With IWIN, We Win.

Rocks, Parents, and Supporters,

This year our football team is supporting Indiana Women In Need (I.W.I.N.) foundation which provides financial grants to women statewide currently receiving treatment for breast cancer. I.W.I.N serves approximately 500 women each year. Sixty percent (60%) of the foundation’s recipients earn $30,000 or less annually and 61% are single or widowed, so these financial grants make a direct and big impact on the lives of Indiana women undergoing breast cancer treatment. Most recipients use their financial grants for essential expenses, such as groceries, gas cards, and childcare costs.

As you may know, our football family has had a number of families impacted by breast cancer over the last few years, so this is a cause that touches our football family directly. At Friday night’s football game, I.W.I.N. will be raising awareness and funds for the foundation. WTHR Channel 13 will be broadcasting live from 5-6:30 at Riverview Stadium to bring attention to our support of I.W.I.N.  Please let your friends and family know that Indiana Women In Need is there to help them if they are enduring breast cancer treatment, and please consider donating to the foundation at Friday’s game.

Look for a Freshman football player holding a donation jar outside of the stadium entrance gates. Checks can be made out to the I.W.I.N. Foundation. You can learn more about I.W.I.N. at iwinfoundation.org, and you can follow them on facebook and twitter.

Thank you for your support. Let's make a difference!

Coach Gilbert

Goal #4: Fun

The Rocks recently tackled some rocks in a more vertical fashion than we normally do, and Coach Gilbert had this to say after the experience...

Westfield Football is a blast! We love to have fun together. For starters, its fun to win and we are doing a lot of that. We also love to compete and we have fun playing all kinds of sports and engaging in all kinds of competitions every single week. Dodgeball, human tug of war, towel fight, floor hockey, baseball, and obstacle courses are some of our favorites. We also make a point to hang out together and do fun things that have nothing to do with football. Over the past four years we have gone to college football games, had square dances and fall parties, gone to Sky Zone, gone rock climbing, and hired a hypnotist! None of these things help us block and tackle better, but they definitely build family and help us achieve our fourth program goal: FUN!

Check out a couple of the pics below:

Haiti Mission Trip: Coach G's Reflections

Amazing and astonishing.  That’s how I’d describe our mission trip to Haiti.  It seemed like there were two worlds competing for one space, almost like Heaven and Hell existing on the same turf.  I am positive that those of us who went will be changed forever.  We selflessly served the Haitian people and they certainly made a difference in our lives as well.

The Amazing

I was amazed at the Haitian people on a number of levels.  Haitians seem naturally kind and happy.  They live very simple, patient lives, rooted in Christianity and free from the distractions of wealth and status.  We encountered smiles and warm greetings everywhere we went, and heard many people joyfully singing as well.  We received love from orphans, school children, teachers, and strangers.  Our group earned the gratitude and help of the town’s people who consistently gave us a thumbs up and uttered “good” or “God bless you” in English for filling in potholes with cement.  Haitian children showed trust and affection to our players as they tried their hand at football and kicked our butts at soccer.  I was amazed at the Haitians love for Christ.  The name of Jesus is seen and heard everywhere.  The pride of the Haitian people is also amazing.  I was surprised at the high level of professionalism.  Men are always in pants and collared shirts, wearing shoes that are shined.  Women teach in suits and wear nice dresses.  Kids wear uniforms to school and carry a rag to make sure their shoes are not dusty.  All schools are private and it’s a privilege to be a student (there is a lot of discipline in the Haitian schools!).  Cars are clean.  The average Haitian has very little, but they really take care of what they have.  The people are also very resourceful and waste nothing.  Part of our mission work included pulling rusty nails out of boards so that they could be reused.  Lastly, the resolve of the Haitian people is truly amazing.  Haiti gained independence when African slaves successfully revolted against the French colonists in the late 1700’s.  More recently, the country was reduced to rubble after the 2010 earthquake that killed 300,000 people.  Yet, there is a unity and hope that is instilled in the Haitian people – a belief that they will stand strong through whatever it takes to get the country back on its feet.

The Astonishing

I am not sure how a society takes the leap to believe that anything that is nice must be guarded behind walls with barbed wire, but that is Haiti.  Of course the walls and our armed guard made us feel safer, but it’s sad in a way as well.  The poverty in Haiti was overwhelming.  I have experienced a lot of poverty in America, but I have seen nothing like this before.  Clearly world poverty is on a completely different level than American poverty.  As a kid, there were many times when we counted on the government to bail us out, but we were confident that we would have shelter and food at a minimum.  Most Haitians are just living in the moment, trying to gasp within the smothering poverty that makes tomorrow uncertain and every meal a luxury.  Minimum wage for hard working people is $5 per day in a place two hours south of Florida.  Astonishing.  Naturally there is not health care or retirement programs set up for the people unless they are funded by missionaries.  People graciously waited for hours to see the doctor at Three Angels.  I was disappointed in the lack of civil leadership.  People told us the government has suffered from corruption for years.  In the meantime, the things that we take for granted go unfulfilled in Haiti.  There is no water delivery system anywhere.  Electricity is sparse without a generator.  Most Haitians live without septic.  There is no regular trash pick-up so people inexplicably throw their garbage out on the streets.  Infrastructure is a mess.  We saw potholes deep enough to lose a car in!  I saw one police officer in six days and there seems to be no rules regarding traffic.  The United Nations serves as Haiti’s army.  Sadly, there is no public education in Haiti.  The overwhelming majority in Haiti are illiterate and the President of the country has a 6th grade education.  Children lucky enough to be sponsored get to go to school typically run by missionaries.  For me, education is the destroyer of ignorance, so I was very upset to find out how many kids never attend school.

The Conclusion

Haiti is an amazing place and the people had a great impact on all of us.  I would like to go back some day to look at the progress that’s been made.  And I hope that the Haitians would see a progress in my heart and priorities as well.

Pre-season Information

From the desk of the Head Coach, a letter to players and parents...

Dear Rocks and Parents:

We have much to be excited about for next season. We have awesome kids and we are expecting to have a great team. We have made tremendous gains in the weight room and we continue to serve our community. Next year we will dress in a new locker room and play in a new Sectional. Simply put, we can‘t wait!

Our mission is to make playing football for Westfield one of the most incredible experiences of your life. The goals of our program will guide the way: 1) Family 2) Commitment to Excellence 3) Victory with Honor 4) Fun 5) Make A Difference. I am thrilled that you will be a part of helping us to achieve our goals. There are several dates and events that you should be aware of:

1) Parents Meeting – (April 17th) – I will host a meeting for parents of upcoming Sophomores - Seniors on Wednesday, April 17th in the High School cafeteria from 7 – 8:30 pm. At the meeting we will discuss next year, schedules, and our program’s demands.

2) Equipment Distribution (May 23rd) – Equipment will be handed out Thursday, May 23rd immediately after school at the varsity locker room. If a player has a conflict, he can come to get his equipment on Friday morning at 6 am.

3) Summer Football (June 10th – July 30th) – We will lift, do speed development, and practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30 – 9 am at the high school weight room. There are 18 workout dates/practices. We expect players to attend at least 15 of the 18. The best week for vacations is always the 4th of July week (moratorium). The second best week for vacation is always the last week before 2-a-days (Starting July 28th).

4) Bishop-Dullaghan Team Camp (June 16th – 18th, Anderson University) – Our entire team should attend team camp. You can register on-line at www.bishopdullaghan.com. Cost is $245. Deposit is due on May 15th. Please contact me with questions. Fundraisers are available.

5) 2-a-days (August 5th) – Our fall camp will begin the afternoon of August 5th. I will communicate more info about the times closer to the date during summer practice. The first day we report at 1pm and spend the night at a camp site. From then on practice will run from 3 – 9 pm and we will feed everyone between practices.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions whatsoever. Get ready for some outstanding football! Go Rocks!!!

- Coach Gilbert

Our online calendar has been updated to reflect these dates (and others). Check it out! In addition, I have the form for this summer's Rock School summer sessions. I believe it speaks for itself. Feel encouraged to print it off, fill it out, and bring it in!

Click for larger image.

New Addition To The Family

Coach Gilbert passed along this announcement to me this week...

I am excited to announce that we have hired another great coach to our staff. Isaac Sturgis will join us from Avon H.S. beginning this summer. Coach Sturgis has also had stops as the Defensive Coordinator at Lebanon and Western Boone, and has served as a position coach for Columbus North. I have known Coach Sturgis for years. He is a high energy, enthusiastic coach who demands the best out of his players while maintaining great relationships with his guys. Coach Sturgis will take over as our inside linebacker coach and defensive coordinator. We can't wait to see the Hard Hat D emulate his aggressive, fundamental style!

Welcome aboard Coach Sturgis! And Go Rocks!

Haunted House Trip

Coach Gilbert already sent a message out via Hudl, but I wanted to post something on here, too. The haunted house trip is still on! Bus leaves on Thursday at 5:30pm from the locker room. Don't be late. The cost is $13. No food will be provided, but the do have a concession stand there.

This is a team activity! Coach Gilbert is assuming that everyone is going. If you are NOT going, please contact Coach directly.

For those that are going, tweet us some good pictures at @ShamrockFB! Who are the scaredy-cats of the team?

Players - Team Meeting Tomorrow

From Coach G -

Tomorrow, there is a mandatory team meeting for everyone who plans to play football next year. It will be held in the portable. Starts during bonus and will last past the late bus. Make sure you have transportation lined up!

From Coach G - Proud of our Rocks

Time to give credit where credit is due. I have been extremely impressed with the players of our program over the past two weeks. On June 10th four coaches and 23 Freshmen skilled players took part in a four day camp at Manchester College. Our team worked hard and our players learned a lot. Our technique improved and we learned a lot about the Freshmen Class. Next, our Freshmen linemen took the field and did a great job at their camp. I am really optimistic about our Freshmen. Some clutch additions and major improvements to go along with a terrific team attitude should prove for a great 2012 season for the Frosh.

Last week we sent over 70 players to Bishop-Dullaghan Team Camp. Oh what a difference a year makes. Our team's increase in confidence compared to last year at this camp is immeasurable. Our guys played fast and physical. Westfield football! I think we have a real chance if our guys continue to stay HUNGRY and committed. I can not wait to get started! 2012 will be a blast!

We wrapped up last week with the Middle School Camp at Anderson University. We had 32 players in grades 6 - 8 beat the heat at the four day, 3 night camp. Our guys took pride in having the most kids at this camp of any school. One day we had seven Westfield coaches there! They started to learn the meaning of family as they hung out together and put in the work with their brothers.

Finally, today was day 1 of our youth and middle school camp. We had about 275 future Rocks in attendance. What a blast!!!! Our team got a good laugh when my son tried to put on his shoulder pads after he had his helmet on. The little guys are a riot. Monday's highlight was a long touchdown catch by Seth Tackett as the 7th grade and 8th grade battled it out.

I am truly blessed. Over the last couple of weeks our staff has had the opportunity to influence hundred of young men. We are working hard to lead from the heart and teach these guys about life and football. Summer camps are a huge commitment. Succeeding in life also takes a huge commitment. Going toe to toe with teams like Ben Davis takes courage. So does life. Improving throughout camp takes a ton of work and effort. Good men put a ton of effort into their families and work hard at things. What a blessing to be at Westfield. Go Rocks!

Leadership PowerPoint

Here is the link if you missed the meeting:  CONFIDENCE PRESENTATION

All Practice pack orders

 Must be turned in immediately.  If you don't have the money, turn in the form!

Never Get Used To Losing

Coach Gilbert dipped into the proverbs this week...

"Show me a good and gracious loser and I'll show you a failure."
-Knute Rockne

We also wanted to pass along a final reminder: Parent Meeting is tomorrow, 7PM in the WHS Auditorium. See you there!

Announcement: Parent Meeting

Coach G wanted everyone to know that the WHS Shamrock Football Parent Meeting is going to be held on April, 24th at 7PM in the WHS Auditorium. Players, make sure your parents are aware of this and please encourage them to go. Parents, hope to see you there!

Miss It?

If you missed the Week 3 leadership series, check it out on the webpage: GoRocksFootball.com

Week 3 Leadership Reminder

See you during Bonus Period in the Football Portable!

Leadership Series

If you missed the leadership meeting, head over to the website: GoRocksFootball.com and select a leadership week to see the PowerPoint.  What are you committing to for the next 30 days?

Schedule Updates

From Coach G...

Rocks and Parents,
I am writing to touch base and bring everyone up to speed on some upcoming events:

1. Feb. 4th – For any player interested, the team will go downtown to the Super Bowl Village. We will leave from behind Dicks in Clay Terrace at 10:30 am. There will be a free bus leaving at 11:00 am. If you are late, you may have to catch the later bus. I am not completely sure, but I expect that we will stay for 2 – 3 hours and then catch the bus back, returning to Clay Terrace around 3:30 – 4:00 pm. Everyone should bring a lunch or money to buy lunch as well as written permission for you to attend from a parent.
2. March 3rd – Our football team will compete in the Ben Davis Lifting Contest. We are allowed to take our 44, pound for pound, strongest players. We will leave from the Westfield Football Locker Room at 6:30 am. There is no cost, but players will need to bring a lunch. We will return after noon, hopefully with trophies, medals, and a great understanding of what it takes to win. If you work on Saturdays, please request this Saturday off right away. I want every Senior and Junior who can lift to be there! 
3. June 17th – 19th – We will again go to Bishop-Dullaghan for our team camp. Feel free to go ahead and send your form in for these dates. I have extra forms if you need one. The cost is still $240. We will host fundraisers for this camp eventually. Everyone goes to camp unless there is an absolutely unavoidable conflict.
4. There are basically seven weeks of summer this year before 2-a-days. My plan is to work the guys very hard during the school year and give them a little more time off this summer. We will practice Monday – Thursday, 6:00 – 8:30 am, every week except for the moratorium week. If we meet specific attendance goals for a week, I will likely give the players the following Tuesday off as well. Please schedule vacations for the week of July 1st – 7th if at all possible. The next best week is July 22nd – 28th. We will have practice throughout the other five weeks. We’ll work out any conflicts that need worked out. 

Lastly, keep coming to workouts and getting after it. We are getting much stronger and faster. I love the effort we are putting in. Remember that we will hand out equipment based on weight room attendance (not seniority), so make sure you are there!

Go Rocks!

Coach Gilbert

If you have questions are concerns, feel free to call Coach Gilbert. If you need his number, our contact info is linked here on the site. Shoot us an email and we'll get right back to you. Or leave a comment and we'll respond in kind with an answer as soon as possible.

New Year's Resolutions

And we're back! We'll kick this year off with a message from Coach Gilbert...

Happy New Year's everyone. I wonder what resolutions our players are making. Its time to forget the past and set some worthy goals for the future. If you don't have goals, you have no direction. Without a clear direction, you go nowhere in life.

 As for me, for 2012 I resolve to:

1. Spend more quality time with my sons, 
2. Improve my prayer life, and 
3. Make a difference on a bigger scale at Westfield. 

 A few tips for setting New Year's resolutions:

1. Seek to glorify God and serve others. 
2. Stay positive and patient, knowing that its a process, not a one time payment. 
3. Use something to help you think about your resolution every day. Have a friend remind you, post your goals on your mirror, memorize a scripture, etc. 
4. Keep fighting and never quit! 

 "Press on towards the goal" - Phil 3:14

Happy Holidays, Rocks!

A holiday message from Coach Gilbert...

Merry Christmas to all of our family! Thanks so much for the past 9 months. It's been absolutely great!!!! We love it here. I hope you all take time to tell your families how much you love them and appreciate them for all that they do for you. There is no time quite like Christmas to be a giver. Servant leadership, and serving others in general, is a foundation of our program. Give till it hurts a little and you'll be rewarded until your stocking runs over! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! God Bless!

- Coach Gilbert

Strength and Conditioning

I have served as a strength and conditioning coach for the past eleven years, on both the high school and college levels. I spend countless hours studying the body. We accomplished a lot with the teams I've been involved with. That being said, I can't possibly explain how impressed I've been with Coach Hammer's workout. Our players are being trained to be functional athletes, not just lifters. This workout will help all of our players, regardless of their size, position, or other sports.

We have a long way to go physically. We are not nearly strong or fast enough to win the State Championship. However, this I know: We have a tremendous facility for our kids to workout in. We have a dedicated staff, willing to push our guys. We have the best strength coach in the state. Now we just have to see if our players have the commitment, dedication, and desire to put in the effort that its going to take to get there.

-Coach Gilbert

The Road to State Begins In November

We had a great start to our workouts this morning. Our guys lifted hard. We have conditioning tomorrow. The best part for me was just seeing our guys all together. Its been a while since I've seen a lot of the guys and I realized this morning how bad I've missed everybody. There was an article in the Indy Star about Carmel's State Championship and their Head Coach offered this quote:

"All those 6 a.m. workouts and pounding on each other in the summer, all those things are worth it now." 

Amen! We're on our way.

-Coach Gilbert