Parent Letter 5/12/15

Hello All,

Welcome to summer. As we wind down towards the end school year, I wanted to touch base with you on a number of items to hopefully make the summer go smoothly. We are less than month away from starting our summer contact sessions and summer lifting. Please check the calendar at www.hickmanfootball.blogspot.com so that you can make yourself familiar with the summer schedule.

My expectation for summer is simply this: If your son is to participate in the Hickman Football Program, I expect him to participate in our summer activities. The summer is the prelude to football season. Our preparation this summer will directly affect our effectiveness as a football team therefore, I ask that you work with me to make football a priority on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday throughout the summer. From the start of our summer session we have just 38 opportunities to prepare for the season. There have been numerous phone calls and emails this spring about my view on student-athletes and multiple sports. I have tried to support those student-athletes having a well-rounded athletic experience here at Hickman with my scheduling. Simply put, your son does not get better as a football player, and we do not get better as a team, if we do not lift weights and practice football. I stated this position in my communication dated March 30^th of this year.  Everything we do this summer will be an evaluation, an opportunity to compete, and a way to get better. Please bear with me as I touch on a few more topics for which I have received questions.

Vacations

Have a good time.

What does my son need to start the summer?

I have asked all parents to join the Touchdown Club. I posted that letter and membership form on the blog. We are asking that each parent pay $175 to cover all summer expenses and meals during the season. Please review the letter on the blog from March 19^th, 2015 to explain more about the Touchdown Club and print out a membership form.  For workouts your son will need gym clothes (t-shirt and shorts), tennis shoes, and cleats. If getting a pair of cleats is a problem, I have used ones here at the school.

What if we cannot join the Touchdown Club? Does that mean he cannot play?

If you cannot join the Club that does not mean your son will not be able to play football. Please keep in mind there are many ways the club supports our student athletes. There are also many ways you can help support the team. Please contact the Touchdown Club President, Matt Markley at mm1972golf@aol.com or 573-673-5006 if you have further questions on how you can help. 

Calendar Changes

• There will be no workouts the week of May 18^th through May 22^nd due to finals.
• All players will receive equipment on June 1^st (not just freshman). The Riddell company representative will be here on June 1^st to professionally fit all the players with helmets.
• On July 15^th we will practice against Blair Oaks High School so that day will be reclassified as a competition day.

College Camps

This year I chose not to go to a college camp because, essentially, we are a young and fundamentally inexperienced football team. Many of our incoming seniors are being recruited by colleges and universities from all over the country. They have proven themselves in varsity action. They have film against varsity opponents and will be attending college one-day camps in an effort to be evaluated for scholarships. I have worked with these colleges and universities who have an interest as spring recruiting winds down. If your son is an underclassman without varsity minutes, a college camp is a complete waste of your money and time away from the program is lost. There is a saying I like to use, “Men lie, tape does not.” All of the college coaches want varsity game tape. Please keep this in mind.

For those student athletes involved in the recruiting process, I suggest attending one-day camps where there are multiple colleges and universities that will be present to evaluate athletes. These are:

• Missouri State University One Day Camp on May 31^st, Springfield Missouri
• University of Illinois One Day Camp on June 4^th, O’Fallon Illinois.
• University of Kansas One Day Camp on June 5^th, Lee Summit High School
• University of Missouri Black and Gold Camps June 7^th and June 9^th

Please click the dates above for more information on a particular camp. I have also placed all the information I have for the various other one-day camps on the blog. You have to determine where you want your son to go and what you want to pay for. Please keep the Hickman schedule in mind as you make your plans. I too am evaluating our practices and contact days. If you have any questions please feel free to call me or stop by. I am at school every night until 6:30 p.m.

Remember the summer is the preseason for football. Please help me in making our efforts as successful as possible by seeing that your son is at as many football days as possible.

Thanks

Coach Monroe