November 2019
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TGCA NEWS NOVEMBER 2019 2019-2020 TGCA OFFICERS President of TGCA 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Past President Executive Director Assistant Astin Haggerty Brad Blalock Colby Davis Jason Roemer Sam Tipton Executive Director Clear Springs HS Frisco Centennial HS The Colony HS Lake Dallas HS TGCA Office Lee Grisham TGCA Office TEXAS GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION 11.19 FEATURE ARTICLES Hurdling Adversity By Kevin Johnson, TGCA Sub-Varsity Committee Chair PAGES 1-2 Ten Team-Bonding Activities to Help Build Chemistry By Nancy Lieberman PAGE 3 10 Things You May Not Know About Laughter By James A. Peterson, Ph.D., FACSM PAGE 8 What is Play4Kay Kay Yow Cancer Fund PAGES 9-10 ALSO INSIDE TGCA Basketball Committee...................................1 Cross Country State Champ Coaches .................4 Cross Country Athletes of the Year ......................4 Cross Country Coaches of the Year .....................4 UIL Spirit State Championships ............................ 5 Career Recognition for Spirit Coaches ............... 5 TGCA Spirit Advisory Board .................................. 5 New Cheer Nomination Process .......................... 5 2019-20 TGCA Board of Directors ....................... 6 Board of Directors Meeting Dates ....................... 6 2020 TGCA Summer Clinic ....................................7 Sub-Varsity Coach of the Year Deadline .............7 Nomination Deadlines .............................................7 AD&D Benefit .............................................................7 Important Dates .......................................................10 TGCA Profile Update ..............................................10 Sponsors .....................................................................11 cover photo courtesy Sydney Gotcher left photo courtesy Carmen Ortega NOVEMBER 2019 TGCA NEWS | CONTENTS Hurdling Adversity Kevin Johnson Gonzales HS | TGCA Sub-Varsity Committee Chair I started my collegiate track and field career at the Uni- versity of Arkansas in the spring of 2007. I walked on in hopes of earning a schol- than skeptical that I could arship, but after circumstanc- still compete after a two-year es beyond my control made hiatus. He had no room for that goal an impossibility, I me, no money for me. So, I moved back home and start- made a deal with him. I told ed classes at a local junior him that if I outperformed his college. I was off the track top recruits, his scholarship for two years when I decided athletes, he would give me to try to get back in the game scholarship. With a bit of a in the summer of 2009. I photo courtesy Keith Pierce scoff and a smirk, Coach Lof- sent a blast e-mail to sever- ton agreed. e-mail blast. I told him I was the last time I talked to Coach al college coaches hoping The first semester at ACU interested, and he told me Brown and the day I showed to find my second chance, was a whirlwind. I somehow they had a spot open. At the up on campus there was a made that 10 dollars stretch a but what happened next sur- end of August, I showed up total coaching turnover. No week and a half. I was in and prised me. Abe Brown, the to ACU with 10 dollars in my one, except Don Garrett, the out of dorm rooms as the uni- hurdles and jumps coach at pocket. Ten dollars that was ACU track announcer, knew versity tried to find the right Abilene Christian University, supposed to be gas money I was coming. I walked into place for me. Classes were contacted me to see if I was for the friend who gave me head coach Roosevelt Lof- still interested in running. a ride. Somewhere between ton’s office and he was more Coach Brown was not on my Continued on Page 2 basketball Committee *Chair **Vice Chair COACH SCHOOL CONF. REG. Rocky Ford* West Texas 2A 1 Trent Hilliard Wolfforth Frenship 6A 1 Laura Lange Merkel 3A 2 Amy Powell Wylie 5A 2 Nikki Hyles Aledo 5A 3 Chance Westmoreland Argyle 4A 3 Ross Barber** Tyler Lee 6A 4 Rodney Ross S&S Consolidated 3A 4 Ryan Hall Corrigan Camden 3A 5 Michelle Trotter Crosby 5A 5 Kevin Bussinger Lake Travis 6A 6 Tommy Gates Navasota 4A 6 Jenny R. Garcia Edinburg North 6A 7 Kyle Sivadon La Vernia 4A 7 Heather Hohertz-Perez Brownwood 4A 8 Marlee Webb EP Franklin 6A 8 NOVEMBER 2019 TGCA NEWS | PAGE 1 Hurdling Adversity Continued from Page 1 than stellar classroom perfor- NCAA Div. II Outdoor Track mance, cost me my scholar- and Field Championships in challenging and I failed one ship. I would yet again have Pueblo, Colo. class, meaning I had to sit to prove myself. Adversity is a word we of- out my first collegiate meet Starting my third year I was ten use to encourage our the next semester. Even so, determined to excel not only athletes after defeat in com- I had done the seemingly on the track, but also in the petition. In our coaching vo- impossible. I knew I had left classroom. I pushed myself cabulary, adversity tends to my heart on the track and athletically and academically. be synonymous with losing – outworked most of my team- Once again, hard work paid losing a game, losing a race, mates. So, I went into Coach off. I made the Lone Star Con- losing a meet. But adversity Lofton’s office and asked for ference All-Academic list and runs deeper in our own lives my scholarship. He obliged. ACU Athletics honor roll in and in our athletes’ lives. As In January 2010, I signed the fall of 2011. As fate would we often encounter, the real my first collegiate scholar- have it, though, towards the adversity is not in the wins ship papers. I had a success- end of the semester I had and losses columns. Rather, photo courtesy Kristin Goodman ful season that spring, taking a training accident and suf- adversity is baked into our silver in the 110m hurdles at fered an avulsion fracture in stories. Adversity can be and fellow coaches. We just the Lone Star Conference my right ankle. deeply personal – the loss of have to be willing to let each Championships. I was first- I still asked Coach Lofton a parent or child, a debilitat- other in on our stories. man-out on the NCAA Div. for my scholarship back, and ing injury or illness, teenage I never liked talking about II national championships again he obliged. Having parenthood, arrests, natural myself. Doing so is out of my qualifiers list. earned back my scholarship disasters, and the list of pos- wheelhouse and uncomfort- Going into the next year, I I was determined to not let sibilities goes on. able for me. I have found, was even more determined my injury slow me down. I fin- The challenge then is how though, that sharing my sto- to make nationals. I worked ished second at conference, we deal with that adversity. ry with my athletes has built hard on the track, but not as but my performance was not Do we let it weigh us down or bridges. On some level, we hard in the classroom. My enough to get me on the do we adapt and overcome? relate to each other amid work on the track paid off. I national qualifiers list. I truly I am willing to bet we all our adversities. I want my won the 110m hurdles at con- had one last chance to make entered this profession be- athletes to know that I have ference and ran a personal nationals at our last-chance cause in some form or fash- struggled, and I have over- best. But once again, I was meet. Running another per- ion we have learned to adapt come, and in knowing that I first-man-out on the nation- sonal best, I saved my last and overcome. Sports gives want them to be encouraged al qualifiers list. Missing na- chance and made it onto the us a unique venue to pass that they, too, can overcome tionals, coupled with my less qualifiers list for the 2012 on those skills to our athletes the adversities in their lives. photo courtesy Sydney Gotcher photo courtesy Adrian Smith NOVEMBER 2019 TGCA NEWS | PAGE 2 Ten Team-Bonding Activities to help build chemistry By: Nancy Lieberman Sometimes, the outcome of a game or match simply comes down to which team Need some ideas? Your has more talent and skill. Of- players could do trash pickup ten, however, the team with at local art fair, help cook at better chemistry and cohe- a nearby pasta feed or soup siveness ends up victorious. kitchen for people in need, or Because of this, it’s im- join a holiday service event. portant to do more than just practice from a physical 4. Holiday gift exchanges – standpoint. Team-bonding 35% activities can matter just as Keeping the holiday theme in much. mind, try setting up a white It doesn’t matter if you’re elephant gift exchange, a a pro or amateur athlete – if gingerbread house contest, teammates don’t trust and or something else festive. believe in each other, the Bringing the team together common belief is that ac- during holiday seasons can be especially memorable and complishing goals, achieving photo courtesy Anthony Lapasda greatness or even just be- enjoyable for all involved. coming a successful team is To no surprise, I’ve consis- barbecue, the top vote getter much more difficult. tently seen that it becomes was team meals. Additional results and tips As someone who’s played much easier to obtain those There’s a reason millions Here are some additional and coached at all levels – vital traits, ask those ques- of families across the world results that rounded out the high school, collegiately and tions, and build a vision when do this almost nightly – few Top 10, as voted on by coach- professionally (WNBA, NBA, your team has a tight bond things in life are more inti- es: BIG3) – I strongly agree.