Author: rpomazak

EXTRA POINTS NORTH STAR FOOTBALL

rpomazak

Coach’s Message

7.25-7.31 

Star’s Football Family-

Happy weekend to all, I hope your family gets chance to enjoy some time together.  This was extremely busy for our Stars football family. All the key stakeholders were hard at work. The season is just around the corner and you can already feel the anticipation building. As usual, I will give you some of the highlights, low lights, and happenings for our Stars.  

This week we held two of our favorite summer program events. Normally, our summer youth camp and selfless service week are not held simultaneously. However, due to the new “post covid” summer schedule, we decided to team these two opportunities up and the results were amazing! We had over 125 2nd -8th graders in attendance for our 4-day youth camp. These future Stars brought the juice each and every day. Our platoons each took a day to help lead the program. I was continually impressed with our players and there ability to connect with the kids. The goal is to give them an experience that drives home our servant leadership philosophy while giving our youth an ELITE camp that helps to build the Northstar culture. Mission accomplished and a heart felt thank you to all who helped to make this possible. 

IRON STAR VALUE OF THE WEEK

Selflessness was our value of the week and a tip of the cap to Goodfellas on their fantastic presentation. Led by Joe Curzon, Goodfellas did a great job of highlight what selflessness sounds, looks and feels like. One take away we dug into was the “We before Me” philosophy. The boys made the connection that all great teams have 3 things 

  1. Unselfish play
  2. Trust and connection 
  3. Relentless effort 

I found this to be a great jumping off point for a deeper dive into positions and how each player should be open to moving positions to better the team. It will take selfless decisions like that for our Stars to reach their fullest potential. 

EARN YOUR STRIPES UPDATE 

The race is heating up as we enter our final week a champion will be crowned. Big Baller Brand is still in the lead but only 80 points separate the top from the bottom. As we enter the final push the campers will see our platoon challenge shift to daily tactical training drills. Platoons will be ask to perform maneuvers and task in unison and on command. The ability to follow directives with precision and efficiency is a foundational element to the game of football. 

We also have seen our first group of players eclipse the 50 point total! These young men will get their strip for their helmet. There is always a sense of pride when the players get thier strips. Its a badge of honor to wear the blue, black and silver strip and our players appreciate the legacy. 

UPDATE CHALLENGE 

SERVANT LEADERSHIP 

Our Stars have been out and about in the community completing their service learning projects. It is always so much fun to see what each platoon comes up with. It is humbling to see how willing our players are to help others. The goal of the project is to build collaborative planning skills. This is a project that our players must brainstorm, plan and execute on their own without coaches help. We want our players to be able to problem solve without the coaches intervening. On the football field, the best teams have players who can adjust and modify on the fly, often in the heat of the moment without coaches directing them. Again, everything we do as a program has a bigger picture, every moment can be used to build the behaviors that win. 

Celebrate The Little Things | A Gourmet PB&J Bar - Lulu the Baker

PB & J BAR DONATIONS 

Calling all parents, grandparents, friends, and family! Our Stars work hard on the field and we love to give them some food and drink after the day is done. If you have availability we are accepting donations of chocolate milk, Gatorade, water, and pre-made PB&J sandwiches known as UNCRUSTABLES.

Please contact Tricia Sharkey me if you are interested in donating. 

JOURNEY VS DESTINATION 

As we embark on this new season, I want to stress the importance of focusing not just on the destination we are striving to achieve. Getting to the top of the mountain is a great goal, but to make this a reality, we must first embrace the journey we are about to take. The day-to-day climb will feed our souls and build the behaviors that we will need to reach the destination. Focusing on a destination is not a terrible thing to do but often it is just a point on a map and it offers no benefits until the destination is reached. On the flip side, when we focus on the journey we can appreciate each small step that we take in preparation for reaching the destination. 

ESSENTIAL

In our preparation paradigm summer camp is the unofficial start to our season. While no camps are mandatory, our player’s attendance is an essential part of their development. With limited time, each day is a highly choreographed production with finite goals attached to each learning opportunity. Absences are expected, but players are encouraged to keep up online with all installs as a part of our accountability value. Again, our goal is to provide an ELITE experience for all participants. Lack of accountability or preparation on the player’s part will inhibit that experience. I say this not to scare anyone but to simply be transparent in our expectations and standards. 

Finally, our communication loop must be clear, concise, and accurate.  Please take the time to read emails, newsletters and check our website www.scn4thphase.org As always, if you have any questions please reach out to any of our group leaders 

The next steps 

As we close out camp this week, I want to shed some light on the beginning of the season plan. Below are some important dates and notes for your reference. A complete summer schedule will be coming out by August 4th. 

  • July 31st – Aug 8th IHSA dead week 
    • No player to coach contact allowed 

*

  • Aug 9th -IHSA season begins 
    • M-F times will be after 2:30pm 
    • Saturday times TBD 
    • Please have registration and physical on file 
    • Aug 11th Fall ‘21 Fundraiser Begins 
    • Aug 14th Family Day 
    • Aug 20th Black & Blue Scrimmage 
    • Aug 27th Palatine (youth nite) 

THIS WEEK PLAN 

  • July 23rd – July 30th
    • 7/26 All level camps 
    • 7/27 
      • Var @ Willlowbrook Team Camp
      • Fr/So regular camp time 
      • Fr/So 5 PM 7 on 7 @ Marmion
    • 7/28 
      • All Level camp REGULAR TIME
      • 4-7:30pm  var 7 on 7 
      • 8;00pm VAR Ottercove 
    • 7/29 
      • Frosh regular camp time 
      • Soph regular camp time 
      • Var NIU 6-8pm (busing) 
      • Var 8:30-10:00pm Team Building NIU 
    • 7/30 
      • NO FROSH CAMP 
      • VAR/SOPH CAMP 7-10PM 

In a normal year the varsity camp culminates with an overnight trip to NIU. Unfortunately, covid has put a temporary halt to this trip. While we are extremely disappointed that we cannot give our players this opportunity, our program does not dwell on what we don’t have. Instead we focus on solutions and an unwavering commitment to our mission. Starting on Wednesday our varsity will be having the first annual “SCN Football StayCatioN! Each day we will have unique opportunities for our varsity players both on and off the field. The goal of the staycation is to complete this phase of our team development plan, account for what we learned and then plan for the next phase of our journey. I will be sending a specific itinerary early this week. Finally, I do not normally ask but in our world this experience has been invaluable to our over all success as a team. If your son or daughter can prioritize these events and attend as if they were overnight with the team it would be appreciated. 

KEEP CLIMBIN’ 

EXTRA POINTS NORTH STAR FOOTBALL

rpomazak

Coach’s Message

7.19-7.24 

Star’s Football Family-

Another great week is in the books as our Stars continued their climb.  Our focus this week was on the values of leadership and accountability. Platoon presentations are always my favorite part of the week. It is a chance for our players to bring our Iron Star values to life in their own words. Each player brings their own experiences into each value and that makes for great discussion and reflection. This week Baz gave us this great 3 dimensional model of what leadership looks, feels, and sounds like.  Platoon Baz focused on the collaborative part of leadership and communication. A key quote was “ leadership sounds like people talking to each other and not at each other.  As we unpacked that statement we focused on two major aspects of communication. 

  1. How we talk to each other 
  2. How we talk to ourselves 

So often we treat others with more compassion and patience than we treat ourselves. We talked about the importance of positive self-talk and how we must learn how to TALK TO OURSELVES as opposed to TALKING AT OURSELVES. With this in mind, our team’s focus this week will be to encourage positive affirmations throughout the entire program. 

IRON STAR VALUE OF THE WEEK:

This week’s value is SELFLESSNESS. Platoon Goodfellas is on the clock and I am sure they will give us a great presentation full of insight and thought. However, we will not stop there. It has become a tradition in the SCN Football program that during the week of Selflessness we hold our Servant Leadership Platoon Projects. Each platoon is in charge of organizing, planning, and executing 1 servant leadership event. The event can have no real limits and the greater the impact the higher the score from the coaching staff. Be on the lookout via Twitter for updates of the platoons and their events. If you know of a resource that our players can use please reach out at let me know at your earliest 

EARN YOUS STRIPES UPDATE 

Some great opportunities this week including our 7th annual Costume bowl! It was so much fun to watch the kids have fun, connect and dress up in their favorite costumes.  Our overall point leader was the Big Baller Brand as they expanded their lead on the field. Michael Whitted took home the award for best costume as The Water Boy Bobby Boucher! Multiple teams had platoon outings and grabbed a bite to eat. In our program, these moments cannot go unnoticed as they are the glue that holds the program together. 

THIS WEEK CHALLENGE 

SERVANT LEADERSHIP 

Be on the lookout for this week’s Earn Your Stripes Challenge. SERVANT LEADERSHIP PROJECT 

  • Each Platoon Plans/ Organizes / Executes a philanthropy event. 
  • Winner is determined 
  • by community impact 
  • Originality 
  • Platoon participation 
Celebrate The Little Things | A Gourmet PB&J Bar - Lulu the Baker

PB & J BAR DONATIONS 

Calling all parents, grandparents, friends, and family! Our Stars work hard on the field and we love to give them some food and drink after the day is done. If you have availability we are accepting donations of chocolate milk, Gatorade, water, and pre-made PB&J sandwiches known as UNCRUSTABLES.

Please contact Tricia Sharkey if you are interested in donating. 

JOURNEY VS DESTINATION 

As we embark on this new season, I want to stress the importance of focusing not just on the destination we are striving to achieve. The top of the mountain is certainly a great goal, but to make this a reality, we must first embrace the journey we are about to take. The day-to-day climb will feed our souls and build the behaviors that we will need to reach the destination. Focusing on a destination is not a terrible thing to do but often it is just a point on a map and it offers no benefits until the destination is reached. On the flip side, when we focus on the journey we can appreciate each small step that we take in preparation for reaching the destination. 

ESSENTIAL

In our preparation paradigm summer camp is the unofficial start to our season. While no camps are mandatory, our player’s attendance is an essential part of their development. With limited time, each day is a highly choreographed production with finite goals attached to each learning opportunity. Absences are expected, but players are encouraged to keep up online with all installs as a part of our accountability value. Again, our goal is to provide an ELITE experience for all participants. Lack of accountability or preparation on the player’s part will inhibit that experience. I say this not to scare anyone but to simply be transparent in our expectations and standards. 

Finally, our communication loop must be clear, concise, and accurate.  Please take the time to read emails, newsletters and check our website www.scn4thphase.org As always, if you have any questions please reach out to any of our group leaders 

  •  July 19th-7.24 
    • 7.19-7.22 SCN FB U camps 10:15-12:00pm
    • 7/19 All level camps 
    • 7/20 All level camps 
    • 7/21 all level camps 
    • 7/21 5pm 7 on 7 Varsity only 
    • 7/22 All levels at Batavia 7 on 7 / linemen challenge 
    • 7/22 Leadership 1pm 
    • 7/23 All level camps 

Tricia Sharkey– 4th Phase 

Lance Erickson – Cover 4 

Robert Pomazak – Head Coach 

KEEP CLIMBIN’ 

EXTRA POINTS NORTH STAR FOOTBALL

rpomazak

Coach’s Message

7.12-7.15 

Star’s Football Family-

WOW, what a great week! Our boys did an amazing job! The investment, accountability, and effort that were on display were truly spectacular. The best part of the week was that I saw so many smiles and heard so many laughs on the field. That is it! That is the secret to great teams, having fun! At the end of the week, we had our 2nd annual Iron Chef Challenge and the boys did not disappoint. I left our mini-golf outing stuffed and BAZ left as the winner with a great meal prepared by Anthony Priami. The winning meal consisted of Italian breaded chicken breast over a bed of perfectly cooked rice pilaf. MMMMMMMMM 15 points to team BAZ on a job well done. 

As we enter week 3 of camp we are already on days 9-13 out of 20! It is going fast and the pace will only increase. This will be our first 5 day week and it will be essential to have clear expectations and 100% buy-in by all of our key stakeholders. Lots of fun coming our way this week with it all culminating Thursday night when the sophomores and varsity will camp at NIU in the stadium! 

Finally, each week of camp is dedicated to one of our values of Iron Star Football. This week we take a deep dive on Accountability. Every day we will take time to discuss what accountability looks, feels, and sounds like within our program. Then at the end of the week, Platoon Paisons will present to the team how we can make accountability a 3 dimensional part of the North football program. These opportunities for the athletes to take ownership of the program are what we live for! 

EARN YOUR STRIPES UPDATE 

THIS WEEK CHALLENGE 

COSTUME BOWL 

Be on the lookout for this week’s Earn Your Stripes Challenge. 7TH ANNUAL COSTUME BOWL

Each Platoon bowls 1 game at Stc Bowl 

  1. Total Pins wins 
  2. Highest Score Wins 
  3. Best Costume Wins 
  4. Points for all who dres sup 
Celebrate The Little Things | A Gourmet PB&J Bar - Lulu the Baker

PB & J BAR DONATIONS 

Calling all parents, grandparents, friends, and family! Our Stars work hard on the field and we love to give them some food and drink after the day is done. If you have availability we are accepting donations of chocolate milk, Gatorade, water, and premade PB&J sandwiches known as UNCRUSTABLES.

Please contact Tricia Sharkey if you any interested in donating. 

JOURNEY VS DESTINATION 

As we embark on this new season, I want to stress the importance of focusing not just on the destination we are striving to achieve. The top of the mountain is certainly a great goal, but to make this a reality, we must first embrace the journey we are about to take. The day-to-day climb will feed our souls and build the behaviors that we will need to reach the destination. Focusing on a destination is not a terrible thing to do but often it is just a point on a map and it offers no benefits until the destination is reached. On the flip side, when we focus on the journey we can appreciate each small step that we take in preparation for reaching the destination. Starting tomorrow, our slow ascent to the top begins. 

ESSENTIAL

In our preparation paradigm summer camp is the unofficial start to our season. While no camps are mandatory, our player’s attendance is an essential part of their development. With limited time, each day is a highly choreographed production with finite goals attached to each learning opportunity. Absences are expected, but players are encouraged to keep up online with all installs as a part of our accountability value. Again, our goal is to provide an ELITE experience for all participants. Lack of accountability or preparation on the player’s part will inhibit that experience. I say this not to scare anyone but to simply be transparent in our expectations and standards. 

Finally, our communication loop must be clear, concise, and accurate.  Please take the time to read emails, newsletters and check our website www.scn4thphase.org As always, if you have any questions please reach out to any of our group leaders 

  •  July 12TH-16TH 
    • 7/11 So/Var Virtual Mtg 7 pm 
    • 7/12  So/Var Camp Resumes 7-10 am
    • 7/12  frosh camp begins 8 am-10 am 
    • 7/14 Varsity 7 on 7 5pm @ SCN 
    • 7/15 VAR/SOPH NIU 6PM 
    • 7/15  LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 1 PM 
    • 7/15 COSTUME BOWL 11AM 

Tricia Sharkey– 4th Phase 

Lance Erickson – Cover 4 

Robert Pomazak – Head Coach 

THE CLIMB TO THE TOP 

  • JULY SCN4THPHASE MEETING 
    • 7/22 7PM VIRTUAL LINK ZOOM TO BE SHARED 

EXTRA POINTS NORTH STAR FOOTBALL

rpomazak

Coach’s Message

7.7-7.9 

Star’s Football Family-

Hoping you had a happy 4th of July and got to spend some time with your family. It is always a special time for me personally, I truly appreciate the hot summer nights when I keep my daughters up way too late for all the right reasons. Memories of bbq, fireworks, and catching fireflies will fuel the soul through the many long hours that are ahead. 

Now that we have that behind us it is time to take a collective deep breath and gather ourselves for what will be an amazing season!  Over the past week, we have put some finishing touches on the summer plan and it is time to kick the tires and light the fires! IT IS GO TIME! The season is here and time is of the essence. We have 20 days to commit, connect and care for each other. Each day will lend itself to the next. Every minute has a plan and every practice has a goal. Bottom line the summer is essential! 

IRON CHEF CHALLENGE 

Be on the lookout for this week’s Earn Your Stripes Challenge. Iron Chef Challenge 2.0! Each team will make 1 dish that will be presented on Friday before mini golf. Coaches will be judging based on 

  1. Presentation 
  2. Difficulty 
  3. Taste 

Winning Platoon gets 15 points and 2nd place gets 10! All will be posted at @scnfbofficial, let’s support our boys and girls and give a like or RT! 

MINI GOLF CHALLENGE 

Friday 11 am at River View Mini Golf our Platoons will be having the make-up mini-golf tournament. 

  • The costs 5 dollars per player and the event should last about 1 hour. 
  • Extra points for those who dress up for the part! 
  • 15 points go to the lowest score 
  • 10 points go to second place 
  • 10 points and a gift card to the lowest overall score 
Celebrate The Little Things | A Gourmet PB&J Bar - Lulu the Baker

PB & J BAR DONATIONS 

Calling all parents, grandparents, friends and family! Our Stars work hard on the field and we love to give them some food and drink after the day is done. If you have availability we are accepting donations of chocolate milk, Gatorade, water and premade PB&J sandwiches known as UNCRUSTABLES.

Please contact Tricia Sharkey if you any interested in donating. 

JOURNEY VS DESTINATION 

As we embark on this new season, I want to stress the importance of focusing not just on the destination we are striving to achieve. The top of the mountain is certainly a great goal, but to make this a reality, we must first embrace the journey we are about to take. The day-to-day climb will feed our souls and build the behaviors that we will need to reach the destination. Focusing on a destination is not a terrible thing to do but often it is just a point on a map and it offers no benefits until the destination is reached. On the flip side, when we focus on the journey we can appreciate each small step that we take in preparation for reaching the destination. Starting tomorrow, our slow ascent to the top begins. 

ESSENTIAL

In our preparation paradigm summer camp is the unofficial start to our season. While no camps are mandatory, our player’s attendance is an essential part of their development. With limited time, each day is a highly choreographed production with finite goals attached to each learning opportunity. Absences are expected, but players are encouraged to keep up online with all installs as a part of our accountability value. Again, our goal is to provide an ELITE experience for all participants. Lack of accountability or preparation on the player’s part will inhibit that experience. I say this not to scare anyone but to simply be transparent in our expectations and standards. 

Finally, our communication loop must be clear, concise, and accurate.  Please take the time to read emails, newsletters and check our website www.scn4thphase.org As always, if you have any questions please reach out to any of our group leaders 

  •  July 5th- 10th 
    • 7/6 So/Var Virtual Mtg 7 pm 
    • 7/7 So/Var Camp Resumes 7-10 am
    • 7/7 frosh camp begins 8 am-10 am 
    • 7/7 Varsity 7 on 7 5pm @ SCN 
    • 7.8 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 1 PM 
    • 7.9 PLATOON MINI GOLF 11 AM 

Tricia Sharkey– 4th Phase 

Lance Erickson – Cover 4 

Robert Pomazak – Head Coach 

THE CLIMB TO THE TOP 

WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH ALL OF THE SACRIFICE?….. 

SAID THE PERSON WHO HAS NEVER SEEN THE VIEW FROM THE TOP! 

  • SUMMER CAMPS 
    • SO/VAR FB RESUMES 7/7 
    • FROSH FB CAMP BEGINS 7/7 
    • CAMPS GO MONDAY-FRIDAY 
  • CELTIC CUSTOM SPIRIT WEAR SALE ALERT 
    • JULY 12TH WILL BE OPENING OF ONLINE STORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW 

EXTRA POINTS NORTH STAR FOOTBALL

rpomazak

Coach’s Message

6.28-6.29 

Star’s Football Family-

As we put the final touches on our summer football camp plans, I am reminded daily that many aspects go into the production of a successful summer plan. The goal of our program is to make every experience our players have an opportunity to build our values and in turn strengthen our team culture. In previous newsletters, we have touched on the importance of the climb. Being willing to start at the bottom and put the work into climbing back to the top. This week I would like to focus on the space in between the start and finish.  

JOURNEY VS DESTINATION 

As we embark on this new season I want to stress the importance for all of us to focus not just on the destination we are striving to achieve. The top of the mountain is certainly a great goal but for us to make this a reality, we must first embrace the journey that we are about to take. The day-to-day climb will feed our souls and build the behaviors that we will need to reach the destination. Focusing on a destination is not a terrible thing to do but often it is just a point on a map and it offers no benefits until the destination is reached. On the flip side, when we focus on the journey we can appreciate each small step that we take in preparation for reaching the destination. Starting tomorrow, our slow ascent to the top begins. 

ESSENTIAL

In our preparation paradigm summer camp is the unofficial start to our season. While no camps are mandatory, our player’s attendance is an essential part of their development. With limited time, each day is a highly choreographed production with finite goals attached to each learning opportunity. Absences are expected but as a part of our accountability value, players are encouraged to keep up online with all installs. Again, our goal is to provided an ELITE experience for all participants. Lack of accountability or preparation on the player’s part will inhibit that experience. I say this not to scare anyone but to simply be transparent in our expectations and standards. 

Finally, our communication loop must be clear, concise, and accurate.  Please take the time to read emails, newsletters and check our website www.scn4thphase.org As always, if you have any questions please reach out to any of our group leaders 

  • Camp 1:   June Week 4
    • Final 2 days of sports performance camp 
    • 6am-7am for Sophs/ Varsity 
    • Sophs have moved times to 6 am
    • Frosh camp still 11:15-12:30pm 
    • http://scn4thphase.org/schedule/ 
  •  Camp 2: Team Camp 
    • VAR/SO BEGIN 6/28 
    • Camp 8 am to 10 am 
    • FROSH BEGINS 7/7 
    • No football camp for frosh 6/28 or 6/29 

Tricia Sharkey– 4th Phase 

Lance Erickson – Cover 4 

Robert Pomazak – Head Coach 

THE CLIMB TO THE TOP 

WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH ALL OF THE SACRIFICE?….. 

SAID THE PERSON WHO HAS NEVER SEEN THE VIEW FROM THE TOP! 

* Schedule updates 

  • SUMMER CAMPS 
    • FINAL 2 DAYS OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE CAMP 
    • SO/VAR FB CAMP BEGINS 
    • FROSH FB CAMP BEGINS 7/7