CSD Athletics: Bulldog News

Bulldog Families,

As the holiday season unfolds, the Bulldogs continue to shine! Our Swim, Basketball, Cheer, and Wrestling teams are competing with pride and representing us in outstanding ways. Meanwhile, our Spring coaches and student-athletes are preparing for the start of their seasons in January.

Now is the perfect time to update your DragonFly profiles! Coaches and administrators will begin clearing students as soon as we return from the break.

There is always a lot to celebrate in CSD Athletics. If you have any questions or need guidance relating to our programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Go Bulldogs!!

Director of Activities & Athletics: Rodney Thomas

(rthomas@csdecatur.net)

Assistant Activities & Athletics Director: David Harbin

(dharbin@csdecatur.net)

Bookkeeper & Administrative Assistant: Kelli Aaron

(kaaron@csdecatur.net)

Our Flag Football Bulldogs have finished their regular season and now begin focusing on the first round of the GHSA playoffs. Decatur returns to the playoffs for the first time since our inaugural season in 2020. The Bulldogs will match up against Langston Hughes on December 5 at Pope High School. The winner will move on to face either Pope High School or Chattahoochee.

Good Luck, Bulldogs!!

Our Varsity Basketball games originally scheduled for Friday, December 6 against Tri-Cities have been rescheduled. The Bulldogs will face Tri-Cities on the make-up date, February 7. Our JV Boys' Basketball game against Maynard Jackson scheduled for 4:30 will be played as scheduled.

Our mini-camp cheerleaders will perform at halftime of the Girls' and Boys' Basketball games on December 10th.

You understood the assignment! A huge shout-out to everyone who participated in our 1st Annual Giving Tuesday. Because of your generosity, we raised over $5,200 to support the amazing organizations below that do so much for our students at BHMS and DHS.

Thank you so much from all of us!!

• Beacon Hill Middle School PTA
• Decatur Band
• Decatur Bulldog Boosters (DBB)
• Decatur Education Foundation (DEF)
• DHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
• Decatur Performs

We are thrilled to announce that two of our outstanding student-athletes have officially committed to continuing their athletic and academic journeys at the collegiate level!

Ethan Johnson will head to Georgia Southern University in the Fall.
Kaleb Lanier is set to begin classes at Duke University in January 2025.

These young men exemplify the dedication and hard work it takes to succeed both on the field and in the classroom. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and can’t wait to see what they achieve at the next level.

Stay tuned as we celebrate more of our Bulldog Seniors as they make their college decisions!

Congratulations to our DHS and BHMS Swim Teams! Both teams secured impressive wins this week. The Bulldogs of DHS won their meet against Woodward and Midtown. While the Beacon Hill Bulldogs emerged victorious in their matchup at Lovett. Our swimmers are meeting State Qualifying times in various races and breaking DHS and BHMS records from previous years. Congratulations to senior Ani Painter on her 50 freestyle state cut, in addition to the boys 200 freestyle relay on theirs.

The Bulldogs' next competition is on Saturday, December 14. Decatur will swim at the Chamblee Bulldogs Invitational against 10+ teams from around the metro area. Keep up the great work, Bulldogs!!

Our Basketball program is excited to host the First Annual New Year's Basketball Clinic—the perfect way to start 2024!

📅 Dates: December 30 – January 1
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
🎯 Who Can Attend: Students in grades 4–8

Campers will have a blast learning new skills, playing with fellow basketball enthusiasts, and celebrating the game alongside our Bulldogs! Don’t forget to bring a water bottle, a snack, and your love for basketball.

Spots are limited, so get ready to join the fun and start the new year strong with the Decatur Bulldogs!

Our Decatur Baseball program is excited to host its Annual Tree Recycling Fundraiser! Let us help you recycle your Christmas tree while supporting our Bulldogs.

Simply fill out the form below to sign up for convenient tree pickup and recycling. Proceeds go directly toward supporting the Decatur Baseball team and their upcoming season.

Decatur Baseball Tree Recycling Fundraiser

Thank you for your support, and Go Bulldogs! 🐾

All students interested in participating in Track & Field this Spring should attend the Interest Meeting on December 9. Coach Souther will meet students in the PAC Theater after school at 3:45 PM.

If you have questions, please contact Coach Souther (msouther@csdecatur.net)

Click the link below to catch up on our Boys' Basketball team. Your favorite DHS Sports Reporter, Brian Tibbetts, provides a review of the start to the season and a preview of what may come down the road!!

Bulldogs Boys Basketball Start Season 2-1 Behind Aggressive Defense

- Brian Tibbetts, DHS Sports Reporter

Is your BHMS 6th, 7th or 8th grader interested in running Track & Field in the Spring?

If so, please plan to attend our Virtual Track & Field Parent Informational Meeting on

Monday, December 16 at 6:30 pm.

The virtual meeting can be accessed using the link here:

BHMS 2025 Track & Field Virtual Parent Meeting Link

Please complete the google interest form here: 2025 BHMS Track & Field Interest Form

For more information, click HERE.

Girls' Soccer at Beacon Hill is just around the corner! If you are interested in trying out in the Spring, please fill out the form below. We're looking forward to a great season. If you have any questions, reach out to Coach Ali (htrenovations@earthlink.net) and Coach Witherspoon (wilson.witherspoon@gmail.com)

BHMS Girls' Soccer Interest Form

Interested in playing girls lacrosse? Fill out this form from your CSD email to show your interest. Please email Coach Alex Powers (apowers@csdecatur.net) if you have any questions.

Boosters offers ticket packs that are good for any game* throughout the year at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. Click HERE to choose your level, and Go Bulldogs!

(*Excludes away games and playoff games.)

Boosters has two main fundraisers to support our student athletes at DHS and BHMS: Run With the Dogs 5K (RWTD5K) and Bulldog Bash -- both are great community events that you won't want to miss. Mark your calendars and look for more information in the coming weeks.

RWTD5K: January 25, 2025

Bulldog Bash: March 22, 2025

Watch the game while also raising money for your team. Any DBB-supported sport can earn up to $100 per game by encouraging their athletes to manage concessions.

• $20 per volunteer per game
• Max: 5 volunteers per game
• DBB pays quarterly payouts to the Athletics Play Fund for each participating sport

Sign up HERE!

We appreciate all of our local families and companies who step up to support our Bulldogs every year!!

Learn more about how you can become a Bulldog Sponsor for the 2024-25 school year by clicking the button below.

Check out the new Bulldog spirit wear, which will be on sale during home football games at the Decatur Bulldog Booster table. New styles and items are being printed as you read this, so check back often to make sure your Bulldog apparel hasn't turned into vintage wear!

Stay in the know on all things Boosters by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

@Decatur Bulldog Boosters

@rwtd5k

@decaturbulldogbash

Friday, Dec. 6 - JV Basketball vs. Maynard Jackson - 4:30 PM

Tuesday, Dec. 10 - Varsity Basketball vs. Chamblee - 6:00/7:30 PM

Saturday, Dec. 14 - JV Basketball vs. Tucker - 10:00/11:30 AM

Saturday, Dec. 14 - BHMS Basketball vs. Peachtree - 10:00/11:30 AM

This year, we are excited to highlight our student-athletes and the value they bring to their teams and our school community!

We are blessed to have so many thoughtful and dedication coaches supporting our student-athletes. We will use this space to highlight different coaches each week!

In sports, it's not just about winning—it's about doing what's right. In this clip, professional tennis player Jack Sock demonstrates exceptional sportsmanship during a crucial point in a match. When honesty outweighs competition, it reminds us all that true champions are defined not just by their skills, but by their integrity. Watch how a simple act of fairness on the court can make a lasting impact both in sports and in life.

Sportsmanship: Make the Right Call

The role of an athlete's parent is challenging for many reasons! Finding opportunities for your child to participate, encouraging them to take risks, celebrating their accomplishments, supporting them through various challenges... It adds up and can take a toll. This resource from the Positive Coaching Alliance emphasizes the importance of building a partnership with your child's coach and provides helpful strategies to do so. There are many valuable lessons our students can learn through sports, many of which are not fun or easy to learn, and having adults who are working together makes the challenging times beneficial!

Tips for a Positive Parent/Caregiver-Coach Partnership

This year, the Bulldogs are partnering again with the Positive Coaching Alliance to enhance the experience of our students, coaches, and Bulldog families. The PCA has a vast number of resources that can help us make the most of our experience.

This resource is an activity we shared last year that aims at helping students and their families determine what their goals are as student-athletes. This exercise can spark some important conversations about how families decide to navigate this experience. Making sure everyone is on the same page about what desired outcomes can help to create a positive experience!

"What are YOUR Youth Sport Goals? Parent/Caregiver 100 Point Exercise"