CSD Athletics: Bulldog News
August 25th, 2023
Message from your Athletic Department
Bulldogs,
The Bulldogs are STATE CHAMPIONS (again)!! Congrats to our Girls' Cross Country team. The Bulldogs finished their season as Champions for the second year in a row. We have had a great Fall season competitively, and this was the icing on the cake. Thank you to Superintendent Whitaker who made the trip to Carrollton to support and celebrate with the Bulldogs!
The Football Bulldogs head down to Ware County High School Friday for Round 1 of the State Tournament. Thank you to Mr. Sprull who has organized a fan bus for students and families who want to travel to south GA to cheer on DHS. Good luck, Bulldogs!
If you have any questions or need guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Go Bulldogs!!
Executive Director of Student Services and Activities & Athletics Director: Rodney Thomas
Assistant Activities & Athletics Director: David Harbin
Bookkeeper & Administrative Assistant: Kelli Aaron
Athletics Announcements
Girls' Cross Country STATE CHAMPIONS!
Congratulations to our Championship Girls’ Cross Country Team. The Bulldogs won the GHSA State Meet!! Decatur finished with a total of 54 points, 22 points ahead of the 2nd place team. The Bulldogs were led by Junior, Sophie D’Elena, who finished second overall in the race with a time of 18:46.66. The win today was a full-team effort, requiring commitment, dedication, and perseverance from everyone in the program.
Congratulations to Coach Mary Souther and her staff. For Decatur Cross Country, this victory marks the 5th State Championship in 5 years — 2019[B], 2021[B], 2022[B], 2022[G], and 2023[G]. We are proud of the awards they have received and the tremendous individuals the program develops every year!
Vote Sophie D'Elena Atlanta Track Club Athlete of the Year!
Our top XC runner, Sophie D'Elena, has been given the honor of being named to the Atlanta Track Club All-Metro Team!! Only 21 girls in the metro area receive this distinction. Each year, two athletes are selected as Athlete of the Year. These awards are voted on by coaches and the community. Voting opens November 8 at 2:00 PM and closes Sunday, November 12. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on December 5.
BHMS Boys' Soccer Champions!
Congratulations to our BHMS Boys' Soccer team! The Bulldogs finished their season as undefeated Champions of the Atlanta Metro Middle School League. On Friday afternoon, BHMS faced Druid Hills MS in a rematch from the regular season. Both teams played well, creating exciting chances, but it was Beacon Hill who twice put the ball in the back of the net.
Great job to our students and coaches for another impressive season! The future continues to look bright for Boys' Soccer.
Boys' Lacrosse Parent Interest Meeting - Nov. 29
All students interested in playing Boys Lacrosse for DHS this Spring should plan to attend an Interest Meeting, along with their parents, on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The meeting will be held in the DHS Cafeteria at 6 PM.
Please contact Coach Kasper (skasper@csdecatur.net) with any questions.
News from the Decatur Bulldog Booster Club
Important Information on GoFan Tickets
Each person must show a GoFan ticket or DBB membership pass on their device for gate entry. Please have your ticket/pass accessible before approaching the gate to help ease congestion.
DBB members can share a pass with a guest one of two ways:
1. Enter with your guest(s) and redeem your passes on your device at the gate.
2. Share your GoFan username and password with your guest so they can access the pass on their device. The DBB member pass will work on multiple devices for game entry.
DBB members with questions about their passes can email decaturbulldogboosters1@gmail.com.
Show Your Bulldog Spirit! Get Your Swag!
Visit our Decatur Bulldog swag shop for all the latest Bulldog styles. We’ve got tees and polos, with more coming soon!
Winter Sports Are Here!
Get your all sports passes for winter and spring sports by becoming a member of Decatur Bulldog Boosters. In addition to game tickets, your membership will support 1,100 athletes, on 57 teams, representing 19 sports at DHS and BHMS – including your own athlete! Become a member HERE.
Upcoming Home Events
Thursday, 11/09: V Flag Football vs. Towers and MLK (Senior Night)
Friday, 11/10: V Football Playoffs (Away - TBD)
Saturday, 11/11: BHMS Basketball vs. Stephenson - 10:00 AM
Saturday, 11/11: DHS Wrestling (Intra-Squad Scrimmage) - 12:30 PM
Friday, 11/17: V Basketball v. South Gwinnett - 6:00 PM
Saturday, 11/18: JV Basketball v. Lakeside - 10:00 AM
Partnering With The Positive Coaching Alliance
12 Tips For Talking to Your Teen Athlete About Their Mental Health
This year, the Bulldogs are partnering again with the Positive Coaching Alliance to enhance the experience of our students, coaches, and Bulldog families. The PCA has a vast number of resources that can help us make the most of our experience.
Take a look at this week's resource on "12 Tips For Talking to Your Athlete About Their Mental Health." Sports, especially at a competitive level, can add another layer of stress to the lives of teens. There's balancing the time commitment between school and sports, as well as the pressure, disappointment, and social scrutiny that can come with competition: losing, not making the team, not performing to expectations, trying to earn scholarships, and more. As a caregiver to your teen athlete, your support can help them understand their feelings and feel valued and cared for. As any parent of a teen knows, "fine" is often the go-to answer when we ask how things are going. These tips can help build a trusting connection for support and communication.
"12 Tips for Talking to Your Athlete About Their Mental Health"
Great job to all of our coaches who have completed the "Developing the Triple-Impact Competitor" Professional Development Workshop provided by PCA!!
Coach William Faulkner (Basketball)
Coach Taryn Williams (Softball)
Molly Randall (Swim & Dive)
Nicco Salvador (Wrestling)
Anthony Hood (Basketball)
Nicholas Deloach (Basketball)
Inspirational Ideas
"How Do We Define What Failure Is?" - Giannis Antetokoumpo
After his team was eliminated from the NBA Playoffs last season, NBA star Giannis Antetokoumpo was asked if he thought the season was a failure and his answer provides great perspective for all athletes, coaches, and anyone else involved in sports. When we sign our students up for sports, we sign them up for disappointment, we sign them up to make mistakes, we sign them up for frustration. Keeping perspective about how we respond in sports is key to learning and to growth. Not only do we define failure as is done in this conversation, we also have the important opportunity and responsibility to shape how we measure success.