Faith Academy athletes work through holiday week

CAPTION: Faith Academy post Megan Burrows is putting herself in position to be a big contributor when the season begins in November. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography

While the University Interscholastic League members took a mandatory week off from June 30-July 4, members of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools do not have that same rule.

That means that Faith Academy of Marble Falls’ athletic department had the option of operating as business as usual for its summer strength and conditioning. Most of the football team works out Tuesdays-Thursdays from 8-10 a.m., head coach Jay Silvers has said, while basketball players meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“We’ve been really excited about the level of participation,” athletic director Zakk Revelle said. “Some girls participate in summer leagues. We have kids who seem to be bouncing in, and they want to get better at their craft. That’s encouraging to see.”

The girls basketball team is competing in a summer league consisting of Blanco, Dripping Springs, Fischer Canyon Lake, Johnson City and Marble Falls.

In addition track and field coach Cedric Griffin has been conducting agility drills on Mondays and Wednesdays that will help football and track and field athletes. Griffin, who was a defensive back for the 2005 Texas Longhorns football team that won the national championship, spent six years in the NFL.

Faith Academy boys basketball assistant coach Malcolm Canada has a similar resume. He played at Auburn University before playing professionally in the Czech Republic, Mexico and the G League of the NBA.

Griffin and Canada’s experiences, which include competing at the highest level in sports, mean they learned several techniques, drills and other things athletes can incorporate into their own day-to-day routines that will help them perform at a high level, the athletic director said.

Revelle noted that while he is pleased to see the number of athletes attending these sessions, he and the coaches understand there must be a balance.

“We don’t want them to feel like this is their job,” he said. “Most of them coming are doing two or three workouts to keep them in shape. We’ve even seen some of our middle school athletes.”

Now that the calendar has turned to July, Revelle said it’s imperative the athletes either keep working or start making their way to the campus to participate. The Faith athletic department captured district titles in football, boys basketball, boys track and field and girls track and field. The girls tennis team won the Class 3A state championship, while the boys team finished third at the state tournament. The boys track and field team was third at the Class 3A state meet and the volleyball team is a Class 3A state semifinalist.

In order to equal or surpass those finishes, athletes must embrace the work that happens when the school year hasn’t started.

“That work in July will be much needed and warranted,” the athletic director said. “Volleyball wants to get back. It’s hard to get to a Final Four. We want to go win the whole thing. Kids took note of what it takes to be apart of this.”

CAPTION: Faith Academy boys basketball assistant coach Malcolm Canada has played the sport at the highest level and gives that insight to his players. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro