Texas Coach - January 2023 - Volume LXVII No. 5

t u d e n t - a t h l e t e s p a r t i c i p a t e d i n

a l l c a m p a i g n s

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 Donald "Ed" Arvin, CC Vet. Mem. 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 Ronald Pratt, Rio Grande City R-8 Garvin Smith, San Marcos

* DENOTES CHAIR

Discover a better way to get recruited with Hudl.

Empower athletes to manage their own recruiting journey. Whether they’ve got DI or DIII abilities—they all have access to Hudl’s college recruiting tools to make sure the best athletes get noticed regardless of whether a college coach is able to attend their events.

Get your athletes noticed

Opt in to recruiting

Athlete’s can allow their Hudl profile to be viewed by registered recruiters, this is the best way to let programs know who they are and what skills they could bring to their team.

Athlete profile

Each athlete’s profile gives recruiters the content they need to help evaluate a recruitable player including contact info, academic and athletic stats, highlights and full game videos.

Highlight tools

Highlights from individual games or showcase their skills from the whole season with easy to use highlight tools that include spot shadows and arrows to help a college coach identify the correct athlete on the court or field.

Full game videos

Each athlete’s Hudl profile showcases full game videos which means you and your staff no longer have to download game videos from Hudl to email to college coaches.

Search and contact tools (NEW)

Athletes can easily find and connect directly with programs that are the right fit for their interests and ability with Hudl’s college search and contact tools which provide the college coach’s direct contact info immediately.

Visit hudl.com/solutions/high-school for more information.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

January 2023

THSCA Family, Happy New Year! I hope your 2023 is off to a great start as winter sports are in full swing and spring sports are gearing up. The beginning of the new year is filled with excitement as new beginnings bring new opportunities.

Congratulations to our twelve 2022 football state champions! The AT&T samesite state championships always produce great games, wild finishes, unbelievable plays, and memories for everyone involved. A special thank you is in order to everyone at UIL and THSCA for making this yet another wonderful week of the best of the best.

We just wrapped up our THSCA December Board Meeting. The report from our meeting can be found on page 66 of this issue. THSCA has a number of outstanding events scheduled for us over the next couple of months. Please mark your calendar now. Your THSCA Regional Meetings will take place on Saturday, February 4th. Check our THSCA website for the most up to date times and locations. At your regional meeting, you will receive your early access code to book your Coaching School hotels. Coaching School will be back in Houston this summer on July 16-18.

The THSCA Leadership Summit will return to Arlington on Monday, February 27th. I would like to congratulate my good friend, Jeff Dixon, on winning the THSCA Coaching Beyond the Game Award. Coach Dixon will be a part of an amazing list of speakers. Please check page 44 for all the details on the Leadership Summit or visit www.thsca.com/summit

Please remember to purchase your THSCA Liability Insurance if you have not done so. This is one of the best perks of our association. I would also like to remind all of our Spring Sport Scrimmages to participate in Our Day to Shine. I hope you never have to make a benevolence request, but just know that the funds raised from Our Day to Shine are helping people across our state in some of their most trying times. Academic AllState deadlines are coming up for Swim/Dive and Wrestling on February 1st and on Basketball on March 1st. I encourage you to look into our 4-L Character Curriculum that is currently available in our THSCA Member Portal. While you’re in the portal, please take time to nominate a “Coach of the Week.” One of the things we struggle with the most is taking time to recognize those we appreciate so much in the profession. Lastly, I want to thank our ROCK Captains that are featured on this month's cover. They have been a great help and I know they will help grow our ROCK class of 2023.

There are so many things going on in your communities and with your athletes this time of year. I know that all of you have your new goals and resolutions for 2023. I hope you continue to find a way to motivate and develop your athletes as well as appreciate and foster your relationships. You're going to face frustrations on a daily basis. Please remember how much your student-athletes need your encouragement, discipline and guidance. Please take time to appreciate and brag on what THSCA is doing for coaches as they continue to work so hard to give us everything we ask for and need to help kids! I was recently reminded by a very wise man; never pass up an opportunity to tell someone that you love them! You never know how much those words are needed in the lives of those whose paths we cross.

Make 2023 a great year,

Wiginton THSCA President

Lee

Obituary COACH MIKE LEACH

Mississippi State University Head Football Coach Michael Charles "Mike" Leach passed away last night (Monday, Dec. 12) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, following complications from a heart condition. He was 61. Forever a college football icon, he leaves an incredible legacy as a husband, father, friend and leader of young men.

The oldest of six siblings, Leach and his wife Sharon shared four children: Janeen, Kimberly, Cody and Kiersten. Born in Susanville, California to Frank and Sandra Leach, Mike was raised in Cody, Wyoming. After graduating with honors from BYU in 1983 where he played rugby, Leach earned a master's degree from the U.S. Sports Academy and his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University, where he graduated in the top one-third of his class.

For nearly four decades, Leach had an unmatched impact on the game of football including thousands of student-athletes, coaches and staff. He was a two-time national coach of the year, three-time Power 5 conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA record-setting "Air Raid" offense.

The accomplishments for Leach in his 21 years as a head coach were long and distinguished. A proven winner who established a culture of excellence at every stop of his career, Leach compiled a 158-107 (.596) record, guided his squads to 19 bowl games, produced seven seasons of at least nine victories, captured two conference division titles, became the winningest coach in Texas Tech history and set school records for bowl appearances at both Texas Tech (10) and Washington State (6). During 10 of those 21 seasons, Leach's passing attack led the FBS – six at Texas Tech and four at Washington State.

A passionate educator, mentor, historian and lifelong learner, Leach had great admiration for academics. He instilled that in his players, as his teams routinely set records for GPA and graduation rate. A masterful storyteller, Leach authored a New York Times best-selling autobiography in 2011 titled Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and in Life. He later wrote Geronimo: Leadership Strategies of an American Warrior in 2014.

Leach built arguably the greatest coaching tree in college football, giving countless coaches their start in the profession. His historic tree includes former and current head coaches Lincoln Riley, Dave Aranda, Sonny Cumbie, Dana Holgorsen, Seth Littrell, Art Briles, Ken Wilson, Neal Brown, Josh Heupel, Eric Morris, Sonny Dykes, Kliff Kingsbury, Ruffin McNeill and assistant coaches Wes Welker, Bill Bedenbaugh, Robert Anae, Alex Grinch, Brandon Jones, and more.

COACH RAYMOND MEL MAXFIELD

Raymond Mel Maxfield, 64, of Cleburne, Texas passed away peacefully Sunday, December 11, 2022.

Born in Kenedy, Texas on October 30, 1958, he was the son of the late G.W. and Anna Belle Maxfield. Mel was a graduate of Gorman High School and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington where he lettered all 4 years for the Movin’ Mavs football team. He later received his master’s degree from East Texas State.

He dedicated 40 years to his life’s passion- football. He spent his career at multiple school districts; Weatherford ISD (8 years), Forney ISD (15 years), Burleson ISD (8 years), Amarillo ISD (9 years), and Monahans ISD (1 year) before retiring in 2019. Post retirement; Keys ISD (1 year) and Bangs ISD (2 years). Mel achieved over 250 career wins making him one of the most winning coaches in Texas high school football history.

Mel was a dedicated member of THSCA, winner of the 2006 Nike Coach of the Year award, winner of multiple UIL Coach of the Year awards, and recipient of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Tom Landry Award in 2016. He was a devout Christian and despite his incredible contributions to Texas high school football, his greatest pride in life was his family.

Mel is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jill Maxfield; children, Payton Maxfield of Rockwall, TX, Kylie Maxfield of Fort Worth, TX, Max Maxfield of Crested Butte, CO, and Reece Maxfield of Cleburne, TX.

The family appreciates the countless family and friends who have expressed their condolences and shared memories of Mel.

Obituary

COACH JAMES "JIMMY" THOMAS

James “Jimmy” Owen Thomas, 52, of Littlefield, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, November 21st, 2022 in Lubbock. He was born April 7, 1970 in Wichita Falls, Texas to Paul and Gail (Shepard) Thomas.

Jimmy attended and graduated from Fritch HS with the Class of 1989. Upon graduation, he joined the US Navy and proudly served his country as a Hospital Corpsman, before being honorably discharged in 1993. After serving time in the military, Jimmy came back to Texas and attended West Texas A&M Univ. where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 1996. He later furthered his education at Sul Ross Univ. where he earned his Masters in Educational Administration in 2001.

On May 31st, 1997, Jimmy married Kaylia Wilmeth in Borger. Together Jimmy and Kaylia raised three children, Kara, Katelynn and Jared.

In 1996, Jimmy began his coaching career at Kress HS. From 1997-1998 he coached at Sanford-Fritch HS, and 1998-2001 he was coaching in Brackettville, Texas. In 2001, Jimmy accepted his first AD/Head Coaching position at Pettus ISD. In 2002, Jimmy led Pettus ISD to become the District 32A champs. In 2003 he moved to George West ISD and became the AD/Head Coach until 2005. In 2005 Jimmy coached at Llano ISD. Proceeding Llano, Jimmy went to Danbury ISD where he served as AD/Head Coach until 2014. In 2014, Jimmy accepted a position as AD and Head Coach for Bushland ISD. Jimmy quickly became a beloved AD and Head Coach at Bushland ISD where he stayed until 2020. In 2020, Jimmy decided to pursue a career in Administration at Channing ISD where he served as a Principal. In 2021, Jimmy moved to Littlefield, Texas where he was currently serving as AD and Head Coach for Littlefield ISD. He had the honor of coaching in the Houston Blue-Chip Senior Bowl, served as Head Coach of the 2018 ASCO All-Star Game in Lubbock, and was selected to coach the 2020 Greenbelt Bowl.

During his longevity as not only a beloved coach, but town member, and father, Jimmy received many awards and honors. When he wasn’t coaching, he enjoyed studying football, spending time with his wife and children, and reading scripture. Jimmy was a servant to all that knew him. Over the years, Jimmy made an immense impact on and in the communities that he served.

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

Eric Sudol, VP Corp. Partnership Sales & Marketing, Dallas Cowboys

Dexia Smith, MBA Sport Entertainment Management (’22)

Eric Sudol, SVP Corp. Partnership Sales & Marketing, Dallas Cowboys

Dexia Smith, MBA Sport Entertainment Management (’22), Sales Associate, Corporate Partnership Sales, Dallas Cowboys

BEGINNINGS

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

Joseph Campbell

Mandy Hale

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot."

ESTABLISHING A PERSONAL TRUST & CONNECTION WITH YOUR STUDENT ATHLETES

BY STEVE JEWELL SAN ANGELO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL & BASEBALL COACH

As educators & coaches we all struggle with the many challenges that have come at us over the past few years. Most of the coaches I know go into coaching for a litany of reasons. A need to share the passion we have for a particular sport with a new generation of athletes, or maybe to go into a career field that we feel strongly about. Some enter the family business, as their fathers or mothers were coaches; and others go into it for the continued enjoyment of competition. Whatever the reason you have entered this profession, there are some key leadership elements in this business that are critical to success. I remember early on in my career an old coach telling me that old saying “It's not the x’s and o’s but the Jimmy’s and Joe’s that win ball games.” Key number one, that statement is as true today as it always has been.

you can control how disciplined your teams are. There are many ways to develop a disciplined atmosphere. I spent two years as a Basic Training Drill Instructor, and I can tell you that using the authoritarian approach can work. Demanding discipline and punishing severely for any lack of discipline can create a group that demonstrates discipline behaviors; but normally that disappears when the leader is not there, or things do not go as planned. Why is that? Discipline rooted in fear and punishment can work in the short term, but very rarely succeeds in the long term. Discipline rooted in mutual trust has the ability to create lasting individual discipline, one that can withstand the ups and downs experienced over time. Disciplined individuals all have harnessed their own personal why. Building a trusting relationship with an athlete will allow you to help them find their internal why which will help them be a more successful person, athlete and teammate.

life? Someone you trust or someone you don’t?"

First the why: why build relationships based off of trust? All successful teams have several things in common, but the two most important are discipline and talent. You can’t control natural talent, but

Strong trusting relationships do not happen overnight; they require time, intentional effort, and a commitment to developing them. I can tell you that it is not always a perfect process. I wish that I could set down a list of things to do and magically you are now a master at the art of relationships. We are all different, each athlete, coach, and

"I will start with this question to you; Whose words hold the most weight with you in your

situation; therefore, there is no one way to build trusting relationships. I will share with you some interesting ways coaches try and gain trust that may help but will not work by themselves. First, the young coach tries to physically “show out” or demonstrate he or she can do these skills better than you; therefore, you should trust what I am telling you. The next way the coach does it is by sharing their background of where and who they played with as a reason to trust everything they say. The last is sharing all the experience they have as a reason to trust them. While these things are not bad per se (I myself have been guilty of all three), they never work by themselves to develop a true trusting bond. I do believe there are a few key components to developing a trusting bond that I have learned over time and would like to share them with you.

Get to know the kids: first on the field, but more importantly, off the field. Find out about what they are interested in outside of sports, what their family lives are like, what they like to do when they have their free time. Why do they want to be a part of the team? Why are they playing sports? The answers to these questions will surprise you at times. Share information about yourself. Coaches do a great job talking about where they played and who they played with, but there is so much more to share. Share items about your family, about what you loved about your sport, about moments you failed in sport and how you dealt with that failure. Share what you do when you're not involved in your sport. Most athletes are searching for a connection with you, and rarely will you develop a strong connection if the only thing you talk about is the sport you are coaching them in.

Honesty, with empathy. Understand these are high school kids, they are not college or professional athletes. How many student athletes go into a game planning to fail? How many have decided "I don’t want to make the tackle, or catch the winning touchdown?" When providing feedback to athletes, it is important to understand how critical it is to be instructive with our critiques. It is easy to get critical with an athlete when a mistake is made, but it is more effective to be instructive. Providing feedback is one of the essential skills of a good coach, but it can be one of the quickest ways for coaches to lose an athlete's trust. Think of it this way, every time an athlete hits the field they have an equal chance of

success and failure, and that failure is on display for everyone to see. Ask yourself this question: How do you feel when you're in a vulnerable spot? Most will answer with fear; fear of public rejection, fear of public ridicule, or fear of failure. When you attempt something publicly, you put yourself in a very vulnerable spot. Remember all athletes want to succeed when they are on the field. When they do not, they need either information to help them succeed at the next opportunity, or reassurance to build confidence which will allow them to play to their fullest capabilities. The truth is, during a game we don’t always know the real reason an athlete failed. I personally cannot count the amount of times I thought one thing happened; yet, after reviewing the film, I can see the actual real issue. You cannot tell a student athlete nothing is personal with one phrase, and then berate them with a personal attack when they fail and expect that trust will be maintained.

Honestly evaluating an athlete's performance is critical, but it is just as critical to understand that no athlete hits the field wanting to fail. A great saying I learned from a fellow coach was, “Practice for perfection but plan for failure.” It will not matter how much trust you have built up with your athletes, if during the times when it gets hard the only feedback you give is berating their failure. Leadership 101 states, “Praise in public, and scold in private.” I believe this approach should be used to help you build true trusting relationships with your athletes.

True care - not just words, but actions. Demonstrating you care about them in season and out of season. Support them in their other endeavors, talk with them about their future, offer support for their dreams. Provide them information about ways to accomplish their goals, whether that is in your sport or out of your sport. If your actions don’t match your words, your actions are really the only thing they will remember. We are all human, and there will be some athletes you connect with more than others but do your best to show all your athletes you truly care.

Your relationship with all of the student athletes is on display; and the moment you demonstrate you only care about the ones who hit the field, that message will be communicated to all of them. How can you expect an athlete to trust you if they know the only reason they are important to you is based

on what they do on the field for you and the team. They know the moment they cannot perform, your care and concern will be gone. Would you trust someone that you knew that about?

Create shared experiences outside of your sport. For many years, I would take my high school football team to the Race for the Cure event that supported breast cancer awareness. To this day many of my former athletes talk about those events and what it meant to them more than we reminisce about wins and losses. Team dinners, position group dinners, and game viewing parties are only a few examples of other such events that can be used to develop strong trusting bonds with your athletes. To be honest, some student athletes may not embrace these opportunities; but many will.

Learn to trust your athletes. This is a big one. If you never trust them, how can they truly trust you? We are dealing with high school kids and we know that they are not always going to make the best decisions, never forget we learn more from our failures than our successes. It is important that athletes know you will trust them to succeed, but support them when they fail. How do you demonstrate this? First you have to communicate to your athletes that during practice you are going to put them in stressful situations while practicing skills needed for success. They need to understand the why, which is because you want them to be prepared for success when game time hits. Athletes learn to perform successfully through repetition and practice of the skills needed to succeed. Once athletes understand the purpose of stressful practices and you have built a trusting relationship, they will learn to appreciate the duress. They will learn to work effectively under the pressure and become better performers when game time hits. Going back to an earlier saying, "Practice for perfection but plan for failure once the game begins," you realize that it is not if they will fail at times but when they fail is how we are going to help them succeed at their next opportunity. There will be times you can provide information to improve performance, and others where your athletes just need reassurance that you trust them to succeed at the next available chance. Providing an athlete positive reassurance that you trust them and believe in them in a lot of instances is the most you can do for them.

So I will ask this question again: Whose words hold the most weight with you in your life? Someone you trust or someone you don’t? I know the answer for me is that I always go back to those people in my life I have built trust with. I have been extremely lucky to have worked with some amazing coaches over my career and could fill up the pages with their names. I would like to thank Coach Daryl Schwartz for giving me my start in high school coaching 21 years ago and Coach Kevin Crane for giving me an opportunity here in Texas. I hope some of these words find their way into your mindset and can help you become more successful in your coaching career. Coaching student athletes is one of the most important jobs in the world; not because of anything that is accomplished on the field, but for everything that is learned and put to good use off of it.

SUICIDE PREVETION

Puja Patel, PhD, Assistant Director

Texas Child Study Center - Dell Children's Medical Center

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, ages 10-34 (CDC, 2022). The rate of suicides for 13 to 30 year olds has steadily increased from 2010 to 2018. Approximately 20% of high school students reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year. Youth most at risk are females and lesbian, gay, or bisexual teens (46.8%).

Many things can increase the risk of suicide in teenagers. One major risk factor is experiencing a mental health issue like depression, anxiety, or trauma. Most people who die by suicide have struggled with a mental health condition. Other risk factors include a family history of suicide, violence, or substance abuse. Teens also experience many stressful life events for the first time. These can include a breakup with a romantic partner, trouble at school, violence, or conflicts with friends.

Often, individuals who can seem ‘okay’

from the outside are actually suffering on the inside. They don’t have to be alone. Each suicide is composed of highly unique, dynamic and complex interplay of genetic, biological, psychological and social factors ( Bilsen, 2018).

Biological factors may make teens’ brains vulnerable to mood disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. For teens, suicide can be an attempt to solve a problem of intense pain with impaired problem-solving skills. Even though no single cause can be identified, suicide can be preventable. Coaches, caregivers, and fellow athletes can help.

Research shows that sports participation can be a protective factor against depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents ( Babiss & Gangwisch, 2009). Athletics provides an opportunity for exercise, competition and social support. For adolescents, sports participation can help youth in developing a positive sense of identity.

Warning signs of teen suicide might include:

● Talking or writing about suicide — for example, making statements such as “I’m going to kill myself,” or “I won’t be a problem for you much longer”

● Withdrawing from social contact

● Having mood swings

● Increasing use of substances such as alcohol or drugs

● Feeling trapped, hopeless or helpless about a situation

● Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns

● Doing risky or self-destructive things

● Giving away belongings when there is no other logical explanation for why this is being done

● Developing personality changes or being severely anxious or agitated when experiencing some of the warning signs listed above

Make mental health a part of the game. It is important to teach and model healthy habits for mental health, similar to the importance of prioritizing physical health (ie sleep, nutrition, exercise). Including mental health as part of the conversation can help reduce the stigma of discussing mental health concerns for youth. For example, discussing stressors for teens and ways to cope with such challenges.

Practice Support. Asking youth how they are doing emotionally is essential, especially if they appear stressed or upset. Do ask about suicide! It’s not an easy question but studies show that asking at-risk individuals if they are suicidal does not increase suicides or suicidal thoughts. It is important for adults to listen intently and without judgment. Resist the urge to offer quick fixes or solutions to their challenges that can shut down further dialog. It is better to listen, validate, and support their feelings. This will help teens feel less alone.

Examples for conversations starters:

• “I’ve noticed that you have missed practices. Are you okay?”

• “I haven’t seen you smile in a while. Is there anything you would like to talk about?”

• “Hey, you seem frustrated today, do you want to chat?”

• “I feel like something is up with you, can you share what’s going on?”

• “Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.”

Expand the team. If a youth shares that they are suffering and have been thinking about suicide, there are several important steps to take. First, let their caregivers know what is happening. When it comes to safety, it is important to expand the team. Reducing access to highly lethal items or places is an important part of suicide prevention. Talk to the youth and caregiver about a plan to remove the lethal means to create a safe environment. Discuss reasons for living. Help the youth connect to a mental health professional for ongoing support and ways to learn ways to cope with distress.

National Institute of Mental Health Action Steps https:// www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/5-action-stepsfor-helping-someone-in-emotional-pain

1. ASK: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” It’s not an easy question but studies show that asking at-risk individuals if they are suicidal does not increase suicides or suicidal thoughts.

2. KEEP THEM SAFE: Reducing a suicidal person’s access to highly lethal items or places is an important part of suicide prevention. While this is not always easy, asking if the at-risk person has a plan and removing or disabling the lethal means can make a difference.

3. BE THERE: Listen carefully and learn what the individual is thinking and feeling. Research suggests acknowledging and talking about suicide may in fact reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.

4. HELP THEM CONNECT: Save the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number (call or text 988) and the Crisis Text Line number (741741) in your phone so they’re there if you need them. You can also help make a connection with a trusted individual like a family member, friend, spiritual advisor, or mental health professional.

5. STAY CONNECTED: Staying in touch after a crisis or after being discharged from care can make a difference. Studies have shown the number of suicide deaths goes down when someone follows up with the at-risk person.

References

Babiss LA, Gangwisch JE. Sports participation as a protective factor against depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents as mediated by self-esteem and social support. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2009 Oct;30(5):376-84. doi: 10.1097/ DBP.0b013e3181b33659. PMID: 19692930.

Bilsen J. Suicide and Youth: Risk Factors. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Oct 30;9:540. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00540. PMID: 30425663; PMCID: PMC6218408.Suicide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying cause of death, 2020. CDC WONDER online database. 2022. Available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10. Html.

National Institute of Mental Health https://go.usa.gov/xVCyZ #shareNIMH

THSCA will award the following scholarships: Eddie Joseph Memorial Scholarship ($2,500), Fisher Woodchick Memorial Scholarship ($2,005) and 10 additional $2,000 THSCA scholarships. Applicant must be a child of current PROFESSIONAL member in good standing for the 22-23 THSCA membership year. Selection of recipients will be based on the following criteria:

Awards and Recognition

Scan the code above to login to the THSCA Members Portal & submit the application now!

Must be a graduating senior class of 2023 and parent must be a current THSCA Professional Member in good standing. Application requires completion of entry form, upload of an official transcript and a submission of a short essay stating why you would like to receive this scholarship and how it will be used. Please do not reference your name, parent's names, city or high school in your essay or short answer questions. Recipients must use the scholarship towards an accredited college, university, trade or vocational school. Selections will be made by the THSCA Finance Committee, applications are anonymously submitted for review to the committee. All applicants will be notified when selections have been finalized. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Entries must be submitted online by Friday, February 15, 2023. ENTRY FORM QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED TO ANSWER: • Educational Goals • Career Goals • Financial Need (i.e. How many are living in your household currently? Siblings in college at the same time? etc.) • Community/Extra Curricular Involvement • Awards & Recognitions List

• Essay Submission (Explanation in 500 words or less of why you would like to receive the scholarship and how it will be used.)

• You will also be asked to input your Overall GPA, Class Rank (if applicable), SAT/ACT Scores (if taken), and upload a copy of your official transcript.

RESUME & INTERVIEW "COACHING TIPS" ON GETTING YOUR NEXT HEAD COACHING JOB

By sylvester perez, ed. D. RETIRED SUPERINTENDENT SAN ANTONIO ISD, FORMER

ATHLETIC

DIRECTOR & COACH

First, Congratulations to ALL of our high school coaches who have recently finished their respective Fall Sports and best of luck to all of our coaches for 2022-2023 and beyond.

All of you impact our students' future more than you know. EVERYONE remembers their middle & high school years, especially the coaches that helped mold them to who they are today.

Some coaches stay in one school, some coaches are mobile, and some coaches leave the profession to explore new areas in education or elsewhere. Although you teach and coach what seems like 24-7 AND then go home to your families for quality time, there never seems to be enough time to prepare for the “next level.” The purpose of this article is to provide you with tools that may help in the preparation for the all-important interview. In a graduate class I was teaching, a guest speaker shared that the difference in getting the job is simple. He said, “everyone that gets to the interview level is qualified, the difference is… how did you make them FEEL?” The first step in getting the call for an interview is your...

Resume

• Pay attention to the font you use (not too large or small).

• Have a cover letter that is concise, yet informative and above all…correct.

• The FIVE parts of a resume are: Heading, Job Objective, Skills, Work Experience, Education.

• Heading consists of contact information.

• Job Objective is simply “how will you benefit the school, district, community, & organization."

• Skills are your people skills and job skills... they want to know you are a “fit.”

• Experience is obvious, but you may want to add innovative programs, success stories, and community service.

• Education are degrees and certifications.

Avoid a lengthy resume, 1-2 pages will suffice. List experience in reverse order. Highlight awards and achievements. There is no need to mention your age, race, religion, photos, etc...stay away from irrelevant experiences. Triple check for grammatical or spelling errors.

Always note reference information and your career objective.

Let the people reading your resume know who you are up front.

The Interview

In today’s world of hyper communication and social platforms, most people will google your name and have an idea of your background. However, some basic traits still hold true in what school leaders are searching for in a candidate. Schools want a team player, communicator, problem solver, and someone with a positive attitude.

Dress professionally. “Your body language speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you’re saying." Be aware of your posture, how you sit, and eye contact. If it’s a committee, then “spread" the eye contact. Read the interviewers. Always answer the questions concisely but not too short. It’s always good to ask, “may I ask how many questions will there be?” Responses should be specific, stay focused. There are many applicants that answer only four questions from a total of ten! The point is, know how to pace yourself.

Know the job you’re interviewing for. Know the school, know the district, know the area.

I interviewed for my first superintendent position and was told by the school board that they had a twenty-six-year-old tradition of taking the seniors on a trip to Washington, D.C. I did my homework and knew of this annual event, so when they asked me if I would support the longstanding commitment to the senior class, well, I hit it out of the park! I said, “I will embrace that tradition!” Little did I know that those poor students rode in yellow school busses from the coastal bend of Texas all the way to D.C.! Needless to say, I modified the tradition and almost lost my job over it. So, I guess I didn’t do my homework as well as I thought. But it all worked out in the end.

When committees would come to me with more than one candidate as a recommendation, I would simply ask them “how did you feel about

candidate A or B? How did she or he make you feel? Who was more enthusiastic, authentic, sincere AND who do you think wants this job the most?

Remember YOU are also interviewing them. You need to know if that particular school or position is a good fit for you.

Common Interview questions

1. Briefly tell us why you applied for this position?

2. Describe your coaching philosophy? How would you coordinate with middle schools? How do you share multi-sport athletes? How do you motivate players?

3. How would your prior supervisor or fellow coaches describe you?

4. How do you communicate with administration? faculty? parents?

5. Describe how you would discipline your players? What measures would you take if a player broke an athletic department or team rule?

6. What are your plans to keep athletes eligible?

7. Do you have a “cut” policy? Describe how you manage your roster.

8. How do you handle a fellow coach that is not being a proper role model?

9. Where do you see yourself in five years?

10. What are your strengths? weaknesses? Strengths are easy to answer. Weaknesses are not. Choose a skill you want to improve upon, and change it to something positive… (I’m working on ______.)

Coaching is a calling. YOU have the ability to improve lives every day. Thank you for all you do for our Texas student athletes.

LET'S MEET OUR 2023 CAPTAINS

Joey Florence

Athletic Director Denton ISD

How did you get involved with THSCA and how long have you been a member?

My dad was a coach and he made sure I understood just how important the THSCA was to the coaches and athletes in Texas. I believe I have been a member for 34 years.

Tell me about THSCA Coaching School... how do you explain to a young coach what the convention is about & why it’s important to participate?

Coaching school this summer was the best I have been to. Our current leadership at THSCA has taken our program to new levels. They are progressive and forward thinking. Do not tell Joe I said that. Our young coaches should participate for many reasons: networking, learn our history and professional development.

What has been your overall impression of the ROCK program?

The ROCK program is vital for our organization. We need to engage, teach & listen to younger coaches.

What makes someone a good mentor?

Someone who has been in the profession for many years. They should be able to listen and provide insight as well. Our younger coaches need it.

What advice would you give to one of our new Class of 2023 Mentors just starting this journey? Be enthusiastic, be early and stay late. Soak it all in, it is an incredible opportunity for a young coach. What is one thing you most struggled with as a young coach?

The classroom was my struggle. I was not prepared and did not have the skills to keep kids on task.

What is something you wish someone would have told you when you first started coaching? I was fortunate to have a dad who coached and prepared me for most everything. The best thing he told me was to go to work in the middle school in a highly successful program with a Head Coach who was of good moral character.

What would you like to say to our ROCK program sponsors?

Thank you. The future of our country depends on our young coaches and you make this program possible.

bryan wood

head football coach burnet hs

How did you get involved with THSCA and how long have you been a member?

I grew up watching my dad go to Coaching School every year so I knew the importance of it. Also, my first AD (Brad Thiessen) explained its importance and showed me the ropes when I was young. I have been a member for 30 years.

Tell me about THSCA Coaching School... how do you explain to a young coach what the convention is about & why it’s important to participate?

There are alot of reasons to attend but a few very important reasons... #1 would be for networking. In our business, it is often 'who you know' as much as it is 'what you know'. #2 Coaches being active in the association is what makes THSCA so powerful. #3 The professional development opportunities are endless. If you want to grow, you have to go.

What has been your overall impression of the ROCK program?

I think it's critical. With the teacher/coach shortage in the state, our organization has taken the lead on addressing the issue. We are also taking some of the best young coaches and giving them the best tools to be successful in the future. The inside look that these young coaches get into THSCA is something that they should treasure. It took me 20 years to get to 'rub shoulders' with some of the folks that these Mentees get to meet and interact with very early in their career.

What makes someone a good mentor?

Being able to guide and offer some direction is a huge part of being a mentor. The mentors have lots of knowledge based on past experiences. This allows them to offer advice, tell stories, and be a sounding board for the young mentees.

What advice would you give to one of our new Class of 2023 Mentors just starting this journey?

The mentors are chosen because they have all the tools needed and have a great reputation. I'm sure all of the new mentors will be great. They just need

to share their experiences and be available to offer advice when needed. They will know the drill.

What is one thing you most struggled with as a young coach?

I would say there are a couple that stand out. 1. Having never dealt with mad parents before was a learning experience for sure. I took it personally at first, but over time, learned it was 95% about their kids' playing time. It is just something you learn to handle by listening, and then doing what's best for the team, regardless. 2. Balancing work and home is also a puzzle. When you are at work, be great! When you go home, be great there too!

What is something you wish someone would have told you when you first started coaching?

Wow, lots of things, haha! Again, I think knowing how to deal with disgruntled parents would have been helpful. There isn't a class in college that can prepare for this. I learned by watching the head coaches that I worked for and asking advice from fellow coaches when I could. It's just a process that you get better at over time. Listening is the key!

What would you like to say to our ROCK program sponsors?

Thanks! You have invested in a program that is very important to our profession. Without your financial support, we would not be able to create the opportunities for these young coaches that we are currently providing. You are very much appreciated and are certainly making a difference in coaches' lives.

How did you get involved with THSCA and how long have you been a member?

I have been a member of THSCA throughout my coaching career. I was blessed with the opportunity to speak at the 2021 Leadership Summit and inaugural ROCK Mentor Symposium. I have remained involved with the organization by serving as a ROCK Mentor and Team Captain.

Athletic Director lewisville ISD

Tell me about THSCA Coaching School... how do you explain to a young coach what the convention is about & why it’s important to participate?

Young coaches need to be involved and present at coaching school. It is a great platform to learn from experienced coaches. There is not a better opportunity to network and invest in your future than to attend coaching school. You will never get to a point in your career that you can’t learn and benefit from coaching school.

What has been your overall impression of the ROCK program?

The ROCK Mentor program is one of the most important programs created by THSCA. If we don’t invest in the future of our profession, we won’t have one. This program provides you tools for problem solving, opportunities from growth, and intentionally connects you with established leaders in this business.

What makes someone a good mentor?

A good mentor is someone who can meet people where they are. They can offer advice from years of experience and provide a broader perspective. A good mentor is connected and has a strong network. This person is humble and not afraid to show vulnerability. A good mentor is also a person that understands empowering others does not diminish their leadership.

What advice would you give to one of our new Class of 2023 Mentors just starting this journey?

Write a thank you note to the coach or athletic director that saw potential in you to nominate you for this prestigious program. If it weren’t for them taking the time to nominate you, you would not be afforded the opportunity to grow, network, and advance in the greatest profession in the world.

What is one thing you most struggled with as a young coach?

The biggest challenge I faced as a young head coach was being able to relinquish control of many things in my program. As I gained more experience, I saw the value in allowing my coaches to coach and to take ownership of many aspects of our dayto-day operations. It is our job to develop coaches and give them the skills they will need to become future head coaches.

What is something you wish someone would have told you when you first started coaching?

Don’t listen to criticism from people you don’t trust and wouldn’t go to for advice.

What would you like to say to our ROCK program sponsors?

Thank you for investing in the future of coaching. You are providing resources to develop the next generation of head coaches and athletic administrators. Without your support and sponsorships, we would not be able to give them all the tools they need to advance and succeed in our profession.

terrenee Knight

How did you get involved with THSCA and how long have you been a member?

When I started my first head coaching job in 2012, Kendall Miller strongly encouraged me to join and so I did. By far one of my greatest coaching decisions as I am in my 10th year of THSCA membership.

Tell me about THSCA Coaching School... how do you explain to a young coach what the convention is about & why it’s important to participate?

Coaching School is a staple in my calendar year! It is the pinnacle of coaching growth, networking and opportunity. Every coach, young and old, should attend annually so that they stay committed to lifelong learning and stay connected to other coaches who may have experiences or information that can positively affect their career or offerings for student-athletes.

What has been your overall impression of the ROCK program?

The ROCK program is long overdue. As an alternative certified educator, a program such as ROCK would have been a tremendous asset and growth tool when I first joined the profession in 2009. Thankfully I was

girls athletic coordinator Lakeview Centennial HS

blessed to be around seasoned professionals who took me under their wing, but not every coach enters that situation which is why there is such a great need and great value in the ROCK program.

What makes someone a good mentor?

A great mentor is someone who understands that their experience and network can shape and provide the support that the next generation of coaches need. They also have to understand that honesty and transparency go hand in hand so that their mentee knows that perfection is not the goal - growth is the goal.

What advice would you give to one of our new Class of 2023 Mentors just starting this journey?

BE HONEST! Go into every conversation with an open mind and understand that the experience of the mentee may be different than that of when they began their coaching career, however, a focus on growth, support and doing what's best for studentathletes has not changed.

What is one thing you most struggled with as a young coach?

My greatest struggle was pulling the veil back from my ideal of how things should be. Going from being the one who was coached to being the sole adult responsible for every athlete, their grades, practice plans, etc. in addition to being a multi-grade level English teacher was overwhelming. Many young coaches come into the profession alternatively certified so the first day/first week can be extremely overwhelming with information and responsibility without a lot of support.

What is something you wish someone would have told you when you first started coaching?

Take things one day/one situation at a time. Rome was not built in a day so don't try to do all and be all on your own. Work to build a village and lean on them for support.

What would you like to say to our ROCK program sponsors?

THANK YOU just doesn't express the gratitude that I have for the sponsors who see the value in what coaches do! Their contributions and investment in our future leaders do more for coaches and kids than words could ever express!

Thank you to our

R.O.C.K. Program Sponsors

around the state

Around the state

growing the coaching profession

By shane messer

san antonio o'connor hs & thsca r.o.c.k. program mentor

Since I was young, I thought I wanted to be a coach. As a young boy, I played in different sport leagues like Little League and Pop Warner. Every one of my coaches from those teams made me realize this. And because my father was not around, these coaches were the male role models I wanted to emulate. It was not until I got into high school, however, that I knew for sure that I wanted to be a football coach and that was because of my high school coaches.

My high school football coaches were who I looked up to and who I wanted to become. I saw them with their families at games or practices. I saw them coming to school early and staying later after games. I saw them not caring about winning or losing but truly caring on the type of man I would become after high school. I saw them take kids aside, not to yell at them for messing up on a play, but explain to them how to handle different situations when things were not going well. But most importantly, I saw them as they taught me, and everyone else on the football team, how to become better men so that one day we would become better husbands and fathers. As a result, they made me know that I also wanted to be a role model for young athletes who, like me and others, might not have a father figure in the house.

When I got my first coaching job at a middle school in San Antonio, I knew that this was my dream job. I woke up every morning excited to make the 30 minute drive to work to help these young men become the best version of themselves not only on the football field but in life. Someone once told me that "if you love your job then you never have to work a day in your life." I truly believed that and took pride in that saying everyday I woke up.

The next year I took a high school job. My goal remained the same, but now there was less time to impact lives. I knew it was that much more important to be a role model for these young men since they did not have long until they would be in the real world and own their own. During this stretch, kids would ask me about being a coach and what it took to become a coach. I would have these conversations with them and could see they also knew what they wanted to do, at a young age, just like me.

As I have gotten older, I have seen former players join the coaching profession. I have also been a mentor in the R.O.C.K Mentoring Program and helped young coaches stay and strive in this profession. The R.O.C.K Mentoring Program is one of the best in the nation at making sure our

young coaches stay in the profession but it is not the only way we need to make sure the coaching profession keeps growing.

In addition to the R.O.C.K Mentoring Program, we need to ask our kids what they want to do when they graduate and help them achieve that goal. We need to make sure that if they are interested in coaching, that after graduation we will still be there to help them and guide them while they are in college. Plus, we need to show them the great things that this profession offers. If we don't, our profession is in trouble

Our profession needs new coaches. Every level is experiencing this shortage and some schools are leaving vacancies unfilled. As I mentioned, the more support these kids get from us while they are in high school, the better chance we have to hire qualified, young coaches out of college. We must create and recruit new coaches, now! We cannot wait or sit idly bye, for

some of the best coaches I have worked with are new to the profession. They have a different view on some things and can connect with the younger generations with commonality. They can give us a different perspective on things we have always done and provide insurance that WE will go on.

Remember why you and I got into this profession - to change lives. Again, to keep us growing, we must mentor young men and women while they are in high school to want to be a part of this profession. We must also mentor young men and women who are new to the profession and help them along the way. Be a great mentor to younger coaches, whether you have been coaching for 3 years or 30 years. It is a calling and a duty! Coaching is the best job in the world and the more great coaches we have, the better the role models will be for the young adults.

february 27, 2023

ACCOMMODATIONS & PARKING INFORMATION:

The Sheraton Arlington Hotel

($125 per night) Last Day to book 2/7/22

Visit www.thsca.com/summit for booking link. The Sheraton shares a parking lot w/ the venue.

esports stadium, arlington, tx

To access links to discounted hotel blocks, speaker info & registration vist www.thsca.com/summit

Tickets are $89 in advance and $99 at the door.

TownePlace Suites Arlington North

($125 per night) Last Day to book 1/28/22

Visit www.thsca.com/summit for booking link.

1.2 Miles from the venue.

Parking at the Esports Stadium venue will be $10 for the day. Guests of the Sheraton may park free in the hotel lots.

SUMMIT REGISTRATION INFORMATION...

Need to register with a school check? Call our office and ask for further instructions, 512.392.3741.

Registrants will be emailed a confirmation/ticket the week of the summit. Please prepare to bring a printed copy or have the confirmation open on your mobile device at the door for check-in when you arrive.

Meet our 2023 Coaching Beyond the Game Award Winner coach

Jeff Dixon - Retired, Formerly at Alvarado HS

The Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation is proud to announce that Alvarado HS’s former, long time head football coach and athletic director, Jeff Dixon, has been named the 2023 recipient of the THSCEF’s Grant Teaff "Coaching Beyond the Game” Award. Coach Dixon retired in July after a 35-year coaching career. The last 17 years was spent serving in Alvarado. We are excited to have Coach Dixon round out our 2023 Summit Speaker Line-up!

This award is presented annually at the Texas High School Coaches Education Foundation Leadership Summit, to an individual who has impacted their team, school, and community through their passion and commitment to “coach beyond the game” and honors their leadership in doing so.

Coach Dixon is a fantastic role model for students and promotes good character both on and off the field. Coach Dixon was an assistant coach in several storied programs throughout his career. He was a member of Southlake Carroll's first state championship coaching staff in 1988, also coaching at Katy High School during their 2000 and 2003 state championships years. He was a graduate of Katy High School and was inducted into the Katy ISD Sports Hall of Honor as both a player and coach. Coach Dixon was a member of Sam Harrell's staff at Ennis, reaching the state semi-finals in 1999. Coaches Bob Ledbetter and Steve Lineweaver (SLC), Coaches Mike Johnston and Gary Joseph (Katy), and Coach Sam Harrell (Ennis) are all THSCA Hall of Honor coaches who played a big role in Coach Dixon's development as a coach. Coach Dixon is the longest tenured and the winningest head coach in Alvarado's history. His Alvarado teams competed in the state playoffs 13 years, while winning district titles four of those years. The 2010 team reached the state semifinals, and the 2011 team played for a state championship. He served on the THSCA Board of Directors from 2018-22.

JOHN U. BACON COACH/AUTHOR/MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Let them Lead Based on John’s experience leading the Ann Arbor Huron hockey team from the school’s worst to best in three years (despite being the worst player in school history – and he can prove that!), all captured in his book, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team. This is a fun presentation, full of practical lessons that leaders of all kinds can use the next day, and deeper philosophies they can employ the rest of their careers to motivate their teams to work harder, work together, and take responsibility for their own success.

COACH SUSAN BREWER BELLVILLE

HS

Keys to Lasting Leadership: Lifelong Learning & Courageous Humility

In Bellville, we all learn and grow into our roles of coaches and leadership with integrity, strength, discipline, high expectations and being resilient. Hopefully, we are creating lifelong learning for our players, coaches and teachers with being a consistent role model every day and instilling our culture, “The Bellville Way”!

JODY CONRADT RETIRED WOMENS BASKETBALL COACH

Championship DNA What REALLY makes a team great? Number of championships? Winloss record? Rankings? Naismith Hall of Famer, Jody Conradt breaks down the rarely-discussed attributes of championship-level teams — and how to embed these habits and qualities into your team and staff.

COACH CARLESA DIXON SUMMER CREEK HS

It's Not About You In the position of leadership, we must realize that we arent doing it for ourselves, but we are doing it for others. Leadership is a gift, and a gift is to be shared with other people. When we as leaders are more conscious about the power of our influence, qualities such as compassion, transparency, and integrity will stand out to help others thrive.

MILLARD

HOUSE SUEPRINTENDENT HOUSTON ISD

The Power of Influence Leadership begins with empowering team members to make decisions that lead the charge towards fulfilling the organizational vision. It was the trust and direction I received from my parents, colleagues and mentors that allowed me to develop the necessary skills to excel throughout my career. As leaders, we must play our part in inspiring creativity and leadership that creates positive workplace culture. I encourage leaders to abide by the old adage, “Each one teach one. Each one reach one.”

CHRIS SINGLETON FORMER MLB

PLAYER

Using Sports to Empower & Unite Former Chicago Cubs Minor Leaguer, Chris Singleton became a nationally-renowned speaker with a message of resilience, forgiveness and unity following the loss of his mother in the 2015 Mother Emanuel Church Tragedy. Since then he has shared his message with over 100 organizations annually and specializes in teaching athletes and coaches how to have a united team on and off the field. After hearing Chris share you'll be inspired to love more, do more and be the change you wish to see in this world.

COACH TODD WINFREY CANYON HS

Leading with Love Relationships are the foundation of coaching and even though relationships take both parties involved, coaches are leaders and should lead by example. Loving your athletes is vital, however, there is so much more love coaches can give to everyone around them. If your program is not centered on love, your program is falling short. Coach Winfrey will discuss how love fits into the daily aspects of coaching, how love can change the way you coach each day, and how love can not only take your program to the next level, but has the opportunity to change lives.

PULLING TIRES

IN THE OFF-SEASON AT SAN ANGELO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

By Kevin Crane Head Football Coach/Athletic Coordinator for San Angelo Central High School

Pulling tires in a competitive setting has been something that we hang our hat on at San Angelo Central HS for a long time. We have done this in off-season at CHS for the past 15 years.

The origins of pulling tires dates to the late 1970s and early 1980’s at Corpus Christi Calallen High School. Legendary AD / Head Football Coach Bobby Davis (THSCA Hall of Honor) was in the process of changing jobs from Calallen to Frenship HS in the spring of 1980. Les Johnson HC at Georgetown was hired that spring to be the Head Coach at Calallen. Coach Davis left in the early spring for Lubbock to start his program, but many of his assistants had to finish the spring at Calallen. After arriving at his new position, Coach Johnson immediately incorporated pulling tires as a staple of his offseason. Impressed by the drill the assistants waiting to move to Frenship immediately began explaining to Coach Davis how the drill worked. Coach Davis

long-time Defensive Coordinator Don Black (THSCA Hall of Honor) and his youngest son Brent (who was a player still attending Calallen HS) was able to join Coach Davis later that spring at Frenship. When Bobby understood the system and how it worked, he implemented it at Frenship High School with the help of Coach Black, his son Brent, and his assistant coaches.

I was lucky enough to have worked for Coach Bobby Davis youngest son Coach Brent Davis for 16 years as his offensive coordinator and QB coach. He hired me at Alice HS in 2005. Prior to me joining his staff I heard him talk about pulling tires and show video of it when he was the AD / Head Coach in Sinton when he spoke at the Lubbock Clinic back in the early 2000’s when his dad Bobby was the clinic director. Every school Brent has been a Head Coach at they have pulled tires. He got his 1st head coaching job in 1995 in Banquete. He has also had stops as the Head Coach at Sinton, The Colony, Alice and San Angelo Central. He is currently the AD / HC in Gregory-Portland where they continue to pull tires in off-season.

When I went to work for him is when I really got familiar with pulling tires and how the system works. Coach Brent Davis has had several coaches from his staff branch off and become head coaches. All of them pull tires at their current school.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED >>>

We use old 16-inch car tires (weighs 22 pounds) that we got from a local tire store that was going to throw them away. We have 12 of them that we have available for use. We had our maintenance department drill and install an eye bolt into the tire for us to hook our harness up to them.

Our harness is basically backpack straps with a long nylon rope attached that hooks up to the tires. The attachment is approximately 6 foot long. They have a carbineer on the end to hook the harness into the eyebolt of the tire for pulling.

For the MS we use smaller tires to pull. They have a hard time pulling the 16-inch tires, so we get them a smaller tire to pull. 12-inch tires for the MS are ideal.

TRACK SETUP >>>

The setup is like a track around a football field however, it’s not as big. We set the track up on our grass practice field (however, we have used our turf game field as well, but we pull 30-pound sandbags instead of tires that we purchased from Skillz). The track is 320 yards in diameter. We use old tractor tires that are staked into the ground as the barriers. Attached is a diagram of the tire track and the dimensions. When we set up our track on the turf field we use trash barrels as the barriers (a coach or manager must hold them in place). We put the trash barrels on the bottom of the numbers on the 20 yard lines and then on the bottom of the letters in the middle of the field in the endzone. They should match up with the base of the goal post. A new addition we experemented with in 2022 was making an lineman OL / DL tire track. We wanted to shorten the distance the lineman had to run. We originally made it half the size of our normal track, however we discovered that was to short. We then

lengthed it to be apporoxiamtely ¾ of the size. Now when we pull tires we split up our lineman and skill kids. We have our coaches spread out and they stand on the tires and are giving instruction and encourangement as the athletes run by.

TEAMS >>>

Depending on how many kids you have in your program will depend on the number of teams that you have. The teams are comprised of 5 people. We make those teams a couple different ways (they are never the same). We either have the leaders of our program pick their team, we will have a coach pick teams, or we race in our off-season competition teams. We generally have anywhere from 12-16 teams depending on the year. We always run in 2 different groups. So, the first group of 6-8 teams would be running the designated race while group 2 the other 6-8 teams are standing inside the track with their team members in a line and in the order, they are going to run in, waiting and cheering on group 1 to finish. They have a coach with them giving them instructions. Another coach is positioned in the middle of the inside of the track. He is there for the group that just finished their

race. They know after they are finished with their race they report to the middle to the designated coach. There the winning team of 5 will watch all other teams do push-up’s for not winning the race. Each race is a competition. The coach will break them out and instruct them once the push-ups are over to report back to the starting line coach and to get back into their lines for the next race.

RACES WE COMPETE IN >>>

We have different races that we compete in. We always start our races using a tire. Group 1 will run the race with a tire, then group 2 will run the race with the tire. Then we always run the next race with a baton (sometimes we use a football instead of a baton). Therefore, we are getting resistance running and then non-resistance running. The races we compete in are as follows…

Sprint / Sprint Baton- Each athlete will run a 60yard dash and hand off to his partner.

Sprint Continuous / Sprint Continuous Baton-

Each athlete will run a 60-yard dash and hand off to his partner and wait at his spot for the tire / baton to come back around. He will end up running four 60-yard dashes and will complete a full lap doing it a sprint at a time.

Half lap / half lap baton- Each athlete will run a half lap or a 120-yard dash and hand off to his partner.

Half lap Continuous / half lap continuous batonEach athlete will run a half lap or a 120-yard dash and hand off to his partner and wait at his spot for the tire to come back around. He will end up running two 120-yard dashes and will complete a full lap.

Full Lap / full lap baton- Each athlete will run a full lap around the track. This is 240 yards.

Deadly Medley / deadly medley Baton- Deadly medley is the toughest of all the races. Each athlete will run 2 full laps to complete this race.

We only do this race once or twice a year because it’s so tough. However, we love to do it because it’s kind of a rite of passage for our program.

Runner 1 runs a 60 / 60 / 120 / 240

Runner 2 runs a 60 / 120 / 240 / 60

Runner 3 runs a 120 / 240 / 60 / 60

Runner 4 runs a 240 / 60 / 60 / 120

Runner 5 runs same as runner 1 60 / 60 / 120 / 240

Each of these races have a certain starting spot for each of the runners, like the 400-meter relay or the 800-meter relay in track. They have spots where they must start to execute the race. Since we do these races so much and we start them in MS they get familiar with where the starting spots are, and we can execute these races in a timely fashion. We will usually do 4 races each day we run tires. 2 races with the tire and 2 races with the baton. We will run tires once per week in the off-season months, however we do it on different days of the week.

HAND-OFFS

We have a certain way we want our athletes to hand-off the tires to each other. It’s like relay races at a track meet. The athlete is approaching his teammate who must get a head start or he will get run up on. When we hand off the tires, the athletes are pulling them with the harness on their back. Once they approach their teammate and they are going to execute the handoff they must take the harness off their back and get it to their teammate. They take the harness off (one strap at a time) with their right hand and the teammate is reaching out

with his right hand. Once he grabs it the person running with the tire will spin out of the harness and hand it off with his left hand. The coaching que that we give the athletes is “right to right and spin.” To have an opportunity to win the race all members must hand off in this fashion or they will get beat by a team who executes it correctly.

When we run with the baton, we always go right hand to right hand to make it easy. If the baton drops on the ground the runner must pick it up before he can continue to run. From time to time, we will do the baton races with a football. The athlete must carry the football correctly emphasizing ball security and then get it to his teammate (OL/DL really like using a football). They can short toss the ball but that is risky because if he drops it, he must pick up the ball and will potentially fall behind in the race.

RECORD BOARD

We keep all-time records for each race that we run. We have a record board that is posted in our weight room. Each current record has the 5 individuals names who have the record and what time they ran the race in, similar to an all-time track record board. Our kids enjoy trying to break a record so they can get their name on the board. We try to make it a big deal within our program. If we have a team break a record, we will put it on twitter and announce it (lots of times I will send a text to the former players whose record got beat). Many of our former player who come back love looking at the record board reminiscing about the days when they were running the tire track early in the morning during off-season.

THE HEAD PROTECTION LEADER

Largest football equipment manufacturer of helmets and shoulder pads.

Largest reconditioner of football equipment in the world. Market leader in football head protection technology. The industry leader in smart helmet technology.

Riddell is proud to sponsor the Texas High School Coaches Association For

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!

www.dairydiscoveryzone.com

16 MARKS OF A GOOD LEADER

BY CLINT RUTLEDGE Author of The Classroom www.CoachingToChangeLives.com

As coaches, we all want to have great teams. To have a great team, you must have great leadership. It doesn’t matter how talented your team may be. If you have poor leadership, your team will under achieve. If you have great leadership, your team will likely overachieve. If you combine talent with good leadership, you have the makings of a championship level team. It really is that simple. The good news is you can coach leadership! Here are 16 marks of good leadership you can go through with your players.

THE MARKS OF GOOD LEADERSHIP

1. THE LEADER MUST KNOW HIS JOB

A team leader must know his job. He should be skilled in the techniques of his position to the fullest of his physical and mental abilities. He must be able to identify that which needs to be done or is required to be done. Knowing your position allows others to gain confidence in you. Self-confidence makes it easier for others to follow you. Knowledge is a fundamental of leadership.

No one makes it alone. You gain your knowledge from others. After you have succeeded, look back to see if there are others you might help. You can never fully pay back those who have helped you.

What you can do is follow their example and help our younger players get started. Take you knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm and share with others. Leave something behind.

2. THE LEADER MUST BE A GOOD TEACHER

This is the job to be done and this is the way to do it. Thereafter, the leader observes, corrects, advises, and stimulates. Teaching or imparting acquired knowledge to others may be the highest of human arts, for without it, knowledge would be lost and all progress stopped.

This where our upper classmen help our younger players. You know the job to be done and you know how to do it. You must help teach those who are younger than you what is expected of them on and off the field. Teach them everything you were taught about winning. Teach them about class. Teach them how to overcome adversity. Teach them our style of play.

3. THE LEADER MUST DISPLAY COURAGE

Courage is merely having the strength of character to choose the proper way to do something. It could be more dangerous, or harder, or more unpleasant – but I will do it in preference to the easier paths which entice lesser men to failure.

4. THE LEADER MUST DISPLAY A CAPACITY TO GET THINGS DONE

About the best reputation a player can build is to have it said of him that he “Gets the job done!” They are “can do” people. You cannot build your reputation on things you are “going to do.” People will respect you and turn to you for help if they know that you know what needs to be done and they see you doing those things.

5. THE LEADER MUST KNOW WHO TO LEAD

Build personal friendships with as many members of our team as possible. The more close personal friendships that grow between members of our team, the stronger the team will be. It is difficult to convince team members that everyone is of importance to the team. This concept can be easier to teach if friendships exist.

6. THE LEADER MUST SET THE EXAMPLE

Our leaders must set the standard in all things. They must demonstrate self-confidence in being able to get the job done successfully. Doubt in the mind of the leader will undoubtedly raise doubts in the minds of those who look up to you. Can this be said of you - “He practices to win or he plays to win?” If everyone on this team works as hard, practices as hard, and plays as hard as you do, how good will we be? You set the standard.

7. THE LEADER MUST BE DETERMINED

What is needed on this team are people with a mindset that says, “All I know for sure is that it's going to get done.” We need people who can see the right course, then drive on with determination to its completion. A leader is someone who can set his goals; commit himself to those goals, and then pursue his goals with all the ability that God has given him. This requires someone to believe in himself, make self-sacrifices, work hard, and maintain the determination to perform to the best of his ability.

8. THE LEADER MUST POSSESS FORESIGHT

Good leaders know what will likely confront them that afternoon, the next day, the next week,

and the next month. Of course, no one can know their future, but understanding what is likely ahead of you helps to keep you from making spur of the moment decisions. Spend time thinking and evaluating your actions before acting. A leader must be able to give up little pleasures now to achieve an ultimate goal down the road. Make decisions now about temptations that will face you tomorrow, and then have the courage to stick to your decision.

9. THE LEADER MUST POSSESS INITIATIVE

A leader will find a way or make one. How often has it been said “He's a winner - he finds a way to get the job done”? It is the ability to see a necessary objective and to stay with the task until it is accomplished. The courage to begin separates dreamers from achievers. Starting is the key because if we want to be successful, we must start the process. The willingness to act is the first step on the path to greatness. The common misconception is that motivation leads to action, but the reverse is true - action precedes motivation. You must “prime the pump” and get the juices flowing, which motivates you to work on your goals. Getting momentum going is the most difficult part of the job, and often taking the first step is what generates greatness.

10. THE LEADER MUST EXCEL IN TEAMWORK

Teamwork is action coordinated with others. Teamwork is where you take your talents and blend them with the talents of your teammates for the unit to function effectively. Every player on this team is an extension of the other players. So, if we have a player have an incredible game, he is an extension of all the guys who helped him prepare for the game. Even those who may not be able to play themselves. We are all an extension of each other.

11. THE LEADER MUST BE CONSISTENT

Instant success is never possible. Greatness results only from sustained, consistent, selfdisciplined effort over an extended period of time. Consistency is key - you must be able to do things right over and over again. Plenty of men can do good work for a start and with immediate gratification in

mind, but as a leader you want a man in whom good work has become a habit.

12. THE LEADER MUST BE CALM IN A CRISIS

A player who shows lack of confidence in a critical situation will communicate that feeling to his teammates. Do not depart from the thing that counts: always doing your best and believing you will get the job done. The secret to having poise and confidence is preparation. By practicing we come to a point of competence. We find ourselves accomplishing our goals gracefully and confidently. It is then that we do things that we never dreamed we could. We discover powers we never knew existed. Great leaders are the ones who maintain their poise and concentration when they are staring defeat in the face.

13. THE LEADER MUST BE ADEPT AT OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES

Somehow the true leaders rise out of the mud. When you are faced with a problem or difficulties, you have two options: 1) You can quit and walk away; or 2) You can stay and meet the challenge head-on.

Adversity is a reality of life. You are never sure when it will come or how long it will stay, but the way each human being handles the situations in his life is a direct reflection of the character he possesses. The real test of a person does not come when everything is going well. The real test of a person comes after adversity has struck and he overcomes it.

14. THE LEADER MUST REQUIRE DISCIPLINE

First require it of yourself, and then your teammates. A disciplined group of men will each

do their part, so that the team will achieve its goals and objectives. A player can best require discipline of his teammates by inspiration - by making clear the reasons our goals are important. It takes a disciplined team to play in a tight game – they might be scoreless, or tied, or ahead, or behind by a few points – whatever the situation, each player will continue to do his part, because he knows that is the only way the ultimate goal can be reached.

15. THE LEADER MUST ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY

The leader is responsible for all that his team does – or fails to do. Do not be afraid to say – “It was my fault,” and to praise your teammates in times of success. The day an athlete takes complete responsibility for himself and the day he stops making any excuses is the day he really begins to lead.

16. THE LEADER MUST BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE

A leader has the ability to relate to everyone no matter who they are or where they come from. They genuinely take an interest in those around them. It is their sincere interest in the well-being of others along with their quiet self confidence that generates a respect from their teammates. The ultimate indicator of a leader is the amount of respect they receive from those they lead.

You can find a more in-depth explanation of each one of these traits in the book The Classroom by Clint Rutledge (@ClintRutledge5). You can find additional resources at www.CoachingToChangeLives.com.

Happy New Year!

I cannot even believe I am saying this, but it is 2023! I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday and got to enjoy some much needed rest and family time! To all of our educators, I know the break seemed short but hang in there, Spring Break is right around the corner!

On behalf of the THSCWA, I want to send a big Congratulations to all our 2022 State Champions. All your hard work and dedication paid off! Can we get a hand clap for all the Coaches Wives who took on six months of football season! Y’all are the real MVPs of the season. Good luck to all the baseball, basketball, and soccer wives this season!

We are only six months away from Coaching School 2023! I am so excited for Convention this year because we will be in the beautiful city of Houston which happens to be my hometown! If you have never made it to Convention, I hope you choose this year to come! Our officers and directors have already started making plans for this years Convention.

Speaking of Coaching School, are you a small business owner or know a small business owner that would be interested in being a vendor? If so, please reach out to Connie Barnes who is our amazing Vendor Chair! We are so thankful for all of our past sponsors and are currently looking for sponsors for this years convention. Our sponsors have played such a big role in making Convention amazing over the past few years. If you would like to become a sponsor and would like more information you can contact myself or any of our incredible Officers!

The years are really starting to go by faster and faster. My favorite part about the start of a New Year is the feeling of a fresh start. If 2022 was a difficult year for you, leave it behind you! 2023 is full of excitement and possibilities! I wish nothing but blessings to all of you this New Year.

Your 2022-2023 President, Shelby B. Shelby, Region 7 : McAllen High School txcoacheswives@gmail.com

THSCWA OFFICERS:

PRESIDENT: SHELBY B. SHELBY

PRESIDENT ELECT : TINA KURTENBACH

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

Goodbye to a Season

By Amanda Wallace, Wife of Robert Wallace, Shallowater HS

Submitted by Robert: My wife and I currently live in Shallowater. I coach here, and we have two boys in the Shallowater school system. We are a 3A-D1 school, so my wife gets to know all the kids very closely, and our boys look up to all the Mustangs hoping they can be like them one day. My 10-year -old has been our ball boy for the last 2 years as well. With that being said, when we lost in the 2nd round we were all devastated. My wife sent this to me one day, and I know there are several coaches' wives that feel this same way.

You know it’s coming… it’s a day that in the back of your head you dread all season long. And then it happens, and although you knew it would eventually be here… the abruptness of it is still shocking. All at once, it is over….

You leave the field for one last time. Make the drive home in the dark one last time.

Unpack the stadium bag one last time. Hang up coach’s game day outfit one last time.

It’s all the lasts and the sudden ending of this season that hurts your heart. You know there will be more seasons, but there will never be THIS season again.

This exact group of boys. This group of parents and fans in the stands. This group of coaches coaching their position.

Next season will come and bring its own changes and a new level of excitement, and that is something to always look forward to. But it still hurts to say goodbye to THIS season.

To sort through all the shoulda, coulda, woulda and what ifs.

To figure out what our new routine looks like without football.

To know that they finished the fight, but it wasn’t enough.

It’s hard to say goodbye to a season.

All the highs and all the lows that it brought.

All the hugs and all the high fives.

All the memories that were made.

Thank you 2022 Mustangs for THIS season, you made it one that was definitely hard to say goodbye to. F.T.F.

2023 THSCA Convention & Coaching School HOUSTON, TX

George R. Brown Convention Center

July 16-18

Planning for the 2023 Coaching School & Convention in Houston and we excited to host all our Texas coaches! We want to provide you with some details & updates and what to expect for 2023!

what to start planning for now...

» REGISTRATION The price for Coaching School registration will be the same as last year, however please make note of the newest registration deadlines to afford our staff more time to get registrations processed before the event.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES/COST:

MARCH 1 - JUNE 1 - $60 PER COACH

JUNE 2 - JULY 1 - $75 PER COACH

ONSITE AT CONVENTION - $90 PER COACH

(Please note convention registration fees are separate from the annual membership fee. Membership fee/renewal is a separate $70 fee.)

PLAN FOR CONVENTION HOURS:

SUNDAY, July 16th - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

MONDAY, July 17th - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

TUESDAY, July 18th - 8:00 AM to NOON

» TRANSFERS & REFUNDS The deadline to request a refund or transfer of payment for a Coaching School registration will be July 1st. If you are paying with a school check and still need to hire a coach, you may still send in the registration fee with the rest of your staff and make a note that you would like us to store it in our system as open credit on your school's account until you are able to hire that person.

» THSCA MEETINGS AT COACHING SCHOOL

Regional meetings will be on Monday afternoon, from 3:45-5:00 PM as the final agenda item to finish out the day. The THSCA general meeting will be held on Tuesday morning at 11:30 AM, and we will vote on the THSCA President-Elect nominees. This year's General Meeting Keynote Speaker will be Admiral William H. McRaven.

» HALL OF HONOR We will celebrate all of our Hall of Honor Class of 2023 Inductees, our State Champion coaches, the THSCA Coach of the Year winners for 22-23 and our esteemed award winners at the Hall of Honor Banquet. This banquet will kick off our Coaching School schedule on Saturday, July 15th at 7:00 PM in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Tickets will be available for purchase in advance only.

» TURF AND COURT DEMONSTRATIONS Due to the tremendous feedback from last year's exhibit hall demonstration areas we will be keeping the same set-up for 2023. Basketball and Volleyball will have their own lecture court to afford

more opportunities for speakers to provide live demonstrations with student-athlete participation. We plan to continue hosting dual football lecture halls and turf demonstrations as we did in 2022.

» U.I.L. CCP MANDATORY EDUCATION We will once again provide opportunities to complete your mandatory U.I.L. CCP courses in-person at Coaching School. We also plan to offer coaches the option to complete these prior to arrival through our THSCA platform on CoachTube. We had a number of coaches choose to get these courses completed at home before arriving. For those that pre-register for the convention by July 7th, we plan to provide early access to CCP Courses the week before the convention.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE 2023 COACHING SCHOOL REGISTRATION FEE:

► IN-PERSON ACCESS to LIVE Demos, Sport Lectures & Professional Development Lectures

► IN-PERSON ACCESS to Exhibit Show and Sponsored Networking Events

► IN-PERSON ACCESS to THSCA Career Center

► IN-PERSON ACCESS to THSCA Regional Meetings & General Meeting, including your OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE OR BE NOMINATED in our 2023 THSCA elections.

► IN-PERSON OPTION to print/laminate your THSCA membership card for upcoming year.

► Access to both IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL opportunities to complete UIL CCP Mandatory Education Courses

► Email Certificate of Participation for Continuing Education Hours to provide to your school. (Only available to those who attend the convention in -person and pick up their packet onsite.)

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Hotel bookings open to the public on Tuesday, February 7th at 10 AM. Those members that attend their February Reigonal Meeting in person, will be given early access to hotel bookings on Saturday, February 4th at 5 PM until Sunday, February 5th at 5 PM.

Below is a list of discounted hotel rates available through the THSCA Housing Block for the 2023 Coaching School. Online booking will require a credit card in order to secure the room, however the card should not be charged until you check-in or 72 hours before arrival. THE DEADLINE FOR BOOKING AT THE DISCOUNTED RATE WILL BE JULY 1ST.

Booking for the THSCA housing block and updates on hotel availability and parking are only accessible on our website at: www.thsca.com/hotels

UPDATED 1/1/2023 - HOTEL NAME RATE/NIGHT

Aloft Houston $159

Cambria Hotels $159

Courtyard Marriott $164

C. Baldwin by Hilton $164

Embassy Suites - Houston Downtown $170

Hampton Inn by Hilton Downtown $164

Hilton Americas - Houston $164

Hyatt Regency Houston $164

Magnolia Hotel $162

Marriott Marquis Houston (HEADQUARTERS) $164

Residence Inn $164 SpringHill Suites $164

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Cancellations made after June 1, 2023, and 72 hours prior to arrival date will be charged a $50.00 cancellation fee per room. Continue to use VISIT HOUSTON HOUSING for all changes and cancellations through July 1, 2023. After July 1, 2023, cancellations must be directed to your assigned hotel at least 72 hours prior to arrival or a one night’s room and tax charge will be assessed by the hotel.

Please note the following fee is not included in room rates: 1.25% Tourism Public Improvement District (PID) Fee. Room rates and PID fees are subject to 16.75% Hotel Tax per Night. (Subject to change) *Additional fees may apply for 3rd or 4th person in room: If a rollaway bed is required.*

VISIT HOUSTON HOUSING is the ONLY THSCA designated housing provider for the 2023 THSCA Convention & Coaching School. Beware of other companies misrepresenting themselves as affiliated with THSCA.

Meet Your THSCA Leadership

Danny servance region 4 - senior director

Where did you go to high school? participated in football & basketball at odessa permian Hs for Coach john wilkins.

Where did you go to College? played football for Baylor university. received his bachelors degree in Communications.

coaching experience:

8 years odessa permian hs Varsity Assist., Football & JV Basketball

4 years odessa permian HS Varsity Assist., Football/head basketball

2 years odessa permian HS Varsity Assist., Football & Track

9 years estacado HS head football coach/athletic coordinator

4 years odessa HS head football coach/athletic coordinator

2021 - present killeen ellison HS head football coach/athletic coordinator

What is the one lesson you learned as an athlete that most affects the way you coach now?

The one lesson I’ve learned as an athlete that most affects the way I coach is people learn in different ways. Ex. Repetition, relevance, intensity and unique. We have to find out which technique fits the kid we are dealing with. My coaches learned that you would get more out of me if you had a conversation with me rather than yell because I received it as bashing and not building. Constructive criticism is powerful.

How do you explain to other coaches the importance of being involved in the THSCA?

I explain the importance of THSCA membership to other coaches by promoting the work THSCA does on the front line and behind the scenes to keep this profession alive. We don’t have the liberties we have as coaches to do our jobs without the work of the association. Examples include the insurance coverage the association offers in case of litigations, the fight against the homeschool bill so that we have a level playing field, keeping athletic periods in the school day schedule and the fight against football being an unsafe sport, just to name a few.

Do you think the things that were important when you first started coaching are still important today?

Yes, I do. I think hiring a great staff that can function separately to meet the many needs of a team but being united for the common cause is still most important In hiring a good staff. I think the foundation has to be strong in order to build anything successfully. Middle school programs are paramount to the success of your program. You need a good, fundamentally sound middle school program where your organizational culture has been established at a young age. Taking care of kids beyond X’s and O’s are most important because of the exposure to issues our kids are not mentally prepared to handle. We are thrust into trying to be the role model and the compass many of our players are looking for. Teaching that athletics is like life is one thing that never gets old. You will use teamwork, learning to fight through adversity, intestinal fortitude, communication, discipline and self discipline for the rest of your life.

What character trait do you think is most important to impress on today’s youth?

I think you have to push unselfishness as a character trait because we live in this microwave world where society teaches you to expect something physical and tangible immediately when you give of yourself. We have to teach players that hardwork does payoff, and together everyone achieves more, Don’t give up because you don’t see the benefit immediately, don’t only play for yourself but for your teammates, I am my brother's keeper. Do team bonding, and community service projects that show how important it is to give of yourself without expecting something in return.

What advice would you give your 18-year old self?

The advice I would give myself is to prepare to be great. Take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to improve yourself both athletically and academically. Attend every study group or tutoring opportunity available. Live in the weightroom and run track to increase your speed and explosiveness. You are not only competing against the guys you see everyday but there is someone some where who is working harder than you for the position you want.

region 1 - senior director adam cummings

Who is your biggest influence as a coach?

I've had so many coaches influence my life, but Malcom Moerbe, my high school football

was the biggest. He's the reason I wanted to become a coach. I still live by many of the life lessons he taught us back then. He is a man of character and integrity who truly embodies what it means to be a coach. To this day, I'd run through a brick wall for Coach

How do you explain to other coaches the importance of being involved in the THSCA?

Our profession and the impact we're able to have as coaches is due in large part because of the tireless efforts of the THSCA. Coach Martin, Coach West and their staff fight to help keep our profession not only relevant, but at the forefront of education in Texas and around the Nation. Your involvement in the THSCA ensures that we remain strong as a profession and continue to change the lives of young people in our programs across the State of Texas.

What was your biggest challenge when you first became a head coach?

The biggest challenge for me when I first became a head coach was coming to the realization that I didn't know everything, I didn't have the answers for everything, and that was okay. What was more important was surrounding myself with great people who would help in that journey. I've been very blessed in that I've always had great men and women surrounding me in my time as a head coach.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

It's okay to fail as long as you understand your response to that failure and how you handle it is more important. Some of my life's biggest victories have come after major setbacks and defeats.

What piece of advice would you offer a young coach, just starting out?

Listen, learn and leap!

Listen! Be a sponge and soak it all in - the knowledge, the wisdom, the experiences.

Learn! Learn from the veteran coaches around you. Don't ever hesitate to ask questions and learn from those that came before you.

Leap! Dive in and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty. Show people you're willing to work hard and that no job is beneath you. You'll find that your days will be more enjoyable and you'll be more prepared to move up when the time comes (don't rush it).

Meet Your THSCA Leadership

Where did you go to high school? participated in football, Track & basketball at lockney Hs for Coaches Malcom Moerbe, bobby ventura & rodney dowell.

Where did you go to College? played football for hardin-simmons university. received his bachelors degree in Behavioral Science, class of 2004.

coaching experience:

2004-2006 canyon junior high Football, Basketball & track 2006-2014 canyon HS Football defensive coord./head track/head soccer 2014-2018 hale center HS head football coach/athletic director 2018-2022 sundown HS head football coach/athletic director 2022-present West plains HS head football coach/campus athletic coord.

coach,

Moerbe!

Don't Forget About Your Own

By Danny Servance, Killeen Ellison HS

Don't let time go by without doing the things you should with your own kids. We spend so much time with other kids that we sometime neglect our own.

If I had one more day with you, I would enjoy your smile a little bit more. The way you lay your head on my shoulder as if to say nonverbally, I love you. I would also spend more time listening to you express how you are so misunderstood by your parents.

The reason I am so critical of you is because I can see the potential you have for great things, and I have been ordered by God to protect that gift and make sure it's not distorted or tarnished. It's not about me; I want what's best for you. I would put myself second one more time and take advantage of the opportunities to take you driving when you ask even though I'm tired at the end of the day. I would spend more time being your covering.

I would speak more blessings on your life. I would pray more with you and for you.

I would talk to you more about characteristics to look for in a spouse. Find out if he loves the Lord. Observe whether or not the young man is willing to put your needs before his own. Watch to see how he treats his mother. Never allow a guy to force you to do something you don't want to do. Sex is for marriage, not before. If he respects you, he will always display that behavior. A guy that will lift his hand to hurt you doesn't love you. Love is patient, Love is kind, and Love is not boastful. He doesn't get a second chance. Relationships are big companies to be run by you and your partner. There is a lot of give and take. Teamwork is the only way to have a successful relationship. Together Everyone Achieves More..

I would give you the secret to solving all problems. First, there is nothing new under the sun. We serve an omnipotent God who cannot lie. Live with a spirit of expectancy because God gave promises that he will manifest in this life because he said he would.

One of those promises is," If My People who are Called by my Name will Humble themselves, Seek my Face and Pray. Then you will hear from Heaven, and I will heal their Land."

If I had one more day with you, I would tell you that I love you more than you could ever imagine. I am so proud of you and grateful that you came into my life when you did. My prayer for your life is that you fulfill the gift that God has put in you. You have a gift to love people. You have never met a stranger that you couldn't conquer with your smile and kind ways. People are fond of you because of your optimistic, fun-loving personality.

The thing I would want you to remember the most is to practice what you preach. The same way you love other people, believe in their abilities, and have optimistic expectations for them. I want you to have that same kind of confidence in yourself. You can be anything you want to be. Apply yourself as if whatever you are doing you are doing it unto the Lord. Remember this; "Our Greatest Fear is not that we are Inadequate but that we are Powerful beyond Measure." Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and go for what you want out of life. You Can Do It. You are powerful beyond measure. MIGHTY WOMAN OF GOD.

We Don't Say Goodbye, So See You Later Alligator. Love, Dad

board meeting report

DEcember 12-13, 2022

Report on Financial Condition

The meeting convened with a report from Gordon Mackey (THSCA Director of Finance and Accounting) on the financial condition of THSCA/THSCEF. He also gave comparative analysis reports on the 2022 Coaching School, Permanent Injury/Memorial Benefit Funds and Liability Insurance Policies as well as reviewing the proposed budget for the new year fiscal year.

association updates

Power of Influence (POI) Meetings have been scheduled for January in each region to include updates for Athletic Directors, Campus Coordinators and ALL SPORT head coaches. We will also host spring POI meetings in each region during April and May.

Texas Coach Magazine report was given that average monthly delivery preference notes 63% of members choosing mail delivery and 37% of members selecting email delivery each month.

UIL Legislative Council results were reviewed and discussed by the board members.

Academic All-State fall report was given for Volleyball, Cross Country and Football. For the 2022 season, nominations for Volleyball were up 26%, Cross Country was up 13% and Football was up 4%. Water Polo nominations were also accepted and honored for the first time in 2022. Total nominations submitted for all four sports: 8,262.

THSCA Membership Dues will remain at $70 for the coming year however, beginning in 2023-2024, memberships that are renewed or purchased AFTER the October 15th deadline will incur at $20 late fee.

Good Will Program Reports

Permanent Injury - We currently provide aide to 27 injured athletes each month and have provided over $803,000 in support to injured athletes since the fund's inception.

Memorial Benefit Fund - This program currently grants $3,000 for the death of an athlete when said death is caused by participation in a UIL sanctioned sport, if the accident occurs in a game, scheduled practice or off-season athletic class under the supervision of a regularly employed coach. This program has provide $227,000 in assistance since its inception in 1967.

Benevolence Fund - This fund has provided more than $760,000 in financial assistance in hardship cases since 2005.

new business

BSN Sports has now partnered with THSCA as a Cornerstone sponsor. Beginning in 2023, BSN will award two $2,500 scholarships to one boy and one girl student-athlete each year!

Seat at the Table Discussions are continuing this year. These regional events are designed to allow female coaches to network, share ideas and support each other through structured discussions relating to the coaching profession. Sessions include a THSCA Update with information on association programs that recognize and support

december 2022

female coaches and their athletes. Attendees are not required to be a THSCA member and receive Professional Development credit for attending.

The THSCA's ACC (Association, Communication & Collaboration) Tour visited high school coaches and athletic directors for feedback in DFW, San Antonio, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley and Houston areas this fall.

The THSCA has partnered with the National Football Foundation and several other state associations to create the National High School Academic Excellence Award. Teams with a minimum cumulative team GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale can apply through the THSCA by January 14th to quailify.

The THSCA Texas Officials Appreciation Games is a new initiative to recognize and thank our officials in all our UIL sports. We are asking every sport to designate their first home district varsity game for offiicials appreciation. The toolkit for this event with downloadable graphics is available under the downloads tab on the THSCA website.

Upon the recommendation of the THSCA Board, we will be adding a Team Tennis Academic AllState competition for the 2023 fall season.

It was announced that after a successful pilot program for the Friday Night Lights Against Opioids campaign this past fall, we will be instituting the opportunity for football teams state wide to participate in the 2023 season. More information on how to sign up to participate will be available at Coaching School 2023 in Houston.

special Guests

Directors were able to visit with representatives from TASO, U.I.L., Coach G.J. Kinne from Texas State University and Dr. Curtis Culwell - THSCA Lobbyist.

thsca regional meetings

Regional directors were asked to select a satellite site in addition to their main meeting site, to allow for more members to attend their February 4th, regional meeting in person.

Executive Director's REport

R.O.C.K. Mentoring Program nominations for the 2023 class were due on December 1, 2022. We had more than 130+ nominations submitted and the Athletic Directors Advisory committee will review the submissions in January and announce our new Class of 2023 in February.

The THSCA I.D.E.A. Committee and the 4-L Character Curriculum were presented. Board members were encouraged to review and report back on these curriculum tools and to submit any requests for future video topics to THSCA.

Regional nominees for the 2023 Coaching

Beyond the Game Award were presented and voted on by the board. Retired coach, Jeff Dixon, (formerly at Alvarado HS) was selected as this year's award recipient.

Director Joe Martin, presented a 3-year executive analysis of THSCA and spoke on new initiatives and goals for the future.