Trojan Shield Weekly Update: August 6, 2018

Greetings from Trojan Country!

I was sitting on campus Saturday afternoon watching parents drop their children off for the semester, and it occurred to me what an important obligation it is for those of us at TSJC to help these young people during this next important phase of their lifelong journey. In many cases we are stepping into the role of surrogate parents for the student-athletes. Thankfully it is a role our coaches handle wonderfully.

These thoughts about the importance of keeping these athletes safe, and giving them a solid base upon which they will be building their adult lives served as an interesting reminder for me about just what goes into a collegiate athletic program. Everyone knows about the games played and the titles won, but there is so much more to it than that. The behind the scenes activities are the really important ones, and thankfully our department does not do any of this strictly on our own. It takes a team here at TSJC, as well as from the community, to take these athletes safely through this stage of their adventure. I started thinking of all the people that helped me this week, with just a phone call, a text, or a quick conversation in their office, to fix some issue that arose with one of the athletes. I started making a list of names, but was quickly overwhelmed by the amount of support I received. So, to all of the amazing people at TSJC, the City, and elsewhere in town that step up for our athletes – a BIG Thank You!

Summer Camp Schedule

• June 5-8 – Boys Basketball Camp (completed)
• June 20-22 – Girls Basketball Camp (completed)
• August 7-9 – Volleyball Camp

Taking Care of our Student-Athletes

We take the health of our student-athletes very seriously at TSJC, enough so that one of the first things the students do when they come onto campus is take an Impact Baseline Concussion Test. The volleyball and soccer teams did this on Sunday. It sets a baseline for when they are healthy, that in case of a concussion we will know where they need to get back to in order to return to the field of play.

The seriousness of the health of our athletes is so important that I feel one of the great moments in the history of the department is when President Carmen Simone authorized the hiring of our first full-time athletic trainer Desi Moreno last spring. Not only does Desi do an amazing job dealing with the health needs of over 150 athletes, but she has been working hard to put together a team of specialists to further aid in the care of our Trojans.

Brandon Baca and his staff at Trinidad Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine have helped us for years and are a key component of our health family. They do everything they can to help our students return from their injuries in a safe and timely manner. Our Cross Country team has built a great relationship with the hospital in Alamosa, and now new to our team this year will be the folks at Mount San Rafael Hospital—Dario San Roman, NP & Dr. Damian Mizera. They have been great to work with and will be doing even more this coming year to provide all sorts of health care needs for the athletes in Trinidad. Doctor Rocky Khosla From Pueblo has also been providing us with help with concussions as our Concussion Specialist.

With this team coming together I am confident that we have a strong core group in the battle to keep our athletes safe and healthy.

Current Fundraising Activity

Another activity that is extremely important in the running of an athletic department is fundraising. To take teams to a championship level we attempt to raise extra money to travel to face better competition and for scholarship money to bring in the best athletes. One of the key ways we raise funds each year is through the TSJC Booster Club. Each year the Booster Club board members visit with area businesses and individuals to attempt to raise almost $30,000 for scholarships. With their efforts, and the matching effort from the TSJC Educational Foundation, we can provide each team with at least one more scholarship each year. The Trojan Booster Club Board, consisting of Kathleen Griego, Brandon Baca, Ryan Coberly, Shelly Jones, Jasper Butero, Kim Niccoli and Penny Bueno will be meeting early this coming week to finalize plans for our fall campaign. If you are interested in joining the booster club please call me at 719-846-5653.

Women’s Soccer FanCloth fundraiser - Learn more at - https://shop.fancloth.com/81082/399419

Volleyball online volleyball t-shirt fundraiser - Learn more at - https://www.customink.com/fundraising/trinidad-state-volleyball?share=9621532363683023&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=desktop-campaign-page-share-top-v3&utm_medium=social&ref=facebook_social_desktop-campaign-page-share-top-v3&utm_content=trinidad-state-volleyball&side=front&type=1&zoom=false

Volleyball set to host 2018 Youth Camp

Trojan Volleyball will host its annual summer camp this week. The camp will be split with sixth through eighth grades in the morning and high school students in the afternoon. Cost is $65. Instruction will be provided by the Trojan coaching staff as well as the 2018 Lady Trojan squad.

Learn more at - http://trinidadstate.edu/xyz/athletics/camps/camp_vb_2018.pdf

Swazo speaks at NMHSCA Event

Head Softball Coach Steve Swazo recently was asked to be a guest speaker at the New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA) that was held July 30-Aug 4. Swazo, who is entering his 13th year coaching softball at Trinidad State, spoke to New Mexico High School softball coaches on Program Culture and Motivating the Student Athlete. This year, in his 2018-19 class, Swazo has eight student athletes that come from New High School's and in his tenure has had more than 20 athletes come from high schools out of New Mexico, one being TSJC's first NJCAA All-American Isabella 'Bella' Navarro from Bernalillo High School who is now a senior at CSU-Fort Collins.

Some photos from the week

Quote of the Week -

"Mental toughness begins with how you see a situation. It’s not about what you look at, it’s about what you see." - Tim Kight

GO TROJANS!

#DMGB - Doesn’t Matter Get Better

Mike Salbato

Athletic Director
Trinidad State Junior College