2/9/10 - Cinco Sweeps Morton Ranch, wins on Junior High Night
Varsity and JV Maroon both won tonight against Morton Ranch 6-0 and 5-0 respectively. At half-time Cinco Ranch celebrated Junior High Night, welcoming girls from local Junior High Schools...potentially the Lady Cougars of the future.  Prior to the game, the Junior High girls got together to create banners for the Cougars, and then attended the game and met players.  Each girl received an autographed photo of the Varsity Girls Team.

Cinco Ranch Girls Soccer Junior High Night: In 2009, Missy Wentz created Junior High Night for Cinco Ranch Junior High School Girls who are interested in playing high school soccer at Cinco.

This year (2010), as a CRHS Varsity senior, Missy hosted the 2^nd annual Junior High Night on Feb. 9 at CRHS. Missy encouraged girls from Beck JHS and Cinco Ranch JHS, the two junior high schools that feed into Cinco Ranch High School, to attend Junior High Night.  She also talked to the other KISD high school girl soccer coaches and encouraged them to start their own Junior High tradition.

The ninth graders this year at CRHS have told Coach Sanguinetti and Missy what a huge impact Junior High Night made on them last year when they were in junior high school and hope that the tradition will carry on for a long time.

Missy started Junior High Night in 2009 after attending the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Camp in Moraga, California.  This camp focuses on sports and leadership and was created by Julie Foudy, who is a retired USA women’s soccer team captain and two time Olympic Gold Medalist.  You can find more out about this camp at JulieFoudyLeadership.com.

The academy focuses on Julie’s great passion: the concept of not just being a leader on the field but a leader in life.

The lessons an athlete learns on the field of striving for goals, motivating others and problem solving translate into leadership skills the athlete can apply off the field. By the same token, individuals who develop leadership skills off the field are often able to bring those skills to the field to draw out the best in themselves and their teammates.

The Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy philosophy is to bring out not only the best soccer player, but also the best leader in each student in the following capacities:

SELF…………….  Being a leader that others will want to follow

TEAM…………..  Being a positive leader on your team

SCHOOL……   Setting an example of leadership on and off the field

COMMUNITY… Being a leader in your own community

LIFE…………….  The emphasis behind the leadership curriculum:  being a leader in your own life.

The academy encourages the girls attending the camp to create an “I am the change” project and follow through on it.  Missy’s “I am the change” project was Junior High Night.

Missy’s “I am the Change” Project:

Create “Junior High Night” during one of CRHS Girls Varsity soccer games.  Create fliers to encourage Cinco Ranch Junior High School and Beck Junior High School girls who are interested in playing soccer at CRHS someday to attend this game.  Recognize these girls at the game as Junior High school students for attending as future high school soccer players and for supporting Girls soccer at Cinco.

Contact, Coach Evans, my PE teacher when I was in CRJHS, and ask her to give these flyers to girls who express an interest in playing high school soccer and who would be thrilled to go to this game and meet the varsity players.  These girls will be let into the game for free, given a Junior High t-shirt (2009 free, 2010 $5) and an autographed team picture, and also given a visit to the locker room.  I will also invite these girls to my home to make posters for the game, meet Varsity players, watch CRHS soccer highlight DVD, and talk about high school soccer at Cinco.  I will encourage these girls to keep in touch with me. I was able to get Julie Foudy t-shirts to give to some of the girls last year and this year I got not only shirts but also some very nice jackets.

Why did I pick this project?

“I know many people who help the next city, or the next state, or the next country.  However, sometimes we forget that the people next door to us need us also… or even the school next door to us… which is, for me, the Cinco Ranch Junior High School.  I remember while I was at CRJHS, going to the girls CRHS Varsity games and wishing that I could talk to one of the girl soccer players about my future in soccer and high school and what it would be like.  Now that I am a senior, I want to give what I had wanted to the girls who are in Junior High School now.   I wanted to pick a project that I am passionate about… and I am definitely passionate about soccer and I hope to pass this passion on to these junior high girls.“

My Cinco Ranch Junior High school coach and teacher, Susan Evans thinks that the Cinco Varsity girls giving back to the junior high school girls is a great idea and is excited about me (and the other Varsity girls) making the effort to get to know the junior high school girls and possibly be mentors to them.

What I liked best about the Julie Foudy Academy was playing soccer of course, making new friends, getting to know Julie Foudy and professional soccer player Sissi from the Brazilian National team, helping out with Habitat for Humanity, and staying at St. Mary’s College.

I would encourage all soccer girls to go to this academy for the great soccer, great coaching, great hands on community program, and for learning about leadership from great leaders like Julie Foudy.

Go to the Photos Page and select photo files for the 2009 or 2010 Junior High Night.