{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Championship Standards- Winning in the Classroom and on the Field","description":"Championship Standards- Winning in the Classroom and on the Field Season 7 Episode 4   SHOW NOTES: In this episode of The Coaches Call, host Chris Doelle interviews Coach Sterling Doty of Stephenville. Following a state championship football season, Stephenville High School was awarded the NFF Hatchell Cup National High School Academic Excellence Award. Coach Doty breaks down how Stephenville fosters a culture of excellence that balances elite athletic achievement, top-tier academic performance, and active community involvement Key Discussion Topics & Takeaways 1. The NFF Hatchell Cup & A Culture of Standards \u2022 National Recognition: Stephenville won the NFF Hatchell Cup\u2014a national award named after NFF CEO Steve Hatchell and administered by Matthew Sign\u2014which honors state champions for combined performance on the field, academic excellence, and community outreach. \u2022 High Expectations Early On: Success across academics and athletics stems from high expectations set early by the school district, teachers, parents, and community. \u2022 Honoring Tradition: Carrying on the legacy of former Stephenville head coaches like Coach Briles and Coach Copeland, the program expects players to be outstanding leaders in school hallways as well as champions on the field. 2. Stephenville's Two-Tiered Academic Support System \u2022 Academic Coordinator & Targeted Study Halls: Academic Coordinator Jeremiah Butchie tracks player academic standing and organizes small-block study halls during the school day for subjects like math and science. \u2022 Real-Time Teacher Communication: Teachers utilize a single-click shared document to instantly notify the coaching staff if a player drops a grade or misses an assignment. \u2022 Position Coach Accountability: Position coaches are held directly responsible for monitoring and supporting their players' grades. \u2022 Weekly Sunday Grade Checks: Every Sunday, coaches pull grade reports; any student-athlete with a grade of 80 or below receives targeted follow-up to get back up to standard. \u2022 Academic Achievement: Football players regularly fill the school\u2019s top 10% class rankings, tackle Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and graduate with college credit. 3. Multi-Departmental & Counselor Collaboration \u2022 Coaches in the Classroom: Coaching staff members are embedded across all academic departments (math, science, social studies, English, CTE), facilitating direct support between teachers and coaches. \u2022 Guidance & Course Placement: School counselors partner with players to encourage them to take AP courses or optimize their schedules so every student thrives academically. \u2022 Parental Support: Recognizing the daily demands on families, the program relies on active communication with parents to keep student-athletes on track. 4. Coaching Philosophy & Program Alignment \u2022 Individualized Motivation: Coaching requires recognizing individual player personalities\u2014knowing when to challenge a player openly or mentor them privately. \u2022 Assistant Coach Ownership: Directives from the head coach rely on assistant coaches actively managing position groups, monitoring grades, and developing the whole person. \u2022 Community-Based Athletics: High school athletics provides players a unique opportunity to represent their town, wear school colors, and build lasting memories that go far beyond club sports or private training. 5. Long-Term Definition of Program Success \u2022 Life Lessons Through Sports: Athletics serves as a vehicle to teach resilience, hard work, accountability, and a team-first mindset ("it's about us, not me"). \u2022 The 20\u201330 Year Benchmark: Coach Doty measures true success not by trophy cases, but by what kind of leaders, parents, and citizens players become when they return for high school reunions decades later. Host: Chris Doelle Links & Resources \u2022 THSCA Heat Toolkit\/Playbook: Available on the THSCA website under the Health and Safety tab (developed in partnership with Dell Children's and UIL) Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA): www.thsca.com Texas High School Coaches Association Twitter: @THSCAcoaches @ChrisDoelle Limited sponsorship opportunities are available on the show. Contact Chris Doelle at (713) 269-4620 or email at cdoelle@gmail.com. Subscribe on these great platforms:               ","author_name":"Lone Star Gridiron","author_url":"http:\/\/www.lonestargridiron.com","html":"