Big Events In Austin For Coaches Clinic

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http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16985413&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512556&rfi=6

High School football coaches learn tricks of their trade

For the first time since 1956, the state capital is hosting the annual Texas High School Coaches Association coaching school, where almost 30,000 casually clad coaches gather to learn from colleagues, talk turkey and handle last-minute affairs before football season begins.

Coaching school begins today and closes with a bang at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Memorial Stadium, where three area players suit up for the North-South All-Star football game.

After that, the start of football practice for the upcoming season - Aug. 7 for most schools - is just a few days away.

"You know if coaching school is here that the season can't be far off," East Chambers coach Tony Valastro said. "This is pretty much the only time you can have that many (coaches) all together at one time.

"You get to see people you haven't seen from Dallas or El Paso. You get to share things and ideas. It's a great event if you can go."

Valastro was at last year's event in San Antonio, where East Chambers offensive lineman Thomas Macie played in the all-star football game for the South team.

"He did a great job, and I think he'd tell you he had a great time during the week," Valastro said. "That's really what the whole week and those games are about, the kids having a good time."

Macie was joined in last year's game by Nederland quarterback Dustin Hood (now at Wake Forest), Jasper defensive back Jordan Patton (now at Northwestern State) and Memorial tailback Jamaal Charles (now at Texas).

This year's football game will feature three high-profile players from the area: Newton running back and McNeese State signee Toddrick Pendland, West Orange-Stark athlete Kenneth (Deon) Beasley and Memorial safety Robert Joseph.

Beasley and Joseph have actually been in Austin for a while now; the two Texas freshmen reported to campus earlier this summer.

Port Neches-Groves coach Matt Burnett was part of the selection committee for the football game; he has been in Austin since Thursday.

Although no one will represent Southeast Texas in Monday's all-star basketball game at the Erwin Center, WO-S coach Doug McCarter will conduct a lecture on "integrating up-tempo with ball-control offense."

Coldspring's Franklin Reed, a Lamar signee, originally planned to play, but he backed out of the game earlier this month.

The weeklong event actually started Thursday, when most players and coaches checked into their hotel and met with trainers. Players spend their days practicing and attending coordinated events.

Meanwhile, thousands of coaches are in town to hear lectures from college and high school counterparts.

About 800 vendors have set up booths in the Austin Convention Center, hawking products and services related to high school sports.

"Coaching school ... is good if you need some last-minute equipment," said Alvin Credeur, Lumberton's first-year coach. "The other big thing there is the regional meetings. They're real good about giving insight on new rules."

Since there are no significant rule changes this season, and since Credeur wanted more time at home to prepare for fall practice, he is among the few who decided to skip coaching school this year.

The same goes for Valastro.

"We had other stuff we needed to do here, and I've been to coaching school 21 times," Valastro said. "And I got my (graduate) degree from UT, but I don't care for Austin much."

Too bad. He'll miss out on the fashion show.

[Guest Uncle Rico]

they for got to mention the great eats in Austin.

I will be at the County Line tomorrow night.

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http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/highschool/07/30coaches.html

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

City prepares for estimated $17 million invasion from state coaches

Annual THSCA convention to include all-star football, basketball games

By Rick Cantu

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Mack Brown and Rick Barnes should entertain captive — if not overflowing — audiences when they speak to the state's high school coaches this week.

For the first time since 1950, the annual Texas High School Coaches Association coaching school will be in Austin. Approximately 15,000 coaches, from football to track, are expected to pack the Austin Convention Center for three days of instruction and networking.

"This is a huge deal for us," said Cynthia Maddox, communications director for the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The numbers don't lie. The three-day convention will provide an economic boost of $17 million to the area. By comparison, the 2005 convention in San Antonio drew 12,600 coaches who pumped in an estimated $13 million in restaurants, hotels and shopping, the city's visitors bureau said.

In Austin, convention and visitors bureau officials are anticipating that coaches will spend 29 percent of their money on food, 23.5 percent on shopping, 17.6 percent on entertainment, 6.3 percent on transportation and 4.2 percent on flights.

The convention, which runs Monday through Wednesday at the convention center, will include an all-star basketball game Monday night at the Erwin Center and an all-star football game Tuesday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The convention also will be home to some 800 exhibit booths and vendors, promoting products from sports equipment to financial planning.

From an economic standpoint, this will have the largest impact in Austin for a high school sports event ever. By comparison, the annual UIL boys and girls state basketball tournaments net about $7.4 million, the Texas Relays bring in about $7 million and the weeklong UIL state tennis, golf and track events each May bring in $7 million, Maddox said.

The $17 million that the city expects to bring in this week is comparable to a University of Texas home football game, which draws about 27,000 out-of-town visitors and brings an economic impact of $18 million.

But the convention is important in other ways too, said Austin ISD athletic director Tommy Cox.

"This convention connects coaches across the state," Cox said. "It is a great opportunity for coaches to develop their skills, and therefore provide youngsters a chance to be more successful in the classroom, on the field of play, and in life."

Historically, the annual THSCA convention has rotated between Fort Worth and Houston. That changed in 2005, when San Antonio played host. Next year, the convention will be in San Antonio again.

Austin has not been in the mix to play host in the past because the city did not have a facility large enough to hold 10,000 or more coaches. With the 2002 addition of the 900,000-square foot convention center and the 800-room Hilton hotel two years later, Austin now has become an "ideal" location for the event, said Maury Salinger, THSCA spokesman.

Brown, coming off a national championship season at Texas, will give two coaching lectures Monday, the first about offense, the second about practice and game planning. Barnes, who has guided his Texas men's basketball teams to the NCAA tournament the past seven years, is scheduled to speak at the same time in a different room at the convention center.

Two Central Texas standouts will participate in Monday night's all-star basketball game. Texas A&M-bound guard Bryan Beasley of Pflugerville and Westwood guard Ashton Mitchell, heading to Sam Houston State, will play for the North squad.

Two Longhorn signees also will play — guard Justin Moore of Amarillo Palo Duro and Dexter Pittman, a 6-10, 320-pound center from Rosenberg Terry.

Central Texans in the all-star football game are Wimberley linebacker Jacob Biddle (Naval Academy), McCallum defensive end Broderick Marshall (Tyler JC), San Marcos running back Jordan Walker (Cisco JC), New Braunfels High quarterback Zach Rhodes (SMU), Hutto offensive lineman Lee Gonzales (SMU), Pflugerville running back Antwan Cobb, Hays offensive lineman Jacob Posey (Texas A&M) and Connally linebacker Nathan Mann (undecided).

Eight Longhorn football signees will play — Texas High linebacker Dustin Earnest, Longview running back Vondrell McGee and Rowlett linebacker Jared Norton, Boerne kicker Lawrence Hunter, Hearne receiver Montre Webber, North Shore defensive back Chyke Brown, West Orange Stark receiver Kenneth Beasley, Kilgore tight end Britt Mitchell and Port Arthur Memorial running back Robert Joseph.

Also, the THSCA will induct six members into its Hall of Honor: Former Fort Worth Dunbar basketball coach Robert Hughes; Highland Park football coach Randy Allen; former Denison football coach Marty Criswell; former Diamond Hill-Jarvis football coach George Kirk; and A&M Consolidated football coach Jim Slaughter.

THSCA convention

When: Monday through Wednesday

Where: Austin Convention Center

Highlights: All-Star basketball game is Monday, All-Star football game is Tuesday

[email protected]; 445-3953

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Smithson Valley coach named president of the THSCA

Hill to be very active at THSCA convention

By Will Wright

The Herald-Zeitung

Published July 30, 2006

Larry Hill is entering his 14th season as head coach at Smithson Valley, where he has amassed a 132-39 record, posted 10 straight playoff appearances and has been to the state finals three times. But the top Ranger has always been more than just a successful football coach.

Entering his 23rd year in the profession, Hill has always been active in the Texas High School Football Coaches Association, serving on various committees and boards. He was a regional director for before being elected as the THSCA’s president-elect at last summer’s meeting in San Antonio.

Hill will take over as president during the THSCA’s general meeting Wednesday, the final day of its annual convention, which begins today in Austin. He will succeed current president Hugh Sandifer of Abilene Wylie.

Former Judson coach D.W. Rutledge is the THSCA’s executive director, with former Garland coach Joe Martin as assistant. They run the day-to-day operations of the 16,000-member organization, whose president and president-elect are chosen from the rank and file.

Serving as president isn’t exactly an honorary position, Hill said.

“I’ll probably be as busy as I’ve been the last six years as a director. The president-elect does not yet have the duties the president has. I’ll be observing, but by and large I’ll be looking at what he’s doing in preparation for next year,†he said of what he’ll be doing this week. “But I’ll still be working along with everybody, trying to get 16-17,000 coaches in and out.â€

This will be the first year the 74th annual “coaching school†has been held in the state’s capital, notorious for its traffic snarls and congestion. The organization, which until recent years restricted its meetings to Fort Worth or Houston, is seeing how things will work this year at the new site.

“This thing has never been in Austin, and I know that they are committed to putting on a good show and I’m sure they will,†Hill said. “It’s not like going to Houston or Fort Worth ... it’ll be more like it was in San Antonio last year, when there were a lot of unknowns.

“We’ll have to be ready to fly by the seat of our pants, although San Antonio did a good job and I’m sure Austin will do the same.â€

Hill said Rutledge and Martin have worked to help smooth logistical issues, such as parking hassles and the like, Hill said. Shuttles will be used to get the coaches from the hotels to the various venues. The Austin Convention Center will house the displays; the downtown Austin Hilton will serve as headquarters.

“I’m not sure parking will be the issue people think it will be,†Hill said.

Hill will be staying at the main hotel.

“I’m not that familiar with that whole area — I’ll be just as naïve as the coaches coming in,†Hill said.

The THSCA’s annual event has evolved from being an annual party time for football coaches into something truly more business-focused. But of course, many coaches will gather at the watering holes on or adjacent to infamous Sixth Street.

“It’s between Fifth and Seventh, I would think,†Hill said, when asked if he knew of the goings-on there. “But, as you might imagine, I’m not a Sixth Street kind of guy. In all honesty, I’ve never been there — but I certainly have heard about it.â€

No area kids or coaches are participating in the Monday night’s all-star basketball game at the Frank Erwin Center. Two will be in the football game Tuesday night at Royal-Memorial Stadium — New Braunfels quarterback Zach Rhodes and Smithson Valley offensive lineman Connor Smith.

While we did reach Rhodes for some pre-game banter, we were unable to get in touch with the Northwestern-bound Smith because of (hi)technical difficulties.

Smith spent his summer here instead of in Evanston, Ill., where he’ll join the Wildcats program this fall. His high school coach had recently spoken with the 6-4, 275-pound all-stater, who is happy to be joining the best players in the state for the contest.

“He’s excited to play, and it’s a big deal,†Hill said. “There are a lot of all-star games around, but this is the granddaddy of them for the kids in Texas high schools.â€

On May 20, Smith was chosen as the East team’s Most Valuable Player in his squad’s 7-3 victory over the West in the San Antonio-area all-star game at Comalander Stadium.

“I told him that he was going to ruin it for every offensive lineman we ever coach. All of them are going to start thinking that they can be the MVP of an all-star game,†Hill said. “You know it was a low-scoring game when they pick a right tackle to be MVP.â€

Hill said Smith, who last year blocked for an offense that averaged 337.8 yards and 32.3 points per game and never allowed a sack in his career at Smithson Valley, hopes to see a lot of time on the lines Tuesday night and said he has been told he would likely start at right guard.

We will report on both players, along with others we see here and there at the convention, during the next few days.

Games of Texas results

As we’ve reported, several locals are competing at the AT&T Games of Texas, which wraps this weekend in Williamson County. Since results have been slow to post on the Web site, we are going to do our best to have a full report Tuesday.

[Guest Kelly Football]

Our Coaches Left at 9 this morning.