Cold Pizza

This week's edition includes:

• Winter Sports Registrations are Open (Basketball, Cheer, and Wrestling)
• Girls Basketball Open Gyms
• New Travel Basketball Info
• Swim United Tryouts
• Schedules
• Fan Behavior
• Cross Country Athletes of the Week
• Sports Photos
• Coach Spotlight
• Eligibility
• Athletic Opportunities at SMS
• Online Team Shop
• Athletic Boosters
• Win a Car AND Support Athletics
• Ticket Price Increase
• Online Ticketing Information
• Strongsville Rec Department Program Offerings
• Click/Tap HERE for previous editions of Cold Pizza

If your child is looking to wrestle or play basketball for SMS this winter please know that process begins by logging into Final Forms. Access that site HERE. More details below about registration are below. .

• Detailed Registration Instructions
• Having an active physical on file with the athletic office is a requirement. You can access the physical form HERE.
• Pay-to-Participate Info
• All Pay-to-Participate and prior year school fees must be paid in order for students to be eligible to participate.
• SMS students must have passed at least 4 classes in their previous quarter to be eligible. If their GPA is below a 2.0 they will have to submit weekly progress reports.

GET THE LATEST TEAM UPDATES:

• We post game/event results on Twitter HERE
• Follow game/event results on Facebook HERE

FOOTBALL/CHEER:

• FB Game Schedule

• 8th Grade Cheer Game Schedule

• 7th Grade Cheer Game Schedule

VOLLEYBALL:

• VB Match Schedule
  

CROSS COUNTRY:

• CC Meet Schedule

INTRAMURALS:

• More information on running club and intramural volleyball coming soon!

Strongsville City Schools, its students, its staff, and its services are all part of a first class community. The roots of our first class nature are derived from the actions of the great families that comprise Strongsville. With that said, being first class doesn't mean being perfect in all actions. In part, it means having the desire, open-mindedness and skillset to get better when needed. Last year some of our students, perhaps unknowingly, engaged in some unsportsmanlike conduct from the bleachers at some recent athletic contests. Most of us know that being good neighbors to our opponents, their fans and the officials is a part of being first class. It might not be known to many middle school aged students who are starting to experience their first sense of freedom.

I am strongly encouraging all families to have the following conversation with your middle school aged child. Please inform them that the only acceptable behavior at sporting event is being positive. Any negative behavior/speech is strictly prohibited. Below is a brief explanation as it relates to acceptable and unacceptable fan behavior. Thank you for your cooperation!

Tell everyone a little about yourself?

• I was born and raised in Jamestown NY. After attending BW, I met my current wife and relocated permanently to Cleveland. I have two daughters 21 and 17. I'm an Intervention Specialist at Strongsville High School and just started my 26th year of teaching.
  

What team(s) do you currently coach (in and out of SCS)?

• Cross Country at SMS.
  

Why did you get into coaching?

• After playing baseball in college, I wanted to find a way to stay around the game. Coaching was the best way to do that.
  

What was your favorite coaching moment?

• Being on the coaching staff of the 2006 SHS State Title baseball team
  

Who is your favorite coach and why?

• My favorite coach was Brett Butler my college pitching coach. He was the first coach that pushed the importance of the mental game in regards to being a better athlete competitor. He could make you believe you could do anything with the right mindset.
  

Outside of the Mustangs, who is your favorite sports team?

• Boston Red Sox
  

What is your favorite sport to play and/or watch?

• Favorite sport to watch is college football. My favorite sport to compete in is Triathlon.
  

What is your favorite sports memory?

• Pitching a complete game, beating the number one team in the nation.
  

What is your favorite sports quote?

• It doesn't matter what you are capable of, it only matters what you are willing to do. - Mike Tomlin
  Only athletes willing to put in the work will fully maximize their talent.
  

What is something that most people don't know about you?

• I have a degree in Sports Medicine from BW.
  

Player eligibility is determined by SCS and OHSAA policies. Some of the eligibility criteria is listed below.

• Students must maintain at least a 2.0 G.P.A. Should their G.P.A. fall below a 2.0 they will be put on a weekly progress reports to assure assignments and effort are up to snuff. If not the players will be required to sit until improvement is made.
• Students must have passed at least 4 classes in the previous quarter (5 credits if at SHS). Should this criteria not be met a student will not be eligible for the forthcoming athletic season.
• Pay to Participate and previous year academic fees must be paid in order to partake in athletic games/contests. Students will be withheld from all contests until fees are paid.

• OHSAA Eligibility Resource Center

• https://ohsaa.org/Eligibility

See the graphic below for details regarding athletic opportunities for SMS students throughout the course of a school year.

If you're looking for some spirit wear to help support the Mustangs please know that spirit wear can be purchased through the Strongsville Mustangs Athletics Website linked below. Christmas is just around the corner, don't miss out on some great gift ideas! A couple of examples of the 100's of items found in our online spirit shop are pictured below.

There is lots of other information there as well!

http://strongsvilleathletics.org

• Game Schedules
• Game Results/Recaps
• Athletic Forms
• Sports Medicine Info
• Ticketing Info
• Online Team Shop
• Sports Registration/Tryout Info

The Strongsville Athletic Boosters is comprised of parent volunteers that raise funds and provide support to all of the Strongsville High School and Middle School athletic programs and student-athletes. Every dollar raised by the booster club is invested back into the student-athlete experience. We purchase uniforms, warm-ups, training equipment and other items to help our student-athletes perform to the best of their ability in representing Strongsville City Schools. Our ultimate success depends on the commitment of parents! Click HERE to join the Athletic Boosters for the 2022-2023 school year. Becoming a member not only helps your student's success but it also gets you some free SWAG. Details in the graphic below.

Help the athletic teams and potentially win a Chevy Trax! Click HERE to buy raffle tickets!

Greater Cleveland Conference Approves Ticket Price Increase

The Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC) will be raising admission ticket prices for all athletic events beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. In May, GCC principals approved the increase in athletic ticket prices after GCC Athletic Directors conducted a review of ticket prices for surrounding conferences in Northeast Ohio and found most to already be at these price levels. Ticket sales revenue generated from the events is the main source of funding used by member schools to cover costs for sports and the overall athletic department budget. While costs of game officials, security, sporting equipment, along with all the other costs associated with these events have increased and ticket prices have not. The increase is intended to help offset costs without sacrificing family, student and community experiences. This is the first price increase the GCC has issued since the formation of the league in 2020. The GCC consists of member schools Brunswick, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Medina, Mentor, Shaker Heights, and Strongsville.

Varsity Football:

$10 at the gate for Adult/Student General Admission

$8 Adult Presale flat fee until 2 hours before kickoff (was $7)

$5 Student Presale (no change)

*Season tickets for home contests are at the discretion of the home school

Varsity/JV (All other Varsity Sports):

$8 Adult/Student (was $7)

Freshman or JV (stand alone):

$5 Adult/Student (was $4)

Middle School Sports:

$5 Adult/Student (was $4)

Senior Citizens Ticket Prices

Free admission (no change)

GCC Passes

Distributed by individual schools, GCC passes admit one spectator per pass

GCC Tournaments:

$8 Adult/Student (was $7)

No charge for pre-school age children

No Senior Citizen passes accepted

Sign-in sheet will be used for school officials

Anyone that plans on attending a home contest for the Mustangs can purchase their tickets multiple ways. Keep in mind that ticket prices are set by the GCC

All other VARSITY sporting events will have $7.00 tickets for adults and $5.00 for students.

For stand alone JV, Freshman AND Middle School games, tickets will be $4.00 and $2.00

1. Tickets will be sold online through our NEW online Ticketing Partner, Hometown Ticketing. The link can be found HERE. This is the preferred method of payment for all home contests. You can also purchase tickets by going to STRONGSVILLEATHLETICS.ORG and by clicking on each team's schedule, there is a BUY TICKETS option. If you have question, please reach out to the Athletic Office.

2. We will offer at the gate cash and CREDIT CARD sales for all home contests. Again, if you do not want to wait in line, the online ticket option would be best

3. SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS. The GCC will allow Senior Citizens into any contest free of charge. At Strongsville, we will be issuing Senior Citizen All-Access passes that will allow them to attend any HOME sporting event free of charge. Passes will issued at any ticket gate upon entrance to an event.

(Please keep in mind that when we play non-league contests away, those schools may have a different senior citizen policy)

If you have any questions about the ticketing policy, please do not hesitate to contact the athletic department.

Click/tap HERE for what sports programs are upcoming for the Strongsville Recreation Department.

Email: jkeppler@scsmustangs.org
Website: strongsvilleathletics.org
Location: 13200 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone: 4405727090
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Strongsville-Athletics/100057494767336/
Twitter: @scsmustangs