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)

The Proof is in the Pudding

“The Proof is in the Pudding and the Year of the Dragon”

Dear Dragons,

The old cliché from the 17^th Century, “the proof is in the pudding,” is very fitting to describe our athletic program as we close and reflect on 2011. In terms of championships and results, the calendar year of 2011 was perhaps the best year in history for Carroll ISD Athletics. We won state championships in boys swimming, boys soccer, boys track 4x400 relay, boys and girls cross country, and football in the 2011 calendar year.  We finished second in the state in girls’ swimming, and second in the UIL Lone Star Cup standings, which is Carroll’s highest 5A finish, and once again won the Dallas Morning News’ All-Sports Award. Every varsity sport in 2011 qualified for post-district competition and so far in the 2011-12 school-year we have won every 7-5A District Championship offered. Wrestling had its best year ever and volleyball set a school record for wins in 2011. Furthermore, we consistently have more student-athletes sign athletic scholarships than the national average.  Last year we had 24 college signees.  We also inducted our first class of the CISD Athletic Hall of Honor.    

The cliché the proof in the pudding can be defined as “results are what matter.”  For some time now, I have been preaching to anyone who will listen that we have the best coaches and student-athletes in the nation.  Our coaching staff has also been preaching to our student-athletes that if we follow our processes, focus on winning every play/shot/possession/etc. (the next 200’), focus on our attitude and effort, eliminate the distractions, and put the team ahead of the individual then the final result will take care of itself.  A prime example of what I’ve just described is the football team’s win in the semi-final game just a few weeks ago.  Down with virtually no time or hope in sight, our athletes responded in how they have been coached to respond.  They did not panic, focused on the next 200’, executed each play, and let the results speak for them. I’d have to say to anyone who’d like to debate if we have the best coaches, best student-athletes, and one of the top overall athletic programs in the nation that the “proof is in the pudding.”         

On Monday, January 23, 2012 the Chinese New Year will begin the Year of the Dragon.  As we look forward to 2012, I cannot help to think that this will truly be the Year of the Dragon.  Currently, our girls basketball team is ranked #2 in Texas.  Our boys and girls swimming and diving teams are looking forward to repeat success at the state meet. Soccer, track, softball, baseball, boys basketball, wrestling, and golf teams are also poised to make strong runs this Spring.  When we return in the Fall of 2012 for the next school year, cross country, football, and volleyball will most certainly be picked as pre-season favorites to win. 

However, there is also an old saying that the, “greatest impediment to future success is previous success.”  We cannot rest on our accolades and get caught up in patting ourselves on the back.  As we begin The Year of the Dragon, I want to challenge each and every one of you to keep focus that true goal of our athletic program is to educate young people, to trust in our processes and our coaching staff, to place the team and the program ahead of individual wants, and to support each and every one of our student-athletes.  We need more fan support at every sport. We need more members in the Carroll Athletic Booster Club, and more specifically we need more volunteer workers in the booster club. We need the belief in each other that we can be the best and that 2012 will truly be our Year of the Dragon. 

I am looking forward to a great year serving our kids, coaches, and our great community.  Please follow our program on Twitter @SLCAthletics, Facebook, the CISD website  http://www.southlakecarroll.edu/cisd-athletics.aspx, and the CABC website http://www.carrolldragons.org/ . Personally, I have ventured into the Twitter world and will update on the world of athletics. Feel free to follow me @CoachOzee.

I hope that you and your family have a safe and fun New Year celebration and I wish you the best for 2012.  Please do not hesitate to contact me during the year at kevin.ozee@southlakecarroll.edu

Take care and GO DRAGONS!

Kevin Ozee

Director of Athletics

Carroll ISD