Cousins Middle School athletics focused on foundational skills

COVINGTON, Ga. — Earlier than constructing something, a basis needs to be laid. Whether or not it’s a home or every other sort of construction, the seemingly most essential facet is the inspiration. 

The identical holds true for Cousins Center College’s athletic division. 

Maurissa Blackshear has been the college’s athletic director for the previous two years. And, over these two seasons, Blackshear has seen a variety of growth in Cousins Center’s athletic packages. 

“We’re nonetheless shifting ahead with ensuring that every one of our athletes have these foundational abilities to achieve success. That’s our principal aim,” Blackshear stated. “After all, we love the wins. However are we really instructing them the abilities they should be profitable past the sphere?” 

The muse started within the 2021-22 college yr and continued on to final college yr, too. 

In response to Blackshear, yr No. 1 was helpful to the coaches studying the ins and outs of the behind the scenes of their duties. 

Inserting an emphasis on educating the coaches paid off in yr No. 2. 

“Final yr was a foundational yr — we had all of our procedures and coaches had the information they wanted to get by means of the completely different sports activities — so this yr was positively higher than final yr so far as guaranteeing the children had been getting the right abilities coaching and dealing with dad and mom,” Blackshear stated.

There have been some coaches to emerge as leaders of the core, too. 

Andrew Gawlik in his second yr teaching soccer and wrestling. Kidada Holtzclaw is the latest coach heading up the women basketball crew whereas Nikisha Shields is a cheer coach.

Every particular person program at Cousins Center skilled success below the coaches management. 

First, the wrestling crew made it second place in people and had a participant who made it to state and ranked No. 1 for center college in his weight class. Each the women basketball and ladies soccer squads completed runners up within the NewRock league. 

Cousins’ soccer crew had the identical report because the yr prior with the boys basketball crew exhibiting enchancment of their abilities. The Cardinals’ boys soccer crew featured new faces of their season as properly. 

Regardless of the end result, Blackshear’s greatest enjoyment comes from sitting within the stands as a fan. 

“Seeing the children really on the sphere and doing one thing that they really take pleasure in doing is my favourite half,” Blackshear stated. “Seeing them in motion and seeing their expertise displayed otherwise outdoors of teachers is all the time enjoyable.” 

A few of these gamers Blackshear loved watching play could also be making some noise on the highschool stage quickly. 

Jamari Cole is the aforementioned wrestler who ranked No. 1 in state for center college and performed soccer. Amond Sands was named essentially the most precious participant for the Cardinals’ soccer and basketball groups. 

Luke Almand showcased his wrestling skills, too, together with Kenneth Bryant’s soccer expertise on show. 

For the Woman Cardinals basketball crew, Ari Carter and Asia Sanford had been ranked No. 1 on the NewRock League All-Star crew. 

Cousins Center has plans within the works so as to add ladies flag soccer and volleyball to the athletic choices quickly. And, this yr, the Cardinals added a dance crew that’s thought of a membership for now. 

On high of enlarging this system, Blackshear and the coaches need to proceed enhancing the sports activities at the moment supplied. Plus, the Cardinals have a want to do extra issues outdoors of simply the sphere or court docket. 

“We’re in all probability going so as to add a type of as a membership to assist put together them for highschool. So far as our present sports activities, we simply need to ensure that our coaches proceed to obtain coaching to assist carry up the student-athletes,” Blackshear stated. “We do proceed to place teachers first right here. Now we have a bulletin board the place we proceed to spotlight the participant of the week. We preserve observe of that, habits and sports activities. We had an finish of the yr banquet the place we celebrated our athletes with a sneaker ball. 

“Sooner or later, I need us to be in line with these issues. I’m all the time open to new concepts.” 

Now, the 2023-24 college yr is on the horizon and a model new athletic calendar will begin shortly. 

The primary day of faculty is Aug. 1, 2023 and college students will return to the classroom. portion of final yr’s student-athletes can be on to highschool from Cousins Center College, although. 

So, consequently, Blackshear has a degree of emphasis going into the brand new college yr. 

“We had fairly just a few eighth graders on a lot of our groups. So, coaches are going to must rebuild for subsequent yr,” Blackshear stated. “So, that’s the largest factor. I’ll in all probability encourage my coaches to place extra rising sixth and seventh graders, that approach, as you’re instructing them, you no less than have them for 2 years. Versus placing so many eighth graders as a result of, as soon as they go away, then many of the program has to begin contemporary.”