Branding the South San Bobcats: A Football Coach's Off-season
- Yvan Salazar
- Feb 20, 2022
- 3 min read
It is a Thursday afternoon on a mid-February day. The South San High School football team revel in the improvement on their weight room maxes. Phil Barron, Head Football Coach praises his team on his team’s improvement before he unveils a Power Point on the boot camp phase of Off-Season. A day before, Jim Rackley, Judson High School’s legendary coach, who led the Rockets to a State Title in 2002 and multiple appearances at state, visited with the Bobcats to talk about the importance of details and how the boot camp phase will heighten their discipline. The Bobcats have been deliberate in heightening their expectations, leaving no stone unturned. The January article on Athletic Leaders talks about the importance of brand management. Find out how the Bobcat coaching staff is elevating the brand of South San football.
The coaching staff at South San High School has sought out external resources to contribute to the culture shift. The inner-city challenges, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the Bobcats the last two off-seasons. “This is the first off-season we’ve had since the start of the pandemic,” explains Barron. With the University Interscholastic League (UIL) realignment, and a full off-season to boot, there is much to be excited about in Bobcat Land.
Networking:
Barron and Assistant Coach Rene Ortega have been instrumental in establishing an outreach for resources, competition, and guidance. Aside from a visit from Rackley, Coach Ortega established a visit from San Antonio Brackenridge High school’s own, Ramon Richards. The visit from Richards was “great for the kids,” states Barron. The magnitude of Richards’ reach goes beyond his National Football League (NFL) affiliation. The ascension of Richards is well documented as an inner-city kid from San Antonio that defied the odds. However, the origins of Richards’ work-ethic were what the students-athletes of the football program valued the most. “His story gives us hope,” exclaims Francisco Orozco, returning starter for the team. Richards has made the promise of more visits as spring draws near.
The other networking that have the Bobcats excited is the learning opportunities that took place at this year’s Alamo City Football Clinic and The Lone Star Football Clinic in College Station, Texas. Coach Barron says he is excited to increase his strategy implementation as he heads into his third season at the helm. But the excitement of networking with old colleagues and meeting new peers has been of greater value and a display of appreciation and professionalism. Whether it is participating in a Q&A session with UTSA’s Linebacker Coach Brad Sherrod, or meeting informally with a Central Texas coaching legend in Les Goad, the Bobcat staff have been dedicated to meeting with the best minds in the area to improve their approach.
Pushing past the Status-Quo:
The Bobcats have been active in seeking competition. Despite an unofficial Powerlifting team, Coach Ortega and Offensive Coordinator Doug Burford have facilitated a club Powerlifting team, which has paved the way for an official team introduction in the 2022-2023 school year. Ortega has also facilitated a Fall and eventual Spring Linemen Challenge in April, establishing a trend usually found in the rural towns outside the Greater San Antonio limits. “It’s about the competition and seeing who’s out there for the kid’s perspective,” states Ortega.
Another idea that has come to the forefront is the discussion of establishing a combine for inner-city schools. The goal is to establish a baseline for colleges to recruit the area of San Antonio for student-athletes that are not in the Division 1 pipeline. This endeavor is in the works and will be a collaborative effort with local high schools. Follow the South San High School Football Twitter account for more information on their future endeavors and current news.
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