Want to be a Varsity Starter

for the Jaguars?

As many of you know, the eyes of the state and football programs everywhere are on you. Windham is fast developing itself as an elite program. As a whole, we are coming off a championship finalist season and may be one of the most athletic teams around.  We are moving up a division to DIV and will see and travel to teams we have not seen before.

With that comes a lot of internal competition. There are many starting positions that are going to be challenged and there are no guaranteed spots, just because you started last year does not mean you will start this year, which has to be earned.  For those that want to get on the field, the opportunity is yours, regardless of what grade you are in, if you earn it, you get it.  You are going to have to commit yourself to this program, work harder than you ever have before, and stay clear of any kind of negative influences that will come your way.

There are three things we as coaches use to evaluate you for a starting position here at Windham High School. Number one is Trust. If we can trust you, we can rely on you, and only if we can rely on you will you have any chance to start of this football team. For example, are you a guy who makes every practice and every workout? Are you a guy who stays away from trouble at school and at home? Are you a guy who can stay away from the drama that occurs at or outside of our school? Are you a guy who refuses to fail a class, will get help when needed and who we never have to worry about failing? Are you a guy who stays away from peer pressure? And more importantly, are you a guy who is strong enough to stay clean and take a stand against what you know is wrong? If all of this applies to you and we know we can count on you no matter what, then you are exactly what we are looking for in a starter. Just remember, if we can’t trust you the next two things don’t matter because trust is the foundation of any starter in our program.

Number two is Work Ethic. When you are at practice how hard do you work? Do you make sure to take care of all the things the coaches are telling you to do, even when it involves more effort or the coaches are not watching?  If you are an offensive back, do you carry the ball high and tight, absolutely refusing to go down or turn the ball over? If you are an offensive lineman, do you finish the block with all-out intensity and run through anything and everything that gets in your way? If you play defense, do you refuse to be blocked and have a non-stop motor, trusting your reads and keys and attacking any man who has the ball in his hands? In the weight room, do you go until failure and have someone push you to get that one last rep? Do you use good technique with maximum weight, always trying to get a little stronger, while ensuring that you not get injured? Do you do things on your own time after practice or at home – run sprints, stairs, do agility runs, run routes, catch balls, work on technique or get in the weight room? If you do all of this, you will earn every coach’s respect and at the same time significantly increase your chances to start or reach any other goal you may have for this season.

Number three is Ability. How good a football player are you? How do you compare to other guys playing your position on our team? How do you compare to the other guys we will be playing against this season? How well do you block, shed blocks, tackle, and break tackles? How well do you throw? Catch? How fast are you? How strong are you? How physical are you?, How hard do you hit? How well do you know your position and those around you? How coachable are you? These are all questions that will be answered on the field. Some of it has to do with what you are born with. But the beauty of it is that more comes from what you do with Number One and Number Two than anything else. In other words, showing up to everything we do and going all-out when you get there.

to check out great pictures by Mr. Lagos at

Our chances of winning the Division IV Championship are as good as any we will face. You are either with us or against us. In other words, you need to be on board 100% or you are going to tear away what our team is trying to accomplish. There is no one player that is going to make or break this team. But if you are with us 100%, you will be part of history and you will accomplish something that you will never forget. Football is a tough sport that requires a lot of mental and physical toughness, it is not for everyone. But if you commit to the program as the coaches have to you, you will see the rewards come playoffs.

Being part of this team is a privilege. There are thousands of student-athletes in the state that would like to be in your position. We are committed to developing a top-notch program that is known throughout the region. You have the top of the line equipment, dedicated coaches who have a combined 160 years plus of coaching experience, great facilities, still the only high school in the state that has a deal with UnderArmor© to provide us custom uniforms, state- of-the-art video scouting software, covered more in highlights on TV, newspapers online and radio than most programs that have been around many more years, and an instant respect from those who know you are playing football for Windham High School. In just our second year of varsity football, have already had college recruiters calling us looking for prospects. You have teammates, coaches and sports medical staff that care about you and are willing to sacrifice huge amounts of time to make your memories of WHS Football some of the best you will ever have. After spending time talking with coaches from all over, I am convinced we have one of the best off-season programs you can ask for, ensuring you become the best football player you can be. You need to take advantage of what you have in front of you. The time you are able to play football is short and it is going to be gone before you know it. Everyday that goes by without an all-out effort is wasted, and is a day you will never get back. Some of you will never understand what I am talking about, or when you do I will be too late. For those of you that do, the sky is the limit. Challenge yourself everyday. Take this challenge as far as you can take it. You and only you will see, your time here at Windham High School will be one of the best times, if not the best time, you will ever have in your life.
 

“There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” “Remember