HS Football End of Season

The end of every football season is tough.  To coach football well takes a tremendous amount of emotional energy.  There are so many relationships that are formed throughout the season and while most of them are much deeper than a game it is those games that provide the opportunities for the relationships to grow.  The final huddle is always hard, as the memories come flowing back.  While I wish we could have won Friday it would have just delayed the inevitable, the season must come to an end.  In those final moments I always have a feeling that I could have done more and am reminded of the end of Schindler’s List where Schindler feels he could have saved more people.  The stakes are certainly not as high, but my day to day ability to impact the team is over, especially for those 11 seniors. 

Yes, I will see them in the halls and they will come back and visit.  The underclassman will start working towards next year and life will go on but the relationships do change.  I hope that we have planted seeds, cultivated and watered the soil, and removed obstacles to growth so that we can see each player grow as a godly man.  We have seen a lot of growth but it will take years to know the impact. 

As I finish my 11^th season as a coach I am starting to make plans to find those first players that I coached and see just where they are at.  It has been an honor to coach your son this past season, to have the opportunity to impact their life with something that is more than a game.  Below you will find some information on how to provide me with some feedback on the season and I hope you take that opportunity to help me and the football program.

Last Practice and Equipment turn in

We will have the last hit drill right after school on Monday, November 26.  This drill is a symbolic passing of the torch for the seniors and just takes a few minutes.  After the drill we will turn in all equipment and empty out all the lockers. Players that are not in a winter sport will help put away the field equipment.  Everything should be done by 4:30.  Players that are in a winter sport will turn in their equipment first so that they can get to their practice.

Awards Banquet

The fall sports awards banquet will be on Thursday, December 20 in the gym at 7PM. I like to see the players dress up for this night.  At least have them treat it like a chapel day at school. We will still have our end of Season party during the AFC/NFC Championship games in late January.

Game Recap and Blue Shirt Warriors

Click here for the story about Friday’s game.  Click here to see the final Blue Shirt Warriors.  In reality they have all earned this award.  Picking a single player is very difficult each week.  Everyone that has not already gotten a shirt will get one at the final practice.   

End of Season Survey and Player Interviews

Each year I send out a survey for both players and parents at the end of the season.  The following links will take you to the surveys. We put several parent and player ideas from last year’s survey into practice this year. Once your son has filled out the survey I would like to have an exit interview with him.  These can be done during lunch or right after school and usually last about 15 minutes.

Underclassman End of Season Survey

Senior End of Season Survey

Parent End of Season Survey

Off-season Workouts

We will take a little time off but I will be sending out information about our off-season workouts in the next couple weeks.

HS Football Week 11 - Playoffs

It was another great win to close out the season and give the seniors a final win at home.  We have continued to make great progress the last several weeks and I am looking forward to that continuing into the playoffs.  Please encourage your son to watch a little film so they can be prepared for practice and the challenge that awaits us as we take on a very good team from Marble Falls in Faith Academy.  The changes that TAPPS made this season insure that every playoff team is a good one, so it will be an exciting trip this Friday.

Weekly Theme- Courage

Psalm 23 “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Week 10 HS Schedule

Monday, November 12-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)

Tuesday, November 13-4:00 to 5:50 pm (Full Pads)

Wednesday, November 14-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)

Thursday, November 15-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Half Shell)

Friday, November 16-7:00pm against Faith Academy at Marble Falls (bus leaves at noon and should return around 2:30AM)

Directions

1511 Pony Drive Marble Falls, TX 78654, Click here for driving directions.

There is a large Formula 1 race in Austin on Sunday and traffic is expected to be bad all weekend. While players and families are welcome to spend the night this is also a factor in making the decision to return home that night.

Charter Buses

We are planning to take a charter bus again.  We are also exploring the idea of taking one and maybe two charter fan busses.  We believe that the cost on the fan bus may be in the range of $25 to $30 per person if we could fill it.  If you would be interested in riding a fan bus please let me know.  If you would like to help offset the cost of the player charter that is also greatly appreciated.

Grade Check

Grade check will be on Tuesday.  I have talked with several players that are in the danger zone.  Please check RenWeb to make sure your son has everything in.

Playoffs - Thanksgiving

If we win our first round playoff game we will practice Monday and Tuesday at our normal times, Wednesday morning and then again on Friday afternoon.  We will not practice on Thanksgiving and are trying to provide the most time around Thanksgiving Day for people to travel. A second round game would most likely be in Giddings on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Game Recap and Blue Shirt Warriors

Clickhere for the story about Friday’s game.  Each week we select a player that has closed the gap the most during that week.  They will get a special t-shirt and their picture is on the box score page for that week’s game.  Click here to see this week’s selection.  

HS Football Week 10

 It was a great team effort on Friday night with big plays coming from so many different people. We are continuing to improve in all areas of the game of football. The past few weeks have been special and I am looking forward to that continuing on into the playoffs. It was exciting to get the JV players in the varsity game after they finished the JV season against Fort Bend. The JV season was a lot of fun and a tremendous amount of improvement was seen there as well.

With the time change practices will continue to get shorter. On Monday we will be dropping pumpkins off the grandstand so that may take some extra time. Players never seem to mind sticking around for activities like this one.

Weekly Theme- Legacy
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Week 10 HS Schedule

• Monday, November 5-4:00 to 6:15 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, November 6-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, November 7-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, November 8-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet)
• Friday, November 9-7:00pm at Home vs Galveston

Senior Night
We will be honoring our 11 senior football players prior to the game Friday night starting at 6:40PM. We would love to have a big crowd so please plan to arrive early.

Senior Dinner
We are moving the senior dinner to Tuesday night right after practice. We will be going to the Salt Grass Steakhouse by Willowbrook Mall. Seniors should be headed home around 8. Several seniors and myself will need to be at the open house on Thursday.

Playoffs – First Round
It is almost certain that we will be headed to Marble Falls which is about 45 minutes west of Austin. I am planning to take a charter bus and not spend the night. I will know more details later in the week.

Playoffs - Thanksgiving
If we win our first round playoff game we will practice Monday and Tuesday at our normal times, Wednesday morning and then again on Friday afternoon. We will not practice on Thanksgiving and are trying to provide the most time around Thanksgiving day for people to travel.

Game Recap and Blue Shirt Warriors
Click here for the story about Friday’s game. Each week we select a player that has closed the gap the most during that week. They will get a special t-shirt and their picture is on the box score page for that week’s game. Click here to see this week’s selection.

HS Football Week 9

What a great win Friday night.  We have made so much improvement in the past few weeks and continue to close the gap.  It was really a team win on Friday night.  We got great contributions from every part of the game.  Special teams were the best they have ever been even when dealing with a lot of wind.  The onside kick recover and perfect extra points by Nealy, along with Will Echol’s punting and our hands team coming up with every kickoff.  We forced turnovers on defense and made big plays on offense.  Frank Aufmuth broke the school record for catches with 53 and counting which is really is a team effort. We even had some success running the ball and out rushed our opponents for the first time this season.  My personal highlight for the night was winning the sideline battle in large part due to three freshman (Cale, Adam, and Chris) who learned you can impact a game even without playing.

I am looking forward to another great week of practice and the opportunity to take the show on the road to Rosehill.  Rosehill is playing 11 man football for the first time this season and they are showing great improvement each week.  They got their first district win last night against Galveston.

Weekly Theme- Consistency

Malachi 3:6 “’I the Lord do not change,’…declares the Lord”

Week 9 HS Schedule

Monday, October 29-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)

Tuesday, October 30-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)

Wednesday, October 31-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)

Thursday, November 1-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet)

Thursday, November 1-JV Game at Home against Fort Bend at 5:30 pm

Friday, November 2-7:00pm at Rosehill Christian – Bus leaves at 4:30 pm

JV Game

We have added one more JV game on Thursday.  It will be at home against Fort Bend at 5:30 pm.

Directions to Rosehill

19830 FM 2920, Tomball, TX 77377

Click here for map and driving directions

Senior Dinner

I will be taking the seniors out for our annual steak dinner after practice on Thursday, November 8 before we play Galveston on senior night.

Playoffs - Thanksgiving

We will be in the playoffs if we play our football the next two weeks.  We will play on the road but I think we will be the favorite.  This means that we would be playing the Saturday after Thanksgiving and practicing during the week of Thanksgiving like we did last year.  We will not have practice on Thanksgiving Day.

Game Recap and Blue Shirt Warriors

Each week we select a player that has closed the gap the most during that week.  They will get a special t-shirt and their picture is on the box score page for that week’s game.  Click here to see this week’s selection.  You can also see pictures and video.

Radio Broadcast

The radio broadcast guy had some technical difficulties so I am not sure how much of the game actually got done.  If things had worked as planned it would be up on the TSRN website to listen to but I am not sure since he had to broadcast by phone.

HS Football Week 8

It was a great win in front of a great crowd Friday night.  It was good to see so many former players and to be able to put on a good performance for them.  I really felt like we closed the gap this last week.  We showed great improvements in so many of the little things that we have struggled with all season long.  I am looking forward to that improvement continuing this week.   

Weekly Theme-Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Week 8 HS Schedule

Monday, October 22-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)

Tuesday, October 23-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)

Wednesday, October 24-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)

Thursday, October 25-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet)

Thursday, October 25-JV Game at Bay Area 6:00 pm (Bus Leaves at 3:15)

Friday, October 26-7:00pm Home Game against Woodlands Christian

Senior Dinner

I will be taking the seniors out for our annual steak dinner after practice on Thursday, November 8 before we play Galveston on senior night.

Playoffs - Thanksgiving

Only the top two teams in the district are guaranteed a playoff spot so every game is a must win game in order for us to make the playoffs.  I certainly believe this is possible and believe that our first round playoff game would be a very winnable game.  This means that we would be playing the Saturday after Thanksgiving and practicing during the week of Thanksgiving like we did last year.  We will not have practice on Thanksgiving Day.

Blue Shirt Warriors

Each week we select a player that has closed the gap the most during that week.  They will get a special t-shirt and their picture is on the box score page for that week’s game.  Click here to see this week’s selection.

Winter Sport Tryouts

I would like to see all of our players participate in multiple sports.  There are tryouts coming up for the winter sports.  Football players can go to those tryouts however they are not allowed to participate in practices and games until the end of the football season.  I have made some exceptions in the past but the player needs to come and talk with me first and should not assume that anything is just ok.

Film

There is a lot of film up for everyone to look at.  It is broken down into a lot of different play lists where players can look at specific things.  We were better prepared this week and I think by watching more film earlier in the week it will be even better this week.  It would be great if out scout team knew all the Woodlands plays before Monday.

Radio Show

On Tuesday night I will be on Chalk Talk Live from Gabbys BBQ at 7:30.  You can listen the broadcast live and at any point after it is over at http://www.tsrnsports.com/Broadcast/Broad-LoneStarNetwork.htm.

Morning Workouts

Attendance has been too low to continue doing morning workouts on Monday and Wednesday.

MS Football Final Week

It is hard to believe that this is the final week of Middle School football. It takes a lot of people to put on a football season and I want to thank each of you for your help. From my perspective I have seen a lot of good things this season and I am very appreciative to Coach Mason and the job he did in his first season as head coach. I hope everyone had a lot of fun and is ready to do it again next year.

Homecoming is tonight and it should be an exciting game and a big crowd. The Junior class will be cooking hamburgers starting at 5 with kickoff at 7 so I hope everyone can make it out to the Stadium.

Weekly Theme-Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Week 8 MS Schedule
Monday, October 22-4:00pm to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 23-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads)
Wednesday, October 24-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 25-5:00pm A Team Game at Home against Bay Area

MS Awards Banquet
The fall middle school sports awards banquet will be on November 5 at 7pm in the gym.

MS Equipment Turn In
Equipment turn in for all middle school football players will be right after school on Friday, October 26 in the field house. Players should turn in all equipment. Practice and game uniforms should be washed.

HS Football Week 7

It was a tough night at Bay Area where the ball just did not bounce our way. I was encouraged by the progress we are making in finding a new identity on offense. We need to continue to learn from our mistakes and the best way to do that is through watching film.

Weekly Theme- Perseverance
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Week 7 HS Schedule
Monday, October 15-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)
Tuesday, October 16-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)
Wednesday, October 17-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 18-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Helmet)
Friday, October 19-7:00pm Homecoming vs Beaumont Legacy

Homecoming 
There will be a lot of distractions this week. Football should be a priority over the “fun activities” that will go on during the week. It is NOT ok to come late or miss practice to decorate or participate in other activities.

Powder Puff Game
The powder puff game will be played on Monday night at 7:30pm. It is always a fun game and I am sure the girls and the coaches would appreciate a big crowd.

Field Painting
We will be painting the Warrior heads and other things on the field after practice on Thursday. We have upgraded to using a sprayer so there is less to do but players are still welcome to stay and help.

Senior Dinner
I will be taking the seniors out for our annual steak dinner after practice on Thursday, November 8 before we play Galveston on senior night.

Warrior Welcome
This Thursday there will be two more chances for you to attend a Warrior Welcome Mission Tour. The first will be at 8:30am and the second at 7 pm. I know you will count it a blessing and it will be one of the best hours of your week. Click here for more details.

MS Football Week 7

It is hard to believe that there are just two weeks remaining the middle school season and the B team will play their last game on Tuesday. I will be sending more information out about the end of the season, awards banquet, equipment turn in and other things later in the week.

Weekly Theme- Perseverance
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Week 7 MS Schedule
Monday, October 15-4:00pm to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – All non A team players
Tuesday, October 16-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
Tuesday, October 16-5:00 pm B Team Home Game vs Salem Trinity
Wednesday, October 17-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
Thursday, October 18-6:00pm A Team Game at Woodlands Christian Bus leaves at 3:45

Homecoming
There will be a lot of distractions this week. Football should be a priority over the “fun activities” that will go on during the week. It is NOT ok to come late or miss practice to decorate or participate in other activities.

Powder Puff Game
The powder puff game will be played on Monday night at 7:30pm. It is always a fun game and I am sure the girls and the coaches would appreciate a big crowd.

Warrior Welcome
This Thursday there will be two more chances for you to attend a Warrior Welcome Mission Tour. The first will be at 8:30am and the second at 7 pm. I know you will count it a blessing and it will be one of the best hours of your week. Click here for more details.

HS Football Week 6

We had a good week of practice and I think that our bye week could not have come at a better time. This week starts the part of the season that counts as we open district play. Bay Area is a long time rival that is much improved over last year. CCS has won the last 5 meetings between the two schools dating back to the 2009 season.

Weekly Theme- Humility
Romans 12:3 “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

Week 6 HS Schedule

• Monday, October 8-4:00 to 6:15 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, October 9-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, October 10-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, October 11-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Helmet)
• Thursday, October 11-6:00pm JV Game at Home against Bay Area
• Friday, October 12-7:00pm at Bay Area Bus will leave at 2:45

JV Game
JV players will grab a quick bite to eat after school and then practice with the varsity players before getting dressed at 5 for the JV game.

Friday
The bus will leave at 2:45 on Friday. There is only a half day of school that day. Players will be allowed to go home after school and we are not going to serve a team meal. If a player needs to stay at school they can come out to the field house but they will need to bring something to eat. Everyone should be back to school to load the bus by 2:15.

Grades
We have not had any issues with grades this season but it is important to finish out the quarter strong. Please encourage your son to be diligent with their school work this week.

Seniors
The seniors will be on the senior retreat on Monday so practice will be little shorter.

MS Football Week 6

The A team got another big win Thursday and I enjoyed watching this one in person. It will be a full week of football with the makeup game on Monday against Northland and the regular scheduled games for the rest of the week.

Weekly Theme- Humility
Romans 12:3 “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

Week 6 MS Schedule

• Monday, October 8-5:00pm A Team Game at Northland (Make Up Game) Bus leaves at 3:15pm
• Monday, October 8-4:00pm to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – All non A team players
• Tuesday, October 9-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, October 9-5:00 pm B Team Home Game vs Western Academy
• Wednesday, October 10-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, October 11-5:00pm A Team Game at Fort Bend Bus leaves at 3:00pm

Grades
We have not had any issues with grades this season but it is important to finish out the quarter strong. I know the extra game does not make it easy but please encourage your son to be diligent.

HS Football Week 5

The football season is broken up into four parts: the preseason, non-district play, district play and the playoffs. We have now completed 2 out of the 4 and in many ways it is going to be like starting over for us when we enter district play.  It has certainly been a tough week but we now have a week off to get some things figured out. 

The football season is always a journey and while it may not feel that way and there may be more obstacles in our way we currently have the same record as last season.  For those that are new, last year we went undefeated in district play and advanced to the state semifinals where we lost a very close game to the eventual state champion.  It is always about closing the gap and this team has by no means reached it’s potential.

Weekly Theme-Passion

Revelations 3:16 “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Week 5 HS Schedule

Monday, October 1-4:00 to 6:15 pm (Full Pads)

Tuesday, October 2-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)

Wednesday, October 3-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)

Thursday, October 4-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)

Friday, October 5-No Game-CCS Annual Banquet at 6pm

JV Game

I believe that everyone knows this already but the JV game against Woodlands Christian was canceled because they do not have enough players.  We still have two scheduled with Bay Area and another one with Fort Bend.

Schedule

I know there are a few of you wondering why we play such a tough schedule.  I am actually one of those people as well.  I wanted to share a little insight just in case you are wondering.  First, I had a much easier schedule made and then TAPPS changed its mind on re-alignment and two non-district teams were moved into our district.  Second, we have had a lot of success and earned respect across the state so about 10 teams that I contacted refused to play us. Third, travel and finding teams that will also play JV play a factor. Fourth, scheduling is done in two year blocks so sometimes a tough game this year will be an easier game next year. Fifth, transfer students change everything in TAPPS football. Finally, I do believe that it prepares us for District play and the playoffs so hopefully that holds true this year.

Annual Banquet

There is no varsity game this Friday night so I want to encourage you to come to the school’s Annual Banquet.  It will be a fun evening featuring the Jesus Painter, the comedy of Bob Smiley, a live auction with a long list of great packages for everyone (Hunting Trips, Texan Tickets, Artwork, Week at Disney and much more) and an address from our Head of School, Mr. Novotny.  One project that the banquet will be raising money towards is our weight room and locker room expansion under the grandstand.

•  Purchase Tickets
•  View Auction Items
•  General Banquet Information

MS Football Week 5

It was a great win by the A team last week. I really enjoyed watching the film. I was struck by how they overcame penalties and other setbacks to win the game. I was also impressed with how they did not play with any fear despite the fact that John Cooper had some boys that were as big as any we have seen all season. I love how they are playing as a team and having fun. It will be nice to finally take on a school our size in Faith West this week.

Weekly Theme-Passion
Revelations 3:16 “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

Week 5 MS Schedule

• Monday, October 1-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, October 2-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, October 2-5:00 pm B Team Home Game vs St. Cecilia
• Wednesday, October 3-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, October 4-6:00pm A Team Game against Faith West at home
• Friday, October 5-CCS Annual Banquet at 6pm

Schedule
Scheduling B team football games is always a challenge. Last year Western Academy had two teams and the game was scheduled with the B team and that is what was scheduled for this year. However, this year they have less players and I learned after the game that they only have one team so we played against five 8th graders that did make most of the plays. I wish schools were more up front about such things but that is not a reality. Most of the schools our size only have one team so scheduling is hard. I just wanted you to have a little insight in case you were wondering. I have contacted St. Cecilia about this week’s B game but have not heard anything back yet.

Annual Banquet
There is no varsity game this Friday night so I want to encourage you to come to the school’s Annual Banquet. It will be a fun evening featuring the Jesus Painter, the comedy of Bob Smiley, a live auction with a long list of great packages for everyone (Hunting Trips, Texan Tickets, Artwork, Week at Disney and much more) and an address from our Head of School, Mr. Novotny. One project that the banquet will be raising money towards is our weight room and locker room expansion under the grandstand.

• Purchase Tickets
• View Auction Items
• General Banquet Information

HS Football Week 4

It was a tough week for football for all four CCS teams but there were bright spots and some great individual plays. We continue to see improvement and growth in many areas. Learning from mistakes through watching film is the best way to get better.

Weekly Theme-Unity
Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Week 4 HS Schedule

• Monday, September 24-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 25-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, September 26-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, September 27-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet)
• Friday, September 28-At Shiner St. Paul at 7:30PM (Bus leaves at 1pm out at 12:30)

Directions
Shiner St. Paul Map and Driving Directions
We will play at Comanche Stadium which is a public school stadium and not on the campus of Shiner St. Paul Catholic School.

Shiner Preview
They are a good team but like us have a 1 and 3 record. They are a school that is our size and while it will be a tough test I do not think it will be near what we saw this week. They did play a close game against Fort Bend but several key players including the QB were out for Fort Bend.

Charter Bus for Shiner
I have talked with several people about the possibility of taking a charter bus to Shiner. This adds about $1,000 to our travel costs. We have taken charters in the past with the help of donations. Since we are not spending the night it would be nice to have the extra space and not have to worry about the driving. If you would be interested in helping with this please let me know. If we do not take a charter we would probably need a couple extra drivers to leave with the bus and take players and equipment.

MS Football Week 4

It was a tough week for football for all four CCS teams but there were bright spots and some great individual plays. We continue to see improvement and growth in many areas. Learning from mistakes through watching film is the best way to get better.

Weekly Theme-Unity
Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Week 4 MS Schedule

• Monday, September 24-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 25-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, September 25-5:00 pm B Team Home Game vs Western Academy
• Wednesday, September 26-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, September 27-4:30* pm A Team Game at John Cooper (Bus leaves 2:45 out at 2:15)

*The John Cooper game was moved up to a 4:30 kickoff.

Northland Reschedule
The MS A game against Northland has been rescheduled for Monday, October 8 at 5PM.

Directions
John Cooper Map and Driving Directions 1 John Cooper Dr, Spring, TX 77381

HS Football Week 3

I hope that everyone made it home safely. We have several players that got pretty banged up so please be in prayer for them. We certainly got the opportunity to deal with some adversity last week. It is a part of life and I am sure we did not get it all out of the way in one week but I hope we learned to look at it differently.

It was a great weekend on so many levels. Watching two teams that really understand competition and sportsmanship play two hard fought games in the mud is not an opportunity that comes around very often. As I interacted with the Regents coaches and players throughout the weekend I was very encouraged by what they said about us as men and as football players. Regents has won 6 state titles in football over the last decade so those compliments are special. The varsity player breakfast was especially interesting as the players shared and really made friends with each other.

We certainly missed some opportunities in the varsity game but I think we learned some valuable lessons. We play a tough schedule and it has always paid off in the end. This year will be no different. We did get to finish out the weekend with a dominating performance by the JV team (38-12 W). The future is bright but so is the present and it is an honor to coach your kids through the adversity that is a football season and ultimately life.

Weekly Theme-Rebuilding
Nehemiah 2:20 “I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding…’”

Week 3 HS Schedule

• Monday, September 17-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 18-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, September 19-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, September 20-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet) Varsity Only Players
• Thursday, September 20-JV game at Fort Bend at 6:00 pm (Bus leaves at 4)
• Friday, September 21-Home game against Fort Bend Christian at 7:00pm

Fort Bend Preview
This will be another tough test, our third in arrow against a school from a higher division. While we have not played them in several years at the varsity level we have won JV games the past couple of years and we always play well against them in 7 on 7.

Directions
Fort Bend Christian Map and Driving Directions – 1250 7th Street Sugar Land, TX 77478

Pictures
Your son will get a CD this week containing all the pictures he took at that photo shoot. They are yours to keep and you have a release form that will let you take them anywhere to get printed. There is no additional charge for pictures this year.

Morning Workouts
Reminder, we will continue to have workouts on Monday and Wednesday at 6:30am in the weight room. Workouts help with injury prevention and recovery.

Film
In order to learn from our mistakes we need to watch film to get better so please remind your son to log onto Hudl. Fort Bend and Regents film are up. We will be adding notes throughout the week. The JV game will be up some time over the night.

Away Game Travel
All in all it went pretty smoothly for our first varsity away game. If a player does not ride the bus back they should take their black travel bag with them and return them on Monday. A special thanks to the boys that rode the bus and helped us put all the player equipment away in the locker room. The black bags should be turned in each week and we will re-issue them when they are needed.

MS Football Week 3

The B team got a great road win and I think the A team was in a position to get the first win of the season but the weather put a damper on that. We did have to deal with adversity on the MS level but not quite as much as the varsity did. I hope we learned a few things about how to handle that and it will help us in the future.

Weekly Theme-Rebuilding
Nehemiah 2:20 “I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding…’”

Week 3 MS Schedule

• Monday, September 17-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 18-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, September 18-4:30 pm B Team Game at St. John’s (Bus Departs at 3:15)
• Wednesday, September 19-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell) – B Team Players Full Pads
• Thursday, September 20-5:00 pm A Team Game at home against Salem-Trinity

B Game at St. John’s
This game was originally scheduled to be at home so this is a change.

Directions
St. John’s Map and Driving Directions - 2401 Claremont Lane Houston, TX 77019

Northland Reschedule
It is very rare that we do not get a football game in. We are working to reschedule the game with Northland. We are looking at Monday, October 8.

Pictures
Your son will get a CD this week containing all the pictures he took at that photo shoot. They are yours to keep and you have a release form that will let you take them anywhere to get printed. There is no additional charge for pictures this year.

HS Football Week 2

It was a great win Friday night for the varsity and I am sure we will all remember this game for a long time. Even if we had been on the losing side it would have been worth being a part of. I got a great email from Coach Robbins that was extremely complimentary of our program and how we played the game. I have gotten to know Coach Robbins over the years since he defeated us in another great game when he was at Dallas Lutheran and I would certainly say the same things about his program. Our MS team came up short but a Westbury player told his dad who relayed the information to some of our parents that his son had never played against a team with better sportsmanship.

I was at both games and the number of CCS players helping their opponents up is amazing and the best it has ever been. I have always believed that if Christ played football he would have played all out to the whistle and then did whatever he could to help his opponent up and encourage him. I love the way we are learning to really compete. Our culture has defined competing as win at all costs but true competition is about playing the game and involves both winning and losing. It is not failure when we lose but an opportunity to get better, to learn and to grow. Please find ways to reward these efforts by our players and I hope that we will all find ways to do the same things in our own lives.

Weekly Theme-Overcoming Adversity
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Week 2 HS Schedule

• Monday, September 10-4:00 to 6:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 11-4:00 to 6:10 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, September 12-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, September 13-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet)
• Friday, September 14-7:30pm at Austin Regents* (Bus departs at 1PM)
• Saturday, September 15-12 noon at Austin Regents*

*Both game times have been moved back since the original schedule was released.

Regents Preview
Coach Brydon at Austin Regents is another good friend of mine. They will be a tough challenge but it will be another truly great competition. He and I are working on several things that we will do with both teams together. There is a special Fall Social that they are putting on that night. They have invited all of our fans to attend at a reduced cost of $12. I hope everyone can attend that is going to the game. More details are attached and you can go to www.regentsschool.com/fallfamilysocial to get tickets. Tickets must be purchased by Wednesday.

Travel to Regents
We will leave the school at 1PM on Friday and it is our goal to get to the hotel and eat there. We may dress at the hotel and head to the stadium in our pads or use a locker room on campus I am not sure on that yet. Players should be out of bed by 8AM and eat a good breakfast and lunch before coming to school.

Directions
Austin Regents Map and Driving Directions

Austin Trip – Hotel
Mrs. Salario sent an email about the hotel. If you have not done so already please respond to her. I would like every player to stay with their parents but I know that is not possible for every player. The football program will be finding rooms for those whose parents do not travel to the game but we need to know who those players are.

Grade Check
The grade check will be this Tuesday. We did have a few kids that are struggling in some classes. Please go on to RenWeb and make sure your son has everything done.

Hudl
All the film is on Hudl. Please encourage your son to watch 20 minutes of Regents film prior to Monday. It will make a big difference in our ability to prepare and teach at practice.

Morning Workout - Optional
We will be continuing to have workouts on Monday and Wednesday at 6:30AM in the weight room.

Pictures
It really will be this week for the picture CDs.

MS Football Week 2

It was a great win Friday night for the varsity and I am sure we will all remember this game for a long time. Even if we had been on the losing side it would have been worth being a part of. I got a great email from Coach Robbins that was extremely complimentary of our program and how we played the game. I have gotten to know Coach Robbins over the years since he defeated us in another great game when he was at Dallas Lutheran and I would certainly say the same things about his program. Our MS team came up short but a Westbury player told his dad who relayed the information to some of our parents that his son had never played against a team with better sportsmanship.

I was at both games and the number of CCS players helping their opponents up is amazing and the best it has ever been. I have always believed that if Christ played football he would have played all out to the whistle and then did whatever he could to help his opponent up and encourage him. I love the way we are learning to really compete. Our culture has defined competing as win at all costs but true competition is about playing the game and involves both winning and losing. It is not failure when we lose but an opportunity to get better, to learn and to grow. Please find ways to reward these efforts by our players and I hope that we will all find ways to do the same things in our own lives.

Weekly Theme-Overcoming Adversity
Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Week 2 MS Schedule

• Monday, September 10-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, September 11-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, September 11-5:00 pm B Team Game at Salem Trinity (Bus Departs at 3:15)
• Wednesday, September 12-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell) – B Team Players Full Pads
• Thursday, September 13-5:00 pm A Team Game at Northland (Bus Departs at 3:15)

Grade Check
The grade check will be this Tuesday. We did have a few kids that are struggling in some classes. Please go on to RenWeb and make sure your son has everything done.

Hudl
All the film is on Hudl. Please encourage your son to watch 20 minutes of Regents film prior to Monday. It will make a big difference in our ability to prepare and teach at practice.

Directions
Northland Map and Driving Directions
Salem-Trinity (Concordia Lutheran HS) Map and Driving Directions

Pictures
It really will be this week for the picture CDs.

HS Football Week 1

I was very proud of the way we played Friday night. We never gave up and continued to battle. I saw so many players helping opponents up and picking their teammates up both physically and emotionally all the way through to the handshake. There were missed opportunities but we have a pretty good track record of being a team that improves every week and plays its best football at the end of the season. If you were watching that game just as a football fan it was a great high school football game. Unfortunately, someone has to lose but what we were all able to experience two teams truly competing on the field.

Weekly Theme-Sacrifice
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Week 1 HS Schedule
Monday, September 3-2:30 to 3:15 pm (Optional Team Film)
Monday, September 3-4:00 to 6:25 pm (Full Pads)
Tuesday, September 4-4:00 to 6:05 pm (Full Pads)
Wednesday, September 5-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
Thursday, September 6-3:45 to 5:00 pm Varsity Practice (Helmet)
Thursday, September 6-6:00pm JV Game at John Cooper-Bus Leaves at 3:50
Friday, September 7-7:00pm Home game against Lutheran South

Lutheran South Preview
Our opponents do not get any easier. Lutheran South came from behind to defeat Bay Area 20 to 17 in overtime. The coach at Lutheran South was at Dallas Lutheran when they beat us in the playoffs so some things will look familiar. He is a class act, a good coach, and someone I count as a friend. It should be another exciting night. Friday night is elementary Night so the first 100 5th grade and younger fans will get a free t-shirt and the Frisbee Dogs from Barks 5th Avenue will perform at half time.

Hudl
All the film is on Hudl. Almost everyone has set up an account. It is a powerful tool and it really is fun to play with. I know a few people are still having log in issues and we will hopefully get those resolved this week.

Directions
John Cooper Map and Driving Directions

JV Roster
We are still working out the JV roster but should have that decided after practice on Monday. The players that go to JV games may change as the season goes on.

Austin Trip – September 14
I need to know if you are not planning to make the trip to Austin so that we can secure login for your son. My basic assumption is that all players will stay with their parents at the hotel but I need to confirm this and prepare for the exceptions.

Morning Workout - Optional
We will be continuing to have workouts on Monday and Wednesday at 6:30AM in the weight room.

Pictures
Your son should get a CD with the football pictures on it this week. Like last year they are yours to keep and in full resolution. The CD will contain a release given you permission to get them printed.

Volunteer
You can sign up to help at the home games using Please Bring It. There is a link to each of our games at www.cypresschristian.org/football/Volunteers.cfm. Each family needs to sign up 3 times to get everything taken care of for the year.

MS Football Week 1

I am looking forward to seeing both MS teams play this week.  You will be amazed at the amount of improvement you see from game to game through out the season. We do practice on Monday at 4PM.

Weekly Theme-SacrificeJohn 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Week 1 MS ScheduleMonday, September 3-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
Tuesday, September 4-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
Tuesday, September 4-5:00 pm B Team Game at Home vs John Cooper (Wear blue game jersey)
Wednesday, September 5-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
Thursday, September 6-5:00 pm A Team Game at Home vs Westbury (Wear blue game jersey)

HudlAll the film is on Hudl. Almost everyone has set up an account. It is a powerful tool and it really is fun to play with. I know a few people are still having log in issues and we will hopefully get those resolved this week.

Elementary NightFriday night is elementary Night so the first 100 5th grade and younger fans will get a free t-shirt and the Frisbee Dogs from Barks 5th Avenue will perform at half time.

PicturesYour son should get a CD with the football pictures on it this week. Like last year they are yours to keep and in full resolution. The CD will contain a release given you permission to get them printed.

HS Football Week 0

Ready or not it is time to start playing games. The varsity had a great scrimmage last night and I am excited to see both middle school teams take to the field this week for games. It will certainly be a full week of football. The first home varsity game will feature a concert by the band Denmon which will be a CCS first. The lead singer, John Denmon, was a coach at CCS when our seniors were in 8th grade. At some point the emails will get shorter but I prefer that you are over informed.

Love
1 John 4:18-19 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us.”

Week 0 HS Schedule

• Monday, August 27-4:00 to 6:25 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, August 28-4:00 to 6:05 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, August 29-3:45 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, August 30-3:45 to 5:00 pm (Helmet) – Covenant and Prayer following practice
• Friday, August 31-7:00pm Home game against Brazos Christian

Team Covenant Signing and Prayer
We are going to close Thursdays practice with a public signing of our team covenant and an opportunity for our parents to pray over our players and the season. Both will take place in the grandstand starting just after 5pm.

Uniforms in Lockers
I picked up a few pairs of pants and a couple uniforms that I took home and washed last night. Uniforms should never be stored in lockers or left on shoulder pads after the game.

Morning Workout - Optional
We will be continuing to have workouts on Monday and Wednesday at 6:30AM in the weight room.

Film on Hudl
The film is up on Hudl and more information will be added to it throughout the week. We will watch some film during practice but are not currently planning to have a team film session Monday morning. As coaches we are learning the system and were able to add in some audio notes and coaching points to the film. We will try to do more of this in the future. Players can make their own highlight films that I will add to our website.

Forms
We have done a great job on the forms and physicals this year. The last one that we are missing a good number of is the "TAPPS Acknowledgment of the Rules" form. Cindy is contacting you individually if she still needs that form.

Pep Rally
There will be a pep rally for MS and HS on Friday at 3PM.

Saturday Clinic
Methodist does have a Saturday clinic for any injuries. It is better to get it looked at on Saturday instead of waiting until Monday at practice. Click here for more information.

Volunteer
You can sign up to help at the home games using Please Bring It. There is a link to each of our games at www.cypresschristian.org/football/Volunteers.cfm. Each family needs to sign up 3 times to get everything taken care of for the year. There is less that needs to be done for JV games but we will probably have some signups for those as well in the coming weeks.

The one big need that we have left is for someone to set up and clean up the concession stand. You do not have to work the concession stand during the game just make sure that things are ready to go when the workers (parents of other school groups) get there and let them know what to do to clean up.

Faith West JV Game
Faith West is no longer playing 11 man football so those two JV games have been canceled. We will be adding at least one more JV game against Fort Bend.

Labor Day – September 3
Both the High School and Middle School teams will practice at their regular times on Labor Day.

Booster Club, Season Tickets, Apparel
We have sold a lot but we still have season tickets left. You can get a coaches shirt (there is a female cut as well) by signing up for the booster club or by purchasing some of our game day apparel. Click here for more details.

Austin Trip – September 14
There still may be some rooms left but the deadline has passed. If you are not planning to make the trip to Austin I need to know so that we can make sure we have a room for your son.

Hyatt Place
Austin/arboretum
3612 Tudor Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78759
1-877-242-3654

When you call to book ... tell them you are with Cypress Christian School.
Our GROUP code is: G-CPRS
Use this code when booking by phone or online.
They have Double rooms and King rooms...both with sleeper sofas. Our cost $ 105 + tax.
THE ROOMS MUST BE BOOKED BY 8-24-12. - Check in 3pm - Check out 12pm.

MS Football Week 0

Ready or not it is time to start playing games. The varsity had a great scrimmage last night and I am excited to see both middle school teams take to the field this week for games. It will certainly be a full week of football. The first home varsity game will feature a concert by the band Denmon which will be a CCS first. The lead singer, John Denmon, was a coach at CCS when our seniors were in 8th grade. At some point the emails will get shorter but I prefer that you are over informed.

Love
1 John 4:18-19 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us.”

Week 0 MS Schedule

• Monday, August 27-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, August 28-4:00 to 5:45 pm (Full Pads) – A Team Players Only
• Tuesday, August 28-4:30 pm B Team Game at St. Cecilia (Wear white game jersey) Bus 2:45
• Wednesday, August 29-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)
• Thursday, August 30-5:00 pm Game at Lutheran South (Wear white game jersey) Bus 2:45

Directions
St. Cecilia Map and Driving Directions
Lutheran South Map and Driving Directions

MS Uniforms
We had one issue with the numbers coming off of a new MS uniform that was washed. We believe we were able to fix that one and that it was an isolated issue. However, if numbers are cracking or pealing when you wash them please let me know. Jerseys should just air dry after washing. Do NOT put them in the dryer.
MS B Team St. John’s Game on 9/18
This game has been changed to an away game and will start at 4:30pm.

Early Release
MS Players will be released from class at 2:15 to dress, eat and travel to their games this Tuesday and Thursday. I believe that most of the kids know already but the roster for the A and B teams were sent in the email. These could change throughout the season.

Forms
We have done a great job on the forms and physicals this year. The last one that we are missing a good number of is the "TAPPS Acknowledgment of the Rules" form. Cindy is contacting you individually if she still needs that form.

Pep Rally
There will be a pep rally for MS and HS on Friday at 3PM.

Labor Day – September 3
Both the High School and Middle School teams will practice at their regular times on Labor Day.

Booster Club, Season Tickets, Apparel
We have sold a lot but we still have season tickets left. You can get a coaches shirt (there is a female cut as well) by signing up for the booster club or by purchasing some of our game day apparel. Click here for more details.

One More Drill

We ran a little long today at practice but it is a special day.  As coaches we call it the Handshake Drill but the players mostly know it as the One More Drill.  The point being that you can always do one more.  It is by far the most conditioning we do in a practice and we are trying to push them past what they think they can do.  One we reach that point the coaches all fall in and go down the line shaking each kids hand and affirming there God given abilities (not just football abilities) and their value to the team.  It is one of my favorite moments of the season.  With 47 kids it took a little longer than planned but I hope the words spoken into their lives last a lot longer than expected as well.

HS Football Week -1

We had several great events this weekend from Blue & White, picture day, and our team cookout that had around 100 people at it. Somewhere in there we found time to scrimmage Second Baptist. We certainly have more to do but I am still very pleased with the progress we have made so far this season.

Weekly Theme - Building a FoundationPsalms 18:2a “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”
Matthew 16:18 “…on this rock I will build my church

Week -1 HS Schedule

• Monday, August 20-4:00 to 6:25 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, August 21-4:00 to 8:00 pm (Workout) – Inner City Football Camp
• Wednesday, August 22-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Thursday, August 23-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Friday, August 24-7:00pm Scrimmage at KIPP Sunny Side-Bus leaves 4:30 – More details will be coming once I talk to their coach this week.

Inner City Football CampOn Tuesday as a part of practice the HS football team will travel to The Faith Center, a mission of Houston First Baptist Church, and put on a football camp. We will take the bus right after school and should arrive back at school around 8pm. We will wear our practice shorts and shirts. We are planning to grill some hotdogs for the campers and would love to have 5 to 10 dads that would make the trip with us and help with the food. The Faith Center is located at 8009 Long Point Road.

Morning Workout - OptionalOver the years we have been constantly asked about working out more during the season. Coach Honeycutt is going to be able to open up the weight room during the season. We will be starting this week on Monday and Wednesday morning at 6:30 in the weight room. Players will work out for an hour and then shower and go to class. I know this is not possible for everyone but so many have asked that we wanted to make it available.

Booster Club, Season Tickets, Apparel We have sold a lot but we still have season tickets left. You can get a coaches shirt (there is a female cut as well) by signing up for the booster club or by purchasing some of our game day apparel. Click here for more details.

HydrationOur trainer, Paula Douglas, gave the players a good challenge about cutting soda and tea out of their diet and drink about 80oz of water each day. Also, they will be sore and should apply ice to any area that is sore.

VolunteerWe are still looking for a JV team mom if anyone is interested. The biggest responsibly is organizing and serving the pregame meal. We are also in need of someone to take on the concession stand set up. You would not be responsible to work during the game just get everything set up before the game and ready to go. We are going to use Please Bring It to help coordinate our volunteers. Our first home game is just two weeks away so please click here to start singing up. If each family can just help three times we will be have everything for the season covered.

Austin Trip – September 14On September 14 we will be playing a varsity game in Austin followed by a JV game the next day at noon. We are planning to spend the night. I would prefer that players stay with their parents but if that is not possible we will make sure they have a room. We are planning to do several things with the team from Austin so it should be a great trip. Here is the hotel information:

Hyatt Place
Austin/arboretum
3612 Tudor Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78759
1-877-242-3654
When you call to book ... tell them you are with Cypress Christian School.
Our GROUP code is: G-CPRS
Use this code when booking by phone or online.
They have Double rooms and King rooms...both with sleeper sofas. Our cost $ 105 + tax.
THE ROOMS MUST BE BOOKED BY 8-24-12. - Check in 3pm - Check out 12pm.

MS Football Week -1

We have a lot of MS football players that look like they have had a lot of fun during their first week of practice. It certainly looked to me like they are building relationships and having fun when I watched them at pictures today. You will get a copy of all your sons pictures along with a digital release in about a week. More information will be coming about volunteering to help at the games.

Weekly Theme - Building a FoundationPsalms 18:2a “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”
Matthew 16:18 “…on this rock I will build my church

Week -1 MS Schedule

• Monday, August 20-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Tuesday, August 21-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, August 22-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)
• Thursday, August 23-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Full Pads)

Booster Club, Season Tickets, Apparel We have sold a lot but we still have season tickets left. You can get a coaches shirt (there is a female cut as well) by signing up for the booster club or by purchasing some of our game day apparel. Click here for more details.

HydrationOur trainer, Paula Douglas, gave the players a good challenge about cutting soda and tea out of their diet and drink about 80oz of water each day. Also, they will be sore and should apply ice to any area that is sore.

Football, Volleyball and Hair Cuts

Volleyball
The Football team will be scrimmaging the Volleyball team at 6:30 in the gym tomorrow. This is not a required event but it will be funny. We got a little crazy with our clothing last year so I asked that they tone that down some. Just mention that to your son if he was there last year and that should be enough.

Haircuts
It is possible that your son took steps to get in alignment with the hair code today after practice. This has been a long standing tradition but it is completely optional and I even recommend that players call their mom to make sure it is OK. I think my mom is still a little upset that I shaved my head in college one year. School starts tomorrow and we do have a few player remaining that need haircuts.

Water
It was a hot one today. Please remind them to drink water and that they can take a water bottle with them to class tomorrow.

Chain Gang
I will need three people to run the chains on Thursday for the scrimmage. It would be great is someone would be interested in coordinating this effort for the season. If interested please let me know.

HS Football Week -3

There is a lot of information in this one so you might want to grab a cup of coffee (or a water to keep Paula happy).

I was very pleased with today’s scrimmage. The film is up on Hudl for players and parents to watch. Watching film with your son can be a great experience but please don’t try to be their coach. Celebrate great plays and ask them questions about what they are doing but I think you will find it is better for your relationship with them if you leave technical correcting up to us. Let them know you love watching them play and that their value to you is not based on performance. An inner squad scrimmage is especially tough because we are both teams. I want to see an equal number of good plays on both sides of the ball. I want everyone to walk away feeling good about some things and knowing they need to work on others. We want to constantly be working to close the gap between our potential and our performance in every area of life.

Hydration
Our trainer, Paula Douglas, gave the players a good challenge about cutting soda and tea out of their diet and drink about 80oz of water each day. Also, they will be sore and should apply ice to any area that is sore.

Weekly Theme
Purpose
Acts 17:26b “He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Week -3 Schedule

• Monday, August 13-4:00 to 7:30 pm (Full Pads/Helmet)
• Tuesday, August 14-4:00 to 6:00 pm (Full Pads)
• Wednesday, August 15-4:00 to 5:30 pm (Half Shell)-Parent Meeting at 5 in the grandstand
• Thursday, August 16-4:30 pm Scrimmage at home against Second Baptist
• Friday, August 17-3:45 to 4:45 pm Film in Field house (Optional)
• Friday, August 17-5:30 pm Blue and White Night in the gym
• Saturday, August 18-Team pictures in the morning time is TBA
• Saturday, August 18-Team Cookout at the Nealy’s at 4pm

Team Cookout
We are planning a team cookout for players and families at the Nealy’s house on Saturday August 18 at 4pm. I will send out more details next week as we get it figured out but we will probably ask each family to bring a side dish or chips and just have hotdogs and hamburgers. We have a few fun activates planned. We may even take the bus from school at 3:30 as a big car pool especially for younger players if their family cannot go. The Nealy’s leave about 30 minutes out 290.

Booster Club and Season Tickets
As a football parent you get first choice on season tickets if you purchase them prior to Blue and White Night. These tickets are good for all home football games at any level. Seats will be sold on a first come first serve basis starting at Blue and White Night. The money raised through season tickets, booster club memberships (which includes season tickets and other great things) and sponsorships is used to pay for a lot of the great things we do as a football program. The things that are supported by the booster club are so important to me that I personally join the Coach's Club each year. You are certainly not required to join but for those with the ability it is a great way to help our program. Click here for more details.

Blue and White Night
As a football team we are in charge of trash and cleanup after Blue and White night. It is basically a big pep rally of sorts and the football teams will be introduced. Dinner will be provided by Canes, click here to order your meal.

Physicals and Athletic Forms
I think we are just missing a few forms. You can take care of those tonight at the parent meeting at 6PM or you can get them off the website. Click here to get those forms off the school website.

Important Dates (non practice)

• Saturday, August 11 - 5PM Athlete Meeting in the Elementary Cafeteria
• Saturday, August 11 - 6PM “Parents of Athletes” meeting in the gym
• Wednesday, August 15 - 5 to 5:45PM Football Parent Meeting in the Grandstand
• Friday, August 17 - 5:30PM Blue and White Night
• Saturday, August 18 - Team pictures in the morning
• Saturday, August 18 – 4PM Football Cookout at the Nealy’s

Hair Cuts
Players should have a hair cut that meets school dress code when they report to practice on Monday.

Volunteer
We will be sharing more about how you can help at the football parent meeting on Wednesday but we did get hit hard by graduation last year. I lost my three stat guys and the dad in charge of the chain gang. Both are great opportunities to see the game from a new perspective. If you are interested let me know.

Austin Trip – September 14
On September 14 we will be playing a varsity game in Austin followed by a JV game the next day at noon. We are planning to spend the night. I would prefer that players stay with their parents but if that is not possible we will make sure they have a room. We are planning to do several things with the team from Austin so it should be a great trip. Here is the hotel information:

Hyatt Place
Austin/arboretum
3612 Tudor Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78759
1-877-242-3654
When you call to book ... tell them you are with Cypress Christian School.
Our GROUP code is: G-CPRS
Use this code when booking by phone or online.
They have Double rooms and King rooms...both with sleeper sofas. Our cost $ 105 + tax.
THE ROOMS MUST BE BOOKED BY 8-24-12. - Check in 3pm - Check out 12pm.