New Uniforms

Yesterday I opened up a box of new game jersey. They were not just any game jerseys. They were the replacements for last year’s seniors. As I took each number out of it packaging I was reminded of each player. I was reminded of their great plays and the impact they had on this team, the school and myself. I then started to think about the legacy they will have and who will be the next person to put on that number. Will they have the same impact? So far my experience as a coach has taught me that they will have a greater impact because of the legacy left for them by those that have gone before. Whenever I get a chance to return to Taylor University I always find the person who has my locker and the player that wears number 86. I just want to shake their hand and catch a glimpse of who they are.

7 on 7 Tournament and Other Information

Summer Strength and Conditioning
We have had great attendance for our summer workouts so far and I am very excited about our team commitment level. While the summer workouts make players better athletes they also help to reduce the risk of injury during the school year. I know that some players are unable to make our team workouts and work out at other times. In total we have just over 30 athletes working out on a regular basis.

7 on 7 Tournament
We will be participating in a state 7 on 7 tournament for private school this Friday and Saturday. We are limited to 20 players. I have talked with most of the players that we are planning to take and will be emailing those parents directly. The games will be Friday morning at 9, 10, and 11 AM and then again on Saturday morning at the same times with the possibility of a game at noon. All games will be played at St. John’s school which is located down inside the loop. Bracket

7 on 7
Tomorrow we will be returning to Fort Bend for 7 on 7. We will be able to take the bus this time and will be leaving from the school a little before 5 and will return to the school at about 9. Players should be at school at 4:45. Players can meet us at Fort Bend if that is more convenient. There will be something for all players to do so everyone is welcome to attend.
Houston Project
I am still working on the details for our involvement in the Houston Project but I do know a few more at this time. The site we will be serving at is located at Springwoods High School which is located just off the beltway at Gessner and Hammerly. We will be serving in the evening from about 4:30 to 8:30. This is open to players and parents and will be a rewarding experience. You do not have to be there every night in order to participate. The dates for the Houston Project are July 8 –12 and more information can be found by clicking here. If your son (yourself and other family members as well) is interested in participating please let me know so I can start to get a head count.

Football Camp Help
On June 25 – 28 we will be hosting an elementary and middle school football camp from 9:30 to 11:30 am. I will need about 6 to 10 players to volunteer to help work at the camps. If your son is available and interested in working the camp please let me know.

Locker Room and Weight Room Expansion
We have made some progress in the project to expand the locker room and weight room. If you are interested in more details or the progress we have made please contact me directly.

Summer Strength and Conditioning

Summer Strength and Conditioning

We will start our 8 week summer strength and conditioning program on Monday, June 4.  Our goal is to provide a workout that builds better athletes, as well as, team unity.  Coaches will be stressing the proper technique not how much weight an individual can lift.  The workouts are Monday through Thursday from 8 to 10 AM.  Players usually finish at 9:30 on Wednesday and Thursday.

7 on 7

Tuesday will be our first trip to Fort Bend for 7 on 7.  We will play two varsity games each night at 6 and 7 pm.  JV players will play two short 10 minute games at half time of the two varsity games.  If players have them they should wear their navy shorts and silver shirt from last year.  We are planning to have official 7 on 7 shirts that will be given out once we get to Fort Bend.  Players should wear cleats.

TAPPS no longer allows us to use the bus during the summer.  Players are allowed to drive and take others over the summer.  We will plan to leave from the school in cars at 5pm.  If any parents would like to drive that would also be greatly appreciated.

7 on 7 is really for what is called the “skill players” but we will find ways to get our lineman involved if they want to come.  Fort Bend has also done some linemen challenges in the past and may do that again this summer. 

Houston Project

One of the best ways to build a team is to serve together.  I am currently looking into the possibility of our team (open to parents and other family members as well) serving on a mission project to our city.  The Houston Project is an annual mission trip to Houston by Houston’s First Baptist Church.  As a member of Houston’s First I have served with Houston Project in the past and feel this would be a great opportunity for our team.  The dates for the Houston Project are July 8 –12 and more information can be found by clicking here.  I am still working on what this will look like and will send out more information next week.

Locker Room and Weight Room Expansion

Earlier this week I sent out an email to athletic parents regarding this opportunity.  Click here for more information and please contact me if you are interested in helping with this project.

Spring Practice Recap

Spring Practice Recap

I was very pleased with our two weeks of spring practice and the spring game.  Every practice had great plays on both sides of the ball.  Players played with great heart and enthusiasm which makes it a joy to coach.  Many of our mistakes are the kind you would expect after just 8 practices and will be easily corrected in the fall.  I saw a lot of players grow into new roles and take on more leadership responsibilities.  We made strides in team cohesion and the commitment level is very high.  There are certainly a lot of reasons to be looking forward to the fall.

Player Interviews and Spring Scrimmage Film

I am willing to meet with any player and conduct a spring practice exit interview.  This is a great opportunity for them to ask questions and get feedback about their performance during the spring and what the expectations are for the fall.  If they are interested in changing positions this is a great opportunity to communicate that to me as well.  I will be in my office in the field house most of the time this week.  They are welcome to stop by before or after a final.  Cindy Wilhite will be able to find me if I am not in my office.  If anyone is interested in watching the scrimmage film they can watch it from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Tuesday in the field house.

Summer Workout Schedule

Summer strength and conditioning workouts will start on Monday, June 4.  The workouts will be from 8 to 10 am Monday through Thursday.  The workouts are designed to make every player a better athlete not to just get stronger.  We will focus on proper lifting techniques and developing speed and quickness in our athletes. I will supervise the workouts along with other members of the coaching staff.  We will also incorporate team building exercises and competitions to keep the workouts fun.  Players that participate in regular supervised workouts have a much lower injury rate during the season.

We do have several players that workout with personal trainers.  One of which is an assistant coach, Will Fields.  Coach Fields has helped me to develop our team program as well.  If you are interested in your son working out with him please feel free to contact him directly at bwill09@hotmail.com.

Booster Club and Season tickets

I received a few questions about the Football Booster Club and Season Tickets after the parent meeting so I thought I would provide some clarification especially for our new families.  The Football Booster Club includes an automatic membership into the general athletic booster club that gets you a discount on certain apparel in the Spirit Store.  The All-District, Coach’s Club and All-State levels include season tickets, the coach’s away game polo and other benefits.  Each season ticket is for one reserved stadium chair and will get you into every football game of any level at CCS this fall.  For the full benefits and to sign up please go to www.CypressChristian.org/Football/Football-Booster-Club.cfm. 

The funds generated by the booster club and season ticket sales are vital to operating our football program at level we are at.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

New Weight Room and Locker Room

I will be posting more details about the opportunity we have to enhance the field house and weight room for all athletes.

Spring Practice Final Week

We had a great first week of spring practice. I am really pleased with the number of new players we have had and how they are learning the game at the HS level. While they cannot participate in everything we have had a good number of current 8th graders that have continued to attend practice and I would love to see everyone do that. I do want everyone to attend the spring game on Friday and we will certainly need every current HS player to dress in order to make it a competitive scrimmage.

Spring Practice – Final Week
• May 14, Monday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 15, Tuesday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 17, Thursday 4:00 to 5:30pm (Full Pads)
• May 18, Friday 7pm Blue and White Spring Scrimmage - Parent Meeting in the Grandstand at the conclusion of the scrimmage

We will not be providing a team meal on Friday so players will be allowed to go home after school. If you would like them to stay for transportation reasons they are welcome to report to the field house and we will keep them busy until the scrimmage. Players that leave campus should be back at the field house by 6PM to get a uniform and prepare to take the field for warm-ups at 6:30.

The scrimmage will last about an hour. We will have a short parent meeting in the grandstand at the conclusion of the scrimmage while the players change. Unlike past years on Saturday it should be nice and cool under the lights.

Off Season Workouts
The best way to prevent injuries is to attend off season workouts. As you begin to make summer plans and players look for summer jobs please keep the summer workout schedule in mind. We will work out Monday – Thursday from 8 to 10 AM and will have 7 on 7 on Tuesday evenings. We will play in a 7-on-7 tournament on June 15-16. Click here for the full summer schedule. Fall practices for HS will start on August 6.

Emails
During the season you will get an email like this every Saturday. All of the information in the email will also be posted to the Warrior Link on the football pages of the website. I use the emails from Renweb but please let me know if you would like a particular email address added or taken off the list.

Football Family Fun Day

Football Family Fun Day
I will need at least 20 volunteers on Friday for the Football Family Fun Day. The event will start right after school (elementary is already out earlier so they will be ready to go at 3:30) and end by 5pm. We will have the cheerleaders helping us for the first time and it should be another great event to kickoff spring football. Players should report to the football field as soon as possible after school dressed in their practice shirts and shorts from last season.

Spring Practice
We will start spring practice on Monday, May 7. We should have some new faces and this is a great opportunity for those that are not quite sure about playing HS football to try it out. These are required practices although it is understood that players do have a lot of work to finish out the school year and that may take priority on some days. If a player is going to miss a practice they should inform me in person prior to the practice. Current seniors are welcome to come out and help coach before they head to Costa Rica the following week.

Spring Practice Schedule

• May 7, Monday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 8, Tuesday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 9, Wednesday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 10, Thursday 4:00 to 6:00pm 7 on 7 (Helmet)
• May 11, Friday 4:00 to 6:00pm (Helmet and Shoulder Pads)
• May 14, Monday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 15, Tuesday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 17, Thursday 4:00 to 5:30pm (Full Pads)
• May 18, Friday 7pm Blue and White Spring Scrimmage - Parent Meeting in the Grandstand at the conclusion of the scrimmage

Spring Practice and the 2012 Schedule

The school year is quickly coming to a close which means the football season is not far away. Every year we lose great players but one of the most exciting things about HS athletics is watching younger players mature and step into those new roles. A lot of that growth can be seen in the two weeks of spring practice that we do every year. Here are some details about the upcoming events.

Spring Practice

Here is the schedule for 2012 spring football practices, which will begin on Monday, May 7.

• May 7, Monday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 8, Tuesday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 9, Wednesday 3:45 to 5:30pm (Non-Contact)
• May 10, Thursday 4:00 to 6:00pm 7 on 7 (Helmet)
• May 11, Friday 4:00 to 6:00pm (Helmet and Shoulder Pads)
• May 14, Monday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 15, Tuesday 4:00 to 6:15pm (Full Pads)
• May 17, Thursday 4:00 to 5:30pm (Full Pads)
• May 18, Friday 7pm Blue and White Spring Scrimmage - Parent Meeting in the Grandstand at the conclusion of the scrimmage

TAPPS does not allow 8th graders to participate in full contact high school spring practices. 8th graders interested in participating in HS football need to attend the 3 non-contact HS practices and are encouraged to come out and watch the other practices. Spring practice is a great opportunity to get a feel for what HS football will be like. Click here for more details about spring practice.

Elementary Football Fun Day

The football fun day for elementary will be on Friday, May 4. We will need varsity players to run football drill stations for the elementary students right after school for an hour. This annual event has become a favorite for both high school and elementary students.

2012 Schedule

The full 2012 schedule has been released on the website. Click here to read more about the new teams and challenges that face the Warriors as we look to capture a 4^th straight district title and return to the playoffs for the 5^th straight year.

Off Season Workouts

The best way to prevent injuries is to attend off season workouts. I am very pleased with the number of players that we have lifting or participating in other sports. As you begin to make summer plans and players look for summer jobs please keep the summer workout schedule in mind. We will work out Monday – Thursday from 8 to 10 AM and will have 7 on 7 on Tuesday evenings. We will play in a 7-on-7 tournament on June 15-16. Click here for the full summer schedule. Fall practices for HS will start on August 6.

If your son is thinking about not playing next year please have them communicate that to me in person as soon as possible. I believe that this is an important step in growth process. I have to plan on every student playing through their senior year so equipment has already been purchased and a lot of planning has already taken place.

Player Interviews and Surveys

State Title Game
If your son is planning to go to the state title game I need to know as soon as possible so we can plan for transportation. We will be leaving from the school at 3PM tomorrow and will probably arrive home around midnight. There is a high likely hood of rain throughout the day so they will need to be prepared for that.

Player Interviews
I would like to meet with every player for an exit interview. These can done before school, after school or during lunch. If they come by and I am in my office they are welcome to come in otherwise they can sign up for a time with the secondary receptionist.

End of Season Survey
I have been passing out surveys to the players on a regular basis. The last one can be filled out online at the following links. There is one for parents as well. This is valuable as we work to make improvements to our football program.

Links to Surveys
Returning Players
Graduating Players
Parents

Please encourage your son to take the survey online and come in for an exit interview. This really helps me to make the football program the best it can be.

Awards Program
The fall sports award program will be on Tuesday, December 6 at 7:30PM. I would prefer that players be dressed up for this event. At least dress pants and a dress shirt.

Season Wrap Up

Frosty Westering, a great coach that I have learned a lot from, once said, “How a man plays the game shows something of his character; how he loses shows all of it.” We finished well even in a losing effort and I could not be more proud of how we performed on the field and how we have closed the gap this season.

Last Practice and Equipment Turn In
We will have our last practice and equipment turn in on Wednesday. Please have your uniform, all pads and practice equipment washed and ready to turn in. Seniors will get to keep their blue jersey but they do need to turn it in first. We will also do the last hit drill which has become a favorite football tradition. In total this should take less than 30 minutes. Players that are in soccer and basketball must still come to this last football practice before going to those practices. The other coaches will know in advance that they will be a few minutes late.

State Title Game
I will be going to the TAPPS State Title game on Saturday night in Killeen. The game is at 6PM and we would probably not return home until midnight. If you or your son are interested in going to the game please let me know by Thursday so we can work out all the transportation.

Fall Sports Awards Night
Our awards night is on Tuesday, December 6. As we have done in the past I will be having players vote for certain awards. I will probably give them a ballot during lunch next week.

Exit Interviews and Survey
I will be sending out an end of season questioner. I have one for players and one for parents. It will be an electronic survey like last year. I would also like to meet with each player individually for about 15 minutes.

Off Season Workouts
Later in the week I will be sending out information about off season workouts as we start to prepare for 2012.

Thanks for making it a great year. The fan support this season has been tremendous. The tailgating and crowds that we have had really make it special. We all got to see some great football. I know we have built relationships that will last and through the experience of a football season I believe that we have all grown in ways that will glorify God and impact this world for Him.

It is an honor and a privilege to be your coach.

Playoffs Round 3

Closing the Gap is about getting better each opportunity we have to compete. Competitors love a challenge. There is no question that Brook Hill will be the best team we have faced in weeks. There is also no question that we will be the best team that they have faced in weeks. Our first half last week was as close to a perfect half of football as we have had all season but I still do not believe we have played our best football.

Weekly Theme-Courage
Psalm 23

Week-11 HS Schedule
I know it is a holiday week but we have a great opportunity this week and we need every player on our roster to carry out a good practice.

Monday, November 21-Film at 2PM Practice from 3:00 to 5:00 PM (Full Pads)
Tuesday, November 22- 2:00 to 4:00 PM (Full Pads)
Wednesday, November 23-9:30 to 11:15 AM (Half Shell)
Thursday, November 24-No Practice
Friday, November 25-4:00 to 5:15 PM (Helmet)
Saturday, November 26-Brook Hill at Buffalo Bus leaves at 8AM

Click here for statistics and more from the TSD game.

Click here to view the TAPPS Division III Playoff Bracket

Film
The TSD film and scout film for Brook Hill are on the web. I will be adding more Brook Hill film later today. Please encourage them to watch film this week while they are on break.

Directions
Click here for driving directions to Buffalo. If you are planning to leave early we could use a couple extra drivers to free up some space on the bus.

Tailgate Potluck
We are in the process of organizing a pot luck tailgate party prior to kickoff on Saturday. More details will be available soon. But plan to get to Buffalo early so you can enjoy some great food starting at 11AM.