Greetings Colonel Football Parents and Players,
It has been some time since we were in school together and seeing one another in the community. I hope your family has been able to stay together and safe during our current COVID-19 pandemic crisis. All indications are that we are heading in the right direction in terms of getting the spread of the virus under control and more tests are becoming available every day. Our district administration has given us the go-ahead to have meetings with the players following safety guidelines and begin workouts on June 15th. Needless to say, we are very excited to get busy preparing for the 2020 season with the team.
There are a few important items I need to cover in this update, so here goes:
COACHING STAFF
Most of our staff returns intact for this season which is good news because stability and consistency are key to building a program that wins consistently. We welcome new defensive coordinator Jordan Pruitt to our staff, coming to WCHS from Frederick Douglass High School in Fayette County. Jordan and his wife Samantha have experience working in Whitley County as Jordan was a youth football coach a few years ago and Samantha was a long term sub in the county as well. Jordan will be teaching science at the high school and Samantha hopes to teach elementary school as well. Welcome Pruitts to Whitley County!
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| Pruitt Family: Jordan, Samantha, Lillian (4), and Ava |
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| Lillian (4) and Ava Pruitt |
Here is our full high school staff for 2020:
Jep Irwin - Head Coach / QB
Jordan Pruitt - Defensive Coordinator / DB
Justin Kemper - Offensive Coordinator / OL
Matt Jewell - Special Teams Coordinator / ILB
Zach Jacobs - Strength and Conditioning / OLB
Brandon Lawson - Defensive Line
Curry Brown - Tight Ends
John Owens - Receivers
SPORTS PHYSICALS
The primary reason we met with players this week was to hand out required KHSAA physical and parent permission forms to the players so that those can be completed before we begin workouts on June 15th. In some cases, players have a few days or weeks until the physical expires and we made them aware of that in the meeting. If the physical expired in before June 1, we must have a new one completed for the 2020-21 school year before the player can work out or doing anything other than watch the other players workout.
Luckily for the team, Jill Bryant, APRN with the Colonel Clinic will host two physical exam sessions at the clinic right by Central Intermediate School. The cost will be $10. Parents/Guardians will need to complete their part of the forms and sign off before the exam can take place.
Jill is also the parent of junior Brady Bryant. She has helped us tremendously in the past with physicals and injuries and is a big supporter of the program in general. Here are the details:
Wednesday, June 10th or Wednesday, June 17th at 3 p.m. - check-in at the reception desk and then wait outside to be called in for the exam.
Of course, you are able to get the physical at your doctor or another clinic if this time doesn't work for you. A copy of the physical and permission forms must be turned in to the coaching staff as soon as the exam is complete.
MEETING TIMES FOR WEEK OF JUNE 9TH-13TH
Since we were unable to have a spring practice, we will need some time to meet with the players to discuss our new defense and any changes to our offense for this season. Those meetings will take place on Tuesday, June 9th and Thursday, June 11th from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Players will be grouped by grade and/or position and will have a weight room talk session, classroom session, and a walk-through session for their position group. We want the boys to get used to coming to the field in the morning as well as learn as much as possible before we start working out on the 15th.
WORKOUTS JUNE 15TH-25TH
On Monday, June 15th we will begin summer workouts. These workouts will begin promptly at 8 a.m. and end at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday of each week until further notice. Please note that buses that normally run in the summer are not available for June and the cafeteria will not serve meals either this month. Players should eat breakfast before coming and bring their own water bottle filled. Players will be divided into groups of ten to workout. We will maintain social distancing and follow all the guidelines provided by our administration and the KHSAA. During the morning sessions, we will continue "chalk talks" and walk-throughs as well as conditioning drills. We plan to be outside as much as possible weather permitting.
There will be an evening makeup session each night Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. This is for any players that cannot make the morning session due to an emergency or other unavoidable issue. IT IS PREFERRED that players come in the morning with most of the team, but the most important thing is that WORKOUTS ARE NOT MISSED. Players that are out of town are expected to work out on their own using the Rack Performance App, something we discussed as well in our meetings this week. If players are going to be absent or late to a workout they need to notify their position coach beforehand unless an emergency.
NO DEAD PERIOD FOR 2020
Unlike past years, the KHSAA has eliminated the usual dead period for sports activities of June 25th - July 9th. We will continue workouts during this time. Beginning on June 29th, we can begin specialized training for football in addition to conditioning. It is very important for players to attend unless they are out of town on a FAMILY vacation. Many parents (myself included) have already made plans for a vacation during this time. Please do not cancel a family vacation in June or early July. I believe strongly in the importance of family time for vacation and if you are fortunate enough to be able to take one football workouts should not be an obstacle. As stated above, players can use the Rack Performance app to work out on their own while on vacation.
GUIDELINES FOR CLEATS AND OTHER APPAREL
As was the case last season, team policy requires that game cleats and other game apparel be in our team colors. Cleats should be all black (prefer Nike) or have trim that is white, red, or silver. Gloves must be either white, black, red, or gray/silver as well. Socks must be black or white depending on the game that week. We want to look our best and look like a team. Players can send me a picture for approval before buying if they are unsure.
That's all for now, I will pass along other information as soon as I have it.
As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Jep Irwin
205-260-6710
jepirwin@gmail.com
GO COLONELS!!!
