Rapp chosen to lead Lions in the fall

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

There’s a new sheriff in town.

Well, not a sheriff, exactly – a new head football coach, which in Central Texas is an equally responsible and visible position. Lockhart ISD recently announced that Coach Robin Rapp was chosen to lead the Varsity Lions in 2009.

“The thing I am most excited about in Lockhart is that

it is a one school town,” Rapp said. “I know there was a great deal of community support for the team last year and I want to continue that same level of community participation. I want a program that on Friday night, the community, the faculty, the students and the players feel ownership in the program. We are already planning a ‘Midnight Madness’ scrimmage game in early August after we start practice.”

Rapp comes to Lockhart after a three-year stint as offensive coordinator at Caney Creek High School. Before that, Rapp coached at San Antonio East Central High School for 13 years.

He was an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for six years and a defensive coordinator for six years.

“We were a playoff team for 11 of the 13 years I was at East Central,” Rapp said. “We were in a pretty tough district. At times we were in with the North East schools and coaching at a high level. We were proud of what we accomplished.”

As for the makeup of the new Lion team, Rapp remains open-minded about his prospects and complimentary to the team.

“I have been very pleased with the attitude of these kids,” he said. “They had success last year and are hungry to succeed some more. It is a wonderful situation for my staff to come into. We want to pick up where they left off last season and take it to another level. Offensively we are going to line up differently, but we are still going to be a running team. That’s where we are strong fundamentally. We are going to have in our package, the ability to throw the ball, but we are going to be experts at moving the ball on the ground.”

Rapp stressed the importance of creating an atmosphere of trust and an ability to be flexible when allowing students to shine and grow within the program.

“Students are sacrificing a lot to be athletes,” he said. “They should be given an opportunity to succeed on the field as well as in the classroom. To be a good coach you have to be a good teacher and we are going to be that to these students. It is my job as a coach to place kids where they can be successful. We are going to figure out what they can do well and that is where we are going to put them.”

Rapp suggested every player on his team would start the season with a clean slate, thus giving athletes an opportunity to work toward their desired positions. He talked more about the community support and the welcome he has received since his arrival in Lion Country.

“I’ve been very pleased with our reception here,” he said. “We really have been very well received. Everyone from faculty members to board members and student parents are genuinely concerned about the success of the students and that’s what I’m in this business for. I’m a kid-oriented coach. We’re going to coach the kids hard, but we are going to love them even harder. I mean, that’s what we’re about.
agarza@post-register.com