Just as the final weeks of July signal the end of summer break and the beginning of a new school year, they also serve as a reminder that football season is almost here! Cobb's annual Football Kickoff Luncheon is a tradition of nearly three decades that brings all the football minds in the county together to talk, eat, and get excited about the upcoming season. Although the first practice doesn't begin until July 29, coaches and specialists have been preparing and looking forward to this moment since December.

Around 300 coaches, principals, and athletic directors gathered in the banquet hall at Burnt Hickory Baptist to prepare for football. This was the luncheon's 29th year and was attended by many notable special guests, including Cobb Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, Marietta Superintendent Grant Rivera, board members from both Districts, and members of the Executive Cabinet. 

After a delicious meal, the group was welcomed by Cobb Director of Athletics Don Baker. Typically, a college football coach would be introduced as the keynote speaker, but as Mr. Baker noted, they decided to shake things up a bit this year. Wendell Staton, Executive Director of Athletics at Georgia College & State University, took the stage—or, more accurately, the floor—as he spoke from the heart about his career and experience as a sports professional.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," he said. "The short glimpses people get of us is what they think of us. As coaches and teachers, we're always on. That's not fair, but that's the reality."

Mr. Staton delivered a lot of hard-hitting wisdom and advice for keeping work and family life in perspective. He defined success less by what happens on the field and more by what happens off of it, even many years in the future. "When you get a call from a former player asking your opinion or letting you know what's going on in their life, that's success," he said plainly.

Mr. Staton's enthusiasm and charisma made an impact and resonated deeply with the coaches, teachers, and administrators in the room - much the same as it did for Don Baker when he heard him speak earlier this year.

"I heard Wendell at an Athletic Director Workshop in Athens last Spring," Don Baker said about his choice for this year's keynote address. "I really connected with his family-first message and felt it would resonate with our coaches. His message of 'coaching for impact' is very powerful and a reminder that the lessons they teach to their players now will be carried with them far beyond their playing days."

"I do not take the personal and family sacrifices that our coaches make to teach and coach our student-athletes lightly," Mr. Baker concluded. "Moving forward, we will continue to expand our network of speakers to ensure that the time is well-spent and that it helps to equip our coaches with additional tools to help them as they impact our young people."

The 2024 Kickoff Luncheon raised the bar of expectation for next year and made the reality of Football Fridays feel that much closer. We look forward to seeing all of you in the stands in one (or several) of the 16 stadiums around Cobb School District this season! Let's go, Cobb!