2010 Summer Letter (July)
Dear Player(s) and Parent(s),
My name is Jim Benick and I am the Football Coach for the Trojans. During my first year, I have been extremely impressed with the commitment to excellencethat is displayed at New Prague High School, in the New Prague Community, and among the Trojan student/athletes. The tradition of TROJAN PRIDE has been established and maintained through decades of perseverance, hard work, and mental and physical toughness. All the 2010 teams will be held to those high standards and we anticipate a very successful season.
As the summer comes to an end, the pre-season practices will begin. In this letter we will provide you withparticipation requirements,helpful hints for a successful football experience, and a season calendar.
Participation Requirements (Must be completed and on file at the activities office) to get your equipment on Friday, August 13th):
**MSHSL Eligibility & Health questionnaire forms: Each player must complete the MSHSL eligibility and health forms every year.
**Medical Physical Exam: Each player is required to have a medical physical exam every three years. Most athletes usually get physicals the summer before their freshman and senior years. We must have a copy of the exam on file in our activity office in order for any athlete to participate in practices.
**These forms can be downloaded at orpicked up at the High School Activities office.
Participation Fee: The cost for participating in football for the 2010 season is $165.00 for players in grades 9-12. If there are any issues regarding the participation fee, please call Brad Skogerboe at 952-758-1226.
Helpful hints for a successful season:
General: Thefootball season is very demanding on student/athletes and their families. Listed here are ways that you can help the season go smoothly:
Nutrition-- Carbohydrates are the key to an athlete’s recovery. Eat meals that are loaded with carbohydrates (pasta, rice, & breads) as well as fruits, veggies, proteins(fish, chicken, turkey, peanut butter), and dairy products. Consume plenty of fluids throughout the day (non-carbonated drinks are best).
Sleep -- It is essential that football players get the proper amount of rest. It is recommended that high school athletes get between 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
Communicate -- Have conversations about the TROJAN football experience. Listen to each other and be supportive throughout the good and bad times. Talk about the values and life lessons that are being learned.
Pre-Season: The pre-season is an intense experience that helps establish team chemistry, mental & physical toughness, and depth charts.It is very demanding both physically and mentally on the players and having an understanding and supportive household is very helpful.
Practices: It is very important that each player attend every practice. Most practices will begin at 8:00am (We recommend arriving 30 minutes before the practice starting time). If possible,please schedule doctor and dentist appointments for later in the day (after 2:30pm) during the pre-season.
Nutrition: It is very important that every player eat a breakfast and consume plenty of fluids each morning. Fruits, yogurt smoothies, granola, whole grain cereal, bagels, protein bars, and eggs are very good choices for the morning meal. Lunches should include some of the following items: Sandwich whole grain bread, fruit, fig bars, and vegetables or soup. A daily dose of a healthy trail mix can help the body recover between practices as well. For dinner, salad bars with veggies,dried beans, carrots, peas, and pasta with whole grain breads aregood choices for football players. When cooking meat it is best to broil, bake, and/or grill instead of frying. Snacks throughout the day can also assist the body when trying to recover from vigorous activity. These are some recommended snacks: whole grain crackers, graham crackers, string cheese, low-fatyogurt, dry-roasted nuts, bread sticks, pretzels, dry cereal, fresh fruits, dried fruits, fruit juices, and bagels.
In-Season: Although the in-season practice rigor is less intense than the pre-season practices, the overall stress on a high school football player can be very overwhelming. School begins (5 classes a day), homework is assigned, social stressors are increased; add weekly games and weekend practices and that can make this time quite a challenge for teenagers. These can also be very exciting and rewarding times for all that are involved.
Nutrition: Following the nutritional suggestions mentioned above will provide a very sound plan to help performance and recovery. Snacks and fluid consumption should now be incorporated throughout the school day. Pre-game meals are very essential to a player’s performance level. Try to stay away from fried foods and foods with a high fat content, especially on game days. Turkey or ham subs, fruit salad, frozen yogurt, eggs, waffles, pasta with red meat sauce, grilled chicken, lettuce salads, smoothies, cereal, and fresh fruit are all good choices.
Academics-Establishing a daily study routine at your household can help you achieve academic success. Parent(s), have daily and weekly homework check-ins with your child throughout the season. If extra help is needed we will set up a morning (before school) study table for players that need the academic help.
Peer influences: The high school experience is an exciting time for teenagers as they begin to venture out on their ownand make their own decisions. Effective and positive decision making abilities are essential life skills. Your teenager will face many challenges throughout the season, and many opportunities to practice sound decision making. Keep communication open with your child and encourage them to stay away from peers that are making poor decisions that will negatively affect them and the TROJAN program.
HAVE FUN:
This is a great time in a teenager’s life. Savor the opportunity to participate in football and to bea part of agreat tradition. TROJAN PRIDE.
Fall Schedule and Calendar:
Practices: We designate approximately 3 hours for each practice session (includes meetings, chalk talks, video sessions, and walk-throughs). Usually the actual time spent on the practice field ranges from 2 – 2½ hours.
Special dates: Monday, Aug. 9 (All sports player/parent meeting);Friday, Aug. 13 (Issue Equipment); Monday, Aug. 16 (Practice begins!!); Thursday, Aug. 26 (“Meet the Trojans” Night & Pictures);Friday, Aug. 27 (Freshmen Scrimmage @ New Prague); Saturday, Aug. 28 (10-12 Scrimmage at Glencoe); Thursday, Sept. 2 (Freshmen 1st Game vs Faribault); Thursday, Sept. 2 (Sophomore & Varsity 1st Game vs. Faribault)
Pre-Season: Pre-season practices will go from 8:00-2:30 for grades 9-12. There are two days where the freshmen will have one practice (8/20: 8:00-11:30, 8/2: 1:00-4:00). There will be two days (Aug. 26 & 27) where there will be afternoon practice for grades 9-12.
In-season: Practices for all levels will begin immediately after school and will last approximately 2 ½ hours. Varsity teams are expected to watch game video on Saturdays.
Contact information:
School:Main Office: 952-758-1200Athletic Office: 952-758-1226
Football Web page: on the Team Web Pages: Football
Varsity & Overall Program Concerns:Jim
Sophomore:Jake
Freshmen:Mike
Kyle