Activities Department Update

Bill Beswick, leading sports psychologist and former England national basketball team coach, states that he always asks his athletes three questions.

1. What do you want?

2. How badly do you want it?

3. How much are you willing to suffer for it?

The answers to these three questions help him determine whether an athlete is an elite competitor or not. Most athletes have an idea of what they want to accomplish by the end of their season or career, but elite competitors know how badly they want that goal.

For example, two athletes run cross country. Runner A says they want to make the state meet because it sounds like a cool experience and it's what everyone else aims for. Runner B also wants to make the state meet, but for them, it's an obsession. It's what drives their every action, and they would feel they fell short of their purpose if they did not achieve it. Runner A takes practice seriously but checks out once practice ends. Runner B takes practice seriously too, but puts in extra miles on weekends, does additional recovery work, and watches videos of college and Olympic runners' running strategy. Runner A enjoys the friendships and the varsity letter at the end of the season. Runner B loves the sport itself- the grind, the preparation, and the shared pursuit of excellence with their teammates.

Every athlete wants to reach state, but the elite competitors want it more, and they leave no doubt about their effort. What's great about Beswick's questions is that while talent plays a role, success ultimately comes down to effort and the willingness to go above and beyond. State-level competitions are full of talented athletes, but often, it's the ones with B Grade talent and A+ work ethic who rise to the top. Elite competitors know what they want, how badly they want it, and passionately chase it.

Finally, the last question. Suffering and struggles are guarantees in both sports and life. These are also the moments when excuses most often appear. Elite competitors reject excuses, they embrace the grind, and push through the hard times. So what does suffering look like in athletics? It's pushing through a tough practice or conditioning. It's competing for a starting spot. It's playing through discomfort or exhaustion at the end of the game. It's putting in extra hours in the gym to get faster, stronger, or refine a certain skill. It's skipping a hangout with friends to get extra reps after a bad performance. It's the frustration and disappointment after a tough loss. It's being ridiculed by peers for being a "try hard." It's sacrificing downtime on your phone or video games to keep chasing your goal. Elite competitors are willing to endure all of that to chase excellence.

So my questions to our student-athletes are: Do your actions and mindset reflect those of an elite competitor, or are you portraying one without truly being one? Do you give the effort, time, and commitment, even when it’s hard, because you want your goals that badly? Do you need to adjust your answers to Beswick’s three questions?

Be elite competitors this week.

Although the Hawks finished last in the district, a district with two teams still in the playoffs, a few Hawks were still recognized for their great effort and performances during the season. The award winners are below:

Peter Seyb- 1st-Team Fullback

Cam Thornburg- 1st-Team Lineman

Brett Cook- 1st-Team Defensive Back

Jack Benner- 2nd-Team Lineman

Will Hayes- 2nd-Team Defensive Lineman

Odin Mullins- 2nd-Team Defensive Lineman

Carson Morrison- 2nd-Team Defensive Back

Ward Fraise- 2nd-Team Specials Returner

Colton Taft- 2nd-Team Punter

Wyatt Day- Honorable Mention

Congratulations, Gentlemen. Well deserved!

The Hawks' volleyball season ended last week at Davenport Assumption. After a dominating performance 1st round in the upset against Mediapolis (3-1), our girls traveled to Assumption High School to take on the Knights. Our girls fell short against the state tournament bound Knights whose front row were difficult to overcome, losing 0-3. Our four seniors; Jayden Mueller, Taylor Jones, Kenna Sandoval, and Aubrey Weber were a pleasure to watch over their volleyball careers. They leave the program to a strong core group of girls in the Junior through Freshmen classes with a solid group of 8th graders to add into. Jayden Mueller finished 2nd in 3A in digs throughout the season with 566, a number that still has not been caught by girls who have played in more games.

Our girls finished 4th in the conference with a 14-16 record. A few of our girls received all-conference recognition below:

Jayden Mueller- 1st-Team Libero (1 vote away from Player of the Year)

Kenna Sandoval- 1st-Team Setter

Taylor Jones- 1st-Team Hitter

Brylee Cook- Honorable Mention

Chloee Haigh- Honorable Mention

Congratulations, Ladies! Very deserving of your efforts.

Our varsity cross country teams finished the season at Iowa City last week. Our seniors, Saphire Cummings, Gabby Maynes, Charlee Clay, Kyler Mulligan, and Riley Salter-Rickman all competed well over their career, and we wish them luck in their future plans.

Aubree Bunnell finished the State Qualifying Meet in 10th with her personal best. That PR did not last long as she ran in the State Meet in Fort Dodge on Friday and finished 42nd out of the 136 competitors. She finished the year as any athlete would hope to, achieving her personal best time of 20:52.4 at the highest level. It was a fitting end to her season, surrounded by family and friends, including her great uncle, Paul Bunnell, who was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame this year as well.

Congratulations, Aubree!

Our Impulse dance team had their first competition of the season at the Legacy Dance Competition in Davenport. The team achieved 1st place in their kick routine, and was awarded 5th for their pom routine. This sets a great baseline for the rest of the season. Well done, ladies!

Schedules can be found on our Bound website.

Impulse Dance Team

State Site: ISDTA

Girls Bowling - 1A

State Site: IGHSAU Bowling

1st Practice- November 3

1st Competition- November 20 @ Mount Pleasant, 1:00pm

Boys Bowling- 1A

State Site: IHSAA Bowling

1st Practice- November 17

1st Competition- December 12 @ Centerville

Girls Basketball

State Site: IGHSAU Basketball

1st Practice- November 10

Midnight Madness- November 21, 4:00pm

Boys Basketball

State Site: IHSAA Basketball

1st Practice- November 17

Midnight Madness- November 21, 4:00pm

Girls and Boys Wrestling (Shared with Fort Madison)

State Sites: IHSAA and IGHSAU

Girls @ Urbandale- November 22, 8:00am

Girls @ West Liberty- November 24, 4:00pm

I just wanted to take this time to thank our strong student section! Whether it was home or away, our athletes are in full force to support one another in a humorous and respectful way. Only one beach volleyball was disposed of, otherwise no problems with this group. I appreciate you all!

My rules for the student section:

1. Cheer for our team.

2. No singling out opponents

3. No profanity.

4. Be respectful, have fun, be the loudest!

Winter Sports Start Dates- Per IGHSAU and IHSAA

MS Boys Basketball- January

JV/Var Girls Basketball- November 10

JV/VAR Boys Basketball- November 17

Girls Bowling- November 3

Boys Bowling- November 17

Girls Wrestling- November 3

Boys Wrestling- November 17

Coaches Leadership Meeting

Our coaches took time one evening to be introduced to the Leader in Me content and how it relates to athletics. Instilling leadership and mental performance has been a big focus for the athletics program this year.

Register for Winter Sports

Parents and athletes, please make sure you are registered in Bound for any winter sport you plan on competing in. Remember to make sure you have a current physical uploaded, agree to the concussion agreement form, and submit the registration. It is encouraged to do this process for all sports for the year in August.

Top Athletes of Quarter 1!

The students are currently involved in the Activities Department WIG (Wildly Important Goal) each week of 80% of athletes completing at least one leadership growth opportunity. These could be answering the weekly prompt, involved in a sport competition, doing an extra workout, or reviewing a leadership resource. Quarter 1 we struggled as a whole, but the following athletes are in the top 10 of points towards the WIG.

1. Brett Cook- 247

2. Carson Morrison- 221

3. Austin Fogarty- 153

4. Jayden Mueller- 153

5. Chloee Haigh- 150

6. Taylor Jones- 150

7. Wyatt Day- 147

8. Caedon Newton- 146

9. Carver Hayes- 144

10. Kenna Sandoval- 142

Athletic Passes are Available

If you are interested in saving time with a one time payment to get into Central Lee home athletic events (excluding post-season competitions) for the 2025-26 athletic year, contact Tyler Bryant or Tina Cale for the options and pricing.

Sports Boosters Baseball/Softball Initiative- Progress!

Cutting of concrete for the softball netting has been finished. Fence lines have been marked and the current fence has started to be removed on the baseball field.

Central Lee Sponsorship Opportunities

Want your business logo to be displayed on the scorers table at all of the 35+ events hosted in our Performance gym? Want your business to have a spot in the new sports events programs? Maybe you want your business to have a logo on the football field? If you or someone you know want a chance to advertise your business at Central Lee, then take a look at the Sponsorship Catalog for this year.

Below are the current coaching vacancies in our district. If you are interested, please contact Tyler Bryant and apply online at TeachIowa. Applicants must have a current Iowa Coaching License/Endorsement. Looking for positive, reliable, and determined individuals for these positions.

Varsity Assistant Football Coach

MS Boys Basketball Coach (CRITICAL)

Varsity Assistant Boys Basketball Coach (CRITICAL)

Middle School Baseball Coach

Middle School Baseball Coach

"Talent might make you good, but it's your attitude and work ethic that will make you great."- Bill Beswick