CSD Athletics: Bulldog News

Bulldog Families,

The Bulldogs are winning!! Our success is showing up on the scoreboard, which we are excited to see. However, the Bulldogs success is showing up is other spaces as well! We are seeing great crowds at our athletic events, where fans are singing, dancing, and cheering for the Bulldogs. Community support is a huge success!!

Additionally, our students are being recognized for their efforts to build a positive culture within their teams. For example, Marlie White, Varsity Cheerleader (pictured above), received this week's "Gold Bow Award." Marlie was nominated by her teammate for having a great attitude at practice and encouraging everyone to stay positive and have fun while working hard to prepare for Friday's game. Great job, Marlie!! And, great job to our cheer team for creating an award that highlights each other for being influential teammates.

If you have any questions or need guidance relating to our programs, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Go Bulldogs!!

Director of Activities & Athletics: Rodney Thomas

(rthomas@csdecatur.net)

Assistant Activities & Athletics Director: David Harbin

(dharbin@csdecatur.net)

Bookkeeper & Administrative Assistant: Kelli Aaron

(kaaron@csdecatur.net)

The Varsity Football game this week will be played TONIGHT, Thursday, August 29 at Henderson Stadium (Midtown High School). The Bulldogs will kickoff against Carver at 7:00 PM.

Congratulations to our Beacon Hill Middle School Cross Country teams! Both the Girls’ and Boys’ teams took 1st place in their first meet of the year. The Bulldogs took home 1st place trophies at the Strong Rock Invitational.

Click the link HERE for more details

Our DHS Softball team has started region-play undefeated. The Bulldogs defeated Shiloh in their first region game 17-2 and followed that victory with an important win against Dunwoody, 11-7. Decatur has been getting great pitching from the mound paired with frequent and timely hits. Great job, Bulldogs!

Click the link HERE for game write-ups

The Decatur Bulldogs opened their season with a 42-28 victory over the GAC Spartans. Decatur's defense set the tone early by forcing two turnovers, which led to an initial touchdown. Although GAC responded with 14 unanswered points, Decatur tied the game before halftime. The Bulldogs dominated the second half, adding multiple touchdowns and maintaining control despite GAC’s attempts to rally. Decatur's defense was relentless, forcing five turnovers throughout the game. The Bulldogs' strong rushing attack and defensive performance secured the win, giving them momentum as they prepare to face Carver next week. Special credit goes to the band, cheerleaders, student section, and community for creating a positive and supportive atmosphere throughout the game.

Click HERE to read a full game report written by Brian Tibbetts, Athletics Sports Reporter

All students interested in participating in Wrestling at Decatur High School should plan to attend the Interest Meeting on August 29. Please reach out to Coach Salvador with any questions (nsalvador@csdecatur.net)

Bulldog Fans! The Decatur High School Cheerleaders have an exciting opportunity for you to support their program and show your Decatur spirit!

We have a special Lululemon shop where you can be game-day-ready by purchasing your favorite items with Decatur logos. The shop is open from August 30 - September 9.

Click here for the store and use access code uhZXSBbpkU to shop.

Thank you for shopping and supporting the DHS Cheerleaders!

All students interested in participating in Swim & Dive at DHS and BHMS should plan to attend the Interest Meeting on September 10. The meeting will be hosted in the BHMS Cafeteria at 6 PM. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Randall (mrandall@csdecatur.net)

Already in the holiday spirit?! Order your poinsettia and support the Decatur Bulldogs. All proceeds go to our Flag Football and Boys' Lacrosse programs. Follow the link below to order. All orders will be processed on October 21st.

Poinsettia Fundraiser

Boosters offers ticket packs that are good for any game* throughout the year at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. Click HERE to choose your level, and Go Bulldogs!

(*Excludes away games and playoff games.)

Watch the game while also raising money for your team. Any DBB-supported sport can earn up to $100 per game by encouraging their athletes to manage concessions.

• $20 per volunteer per game
• Max: 5 volunteers per game
• DBB pays quarterly payouts to the Athletics Play Fund for each participating sport

Sign up HERE!

We appreciate all of our local families and companies who step up to support our Bulldogs every year!!

Learn more about how you can become a Bulldog Sponsor for the 2024-25 school year by clicking the button below.

Check out the new Bulldog spirit wear, which will be on sale during home football games at the Decatur Bulldog Booster table. New styles and items are being printed as you read this, so check back often to make sure your Bulldog apparel hasn't turned into vintage wear!

Head to Legacy Park on Friday, Sept. 6 from 5-9 p.m. for a fun family evening of live music and community! We’ll have some of CSD’s amazing community circle bands bringing the tunes – you bring your school spirit! The school with the largest percentage of school representation will win a music grant, along with a trophy (and bragging rights, of course)! We’ll have food vendors and sweet treats to supplement your picnic.

*If cost is an issue, please email Drew@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.

Purchase tickets for adults HERE (kids enter free)!

Stay in the know on all things Boosters by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

@Decatur Bulldog Boosters

@rwtd5k

@decaturbulldogbash

Thursday, August 29 - JV Volleyball vs. Weber School

Thursday, August 29 - Varsity Softball vs. Chamblee - 5:30 PM

Saturday, August 31 - BHMS Football vs. KIPP West - 10:00 AM

Wednesday, September 4 - JV Softball vs. Union Grove - 5:30 PM

Thursday, September 5 - JV Football vs. Newton - 6:00 PM

Thursday, September 5 - JV/V Volleyball vs. Midtown

Thursday, September 5 - V Softball vs. Woodward - 5:30 PM

Friday, September 6 - V Football vs. Stephenson - 7:30 PM

Saturday, September 7 - BHMS Football vs. Bunche - 10:00 AM

This year, we are excited to highlight our student-athletes and the value they bring to their teams and our school community!

Coach Felton is a dedicated Football coach, who as also served as a Wrestling coach here in CSD. At DHS, he also serves as a PE teacher. With 15 years of coaching experience, including 12 at CSD, Coach Felton has built a career around inspiring and guiding young athletes. One of his favorite memories is winning the Region Championship in 2022 on a thrilling Hail Mary pass with time expiring. He admires the resilience of his athletes and draws inspiration from their determination. "I was always a helper," he shares, explaining how coaching became a natural path for him to make a difference in students' lives. His favorite sports movie is Remember the Titans, a story that resonates with his values. For Coach Felton, the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing his athletes succeed in life, applying the principles he's helped instill. A fun fact that might surprise his athletes is that he holds three degrees! We are grateful to have Coach Felton in our community leading our Football program and guiding our youth!

This weekend, a team from Florida defeated Chinese Taipei in the Championship of the Little League World Series. The closely contested game went to extra innings after both teams scored only one. The game ended on a dramatic play in the bottom of the eighth inning that gave Florida a one run lead and the victory. As you will see, and as we've seen before, ending like this on the biggest stage, provide us with both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. What is most impressive about this video is the sportsmanship displayed by the Florida team, almost immediately consoling their opponents. In competition, it is difficult but important to remember that without opponents, there is no game, no race, no match. This level of respect for an opponent is great to see from young athletes and something we must continue to emphasize, teach, and reward.

Sportsmanship in the Little League World Series

The role of an athlete's parent is challenging for many reasons! Finding opportunities for your child to participate, encouraging them to take risks, celebrating their accomplishments, supporting them through various challenges... It adds up and can take a toll. This resource from the Positive Coaching Alliance emphasizes the importance of building a partnership with your child's coach and provides helpful strategies to do so. There are many valuable lessons our students can learn through sports, many of which are not fun or easy to learn, and having adults who are working together makes the challenging times beneficial!

Tips for a Positive Parent/Caregiver-Coach Partnership

The Olympics provided so many stories of great achievements. As sports fans, we know where there is great joy, there is often disappointment. This video shows a quick conversation between a father and his daughter after a disappointing finish in synchronized swimming. Praising effort. Showing pride. Providing encouragement to continue to work hard and improve. Even at the highest levels, our athletes benefit from positive reinforcement from the adults who care for them.

The Moment a Father Consoles Daughter After Missing out on Olympic Medal

This year, the Bulldogs are partnering again with the Positive Coaching Alliance to enhance the experience of our students, coaches, and Bulldog families. The PCA has a vast number of resources that can help us make the most of our experience.

This resource is an activity we shared last year that aims at helping students and their families determine what their goals are as student-athletes. This exercise can spark some important conversations about how families decide to navigate this experience. Making sure everyone is on the same page about what desired outcomes can help to create a positive experience!

"What are YOUR Youth Sport Goals? Parent/Caregiver 100 Point Exercise"