a flat bench with your legs on the floor and your left forearm on the bench. Position the Strong Neck on the right side of your upper head. Hold the Strong Neck on the right side of your head with your right hand. Place your left hand on the floor for support. From here, move your head up to your right shoulder by laterally flexing your neck. Then lower your head to the left side and repeat; do the opposite for the left side.

Complete two sets of 15 for each side.

This neck training program with the Strong Neck device does not require much space and can be done without fancy, high-cost equipment. Moreover, the time investment is minimal because it can be done as a staggered set between sets of core movements.

The bottom line is that the proper approach to neck training can reduce the likelihood of a high school athlete becoming another statistic of the concussion age.

So, build your shield. Train your neck.

THE LONE STAR STATE PLAYS ON HELLAS

Long Term Athletic Development

By Raymond Tucker, University of Houston-Victoria

As athletes develop from pre-athletics through middle to high school athletic programs, long term athletic development is a process that requires patience and time from the coach. It should be carefully managed for each athlete in the program. Rushing this process will not develop a robust athlete and should be avoided at all costs. According to Brendon Rearick from Michael Boyle Strength and Conditioning, your program should slow cook your clients (athletes) like a crock pot and not zap them like a microwave for quick gains. Your pre-athletic and middle school strength and conditioning programs lay the groundwork for the success of your high school athletic program. These programs should allow male and female athletes to participate in a strength and conditioning program overseen by a certified strength and conditioning professional if the athletic program's goal is longterm athletic development.

Because so many athletes participate in a strength and conditioning program during the athletic period or after school, some athletic programs adopt a one size fits all or cookie cutter strength and conditioning program to save time. This strategy may be advantageous if the strength and conditioning professional has developed a regression and progression exercise list to reduce or increase the exercise demands or movement patterns. For example, if an athlete can't perform the hang clean with the correct technique, what exercise would the strength and conditioning professional prescribe in the place of the hang clean to get the same performance outcome until the athlete has mastered the correct technique.

One of the requirements for long term athletic development is to identify the differences between

an athlete's biological and chronological age. For example, two athletes who are both 13 years old chronologically may be in various stages of their development. An athlete who is less mature and has developmental delays at the same age will have less body weight and muscle mass. An athlete's strength, speed, and power will be limited by this lack of body weight and muscle mass, making it more challenging to perform specific weight lifting exercises and explosive movement patterns. Coaches sometimes make the mistake of prioritizing these mature athletes and ignoring the underdeveloped athletes, leading to underdeveloped athletes who become discouraged and leave the athletic program. Athletes still developing will mature later and hold the key to the athletic program's ultimate success. The following steps should be taken into consideration by the strength and conditioning professional in the long term development of the athlete.

1. Before having your athletes perform any weight room exercises or movement patterns, use a screening tool to see what movements they can perform correctly. The Functional Movement Screen is an excellent tool for determining whether your athletes have any asymmetries between the left and right sides of the body, as well as any weaknesses that may be affecting their performance.

2. What warm-up routine will you employ to ensure that your athletes' flexibility and mobility allow them to move actively through a range of motion?

3. What multi-joint and weightlifting exercises will you include in your program at each level, and how will you teach them to ensure mastery

before moving on to more advanced exercises? How would you teach the proper jumping and landing techniques used in linear and lateral lower body plyometrics and throwing, catching, and passing exercises used in upper body plyometrics?

4. How will you teach the correct body position and proper mechanics for acceleration, maximum velocity sprinting, and multidirectional speed?

5. Before prescribing any exercise or movement pattern to your athletes, determine their training age. For example, if you use the hang clean in your program and have an athlete who has never performed this exercise, they will have a training age of 0, indicating that they have no experience performing this exercise. This athlete should regress to learn the proper technique with a PVC pipe and then progress to a bar before adding an external load.

6. Put your athletes in groups based on their ability level and training age so they can learn and develop confidence in their abilities. It's simple to put them in groups with more advanced athletes in the hopes that the advanced athletes will take a leadership role and coach them, but in some cases, these athletes are bullied and picked on because they don't meet the advanced athletes' standards. Allow your athletes to train while you serve as the coach.

7. Meet with your parents and explain your strength and conditioning program and the importance of recovery. Inform your parents that more is not always better and that they should not lift weights at home or hire a personal

trainer. Overtraining, a lack of recovery, and overuse injuries will result. What your athletes do at home and in their spare time is just as important in their training program at school.

8. Before creating your program, consult with your sports coaches. You want to ensure that whatever you do in your strength and conditioning program is in line with the goals of the head coach for that sport. You also want to ensure that the program complements rather than competes with the upcoming practice or game. If a basketball coach wants to condition their players after practice or do a lot of jumping, you don't have to do the same in your strength and conditioning program.

9. Making someone puke is simple; improving someone is a skill. There is a significant difference between discomfort and pain, and coaches should listen to their athletes before pushing them beyond this point. The no pain, no gain philosophy is antiquated and should never be applied to any athlete's training.

The strength and conditioning professional's goal is not to turn your athletes into strongmen, powerlifters, bodybuilders, cross-fitters, or Olympic lifters. The goal should be to develop a strong and resilient athlete with good mobility, efficient movement patterns, the ability to convert strength into power when needed to jump, accelerate into a sprint, and the appropriate motor control and movement patterns to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction, all of which are required for team sport athletes.

thsca Super Elite Teams and Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Coach of the Year

The THSCA Super Elite Teams consists of high school players nominated by professional members of the Texas High School Coaches Association. The player must meet the THSCA award criteria to be nominated. The award recognizes student athletes across the state of Texas for their exemplary athletic achievement in their respective sport. (Do you have highlights of athletes you think are Super Elite? We would love to see you post them on social media and tag us @THSCAcoaches and #SuperEliteTeam.)

All eligible nominations will be collected and sent to the S.E.T. (Super Elite Teams) Committees to be evaluated. The S.E.T. Committee will submit the finalists to the advisory committee for their respective sport for final approval and decision on who have made the Super Elite team in each classification. Super Elite teams will be recognized after the state championships have been announced. This award will begin in the Fall of the 2022-23 school year. See the chart below for nomination windows for each sport.

CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION:

1. Be of good moral character

2. Varsity sports only

3. Have been a member of the team in good standing at the time of nomination

4. Player has excelled as an elite member in their respective sport

SUPER ELITE TEAMS BY THE NUMBERS:

► There will be 101 Super Elite Teams covering all 23 sports throughout the state.

► There will be over 1,800 student-athletes recognized on the Super Elite Teams.

► We will have 808 Coaches (on S.E.T. Committees) that will select the Super Elite Teams.

Super Elite Team Timeline by Sport:

SPORT

Team Tennis 8-Oct 24-Oct

Water Polo B/G 8-Oct 21-Oct

Cross Country B/G 26-Oct 11-Nov

Volleyball 29-Oct 9-Nov Football 5-Nov 7-Dec

Wrestling B/G 13-Feb 23-Feb

Swim/Dive B/G 6-Feb 23-Feb Girls Basketball 11-Feb 23-Feb Boys Basketball 18-Feb 2-Mar

Soccer B/G 21-Mar 5-Apr Tennis B/G 14-Apr 1-May Golf B/G 21-Apr 26-May

Track & Field B/G 1-May 18-May Softball 25-Apr 24-May Baseball 2-May 31-May

THSCA along with our partners at Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, want to give recognition to our Texas high school coaches for their accomplishments on and off the field/court with an opportunity to be honored nationally. We will be presenting various types of awards which will include:

Award Requirements:

Nomination Process:

The nomination process will be open to every member of THSCA after the state championships in each sport. Each THSCA member is offered a chance to nominate a head coach and/or assistant coach to submit through the Member Portal. Nominations will cease after 2 weeks. Nominations will then be handed over to the Awards Committee for scoring (by region).

SPORT NOMINATIONS OPEN NOMINATIONS CLOSE

Team Tennis 28-Oct 11-Nov

Water Polo B/G 30-Oct 13-Nov

Cross Country B/G 6-Nov 20-Nov

Volleyball 20-Nov 4-Dec

Football 18-Dec 1-Jan

Wrestling B/G 19-Feb 5-Mar

Swim/Dive B/G 19-Feb 5-Mar

Girls Basketball 5-Mar 19-Mar

Boys Basketball 12-Mar 26-Mar

Soccer B/G 16-Apr 30-Apr

Tennis B/G 27-Apr 11-May

Girls Golf 10-May 24-May

Track & Field B/G 14-May 28-May

Boys Golf 17-May 31-May

Softball 4-Jun 18-Jun Baseball 11-Jun 25-Jun

TRANSITIONING FROM ASSISTANT COACH TO HEAD COACH

By scott spanton - football coach

I have written several articles for the THSCA magazine over the course of my 30 years of coaching high school football in the great football tradition rich state of Texas. The majority of these previous articles dealt mainly with the X's and O's, techniques, and schemes. This particular article will focus on my own personal experiences during the transition from an assistant to a head coach.

It was my life long goal to become a successful head football coach at the high school level in the highly competitive state of Texas. That is what drove me to Texas after my graduate assistant days at the college level in South Dakota. After researching where high school football was the most competitive I narrowed it down to three states, California, Florida and Texas. I reached the conclusion that Texas was where high school was more than just another sport, rather it was a way of life. I always felt that if you are going to be the best you have to compete against the best.

After accepting my first job in Texas I loaded up my little pick-up with an old cover along with everything I owned at the time. Coaching school was in Ft. Worth that year so I drove there and parked in the lot and was introduced to the coaching staff for the first time. Those few days illustrated to me just how big of event this was as there were coaches attending from across the entire state.

Fast forward 20 years and several schools later all in the capacity of an assistant coach. Sure some of those titles included coordinator status along with other titles. I was very fortunate over this course of time to work for and learn from some very successful head coaches that had built winning programs. Each one had their own style, philosophy and expectations. One head coach I worked for early on in my career had mentioned it is not always a bad thing to move around every few years until you find the ideal job. In looking back it made sense as it allowed me to experience how there can be more than one right way to do things in order to build a successful program. On the flip side I also worked for head coaches that had been at the same school for over 20 years.

It was evident after a while in my quest to become a head coach something had to change in my approach. Working hard and doing things the right way were not always enough to get noticed. Therefore, I had realized in many cases the guys who were getting head coaching jobs had the coordinator title behind their name. In doing so I went from a school of around 800 enrollment to one of over 3000. It was definitely an eye opening experience in the enormity of it all. In the long run though it was still about building relationships with young men, all be it just more of them.

Over the course of time at a few big schools I was able to manufacture several interviews for the position of head coach but never able to make the final cut. I made it a habit of going back and speak with someone on the interview panel to ask what I could have done better during the course of the interview. In the early stages of my interviews I made the inexperienced mistake of always trying to provide answers in the form of what I thought they wanted to hear rather than speaking from my own beliefs, philosophy, and blue print for building a winning football program. I guess my advice for younger coaches going through the interview process would be to just be yourself and be prepared and confident in how you present yourself. Sometimes it is more important about how you say things rather than what you say. Do it with conviction and sincerity that comes from your heart.

The obvious big difference in stepping into the role of head coach from that of an assistant or coordinator includes all the other things (besides the X's and O's) and the in house matters that come along with the position. In learning from my personal experience as well as learning from being around many of those successful head coaches it boiled down to the following points: One, the ability to be a great communicator. This involves many avenues ranging from parents, boosters, players, administration, support staff, custodial and maintenance staff, just to name a few. In order to have success everyone from the top to the bottom must all be on aligned in order to achieve success in keeping the lines of communication open. Especially in the areas of schedules involving meetings, practices, games, travel and game intineraries, weekends, treatment just to mention a few. Two, be organized and prepared. This includes in the areas of staff or player meetings, practice planning, game planning, upcoming meetings with a parent(s), to mention a few. In doing these items mentioned it will help to alleviate some of the issues that may arise into bigger ones if these details were overlooked. With today's technology and social media there are more avenues than ever to communicate many of the

prior mentioned items. Three, expectations is another key ingredient when conveying exactly what it is you want to accomplish and how you will go about doing so. Communicating these to the staff, players, and parents allows them to paint a better image of the direction you are trying to take your program. All of these areas are crucial in building a culture that is conducive to success and allowing everyone to be made well aware and being on the same page.

The next item relates to the expectations and what you are trying to accomplish. This comes in the backbone of what your program stands behind. We would call them the "four pillars of success.” As I mentioned earlier you must have a blueprint of what you are trying to build. The following includes our core values: One, CHARACTER, which has several different spin offs or definitions but the easiest way to sum it up comes from a coach I worked for who stated, "do the right things when no one else is watching". This encompasses just about everything when it comes to your expectations of your program. No matter it be in the classroom, out in the community, or on the playing field. It is the staple or backbone of our program. You want to surround yourself with people of high character and be able to trust that they will do the right thing. In today's society and many temptations for our youth this is not easily accomplished. The second involves COMMITMENT. There are many different angles in the use of this word as well. What it boils down to is what are you willing to do daily to improve not only yourself, but all the others around you. How important is it to be 100% bought in to what we are trying to accomplish. The third involves ACCOUNTABILITY. During our trying times in society today for teenagers, this is another very sensitive issue. Times have changed where it very easy to pass the blame, point fingers, or make excuses. Rather, what we want is each and every student/athlete is to hold themselves accountable for their actions before they can ever expect to hold each other to this standard. The fourth and final value involves LEADERSHIP. Once again, this can be a very difficult thing to accomplish when it comes to

the fear of what your peers may think. Whether it be the debate of whether leaders are born or built it still boils down to one of the most important ingredients to whether you will have a successful program or not. In my years of experience and pinpointing one of the biggest factors from within the make-up of a successful versus unsuccessful team and program involves that of leadership. I am not solely speaking of the coaching staff but rather the individuals that comprise your team. If this characteristic is absent then what will be the result when the tough times hit whether it be in practice, game or in life. I truly believe that today's players take it more to heart when this comes from within rather than from always hearing from a coaches mouth. I strongly believe in these four pillars, and I wish I had been more organized and mature in believing and adhering to these when it came to many of those interviews I went through regardless if I were to get the job or not. I feel these need to be embedded in the minds of all those who are involved within your program. There are obviously many other traits or values that could be utilized in your programs, but these are four that I felt encompassed everything that were important ingredients to allow our athletes a chance to be successful not just now but in their futures as well.

In closing, I can only hope that to the young coach who is sitting out there wondering about how to advance their careers with the ultimate goal of someday becoming a head coach this gives them some sense of direction in how to go about it. I would like to thank all the coaches that I have had the privilege to work under and with over the course of my career in helping me to be a part of the greatest profession on earth for over the past 38 years. There is no more universal word that impacts so many lives than that of being called "Coach".

By Cassi Dunnam, Dumas Demons Coach's Wife Connect with Cassi on Instagram @CassiDunnam

You know who is just as invested as anyone during football season? A coach’s wife. I don’t care what colors you wear, or what team you cheer for…. In the big picture, we are in this crazy and wonderful life together. We should support each other and be able to talk about real feelings. This one is for you!

For all the days you didn’t know how you’d get your kids to all the places, but you did. How are you?

For all the times you dealt with unexpected issues by yourself. How are you?

For keeping up with all the chores. How are you?

For all the long trips you made by yourself to the middle of nowhere. How are you?

For the times you sat in the stands and heard people literally yell the most ridiculous BS at your husband and/or son.

How are you?

For all the meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking all the meals not only for your family, but also your football family. How are you?

For the 90+ mornings you woke up alone. How are you?

For the negative Facebook posts you read. How are you?

For all the meals you ate by yourself. How are you?

For the dateless season. How are you?

For the nights you fell asleep crying worried about the team, your family, and felt the weight of the world on your shoulders. How are you?

For never hearing congrats on a great season, and thank you for your investment. How are you?

For all the love you have and give to your favorite team. How are you?

case nobody ever asked

In

you… this is me asking HOW ARE YOU?

Happy December Ladies,

This may sound a little cliché but, I cannot believe it is already the end of the year. Seems like we were all just sitting together in San Antonio at Muffins and Mimosas. The year is flying by, but this only means that we are getting closer and closer to Convention 2023 in Houston!

As our fall athletic season ends, I want to recognize all the teams that made it to playoffs this year as well as a big congratulations to those teams who won State. What an amazing accomplishment. For those of you that had a rough season, remember, we have all been there and know how hard it can be, especially when your Coach is down. It is never easy seeing your team struggle or your coach. We hurt with them, but we also know it is part of our job as their spouse and support person to lift them up and remind them of better days. That is just one of the incredibly special characteristics of a coach's wife; we can look at the glass half full and find the positive in most situations.

As the winter sports season begins, I want to remind you that you can still go online to www.thscwa.org and register for your membership. We are continuously growing as an organization, and I am excited and blessed to be a part of that! I can honestly say that I have made forever friendships because of the THSCWA, and I do not know what I would do without the amazing support from those lovely ladies. Convention is not that far away, and we are already making big plans for Houston. If you would like to be a vendor or be a sponsor, you can contact us for more information on our website. With that said, on behalf of the Texas High School Coaches Wives Association, I would like to wish you and your families Happy Holidays and an incredibly Happy New Year. Your 2022 President, Shelby B. Shelby, Region 7 : McAllen High School txcoacheswives@gmail.com

THSCWA OFFICERS: 2022-2023

PRESIDENT: SHELBY B. SHELBY

PRESIDENT ELECT : TINA KURTENBACH

SECRETARY: justine palmer

TREASURER: cynthia griffing

DIRECTORS

REG 1: kim keys

REG 2: ANGIE MARTINEZ

REG 3: MONICA HARP

REG 4: ANGIE TORRES

REG 5: erin smith

REG 6: DAISY GREEK

REG 7: MORGAN HAMRICK

REG 8: MISTY HOUSTON

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS:

REG 1: clara simmons

REG 2: JESSICA ATWOD

REG 3: KRISTEN HAYWOOD

REG 4: GENTRY STAUGH

REG 5: RACHAEL MCGUIRE

REG 6: LYNDSEY RATLIFF

REG 7: AMBER HILLIS

REG 8: AMANDA AGUIRRE

5 REFRAMING TECHNIQUES EVERY COACH SHOULD KNOW

WRITTEN

BY

JOEY

MENDOZA FORMER TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL & BASEBALL COACH

Reframing is a key part of the coaching process. Reframing can take time, or it can happen immediately. That’s the beauty of it.

It helps athletes see things differently, which empowers them to experience situations with different feelings or conclusions.

Your job as a coach is to offer and explore a variety of ways players can consider a problem or complex situation. You are a guide; players are the problem solvers.

Coach your next team (or yourself) with these reframing techniques:

PASSIVE TO ACTIVE

The old cliché about being proactive is true. When you become an active participant in your everyday life, new opportunities will begin to appear. Wake up believing things will work out in your favor. Reach out to others and spark conversations. Tell others what you’ve been working on. Be passionate about it.

VICTIMIZATION TO EMPOWERMENT

The world is full of negativity. Be different. See the bright side of things more often. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Most people want to do good, however we’ve all been jaded at some point in our lives. Don’t trigger quickly. Evaluate the situation, take a breath, then make the best decision in the moment.

One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting "You can do anything you want. You are bound by nothing.”

UNAWARE TO AWARE

Awareness in life will take you further than any other skill. Becoming aware of emotions, your triggers, and biases will save you hours of headaches. Awareness can be heightened by active listening, deep conversations with a trusted friend, or practicing solitude.

4 questions to practice awareness:

•

If this were the last day of my life, would I have the same plans for today?

• If not now, then when?

• Am I holding on to something I need to let go of?

• What are my strengths and weaknesses?

FEELING STUCK TO HAVING OPTIONS

Most of us feel stuck because we don’t know where to start. Here’s a secret: everyone is figuring it out as they go. The people you admire are figuring it out as they go. The difference between them and you is they had the audacity to just start. When you start, options begin to open up. Creating momentum is a great way to feel unstuck.

Ways to create momentum:

• journal

• deep conversations

• start a project

• share resources/experiences in an area you are an expert in

• move the body to move the mind (workout or a long walk)

BLAMING TO TAKING OWNERSHIP

Shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset will help with taking ownership. Once this light switch goes off, you’ll experience a freedom you’ve never felt. It’s taking a proactive approach to life. You have purpose. This is where finding motivation comes easy. Taking ownership will make you curious to find solutions and increase your skill sets.

Now go Coach em’ up!

you need. one FREE app. communication platform for districts, schools and customize the way you engage with coaches, players safety for our athletes and is a great communication tool parents. It is 100% mandated for all our coaches and kids ISD.

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sportsYou is the best FREE communication platform for districts, schools and teams. Streamline and customize the way you engage with coaches, players sportsYou enhances safety for our athletes and is a great communication tool with coaches, kids and parents. It is 100% mandated for all our coaches and kids

GRACE MCDOWELL, FRISCO ISD