A new beginning

It’s the start of practice, and the Van Horn football players are circled up, doing warmups.
The particular drill is the entire team doing jumping jacks, spelling out “We are Falcons.”
Keeping a close eye on the activity is new head coach Jeff Tolbert, who wasn’t happy with the effort, as the jumping jacks weren’t as clean or together as he wanted.
“Do it again,” he says.
“Little mistakes like that cost you on a Friday night or a Saturday afternoon,” assistant coach Shannon Moore says.
The Falcons redo the drill until they get it right, then they can move on to the next exercise.
Welcome to Van Horn football 2008, which Tolbert and his coaching staff hope is the start of a bright future for the school.
This year is the first for Van Horn since being absorbed into the Independence School District. A new school system means new coaches, new expectations and new players.
Nearly all of last year’s roster is gone. Seniors graduated. Those who were juniors were given the opportunity to graduate early. Many took it.
One who didn’t – defensive back Austin Temple.
Temple remains the only varsity player back from last year’s Van Horn team – the lone dose of experience on a team severely lacking in that area.
“I knew it was going to be way different,” Temple said as to why he didn’t graduate when he had the chance like many of his classmates.
“We have organized practices. We have great coaches. They know what they’re doing and really push us to try harder.
“I knew this was going to be a whole new program. There’s a lot of opportunity to do great things.”
Different is an understatement. Temple notes that the tone of practice, the attention to detail is greater than it was in the past.
Tolbert said he and his coaching staff are trying to make sure they teach these players the right way – especially with as clean of a slate as they have.
And not all of it involves Xs and Os
“We as coaches are trying to instill an attitude and insist they have that,” Tolbert said. “Then you need to have enough kids buying into what we’re trying to do. They’re working hard for us.”
Temple said that attitude and that learning is paying off.
“There’s a lot more learning this year,” he said. “We know how to do things and do them right. And the old ways are not the way the coaches want them done.
“I’m really excited to be able to be part of this team this year.”
Tolbert said he is especially excited about how receptive players like Temple have been to the new regime, though it means more discipline and tougher expectations.
“I think they’re responding well,” he said. “This is something they’ve wanted. Most players do. It’s a better situation not only athletically, but academically.
“These kids aren’t different than kids anywhere else in the country. They want someone who cares, to be told how to do things and to be accountable.”
But getting through meant tearing down a couple of walls. And now that those are gone, Tolbert said he is starting to see things heading in the right directions.
“We had to break some habits,” he said. “And when I say that, I’m referring to an attitude that was pervasive here across the board – in all aspects of the school. It’s hard to break those.”
In addition to paying off in better practices and better lessons for the players, Tolbert said he is also seeing new people coming out every day.
After originally hoping for just a mere 30 players, the numbers are higher now – nearly up 33 percent over what Tolbert’s original goal was.
“We have approximately 40,” he said. “As of Saturday, we had 38. (Monday) I had seven or eight more want to come out and deal with the physical and things.”
Yes, things have changed at Van Horn High School.
And if Tolbert has his way, the change will mark just the beginning of many good things to come.