February 2026
The Official Newsletter of
Dear Members,
I hope everyone has had a great start to 2026. The spring semester is always a busy season for all of us. Most of us are deep into our second sport while also preparing for spring football in the weight-room and on the field with agility work and skill development. I have always been one to count the days down and we’re about 55 days until school is out. The older I get the faster it goes.
During this busy stretch, make sure you are planning some time for yourself and your family this summer. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches lately, and many of us are feeling the grind. There is nothing wrong with saying you need a recharge. In fact, it’s necessary. The worst thing you can do is go straight from spring ball into summer workouts into fall camp without taking a break. Head coaches, make sure your assistants get time to relax as well. A refreshed staff is a better staff.
Spring is one of the most important times of the year for culture building. You don’t need Friday Night Lights to establish standards. This is when accountability is built, in the weight room, in attendance, and in how players compete during conditioning.
Championship habits are created everyday during the off-season. Effort, communication, finishing drills are daily choices. If you can learn to compete in the off-season, they’ll know how to respond when adversity hits in August.
As coaches, we understand the importance of family, pride, and representing something bigger than ourselves. Make sure your players understand when they wear that jersey, they represent their last name, their team, their school and community.
One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is mentorship. Many of us had someone who gave us our first opportunity. Someone who believed in us when we were young coaches trying to learn the profession.
Who are you mentoring now? We need to continue opening doors for the next generation of coaches. Representation matter. When young, Hispanic coaches see leaders who look like them, who have similar backgrounds, it builds belief. Whether it’s helping someone with interview prep, sharing practice scripts, or just answering late night questions about game management or decisions. This investment matters.
In closing, one of the strengths of our association is connection. Share resources. Share job openings. Share ideas that are working in your program. None of us have all the answers, but together we are stronger.
As we move closer to summer, keep pushing, but also be intentional about rest. Take that trip. Go to your child’s event without checking HUDL or emails. Spend time with your spouse. Call your parents. Football will always be there. Time with family will not. Proud to be part of this brotherhood. Let’s continue to lead, mentor and represent at a high level.
Respectfully,
Joe Castillo
President, HTXHSFBCA
Contact Us
Email: hthsfbca@gmail.com
Website: hthsfbca.com
Location: Texas, USA
Facebook: facebook.com/hispanictxhsfb
Twitter: @HispanicTXHSFB