RAIDER FOOTBALL

Raider Voluntary Summer Conditioning begins on 6/14/11 and continues every Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm to 9pm @ Brother Rice. Please note the week of July 4th, there is no conditioning and that is our dead period.

Official Start of Raider Football- August 9th. Double sessions M-F the week of the 9th. First session is 8am to 10am second session is from 5pm to 7pm. Players must attend both sessions. All fees, physicals and Parental approval forms must be handed in by August 9th.

Please check this site through out the year for important information for next season.

The Raiders football program represents the parish of St. Regis
in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) of Detroit.

I had a chance to meet with Chip Evans of the 101st Airborne as he came home to visit his family in November.... Chip, as you all remember, was the recipient of our fantastic outpouring of love and good will in the hundreds of packages we sent to him and his unit over in Afghanistan. As you know, the Evans family was overwhelmed by your generosity, but it paled in comparison to Chip's response. He wishes he could have reached out to all of you to thank you personally for your act of kindness, so he sought me out to relay the message to you.

Words simply do not do justice to describe how Chip and all the soldiers of the 101st felt when they got your packages. Combat has been heavy in the region of Afghanistan known as Four Corners where they are stationed. To know that all of you thought enough of their efforts to send all the wonderful things you sent meant the world to those guys. It was like getting a slice of home... and even though the boxes were small, the genuine, and heartfelt letters that were written boosted morale sky high. It was not lost on them the thought each of you put into the items packed in the boxes. Again, for those guys (and girl) to know that you were thinking of them as they went about their tough duty everyday made a HUGE difference. Chip is familiar with Raiders BFO, and it is a similar philosophy held by him and the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st. Chip had to head back to Afghanistan the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and he will be there until February 2011 when he gets another trip home to see his family. Things are still difficult over there and Chip apreciates your awesome gesture and hopes you will keep him and all of our Military men and women and their families in your thoughts and prayers over the Holiday season. Chip and his unit will be thinking of you often as well, and you will be in their thoughts and prayers as well.

Again, Raiders... It was a small thing we did, but it made a big difference.

"It's always a good day when you do something for someone else" ... John Wooden

God Bless all of you over this Christmas season, and as always.... GO RAIDERS!!!

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Raider Nation Week 8

Last Week:

This Week:

10/15 Friday Night
5pm Raider Varsity1 VS Country Day at Brother Rice.
7pm Raider JV Red VS Detroit Country Day @ DCDS

10/16 Saturday
10am Freshman Red VS Our Lady of Sorrows @ Powers Middle School
9am JV Red and (Black could be TBD against another team by Wed and at BR, OR... combo with JV White) VS St. Lawrence @ Swinehart Field
3:30pm Raider Freshman Black VS Divine Child Or TBD @ Brother Rice
1:30 pm Raider V2 VS OLGC @ Brother Rice

Prep Bowl - 10/23/2010 The Raider Varsity will be playing in a 20 minute exhibition game on Saturday 10/23 at Ford Field against Our Lady of Sorrows at 8:00am.. Tickets will be available at practice this week and next for $6.00. See Craig Dunaway.

Thanks to all- for your dedication and loyalty to Raider Football… As we wrap the season up… Special thanks to team managers, the Van Faussien Family and GIANT THANKS to the Mankins family who have been so helpful and kind running concessions for the past 6 years….We talk about being Built for Others, but you put those words into action… With Deep Appreciation, The Raider Coaches and Players.

Evergreen Hills Health and Living Center-Saturday and Sunday we will be going to visit residents at the Evergreen Hills Health and Living Center on 13 Mile and Evergreen. This is a yearly tradition for us. Saturday, the Varsity and Varsity 2 will be going along with the JV Red and Freshman Black. Sunday, the JV White and Black and Freshman Red will be going over. Coaches will accompany the boys, and we would ask that they bring some cookies, or other baked goods for the residents. We bring a lot of joy to the folks there who wait for our arrival with such eagerness. We will only be there for one hour on both days. Thanks always for your participation.

Jersey Day- Will be this Thursday at the practice field. Players can wear a jersey from their favorite college or pro team, or maybe Dad’s old High School or College jersey. You do not have to go and purchase a jersey; we will have a limited supply of extras at the field…. And as always your Raider practice jersey always looks great.

V1 and V2 Teams- Players and Coaches have been invited to the Wile home on October 21st for a special team meal. This is has become a tradition with the Wile family and the Raiders and it is a sumptuous dinner that is not to be missed. Thank you Wile Family. Dinner starts right after practice on 10/21.

Raider Football Banquet- Fliers will be distributed this week at practice…. The banquet is on November 5th, 2010 at Glen Oaks CC in Farmington Hills. This is a wonderful party and the food is wonderful. Lots of folks put in a lot of work to make this a Celebrate the season!!!!

Raider Rumba! 7th and 8th grade only- The big dance at St. Regis…. Pizza, beverages, tunes and fun! More next week…. On Time, Date etc…

Equipment Turn in- Monday, October 25th from 5pm to 7pm at St. Regis. Please make sure all equipment is clean. Players can keep practice jerseys. Please remove mouth guards from helmets. Please do not miss this turn in. It is very difficult to chase down equipment from all over. Please do not bring equipment to the school or to the banquet. If you cannot make it, please make arrangements with another player’s family to drop yours off. Our equipment is very expensive and we need it for future teams and players. Call me with questions. Coach Mac.

Built for Others- Ever heard of SISU? If you go to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, they use it a lot. It shows up on shirts and bumper stickers… It comes from Finland, and it is a word used to describe the internal fire of the people that call that cold and harsh land home. Fins say it’s more than just a word… It sums them up as a people…SISU embodies courage, determination, perseverance, tenacity, mettle and persistence. The world saw SISU on display in 1939 when Russian Dictator Joseph Stalin demanded that Finland give up their land to use as a base for military ports, and bases. Stalin wanted Finland to cease being an independent country… Something no fin would ever acquiesce too. The Russians invaded Finland with over 400,000 troops to the Fins 100,000 protecting their homeland. The Russians had 3 to 1 advantage in soldiers, 30 to1 advantage in the number of aircraft, and 100 to 1 advantage in the number of tanks the Fins had… Did not seem like a fair fight, yet, it was the Fins that dealt a fatal blow to the invaders. The Russians said they had poor leadership, the Fins said it was all SISU, never quitting, never giving in…. What does the word really mean? Finland’s President at the time said it meant “guts”, but the word seemed to take on new meaning after 1939, it’s a word that simply describes the people of Finland and the way they face challenges. SISU… Is a characteristic all of us should employ. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it along to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on to them to do the same” Ronald Reagan

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Sunday 10/10 CYO Play Offs @ U Of D Jesuit HS.
2pm Raider Varsity VS St. William
5pm Raider JV Black vs. St. Hugo @ Brother Rice

Eucharistic Adoration- On Wednesday, October 6th, Practice on the field will be from 5pm to 6:30pm. At that time, the Raiders will head over to St. Regis Church for Eucharistic Adoration. Players can be picked up at 7:15pm in front of the church. We will all be going. It is a one-time thing, and our love of Jesus should supersede anything, even football. Here is a note from Fr. Norm: The Spirit Alive! This Wednesday is our all day Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This is an ancient practice in the Catholic Church going back to the year 700 and it has been of great profit to the faithful in their daily life. The Eucharistic Miracles through the ages have shown that the host does become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano it is documented through the medical University of Rome. On Wednesday we are coming before Jesus to encounter him in the same manner as the people we read and hear about in the Gospels. We are asking that Jesus to fill us with holiness, cure an illness, relieve a friend or child or ourselves from an addiction--possession by an evil spirit--Lord help us to walk with you in our daily life. The Eucharist Adored has worked many wonders; lives have been wonderfully altered for those who have come before the living God. We want our youth to know God in this way and to experience God as a person who is there for them. This Wednesday the football team and coaches will gather shortly before seven in the church for adoration, to pray for vocations, to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and then receive solemn Benediction. I am looking forward to celebrating this powerful, ancient prayer with you. The entire Raider Football family is welcome to join us!
Fr. Norm

Operation Shoebox- Awesome participation from our team in getting our shoeboxes sent over to Afghanistan. Thanks to the Van Dusen, Schwartz, Linehan and Raider football family for helping with packaging and shipping costs.

Congrats Varsity- The Raider Varsity shared the A Division Championship with St. Edith and St. Anne. It was a three way tie for first place in the division.

Mark your calendar- The Raider football banquet will be on November 5th. Information will be coming out shortly.

Evergreen Hills- We will be visiting on October 16th and 17th- Details coming next week!

Congratulations Brother Rice for 50 Years of excellence! The Raider football family salutes you!

Built for Others: Coming out of grade school, he was not the biggest hitter or the best running back, but he was looking forward to going to Brother Rice to play where his older brothers had played. Playing for the Black and Orange was a dream he had long cherished. When he was finally a senior he was named one of the Captains of the football team not just because he was a three year starter and a fierce hitter…but because he was a leader and a catalyst…The Warriors were undefeated but found themselves in a playoff battle against Sterling Heights Stevenson, they were hanging on to a slim lead, when the Rice offense fumbled in a bad spot and suddenly, the Titans were knocking on the Warriors goal-line. Time was running out, Stevenson would take the lead and possibly win the game if they weren’t stopped. For two plays the bigger Stevenson team moved the ball to the 2 yard line. The crowd was in frenzy… Doom looked like the outcome for the Warriors… The Rice coaches called a time out. Only one player could go to the sideline for a timeout in those days, and it was the Captain who came over…. Before the coaches could even say a word, He shouted to them, “We got this! We have been working on our goal line defense all week! They are not going to score!”…2 plays later, the Warriors stopped the Titans on the one-inch line, and went on to win the game, and the 1980 State Championship. Because of his inspiration and leadership on and off the field, then and now, Brother Rice retired his jersey in 1982 to honor his achievements…. No player can ever wear the #42 for the Warriors again… His name is Tim MacLean (1963-1982), and he is a Warrior Built for Others. “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. - James Stockdale

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Raider Nation Week 6 Parents Weekend!

Last Week

Parents Weekend- A way for the Raiders to thank all of the parents for sharing in the commitment of Raider Football. All parents will be recognized during the weekend. Thanks for your support!

Operation Shoe Box- As many of you heard on the media outlets, a new offensive has just started for our troops over in Afghanistan. We sincerely hope the Raiders respond to the troops by dropping off their shoeboxes to the field on Thursday night. Please make sure you include a letter for the soldiers as well. Thanks for your support. The Evans family may be stopping by practice this weekend. 100% participation would be huge!

Support our community and support the Raiders at the same time! Check out the website…www.fallintobirmingham.com for details on a list of shops and restaurants that will be giving a 20% discount for the week of November 9th through November 14th. The discount card is on sale at all home games or by contacting Paige Leary at 248-672-8119. The card costs $35, but the Raiders and our charities get $20 of each card we sell. Team Managers will have info as well…. Thanks and Go Raiders!

In two weeks- The Raiders will invade Evergreen Hills. Mark it down. The residents there are counting the days!

Built for Others- Bo Pelini is the Head Football Coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He grew up as the youngest of 8 children in Youngstown, Ohio and attended Cardinal Mooney High School there. He was a hard hitting free safety and was later given an athletic scholarship to attend Ohio State University where he starred for the Buckeyes and even became one of their captains. Three virtues have been built into his very fabric since he was a small boy by his parents. Discipline, Passion and Commitment…. Not just in sports, but everything a person does in his life. Bo grew up Catholic and still is devoted to the teachings of the Catholic Church and is a regular church attendee. He maintains the values that his parents instilled in him. A case in point… Bo tells the story of his father with a tough decision to make when he was young… “With 8 kids in your family, you never have everything, but our family was comfortable. We were middle class folks living in Youngstown. My Dad was a pharmaceutical rep; my mom was a stay at home mom. One day, I saw something was not right… My parents were huddled and having private conversations. The look on their faces was something serious was happening…. It was, my Dad decided to quit being a pharmaceutical rep for the company he was with because they were producing an abortion pill. My Dad could not work for a company that was for that… So as hard as it was, he had to follow his conscious and what he believed in…. It really taught me a lot about commitment, but that is the kind of parents I had…. I hope I can always be like them.” Happy Parents Weekend! We believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, the giver of life! From the Nicene Creed.

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Raider Nation Week 5

Last Week:

Thanks Volunteers- Our first home weekend went off without a hitch. Thanks to the Van Faussien family and our team managers for all their help. This week we travel to Brother Rice. Please help us keep their property clean.

Storm Reminders- We will practice in the rain. Thunder and lightning take us off the field and over to St. Regis for cover. If thunder and lightning before practice, we will go to St. Regis first, then evaluate if we can go to the field. We have things for the guys to do if inside. Thanks for the great response last week.

Operation Shoe Box- Please see separate handout.

Picture Do- and Re-Takes- Official Raider photographer, Rene Rapson will be at the practice field this Friday to do the Freshman and 5th grade teams and anyone who needs a re-take or was absent Friday. Players getting pictures taken Friday should wear white game uniforms.

Built for Others- She had always thought kindly on people who gave of themselves and did nice things for others. She wanted to be like them and tried to live a life where she would put herself out there for people. Once again, she found herself on the receiving end of good will and kindness of strangers. So much so, that she doubts she would be alive if it were not for them. She woke up groggy in the hospital the morning of July 5th, she did not remember the surgery or much about why she was in the hospital. Her family delivered the sobering news. Their vacation home in Wisconsin blew up while they were all sleeping, and her beautiful daughter and her son in law had died.. Her husband and three grand kids were also hurt. She didn’t know what had happened to her, but she was alive and recovering. The doctors told her that she was lucky so many kind strangers had donated blood because she had lost quite a bit of her own in the accident. Her thoughts bounced to so many people, and she was incredibly devastated by what had happened to her family, yet again, she found herself saved by the total unselfishness of complete strangers who gave blood because it is needed and it is the right thing to do. Always faithful, she asked God for His help in their time of need, and offered Him thanks and praise for always blessing her family. (Margie Brooks is a St. Regis parishioner and her family grew up in Holy Name Parish…The Blood Drive this Saturday and Sunday at St. Regis is dedicated to the memory of Raiders Pat and Peggy (Brooks) Higdon. To donate, an appointment is needed (for Red Cross staffing purposes) Call St. Regis at 248-646-2686 to schedule. Healthy adults, 17 years and older may donate.)

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Raider Nation                                                                                                                                   Week 4

Last week:
Freshman Red        14        St. Anne                        0
Freshman Blac k     14        Redford Catholic        7
Raider JV Black        0         St. Anne          35
Raider JV White        7         OL Victory        6
Raider JV Red         12        St. Anne           0
Raider Varsity 2        0         St. Anne          24
Raider Varsity        12        St. Anne          22

This week:
Saturday, September 18, 2010

Pictures this week: Thursday, September 16th, and Friday, September 17th, all players wear White Game uniforms. Schedule: Freshman Teams, JV Black and White will have their pictures taken Thursday. Varsity, V2 and JV Red will have pictures taken Friday. Rene Rapson will have forms at practice and at picture day. Thursday is supposed to have a chance of rain….If that happens, the Thursday shoot will be done over the following Friday.

Operation Shoe Box- Items that are requested for troops in Afghanistan: Comfortable socks, phone cards, Jolly Rancher, or any kind of hard candy, stamps, sports magazines, paperback books. Shoeboxes will be collected on 9/30 from the field.

Built for Others- A story about perseverance… An opportunity came around for Sam to go to West Point. He did ok there…. Made some great friends, and thought it might be a career for him. He got a chance to see the world… at least, outside of Illinois and the Midwest. Things didn’t work out for him in the army, so he came home and tried to make a go of it in the leather business, it failed, tried farming, it wasn’t for him, tried selling lumber, but that didn’t work either. At Christmas, he found himself with no money and a family to feed. Determined to have a good Christmas, he sold his silver watch to buy presents and a nice meal for his family. He decided to go back into the army, and make another go of it. Soon the country was at war again, but this was different. It was Civil War, State against State, brother against brother… The Union Army was getting hammered by the South and their great Generals, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. Sam got a chance to make a difference and he and his men won a battle at Fort Donaldson where they stopped the tide of Confederate victories. Next was Shiloh in Tennessee, Sam and his friend Bill were commanders of the Union troops. The South was none too happy about Union troops being in Tennessee. They mounted a huge army and attacked Sam’s troops. They caught the boys in blue by surprise and Sam was trying to get his men hang in. Sam had his horse shot out from under him the fire was so intense. The battle died down as darkness fell…. The Southern General wired his leadership that they had won a big victory… But the battle wasn’t over yet… Bill found his friend Sam under an Apple Tree limping on crutches. Bill Said, “Boy, we really caught hell today”…. Sam replied, “Yes we did… He paused and looked at his friend….. “Lick ‘em tomorrow though”. The Union rallied, and won another huge victory. He went on to become a General that turned the tide of the war for the Union….Later in the war, his generous terms regarding the surrender of the Confederates at the end of the Civil War helped start healing the wounds the country had… And to think that only a year earlier, he was so broke that he had to hock his watch…Even when things look most bleak, you have to work hard, keep the faith, and believe in yourself…. Like Sam…. Most people remember him as Ulysses S. Grant, he went on to become the 18th President of the United States, and his friend Bill was none other than William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union General who overcame his own troubles (depression and loss of a young son) and helped Grant win in Atlanta and the Carolinas. __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raider Nation Week 3

Last Week:

Team Managers are still needed for next 3 weeks games at Home. Call Kira Mann at 248-646-7717 or email her at kmann@dcds.edu.

Team and Individual Pictures- will be taken next week: Thursday and Friday at practice September 16th and 17th respectively. Rene Rapson will hand out forms shortly at practice. Schedule will be: Thursday 9/16 Freshman and JV Black and White. Friday 9/17. Varsity 1 and 2 and JV Red.

Operation Shoebox- Former Raider…Danny Evans has a brother Chip, who is currently stationed over in Afghanistan with the Army. They had a close call where the vehicle they were driving in was hit by a mortar. Their gunner was injured, but doing ok. Danny’s folks Barb and Chuck said the men and women are fighting hard, but could use some support from home. Raider football players will be asked to get a shoebox, fill it with some goods and a letter to the troops. Barb will provide a list and a handout will be coming shortly to the guys at practice. The boxes will be shipped from the Southfield Post office thanks to the generosity of the Gregory J. Schwartz and Sons and others. The boxes will be due on Thursday, September 30th by the end of practice. It means a lot to our troops!

Built for Others: At 5’ 9” Teresa Leone was not a woman who liked to wear heels to work as an executive secretary at Lawyers Travel in New York. She was a walker, so she wore sensible shoes to work because she and some colleagues would walk at lunchtime. Her office was located on the 57th floor of World Trade Center 1, and she got to work early on 9/11/2001 so she went to the café to grab an English muffin. She never got to eat it because all of the sudden the building was rocked by an explosion, she heard the loud BANG, and felt the building swaying back and forth. She still remembers the grapefruit rolling off counters. They had plenty of fire drills and she knew this was no drill. She hustled back to her desk and grabbed her purse because her life was in it and her rosary. Her cell phone would not work, but she and her business associates headed for the stairs… others did the same. Everything was orderly and calm. When she got to the 44th floor they could smell gasoline. Smoke was pouring out of the closed elevators. Firemen were there to direct them to a different staircase. One of the men gave her water, and said it was going to be OK and to keep moving. Down they went into the dark staircase… Every so often people would yell to move aside so firemen could bring injured people on stretchers past them. The injured looked so burned; she could not tell what race they were. Firemen kept coming up the stairs; toward the danger…She had her rosary beads out and was praying the whole way down. She thought to herself, these firemen don’t make much money, but here they are going up to help others. It took her 45 minutes to get out of the building. In 15 minutes the entire building would collapse, and many of those fine men… trying to save and help others would not make it out…. She prayed to her patron Saint, St. Francis to help all of them and to bless their souls…She still has the cup that the fireman gave her so she could drink some water. She will never forget his face or his kindness to her and she prays every day for him and his family… She is sad that he never got to know his name. We honor the victims and the heroes of 9/11/2001 in New York, Washington D.C and Pennsylvania… God Bless them and their families…. We will never forget….

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Raider Nation                                                                                                                                  Week 2

Last Week:
Raider Freshman Red          0          St. Anne                       0
Raider Freshman Black       0          St. William                  12
Raider JV White/Black          20        Everest Academy      27
Raider JV Red                       44        St. William                  24
Raider Varsity 2                     6          Everest Academy      22
Raider Varsity                      14        St. William                    6

This Week: All Teams are on the road, all teams wear white. All Games are Saturday, September 4th. Maps will be provided by Coach O’Hara at practice.
8am Raider Freshman Red (MacLean/Jackson) @ OLGC At Central Middle School
10:30am Raider Freshman Black (Callaghan) @ St. Lawrence At Eppler Middle School
11:30 Raider JV White ( Everly) @ Our Lady of Sorrows (Powers Rd Campus Field)
2pm   Raider JV Black ( Zarek) @ OLGC At Central Middle School
4pm Raider JV Red (Ryder) @ OLGC AT Central Middle School
6pm Raider Varsity 2 @ OLGC AT Central Middle School
8pm Raider Varsity @ OLGC AT Central Middle School

24 Hour Rule- Please try to adhere to the 24 hour rule following games. If you have a problem with a coach please do not try to discuss the issue then and there. Wait 24 hours to call or call him on Monday. Cooler heads always prevail.

School Starts- We will be working to try to be more timely in wrapping up practices on time as school is starting. Players need to work hard in the classroom and be BFO at all times.

Labor Day schedule- No practice on Sunday or Monday of this Labor Day weekend. See everyone back at practice on Tuesday at 5pm of next week.

Built For Others- Jim grew up in Abington, Illinois…. He was an only child. His dad loved watching him play sports, but his mom was adamant that he learn to play the piano and to act in school plays. He was a very bright student, but he loved to compete on the football field best of all. After High School, Jim applied to go to the Naval Academy… He was accepted and played football. Again, what he loved best was the camaraderie and teamwork the game instilled. He described himself as an average player who gave above average effort to make up for his lack of size. Jim graduated from the Naval Academy and became a fighter pilot. He became a wing commander as the war with Viet Nam was heating up. Very early in the conflict, Jim’s plane was shot down and he became a prisoner of war for 8 long years. During that time, he was beaten and treated terribly. He also was put into solitary confinement. It was hard to endure, but he thanked God he had his faith, and also that he had been a football player or else he would not have been able to endure the ordeal. His captors wanted to use the prisoners for propaganda, and as the senior U.S. officer, he refused to have his men “used” to portray themselves as un-American. He developed a secret communications system to keep his men together, and they used an acronym- BACK US…. It was meant to rally the men to support each other…. Its meaning was….UNITY OVER SELF. It was Jim’s belief that they had to stick together to survive the abusive treatment. Jim knew that rather than look at his situation as bleak… He would look on it as an opportunity… If he could survive it would be the defining moment of his life. Jim’s commitment to his fellow prisoners, and taking such punishment allowed him to continue to fight his enemy even though he was a captive. He did survive, and he became one of America’s most decorated officers…. Winning the Medal of Honor… It was a long way from the football fields in Abington, but as James Stockdale learned… to be a true winner…. You have to be a person BUILT FOR OTHERS.
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Raider Nation                                                                                                                                  Week 1

This Week: All Teams Away, All Teams wear White Jerseys, be there 1 hour before game time.

Saturday, August 28th
9am    Raider JV White (5th Grade) @ Everest Academy, Clarkston
10:30   Raider Freshman Black (Callaghan) @ St. Anne @ Warren Community Center
11am               Raider Varsity2 @ Everest Academy, Clarkston

Sunday, August 29th
12 noon          Freshman Red (Jackson/MacLean) @ St. William @ Walled Lake Cent HS
1:30pm            Raider JV Red (6th Grade/Ryder) @ St. William @ Walled Lake Central HS
3:30pm            Raider Varsity @ St. William @ Walled Lake Central HS

Game uniforms- Varsity tonight, JV handed out Tuesday night, Freshman, Wednesday night…Follow washing instructions…

Thanks- To all parents for helping with a successful 4 way scrimmage at Country Day. The food drive was very successful and the MYAA wanted to cite the Raider Football Family for being extra generous. Also special thanks to The Van Faussien and Mankins families for doing such a great job organizing admissions and concessions on short notice. Thanks also to the volunteers for pitching in.

Sophie- The Mankins family has been running concessions for a long time. This will be their last year at the helm of concessions. They have been more than generous with their time and energy over the years. They would like to honor their daughter Sophie’s memory by dedicating the season and all their work on Raider concessions this fall to her. Sophie left us way too early, but she is not forgotten by those who loved her. She was a little girl overcome with many illnesses, but battled hard and never complained. Her bright personality can still be seen glowing in her family members. She is one of our Raider angel’s who looks out for us always. Thank you Mankins family!!!

Road Warriors- We are on the road for the opening 3 games of the season, but we still need to get team managers lined volunteering for the upcoming home games. I have some teams, but not all. Please contact Kira Mann at kmann@dcds.edu to sign up!

Operation Shoebox- Is coming…. Stay tuned for details.

Built for Others- “He that humbles himself shall be exalted”….The closest thing the Detroit area has to a real; honest to goodness saint is Venerable Solanus Casey. He was a Capuchin Priest who was known as Fr. Solanus back then… he worked in New York, Detroit and Indiana. Because he had trouble with Latin and German, he was declared a simplex Priest, not allowed to give formal homilies, and not allowed to hear confessions. He did all the little menial jobs that had to be done. He did janitorial work, gardening, cleaning… You name it. He owned nothing except a violin and some prayer books… Yet he was always happy. He loved the Tigers, and he loved helping people….   The best job he had was answering the door to talk to people who came to the monastery for help. It is here where God used him as an instrument of His love… Tens of Thousands of people came to see him… Some say he performed miracles, others say he just renewed their faith and gave them hope. Many saw Fr. Solanus as a man who loved God with all his being, and that kind of love brings them peace. When he died, close to 100,000 people paid their respects The Vatican is considering his case for becoming a real saint… People still go to St. Bonaventure’s in Detroit to pray at his coffin and leave notes for him…They bring the sick, and they pray for guidance and help for the hopeless. He saw God in everything and everyone….A true Detroit hero… A Man Built for Others….

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Raider Nation                                                                                                    4 Way Scrimmage Week

This week: Four Way Scrimmages: All players wear practice uniforms, arrive 1 hour prior to your scrimmage. Make sure to bring your water with you.

Thursday, August 19th    At Detroit Country Day

2pm   Raider Freshman Black (Callaghan) VS. Shrine, OLGC, Divine Child.

4pm Raider JV Red (6th Grade) VS OL Sorrows, Divine Child and Shrine.

6pm Raider Varsity 1 VS OL Sorrows, Divine Child, and Shrine
*Parents coming to this scrimmage are asked to bring a case of water, pop, diet pop or Gatorade and drop it off to the concession stand prior to your son’s game. This is a donation! Freshman, Bring Water, 6th grade, pop and diet pop, Varsity Gatorade…. Thanks!

Saturday, August 21st.   At Eckstein Park, Warren (Next to St. Anne on Mound Rd Between 13 and 14)
9am     Raider Freshman Red (Jackson/MacLean) VS St. Anne, St. Lawrence and Macomb Mustangs
9am     Raider Varsity2 VS St. Anne, St. Lawrence and Macomb Mustangs
*They will be collecting food at the 4 way food drive at this location also….

Sunday, August 22nd At Detroit Country Day

Raider JV White (5th grade)   VS Northville Stallions, Northville Colts and Country Day.

Thursday, August 19th, At Country Day…4 Way Food Drive, Sponsored by Michigan Youth Athletic Association and St. Regis. Bring non- perishable food or canned goods for distribution to the area Soup Kitchens. Checks accepted too…. Make checks payable to MYAA.

Thursday Practice for V2, JV White and Freshman Red: At Brother Rice 5pm.

Saturday Mass for those teams not scrimmaging at St. Annes…. 8:30 Mass, we will have practice but it will be TBD as coaches may be scouting opponents…

Sunday, No practice, except for JV White has scrimmage at 6pm at Country Day.

Monday, No practice for JV White only

Parents Manager: Kira Mann has accepted the position for this job…. Thanks Kira! Reach her at kmann@dcds.edu

Team Managers: I have heard from the 8th grade and 4th grade so far, need to get more parents to step up... Thanks.

Built for Others: Kevin Degen died this week, he was only 52… We had been praying for him and his family all week, but he was the epitome of a person Built for Others… At age 1 he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and his doctors said there was no hope of him living a normal active life…. They could not have been more wrong!!!! Kevin was determined to show the world he had more than enough to make something of himself, what he ended up doing was what some people can only wish they could give of themselves. One side of his body did not function, but he could use one arm and one leg, and with the help of his family he fashioned a bicycle that he could ride. It took great effort and determination, but eventually Kevin mastered it. He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars riding for the Make-A-Wish foundation, and also for kids with developmental disabilities like his to learn to overcome their obstacles through sports, all by riding his bike all over the state of Michigan. It was hard, one time he fell off his bike and cracked his helmet and was all scrapped up. They urged him to stop, but he asked for a new helmet, and some water to clean his scrapes and he was on his way…. He knew people were depending on him. Channel 2 reporter Al Allen said, “This is truly an inspiration, the best way to get to heaven is by helping others”… Thousands of cyclists from all over Michigan came to Holy Name to escort him to his final resting place as a tribute for the example he set…. Words were cheap with him… He was a man of action, Kevin Degen was a man Built for Others.

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Raider Nation                                                                                           Raider Camp Edition 2010

Welcome to another exciting season of Raider Football…. If you are new to the Raider football family or grizzled veterans of the program, we look forward to the new campaign and all the hopes and promises it brings.

Double Sessions Next Week- August 9th through the 13th. Players are expected to attend both sessions every day. These practices are not like high school… There is a lot of learning that goes on. The players get ample rest between sessions. First session 8am to 10am- 2nd Session 5pm to 7pm.

Saturday August 14th- First team Mass 8:30 am at St. Regis. Practice follows at 9:30am to 11:30am
No practice Sunday, August 15th.

Monday August 16th, Regular practices Schedule begins M-F 5pm to 7pm

August 19th- 4 way scrimmage at Detroit Country Day. Separate note will be sent out next week. Freshman 2pm-4pm, JV 4pm-6pm, Varsity 6pm -8pm.   Look for info on our 4 way food drive as well.

ALL PRACTICES TAKE PLACE ON SOUTH FIELD NEXT TO MARIAN (Unless otherwise noted)
Remember: We practice in the rain… Thunder and Lightning take us off the field to St. Regis Gym.

What players need- Black Cleats (grass field at Marian-Cleats a must!) Jock and protective cup, T-shirts, and gym shorts, until we start pads. Players will be notified when pads start.
Water- Bring your own, and hydrate before, during and after practice. Try not to share to limit illness.
Eat to win- Be smart. No big meals before practices. Protein after practice with lots of veggies.
Get to bed on time- Your body needs time to recover.

Equipment handout- Varsity- Monday morning after morning session
                                 JV- Monday evening after evening session
                                 Freshman- Tuesday Morning after morning session.
                                Adjustments, stragglers, vacationers, will be arranged.

Pick up and Drop off- Parking on the field at South Field is reserved for coaches only! No dropping off on Lahser Rd. Marian parking lot or Brother Rice is great. Try to be prompt. We aim to stay on time.

Head Coaches- Varsity- Tom MacLean- 248-761-6947 Asst. Head Coach- Jay Beckley-248-470-4518
                        Varsity 2- John Callaghan-269-209-7291
                        JV1- Paul Ryder-248-346-9914
                        JV2- Greg Everly 586-914-8796 & Paul Zarek- 734-634-7392
                        Freshman: John Jackson & Jim Callaghan.-248-259-1510
Best time to talk with Coaches is after practice.

Built For Others- Keys to success: 1. Stay in top physical shape; Physical stamina is the root of mental toughness. 2. Be prepared to overcome obstacles. 3. Remain humble; Don’t worry about who gets the credit. 4. Ask yourself every night if you did your best. 5. Be responsible for your actions. 6. Hang Tough! Never Give Up! “From Leadership at the point of the spear”- Major Richard Winters- 101st Airborne Division. U.S. Army (Ret).