| To the 2008 Bear Cat Spring Football Team, from coach Jeremy Bilka Thank all of you for all the effort that you put forth to make this Spring such a overwhelming success. It speaks to the standard that each of you set for your self to come to each practice willing to put forth your best effort. Football is by no means an easy sport to play. It is hard, it's harsh, and as I like to say, "if your not feeling any pain yet, you probably haven't started playing football." As you look toward the future, you should feel grateful that you have been given such amazing coaches on the Varsity and Middle School Level. Dan and Tony Klimczak put in an extraordinary amount of time and effort into their program. It is a privilege you have been given. I believe that every right and privilege you are given, you then have a corresponding duty and responsibility. You have to live up to all their hard work they have put in for you by putting in yourself an equal amount of work. I believe in you and know you are capable of doing it. I have no doubt success is in your future, but always keep in mind success is not by chance, it is by choice. |
| It is true that you owned Lake Station and Lake Ridge. Keep in mind always that it happened due to your work ethic at practice. I know that the journey is more important than the destination. The real accomplishment that I have seen from this group is there willingness to come to practice and work hard each and every time. Practice is where we make mistakes, learn from them and get better. In high school you'll play your games under the Friday Night Lights, but you will win the games on Saturday through Thursday, especially during the off season. While I will be coaching Lowell Football next year, I am extending my youth off season program TEAM COMMITMENT to you also. If any are interested go ahead an email or give me a phone call -- don't be afraid, have courage my line is always open to any athlete I coached. For free I am wiling to give any off season help with anything on TEAM COMMITMENT and will even come out there to help anyone. |
| I AM PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT No matter what your level is, you can improve yourself. Success is giving your everything every time. While some of you are highly athletic and or physically dominant, others vary in level and ability. I am EXTREMELY PROUD of how hard even the guys who did not contribute heavily with the first team did. Some of you where younger, some not as physically developed, some it was there first football experience, but all gave a tremendous amount of work. There were times when you were physically pushed and took punishing shots, but you had the courage to endure and never gave up. Champions endure and persist, they work through their tough times. It is not how hard yo fall but whether you get up. CONGRATULATIONS. I coached an athlete who was around 100 pounds in the 7th grade and now as a sophomore went to semi state in wrestling and weighs 210 pounds, one of the biggest and best athletes in school. I also played with a man named Rob Availa who never started as a freshman through junior year on any level of football, but as a senior -- he started right next to me on the line. We can't control when we hit growth spurts so don't worry about it. We can control how much work we give each and every time. We can control how we develop as athletes and how much we push ourselves in the off season. Put forth your best effort always. Thank you for all your effort and I hope you continue your path of excellence. Till I see you again. Coach Jeremy |