Enthusiasm

Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.
Dale Carnegie

None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David Thoreau

There are three types of people:
Those who make things happen,
Those who watch things happen,
And those who say, “What happened?”
Which one are you?


Attitude is the mind’s paintbrush. Create a masterpiece.
Unknown


A little spark kindles a great fire.
Spanish Proverb

I Am Only One
I am only one, but I am one.
I can’t do everything, but I can do something.
And what I can do, I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do.
Edward Everett Hale

Humility

If we were humble, nothing would change us – neither praise nor discouragement.
Mother Teresa


Humility precedes honor.
Proverbs 18:12



Colin Powell’s Rules
1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done.
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don’t take the counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.


With humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2


Let your heart be awakened to the transforming power of gratefulness.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Working Hard

GRATITUDE

It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same time.


If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies within yourself.
Tecumseh


Earth produces nothing worse than an ungrateful man.
Ausonius


We each have a choice: to approach life as a creator or a critic, a lover or a hater, a giver or a taker.
Unknown


Having the Proper Attitude
1. More athletes fail through faulty mental attitudes than in any other way.
2. Attitudes are habits of thinking. You have it within your power to develop the habit of thinking thoughts that will result in a winning attitude.
3. The foundation for the proper attitude consists of developing the habit of thinking positive thoughts.
4. Tell yourself constantly that you can do something, and you will. Tell yourself you can’t, and your subconscious mind will find a way for you not to do it.
5. A desire to win and a desire to prepare to win are important ingredients of a winning attitude.
6. Before you can scale the heights of athletic greatness, you must first learn to control yourself from within. Be your own master. Control your emotions.
7. An athlete with a good attitude is coachable. He welcomes criticism, constantly seeks to learn, and avoids criticizing his coach or teammates.
8. True success depends on teamwork, and the winning attitude puts the good of the team ahead of anything else.
9. Whether or not you create a winning attitude is entirely up to you – but nothing is more important to you on your road to the winner’s circle.

Nothing is worth more than this day.
Goethe


Your life is either a celebration or a chore. The choice is yours.
Unknown

ATTITUDE

The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
William James


Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.
Frederick Wilcox



Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?
Frank Scully


Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Abraham Lincoln


I have learned to be content with whatever I have.
Philippians 4:11


Paradise is where I am.
Voltaire


I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.
E. B. White


The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.
Winston Churchill







Promise Yourself…
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true
To think only of the best
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future
To share the greater achievements of the future
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others
To be too large for worry, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble

The Journey Of Success

Decide Your Purpose, Set Your Goals

If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them

Someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them!


Developing Vision
The first step in creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it.
-Vision will ignite the fire of passion, which fuels our commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence.
-Vision allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action.
-Vision has no boundaries and knows no limits. Our vision is what we become in life.

Core Leadership Program Begins

We will be starting our Core Leadership Program once again for our off-season work-out program.
- Monday, December 1st
- Dressed and ready at 3:45 pm
- West weight room
Spread the word to all the guys!

2008 Football Awards Banquet

Homecoming Pics

212* Player of the Week

Michael Dziadyk has been named the 212* player of the week for week 7 against Lockport. Michael came to play and really turned it up a degree this game. Congrats Michael and thanks for turning it up!

Week 6 212* Player of the Week

Congratulations to Ronald Jordan on being named 212* player of the week for our game against Sandburg. Ronald had 10 receptions 112 yards and a touchdown. Congrats Ronald!

212* Player of the Week

It was a very difficult task choosing the 212* player of the week this week. Congratulations to our LB Corey Gualandi for being named 212* player of the week. Corey had 12 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and a blocked p.a.t. What a tremendous game Corey! Congratulations!

VICTORY

Great Victory this past weekend...let's keep working to keep this V lit up!

Ignore the Talk!

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Teddy Roosevelt

Another Change

We have been informed of a change in the schedule for this weeks game against St. Ignatius. We will now play on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. We will play at the same location at the University of Chicago on Amos Alonzo Stagg Field. I have posted the directions for those of you who are not sure where the University of Chicago is located.
Take I-55 North to Lake Shore Drive South. Take Lake Shore Drive to 53rd Street. Exit onto 53rd Street and proceed west about eight blocks to Woodlawn Avenue. Turn left onto Woodlawn Avenue and proceed to 55th Street. Turn right onto 55th Street and proceed to Cottage Grove Avenue; you will see Stagg Field on your left. Turn left onto Cottage Grove Avenue, then turn left onto 56th Street. The entrances to Stagg Field will be on your left. Free parking is available after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends in the parking garage located at the corner of 55th Street and Ellis Avenue. The garage is available to visitors for a fee at all other times. Free parking is also available on the street. Parking rules are strictly enforced. Please observe all signs in parking areas and on the street.

212* Player of the Week

Congratulations to Wesley Powell for being our 212* Player of the Week. Thanks for stepping up a degree this past week, Wesley.

JT 13 - Andrew 34

We shake off the dirt and mud from Friday.













We come together, not as individuals, but as family, like we did at the Creek.















We belong to one family.

We hold our heads high and, with pride and as a family, we say, "JT!"

2008 Changes to Schedule

October 10th Lockport game moved to October 11th at 11am/1pm
October 25th LWC game moved to October 25th at 11am/1pm

October 11th Sophomore B game vs Plainfield East moved to Oct. 13th at 5:30 pm
October 11th JV game vs Lockport moved to Oct. 13th at 9:00 am

212* Player of the Week 2

Congratulations to our Week 2 212* Player of the Week, Nick Zamora. Nick has been one of the most dedicated players on our team. Nick has shown that our 7 Core Values of the JT football program will pay off. Once again, Congratulations Nick!

Weekend Victories

Congratulations to the JT sophomores on their victory over Plainfield South. 36-21.

And, congratulations to the Joliet West Freshmen on their second win of the season against Plainfield South. 14-8. What an exciting ending to a great game!

212* Player of the Week

Congratulations to Alex Kershaw for being named the 212* Player of the Week for week #1 vs. Richards.

Game 1 JT vs Richards

We had a lot of success in game 1, however with the mistakes we made, we were not able to get the victory. Let's fix these mistakes and get a victory in week #2!

2008 Preseason Practice

We've been working hard all preseason. We are ready for game week #1 vs. the Richards Bulldogs. Come out and see us Friday night at West.

New Addition To the JT Football Family

Congratulations to Coach Peterson and his wife on the birth of their baby boy.
Kye Parker Peterson 9 pounds 13 ounces! I think he is ready to play some ball right now!

Practice Times and Important Dates

August 15 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm @ West
August 16 8:00 am - 2:00 pm @ West
August 18 - August 22 4:00 pm - 6:15 pm @ West
August 18 Football Parent Meeting 7:15 @ West Auditorium
August 23 8:00 am - 12:00 pm @ West
August 23 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Varsity Gold Blitz @ West

It's Time

This is the day we have been waiting for gentlemen. Let's take what we have learned this summer and make this the greatest football season of our lives!

Important Dates

8/12 Sports Physicals @ Joliet West 8:00 am
8/13 First Day of Practice @ Joliet West Practice Field 8:00 am

Trips Right Open 999 H 1 Z Search

QB reads outside backer, once he commits one way hit the open receiver. The read is H to Z.

Important Upcoming Dates

8/12 Sports Physicals @ Joliet West 8:00 am
8/13 First Day of Practice @ Joliet West Practice Field 8:00 am
8/18 Fall Sports Parent Meeting 6:00 pm
8/22 JT Blue/Gold Night TBA
8/23 Varsity Gold Blitz 1:00 - 4:00 pm
8/29 Game Day vs Richards @ Joliet West 5:30 pm (Soph. start time)

The Funnies, number 3

The 7 Core Values of JT Football

This is a list of values that the JT football team came up with during the week of our Cedar Creek Camp. Ask any of our guys what the 7 Core Values of the JT football program are and they should be able to rattle them off 1 through 7. These 7 Core Values will be proudly displayed throughout the next year in our weight room and locker room.1. Come Together

2. Respect

3. Become a Leader

4. Dedication

5. Ignore the Talk

6. Build a Tradition

7. PRESS ON!

Important Dates In August

8/1 Edgytim Fastest Man Competition @ Joliet West 5:00 pm
8/5 JT Football Post Testing @ Joliet West 9:00 am
8/12 Sports Physicals @ Joliet West 8:00 am
8/13 First Day of Practice @ Joliet West Practice Field 8:00 am
8/18 Fall Sports Parent Meeting 6:00 pm
8/22 JT Blue/Gold Night TBA
8/23 Varsity Gold Blitz 1:00 - 4:00 pm
8/29 Game Day vs Richards @ Joliet West 5:30 pm (Soph. start time)

The Funnies, number 2

Thank You!

The Joliet Township Football Program would like to say a huge thank-you to Provena-St. Joe's for sending out a trainer to our practices throughout the week. What a huge relief to know that we had an athletic trainer at every practice.

Another great big thank-you to our Joliet Township Athletic Booster Club for our hi-pod endzone camera. It was a great tool at camp and will continue to be a huge tool for us during the season. It allows us to watch and critique practices from a great view.

More Pictures of Cedar Creek

The Funnies, number 1

Cedar Creek 2008

I apologize for the delay in posting, but, after a few hours of much needed sleep, I put this together for you... Enjoy. As you watch this, you will understand that this was more than just football practice, this was our team becoming 1.

(You may need to turn off the playlist at the bottom of the blog before you watch this.)

Cedar Creek Day 3

What a physically exhausting day...capped off by a night that will be remembered forever. It was a very late night so I will update in the morning.

The Funnies, Part 2

The Funnies, Part 1

Cedar Creek Day 2

Waking up at 6:45 am to meet the hill for the first time at Cedar Creek Camp.
After the hill the guys and coaches took a nice jog around the hill.
After our morning workout on the hill we had breakfast then went up to the practice field and had a great practice where the offense and defense have started sharpening each other.
In the afternoon we were able to escape the heat in the shade of the forest to work with Eagle Crest Adventures to work on team building skills.
The evening session of the day ended with a coaches vs. players 7 on 7 game. (Coaches won 18-7)

After the 7 on 7 game we all met in the meeting room for "the funnies" (a tradition in Coach Aubry's family for many years). Pictures to follow...tune in tomorrow for day 3.

Cedar Creek Day 1

60 players plus coaches ready to start a new adventure and tradition for the JT Football program.

One of the guys favorite time of the day...Smashin'!
Aurora Christian HS football team came down for a little 7 on 7 matchup. It was a great time of teaching and learning for our skill guys. O-Line and D-Line had a matchup of there own. Sounds as if the O-Line had a great first night.
We were very fortunate to have 6 time Super Bowl player Don Beebe (and head football coach of Aurora Christian HS) stop by the camp and give the guys a few great words of encouragement. Coach Beebe's words will ring in the ears of our JT players for some time. One of the biggest words of wisdom he gave our kids was "chemistry". Coach Beebe told the guys, "it doesn't matter how much talent is on the team, if the team does not have chemistry they will do nothing." He also shared his heart with the guys and what he is truly passionate about.

A little school spirit on the way to camp.

All in all it was a great first day of camp. The guys were very excited to be here and the late night break out sessions were very positive as well. We will see how excited the guys are when the air horn goes off at 6:45 am tomorrow morning...check in again tomorrow we have another great day planned.

Reminder: Please be at the school at 11:30 AM, Monday morning, to pick up lower pads. Then, off to Cedar Creek.

Cedar Creek Football Camp

-I will be updating the blog daily during the camp, so check in everyday.

List of things to bring:

1. Pillow
2. Sleeping bag
3. Towel
4. Practice gear (bring enough for all days)
5. Sun block
6. Swimming trunks
7. Sweatshirt
8. Running shoes (in addition to football cleats)
9. Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant)
10. Props for variety show
11. Snacks (after evening practice sessions)

Cedar Creek Camp Timeline Monday July 14, 2008

1:00 pm Leave from Joliet West High School

2:00 pm Arrive at Cedar Creek Camp

2:00-3:00 pm Check in

3:00-5:00 pm Tour of facility and free time (Low ropes/Canoes and paddle boats on Lake)

5:00-6:00 pm Dinner in Dining hall

6:30-8:30 pm Practice on field

9:15-9:45 pm Offensive/Defensive Team meetings (Offense dining hall/Defense dorm)

9:45-10:00 pm Move together in Dorm

10:00-10:30 pm Break-out group discussions

10:30-11:00 pm Team discussion

11:30 pm Lights out

Cedar Creek Camp Timeline Tuesday July 15, 2008

6:45 am First wake up call

7:00 am Second and final wake up call

7:15-7:45 am Meet at the Hill

8:00-9:00 am Breakfast in Dining hall

9:30-11:30 am Morning Practice session on the field

12:00-12:45 pm Lunch in Dining hall

1:00-4:00 pm Team Building w/ Eagle Crest Adventures

4:30-5:00 pm Offensive/Defensive Team Meetings

5:00-6:00 pm Dinner in dining hall

6:00-7:00 pm Free time

7:15-8:30 pm 7 on 7 Coaches vs Players

9:00-10:00 pm Talent Show in dorm meeting room

10:30 pm Lights out

Cedar Creek Camp Timeline Wednesday July 16, 2008

6:45 am First wake up call

7:00 am Second and final wake up call

7:15-7:45 am Meet at the Hill

8:00-9:00 am Breakfast in Dining hall

9:30-11:30 am Morning Practice session on the field

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch in Dining hall

1:00-2:30 pm Free time

2:45-4:45 pm Afternoon Practice session on the field

5:00-6:00 pm Dinner in dining hall

6:30-8:30 pm Evening Practice session on the field

9:00-10:00 pm Bonfire activities

10:30 pm Lights out

Cedar Creek Camp Timeline Thursday July 17, 2008

6:45 am First wake up call

7:00 am Second and final wake up call

7:15-7:45 am Meet at the Hill Jog to the lake and jump in…

8:00-9:00 am Breakfast in Dining hall

9:30-11:30 am Morning Practice session on the field

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch in Dining hall

1:00 pm Pack up and leave Cedar Creek Camp

2:00 pm Arrive back at Joliet West High School

7 on 7

Although we had a great work-out Tuesday night at Bolingbrook, we need to continue to improve our performance on the field. We are pleased with our progress, however, we should never be satisfied.

Offense ready to explode.

Defense as physical as the best defense in the state.

A new JT tradition after a work-out.

WIN!