Back To Back Excellence

For the 2nd consecutive year, Carroll ISD has won the UIL Lone Star Cup Award. The UIL Lone Star Cup is awarded annually to five high schools, one in each of the five UIL classifications (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A), based on their team performance in district and state championships. The winning schools in each classification will receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship, also presented by the UIL. Honoring the best overall athletic and academic programs in Texas, the UIL Lone Star Cup is open to all UIL participant high schools.

This achievement is a feat of excellence by our student-athletes, coaches, and parents.  What makes this award so special for SLC?  First, it signifies the BEST in Texas! This year's Lone Star Cup point total of 122 is the 3rd highest total in the LSC history.  Second, we have achieved more with less students.  Take a look at the top ten schools in this year's Lone Star Cup race.  Next to each school name is this year's cup points and then each schools 9th-12th grade enrollment. As you can see, we have fewer students than all but one of the schools in the top ten.   

The data doesn't lie.
In addition to the back to back 5-A UIL Lone Star Cup rankings in 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and a 2nd place Lone Star Cup finish in 2010-2011, we have captured 33 out of 40 possible District Championships the past two years,  23 team and individual State Championships in the past three years, numerous Regional titles, and a trophy case full of individual accolades for student-athletes and coaches.  Furthermore, we each year we have more than the national average of student-athletes from all sports who receive college athletic scholarships.

What makes SLC so special and how will we continue the expectation for success? 
First, we must keep the concept of TEAMme as our core.  Being a great teammate and playing for the team must be the motivation. An athlete that pours all he has into the team will look back and find himself surrounded by individual accolades... Never the other way. We must continue to have driven individuals who are still selfless teammates.  As one of my friends says, "Not everyone can be great a player but every athlete can be a great teammate. It is a choice."

Second, we must keep in mind that collectively we have one of the best coaching staffs in America.  All Dragons need to look to their Dragon coach for guidance on how to improve.  Currently, society has a lot of external influences trying to coerce kids to make choices or work outside of a prescribed team, workout routine.  Many times, listening to an outside influence other than his/her school coach can lead to burn-out or overuse injury.   Ask your coach about camps, work-out routines, and how to improve. Look at the data again.....We have a proven method and a progression of teaching/coaching that produces great results.  Our coaches are professionals who know what they are doing and the results speak for themselves. 

Third, all Dragons must continue to support each other and remember that the Carroll ISD Athletic program is an education-based program. We are more interested in developing championship people through education than winning championships.  We must demand the best of each other and have a shared vision of excellence in all that we do.  Please do not get me wrong.  I am probably one of the most competitive individuals that you will ever meet and I love winning, however we believe that if we develop young men and women to strive for excellence in every area of their lives then the wins will come. The young athletes in our care will one day be husbands, wives, parents, workers and citizens much longer than they will be playing their sport.  We are trying to prepare them for success in all areas of their life while teaching them to be fearless competitors. We need all Dragons on board. We need all Dragons to join and be an active member of the Carroll Athletic Booster Club.
 
So far, we have a pretty good track record of success and I cannot wait until August for a new year.   My family and I are so thankful to be a part of this special place.  I'd specifically like to thank our coaching staff, our administration, our school board, and our wonderful volunteers of the booster club. 

It is a great day to be a Dragon! 
HONOR THE PAST, WIN TODAY, PROTECT THE TRADITION

2012-2013 UIL 5A LONE STAR CUP STANDINGS, POINTS, (ENROLLMENT)

1.	Southlake Carroll	122  (2588)
2.	Conroe The Woodlands	100  (4126)
3.	Lewisville Marcus	74   (3196)
4.	Humble Kingwood	72   (2681)
5.	Plano West	69    (4944)
6.	Coppell	61    (3253)
7.	San Antonio Reagan	60    (2845)
	Cibolo Steele	60    (2232)
9.	Arlington Martin	57    (3333)
10.	Lewisville Hebron	54   (3019)