Newsletter 7 – Role

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ST. CHARLES NORTH
NORTH STAR FOOTBALL 

WEEKLY JOURNAL 

February 16th-23rd 

Be the Best Fry Guy

Word of the Week:Role 

The gray skies and cold is a constant reminder that I prefer summer to winter. The dog days of February can make even the strongest person look ahead. As we close out  quarter 1 of our off season I encourage us all to finish this quarter off the way we want to start quarter 2. Being a North Star is about making the right decision even when it is hard.  For those new to our 4 quarter program please allow me to fill in some of the blanks. We break our yearly program into 4 quarters, very much like a fiscal business year. Each quarter is designed to yield specific returns on investment. For example, quarter 1 is focused around the following 

Quarter 1 Nov-Feb  

  • Soft tissue recovery from season 
  • End of year player meetings 
  • Player goals and benchmarks
  • College Recruiting 
  • Initial fitness testing 
  • Winter Performance Cycle 
  • Lift a thon 

I am very proud to say that we have hit all benchmarks for quarter 1 . The players, parents and staff have worked extremely hard to keep our program in the forefront and our culture strengthening. We each have a role to play in this program and if we can share in a simple mission of creating an ELITE experience we can achieve all that we set out to do. 

In quarter 2 we add the development of both the technical and mental aspects of the game.  Leadership academy has commenced and our players are beginning to look into their roles on this year’s teams. Open gym and film opportunities will be added to our weekly agenda. The ultimate goal is to teach the game of football. Players will have chances to work on their skill sets, as well as, do positional studies. Performance training begins in early March and will run for 12 weeks. A similar format will be available and players will again be training off site at Legacy Performance once a week. A subtle shift from weight room to speed application will begin to take place.  A focus on linear speed and technique will be made. As you can see there are always opportunities to be involved within our program. 

Our word of the week is “Role(s)” . As in what is yours, mine, ours within the SCN Football program?  I chose role(s) because in any team or family dynamic we must serve a multitude of services in order to maintain the homeostasis of the group.  

As the leader of the program it is imperative that I communicate our roles to each member of our organization. As parents, players and staff we all play a critical role in the development of our program.  Culture is dynamic, it lives and breathes by the day to day actions of those within the culture. A program’s culture must be fought for every minute of every day. It is an extremely difficult endeavor and impossible to do alone. Unfortunately, there are times when the role we are asked to play does not equate to the vision we have set for ourselves.  It is important to set your goals high but equally as important to understand the process of how you can achieve them. 

People often ask me what the “Process” is and how does it work? For one , I did not make it up. It is “borrowed” from Nick Saban at Alabama. However, I do believe in what it stands for. In all honesty, the process is different for everyone. We all have different roles, circumstance and adversities that we must negotiate through. In my opinion the process is the self discovery that entails as we serve in these varying  roles. 

At St. Charles North Football we have a saying “be the best fry guy”. Simply put we tell the story of a young man  at a local fast food joint and his rise through the corporation. He starts as the fry cook and in only 3 weeks the customers start talking about how great the french fries taste. So impressed his boss promotes him to line cook. Well no sooner do the customers start raving about the food coming off the line. Fast forward 2 years and the “fry guy” now owns his own franchise and becomes a multimillionaire. All of this because he took his role and did his very best with it.  

In our program not everyone will score the touchdowns and get their name in the papers. In fact, far more of us will not but that should not change our effort within our role. As an Iron Star we must perform our role with an elite level of detail.   As a teammate we must take care of our fellow teammates. That means we must make every decision not with wants and desires as the priority, but with the teams best interests at heart. This is the ultimate in selfless motivation. When we care more about the WE than we do the ME great things can happen. Be your best you this week in whatever your role is! 

FINAL WEEK OF WINTER PERFORMANCE TRAINING

Monday February 17th

11 AM LEGACY PERFORMANCE  

Tuesday February 18th

2:35-4:15pm Whole Group 

Wednesday February 19th 

6AM POLAR BEAR 

1:30 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SESSION 2

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Thursday February 20th 

2:35-4:15 WHOLE GROUP FINAL LIFT 

Friday February 21st

No team functions 

Saturday February 22nd

8am Feed the Cats Speed Training 

LEGACY TRAINING

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

SUMMER CAMP DATES 

COLLEGE RECRUITING 

MARCH 21ST YOUTH CAMP/PARENT NITE OUT

ALL AMERICAN 7 ON 7 

SUMMER CAMP LIST 

This year we will have the usual camps listed below . 

*June 1st- 4th is designated for youth and individual skills camps. 

* We have added a new camp opportunity. June 6th – July 30th we will be running a separate strength & conditioning class. Bryce Biel of Legacy Performance and his staff along with our Staff will be running a 75 minute strength & speed session M-R. Camp times will vary from June to July. The availability of this camp will allow us to separate our football and strength development. While this is an extra cost, the development to the athlete is well worth it  in my opinion. Prices have yet to be released but I can assure you it will come down to less than 10 dollars a session which is well below Bryce’s usual cost. We took this step as the logical progression in our program’s development. We have always felt that our strength development conflicted with our football development in the summer. This will alleviate that problem. Additionally, we start official football camp on June 22nd. From June 1st – June 18th we will be having OTA (organized team activities) film and scheme sessions from 6pm – 8pm. These are non padded classroom based sessions. A full curriculum is being developed to better prepare our athletes cognitively for the summer installs. Again we feel this aligns more consistently with our 4 quadrant development model. There will not be a camp sign up as these opportunities are free of charge. 

* I appreciate the monetary investment you make on your child’s behalf. If you have questions please contact me. 

Newsletter 6 – Accountability

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ST. CHARLES NORTH
NORTH STAR FOOTBALL 

WEEKLY JOURNAL 

February 10th-15th 

Friends vs Teammates 

Word of the Week: Accountability

Phew… what a busy week for the St. Charles North Football Program.  Whoever said football is only from August to November is lying. I truly believe the formative months are from December to June, that is when the trust is built.   This week had so many amazing opportunities, I am forever grateful for being able to share in this journey with all of you. On Monday Coach Shannon and I represented the program at the Summer activities fair held at Wredling. The goal was to connect to a few more community members and promote the family experience that North football has. I was humbled by the positive feedback from the parents about our players, parents and the program in general. It goes to show that if we all take ownership in the experience we give the impact can be monumental. On Wednesday we celebrated our graduating seniors who signed a national letter of intent to play football at a 4 year institution and then immediately switch gears to welcome our incoming freshman at our Athletics Night.  Signing day is always a special moment. Very few times do we get a chance to experience a lifetime goal being achieved and for our players and parents I congratulate you. A special thanks to Trish Sharky and Lance Erickson who absolutely killed it with the set up and refreshments. I had a head college coach tell me that the experience we gave the families that night is the best he has seen in his head coaching experience. That is what it is all about!!! 

Incoming freshman night was a smashing success 35 freshman came in to hear about the program. Zach McClure was the highlight of the evening giving his real life experience about being a player in our program. It makes it easy to sell the program when you have players like Zach leading the charge.   Zach is a great example of a player who has accepted the standards, met them and now works to hold others to them. 

That leads me to our theme of the week, “Friends vs Teammates”. As a leader, I often struggle with the role I must play in this organization. Most people want to be liked, but very few of us are okay with the discomfort that comes with holding someone accountable. In my opinion a friend is anyone who is a good person who we enjoy spending  our time with. A teammate is a member of our organization with whom we will accomplish a mission. There is a difference , I will go to the movies with a friend but do battle with a great teammate.  

How does this relate to us as a program? It all comes down to standards. A friend will allow their friend to act below team standards because that is the “friendly” thing to do. It will cause the least amount of friction. While this type of relationship is good it can be an achilles heel for a program trying to become ELITE. 

“ When getting along supersedes the values of  getting better, there will be a ceiling put on the success a team can have.” 

This is an extremely strong statement in my opinion. Holding a teammate, coach or parent accountable to the program standards is uncomfortable. It can upset them, make them angry or even cause them to not like us. While team cohesion is essential it is not more important than helping to make each other better. Our program is built on pushing our limits and stretching our comfort zones. Great teammates meet the standards and then hold their teammates accountable to doing the same.  It is not dissimilar to being a parent, we often must be the unpopular vote but we do this because we know it is what is best for the family. My dad said it best to me when I was 16

“I am not your friend…I am your dad! There is a difference. I love you” 

This week I encourage all of us to be the best teammates we can be. Find those opportunities to attack the uncomfortable moment in order to strengthen the team. Be great this week! 

WINTER TRAINING IS NOT DONE WE HAVE 2 WEEKS REMAINING IN THE 12 WEEK CYCLE

Monday February 10th

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Tuesday February 11th

2:35-4:15pm Whole Group 

Wednesday February 12th 

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Thursday February 13th 

2:35-4:15 WHOLE GROUP 

Friday February 14th

6am Polar Bear 

2:35 Valentines’ Day Workout 

Saturday February 15th

8am Feed the Cats Speed Training 

LEGACY TRAINING

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

COLLEGE SUPPORT MEETINGS ARE CLOSED 

SUMMER CAMP DATES 

COLLEGE RECRUITING 

MARCH 21ST YOUTH CAMP/PARENT NITE OUT

ALL AMERICAN 7 ON 7 

  • SPRING 7ON7 INFO COMING IN LATE FEB

SUMMER CAMP LIST 

This year we will have the usual camps listed below . 

*June 1st- 4th is designated for youth and individual skills camps. 

* We have added a new camp opportunity. June 6th – July 30th we will be running a separate strength & conditioning class. Bryce Biel of Legacy Performance and his staff along with our Staff will be running a 75 minute strength & speed session M-R. Camp times will vary from June to July. The availability of this camp will allow us to separate our football and strength development. While this is an extra cost, the development to the athlete is well worth it  in my opinion. Prices have yet to be released but I can assure you it will come down to less than 10 dollars a session which is well below Bryce’s usual cost. We took this step as the logical progression in our program’s development. We have always felt that our strength development conflicted with our football development in the summer. This will alleviate that problem. Additionally, we start official football camp on June 22nd. From June 1st – June 18th we will be having OTA (organized team activities) film and scheme sessions from 6pm – 8pm. These are non padded classroom based sessions. A full curriculum is being developed to better prepare our athletes cognitively for the summer installs. Again we feel this aligns more consistently with our 4 quadrant development model. There will not be a camp sign up as these opportunities are free of charge. 

* I appreciate the monetary investment you make on your child’s behalf. If you have questions please contact me. 

Newsletter 4 – Opportunity

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ST. CHARLES NORTH
NORTH STAR FOOTBALL 

WEEKLY JOURNAL 

JANUARY 26TH – FEBRUARY 1ST 

OPPORTUNITY 

As I sit in front of my computer and write this newsletter I cannot help but think about the tragedy that occurred this morning. Kobe Bryant and his beautiful daughter Gianna perished in a helicopter crash in southern California.  As a parent the moment your children enter this world your mission and purpose change. In an instant your life becomes secondary and your sole purpose revolves around providing, protecting and loving your child. I cannot imagine the grief that the Bryant family is experiencing right now. All I can do is pray for their strength. 

It is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and the blessing each day is. The word of the week is “OPPORTUNITY” .  Too often we go through days dreading the obligations that we have. This week we ask our program to look at life as an opportunity. Each day we have on this earth is a blessing that is taken away from someone else. The opportunity to learn, laugh and love cannot be taken for granted. Neither should those aspects we don’t enjoy as much. Let’s change our looking glass and view life as an opportunity to connect and impact those we care about in a positive way. Our football program is a special place, filled with wonderful people. I care about all of you and wish you happiness and joy  this week. I sincerely hope you can share this message with those that you come into contact with . 

It is Lift A Thon week!!! The off season performance group has made huge strides and Saturday at 9am is their chance to show it off. Our 7th annual lift a thon will begin with registration at 8am-8:45am (participants should arrive then) A small continental snack will be available. After check in we will begin the event. The event has the participants perform 3 olympic lifts over a 4 hour time period. Lunch will be served and then we will hand out awards. We greatly could use your support for the day. If you can help please contact Trisha Sharkey or myself. If you cannot please consider donating to either a player or the go fund me account .

. Lift A thon Go Fund Me Link 

Monday January 27TH 

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Tuesday January 28th 

2:35-4:15pm Whole Group 

Wednesday January 29th

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Thursday January 30th

2:35-4:15 WHOLE GROUP 

Friday January 31st  

6am Polar Bear 

2:35 Pythons Work out/ Set up for lift a thon

Saturday February 1st 

Lift A Thon 8am-2pm 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

COLLEGE SUPPORT MEETINGS ARE NOW OPEN 

LIFT A THON (SATURDAY FEB 1ST  8AM – 1PM) 

  • OUR 7TH ANNUAL BOOSTER FUNDRAISER FOR PERFORMANCE CENTER ENHANCEMENTS
  • INFORMATION WILL BE COMING VIA EMAIL AND TO YOUR SON/DAUGHTER
  • 2020 SPONSOR SHEET 

SUMMER CAMP DATES 

  • TIMES HAVE NOT YET BEEN SOLIDIFIED BUT A ROUGH CALENDAR HAS BEEN PUT UP ON OUR WEBSITE  
  • PLEASE TRY ARRANGE VACATIONS DURING DEAD WEEKS 
  • http://scn4thphase.org/schedule/ 

COLLEGE RECRUITING 

ALL AMERICAN 7 ON 7 

  • WE WILL HAVE A SPRING 7 ON 7 PLAYING OUT OF LAKE BARRINGTON MORE INFORMATION TO COME 

STARS FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 

  • Leadership academy begins next Wed Feb 5th during early dismissal 

Player application form 

  • Application closes this Wednesday

All levels are eligible 

Cost will be 20 $ for text

Meetings are primarily on early dismissal Wednesday

Newsletter 3 – Acceptability

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ST. CHARLES NORTH NORTH STAR FOOTBALL 

WEEKLY JOURNAL 

JANUARY 21ST-JANUARY 26TH 

ACCEPTABILITY 

The North Star program had another productive week across the board. Our winter athletes continue to excel on the court, mat and pool while the off season group continues to build their connection to each other in the weight room. The word of the week was “acceptability”. We discussed what actions are acceptable with in our program. I feel it is important to define clearly what our standard of excellence is and is not. From a program level I believe we do a great job of holding a high level standard. Our players are dedicated and care for each other. Our parents continue to support our players and the program in a multitude of ways. The staff works tirelessly to build this program brick by brick. In short we all have created a level of acceptability that is ELITE. Unfortunately, with such a high standard being set it can o en seem daunting to maintain. I agree being elite is one of the most challenging tasks anyone can undertake let alone a whole program. It requires a commitment to our discipline that is relentless. Sure, there are the days when we want to take the easy road. Believe me, I am no different. We all have days that we would rather stay in bed. It is in these moments when we must be selfless and lean on our own personal values. As a football program we have our Iron Star tenants of character. As a program these are the behaviors that we try to develop in our players, parents and coaches. However, when 

talking about our own personal standards of acceptability we must take a look in the mirror and find what is important to us. As a St. Charles North Football player we want our players to have their own values and beliefs. It is essential in those moments when we want to quit to harness that strength. Together we can work our own personal values and weave them together with the team values creating a tapestry that makes our program special. This week our boys will be conducting a little test. I encourage your family to do the same home. Here is how it works 

1. Pick 10 values that you believe 

represent your family. 2. From that 10 now pick only 5 3. From that 5 now pick only 3 

When you have selected your 3 values do the following . 

1. Create a clear definition of what it 

looks like 2. Talk about the outcome that it can have on your family if that value is executed. 3. Create a non verbal sign that only your family knows to help remind each other of that value. 

When we take the time to communicate our beliefs, define them and finally discuss what we want the impact to be it can have a profound effect on the group. 

JANUARY – FEBRUARY 

We are currently in quarter 1 of our 4 quarter program. During these winter months the goal is for our off season participants to work diligently to achieve their physical, tactical goals. Time in the weight room and film room support the preparation tenant. Front loading the work will make it easier later on. For our in season athletes, they need to focus on being the best (insert winter sport here) player they 

1 

can be. Below is a calendar of events for this week, along with some additional highlights. 

Monday January 20TH 

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Tuesday January 21ST 

2:35-4:15pm Whole Group 

Wednesday January 22ND 

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Thursday January 23RD 

2:35-4:15 WHOLE GROUP 

Friday January 24TH 

6am Polar Bear 

2:35 Pythons Work out 

Saturday January 25TH 

8am legacy (FEED THE CATS SPEED TRAINING) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

COLLEGE SUPPORT MEETINGS ARE NOW OPEN 

– SOPH/JR’S INTERESTED IN PLAYING COLLEGE 

FOOTBALL – USE LINK BELOW TO SCHEDULE TIME – https://calendly.com/robert-pomazak/colleg 

e-planning-support-team 

LIFT A THON (SATURDAY FEB 1ST 8AM – 1PM) 

– OUR 7TH ANNUAL BOOSTER FUNDRAISER 

FOR PERFORMANCE CENTER ENHANCEMENTS – INFORMATION WILL BE COMING VIA EMAIL 

AND TO YOUR SON/DAUGHTER 

– 2020 SPONSOR SHEET 

SUMMER CAMP DATES 

– TIMES HAVE NOT YET BEEN SOLIDIFIED BUT A ROUGH CALENDAR HAS BEEN PUT UP ON OUR WEBSITE – PLEASE TRY ARRANGE VACATIONS DURING 

DEAD WEEKS – http://scn4thphase.org/schedule/ 

COLLEGE RECRUITING 

– Contact period Universities may come in and 

meet with 2021 players only – D3/NAIA CAN STILL VISIT – NCAA RECRUITING CALENDARS RESOURCE 

ALL AMERICAN 7 ON 7 

– WE WILL HAVE A SPRING 7 ON 7 PLAYING 

OUT OF LAKE BARRINGTON MORE INFORMATION TO COME 

STARS FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 

Player application form 

All levels are eligible 

Cost will be 20 $ for text 

Meetings are primarily on early dismissal Wednesday

Newsletter 2

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ST. CHARLES NORTH
NORTH STAR FOOTBALL 

WEEKLY JOURNAL 

JANUARY 13TH- JANUARY 19TH

WHAT’S YOUR WHY

It was a great week for Northstar football. So many young men and women working to change your best.  Whether it’s in a winter sport or during our performance training if you are a Star you are working to be your best. The word of the week was “why” as in what is your why? In our program we ask a lot of our players, parents and staff. Our goal is to provide an elite experience to everyone we come into contact with. For the staff that is the work we put in for our players to be at their best. For the parents it is the experience we give the visiting fans, staff and support for our children. For the players it is giving the highest caliber football every friday night to the paying crowd and then repeating that experience Monday- Friday in class. Bottom line it is hard to be elite, really hard. It requires an inner strength and motivation that is personal to each player, parent and coach. That motivation is what we call your “WHY”. 

  • Why do you play the game of football
  • Why do  you invest so much time to the program? 
  • Why does it matter to you?

It is important in our program to be able to answer these questions clearly.  We are a selfless program but it is okay to have your own motivations. Play the game for someone/something but with in the culture of our program. 

A highlight of the week came on Wednesday when we launched our Real World Connects program. 1 day each month we will bring in a community member who exemplifies the program mission to speak to our players. This month, Ed French was our guest. His time with the program was impactful some of my takeaways. 

  • Hold yourself to a higher standard 
  • No bad apples 
  • High school football will shape you for the future … if you let it. 
  • If everyone gets 10% better this year, what are you going to do in order to get 12% – 15% better in order to stay the best? 

We appreciate Mr. French’s time with us. The opportunity to speak is open to those who may be interested if you know of anyone who might be of benefit please contact me (robert.pomazak@d303.org) 

Finally, supporting the tenant of selflessness. Boosters  will be hosting the 7th annual Lift A Thon Saturday February 1st from 8am – 2pm. This fundraiser is one of a kind and has allowed boosters  to put over 75k dollars into the weight room over the past 7 years . Your son/daughter will have the paper work shared with them on google classroom Monday. The event is a ton of fun and 100% of proceeds go directly into room enhancements. A reminder that this is NOT an SCN FB fundraiser. All at athletes can join. Donations can be made by gofundme or at the event. Here is a link to better explain what the lift a thon is SCN LIFT  A THON

JANUARY – FEBRUARY 

We are currently in quarter 1 of our 4 quarter program. During these winter months the goal is for our off season participants to work diligently to achieve their physical, tactical goals. Time in the weight room and film room support the preparation tenant. Front loading the work will make it easier later on. For our in season athletes, they need to focus on being the best (insert winter sport here) player they can be.  Below is a calendar of events for this week, along with some additional highlights. 

Monday January 13th

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Tuesday January 14th 

2:35-4:15pm Whole Group 

Wednesday January 15th 

8PM LEGACY TRAINING 

Thursday January 9th 

2:35-4:15 WHOLE GROUP 

Friday January 10th 

6am Polar Bear 

2:35 Pythons Work out 

Saturday January 11th 

8am legacy (FEED THE CATS SPEED TRAINING) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

COLLEGE SUPPORT MEETINGS ARE NOW OPEN 

LIFT A THON (SATURDAY FEB 1ST  8AM – 1PM) 

  • OUR 7TH ANNUAL BOOSTER FUNDRAISER FOR PERFORMANCE CENTER ENHANCEMENTS
  • INFORMATION WILL BE COMING VIA EMAIL AND TO YOUR SON/DAUGHTER

SUMMER CAMP DATES 

  • TIMES HAVE NOT YET BEEN SOLIDIFIED BUT A ROUGH CALENDAR HAS BEEN PUT UP ON OUR WEBSITE  
  • PLEASE TRY ARRANGE VACATIONS DURING DEAD WEEKS 
  • /schedule/ 

COLLEGE RECRUITING 

ALL AMERICAN 7 ON 7 

  • WE WILL HAVE A SPRING 7 ON 7 PLAYING OUT OF LAKE BARRINGTON MORE INFORMATION TO COME 

STARS FOOTBALL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 

  • PLAYER APPLICATION RELEASED NEXT WEEK / CLASSES BEGIN IN FEB.