2012, Are you ready?

   Eagle Football 2012           

            For those of you that do not remember, last season was finished with a bang.  We beat many

            teams that we had not beaten in the past, had a game in which we had three players rush for

            over 100 yards, and stopped playing football at a time we really wanted to continue.  The

            banquet was a night of achievement for some, trophies and awards for many more, but for

            most of us simply an indicator of the good things to come.

            This year we begin where we left off.  We begin with most of our team returning.  We begin

            with a true understanding of Eagle Football and its common work ethic, its common dedication,

            and its common desire to rise to a new level of Christian manhood.  We as a group of people

            (parents, players, coaches, and supporters) that believe in a common goal, that we “can do

            all things in Christ that strengthens” us enjoy the faith that we are getting ready to embark on

            new chapter in life.  This year’s chapter in life will include some of the same things of the past;

            sweat, energy, discipline, teamwork, dedication, time, and effort, but it will also include many

            new things that we have not experienced in the past.  And those things are going to be special!

            For me, the beginning of this Eagle Football season has been a long awaited arrival.  I can’t

            wait to see the accomplishments that this group of young men have in store for us all.  I can’t

            wait to watch and visualize the mighty men that God has raised up to be His next generation

            of witnesses to Him.  I can’t wait to witness young men who have a desire to work and sweat

for a common purpose.  I can’t wait to watch them be mentors to one another and to use the

traits and characteristics that God has given them in a team atmosphere.  I can’t wait to be

influenced, myself. By this group of young men that God has placed in my life. 

           

            The calendar is included in this mailing, but for all intended purposes the calendar stays the

            same from year to year.  We always begin, (by KHSAA standards) around July 15^th, we      

            always practice Monday through Friday until we begin our “school schedule” and then we 

            go to a Monday through Thursday practice schedule and we always kick our season off with 

            a car wash the Saturday before we begin.  Although there has been a few changes 

            (as most of you that know me well, might expect) they are marginal, good for the program, 

            and somewhat pushed in by new KHSAA standards.

            The largest change to our schedule comes to us from the KHSAA and it comes in the form of

            the elimination of two-a-day practices.  Now some of you, mostly players that just smiled out

            loud, might seem to rejoice over this news might also know me well enough to know that we

            (The Eagle Football Program) are not going to lose practices over this situation.  So, what that

            means; is that we will have additional long-a-day practices rather than having the standard

            two-a-day practices.  Under the criteria of the State and Federal regulations we can not be on    

            the practice field more than five hours in one day, and we will maintain that strategy.  

            The other major change in our program will be our practice times.  The “Heat Schedule” which

            is the first week of practice (for the varsity players) will stay the same as it has always been, and

            that is 6:00 – 9:30.  Long-a-days, (again, for the varsity players) will begin at 3:30 instead of the

            4:30 start time that we have used in the past.  So the long-a-day schedule will be 3:30 – 9:30.

            As stated earlier, the long-a-day schedule will be extended for one additional week so this 

            schedule will be used the week of July 23 – 27, July 30 – August 3, and August 6 – 10.

            Beginning the week of August 13^th we will begin our school schedule and only practice   

            Monday through Thursday.  Our school schedule has changed a little to accommodate parents   

            and players outside of our school building, although I will continue to include a study hall for 

            any Evangel Christian School student that wishes to study between the time that school is  

            dismissed and football practice begins.  Our school schedule (which we will stay on for the 

            rest of the year) runs from a practice start time of 5:30 and a practice ending time of 8:00.

Middle School players begin practicing on July 30^th at 6:30.  Beginning their second week of

practice they will follow the same practice schedule as the varsity.  Juniors begin practice on

August 6^th at 6:30.  Beginning with their second week of practice they too will follow the same

practice schedule as the varsity.  This practice schedule coordinates all teams to be practicing

together by August 13^th, (when we begin our school schedule).  It also coordinates a time of

emphasis for one week for each level of our program to be acclimated to the grinds of the new

football season.  The varsity players are expected to lead the way in showing the younger    

player what the expectations are for the 2012 season.  We are going to have a great one!

Their have been many questions concerning the number of players we will have this year.  I 

will answer those questions at this time, the best I can.  Our varsity team will be filled with 

many returning players.  The varsity team will also see many new younger players filter in.    

I always look for new players and discuss our program with many people in the off-season, 

but being an Independent team does not really give me the luxury of seeing many of the players 

that are going to play until we actually begin practicing.  I expect somewhere around ten new 

players and a core of ten returning players.  As the practice date gets closer and closer the 

numbers will begin to become more solid.  Whether or not we field a Middle School and 

Juniors team is yet to be seen.  I think we have a very good shot at having both of those teams 

this year because we have coaches dedicated strictly to those teams.  There are also many 

players in the school itself that want to play.  We also have began advertising campaigns in the 

Southeast Outlook that will probably establish Interest as well.  All in all I think our numbers 

are going to be outstanding!

With numbers comes other solutions to new questions and we will begin to solve those questions  at our first parent meeting that will be held on July 10^th at the school library at 6:00.  There will be a lot of information, handouts, discussions, questions and answers.  Hope to see you there!

David C. Thomas

Head Coach, Eagle Football

(502) 523-0869

DThomasfootball@aol.com