Coach Stomps was hired as head football coach of the CCA Eagles in 2015. He has successfully coached teams in high school and college (including Jacksonville University) all over the country since 1995. He also teaches 8th and 10th grade Bible, as well as 6th grade PE/Health. Coach Stomps is married to Emily, a biology and chemistry teacher also at Christ’s Church Academy.
Q: How does it feel to do a Midnight Madness practice?
A: I’ve done a Midnight Madness everywhere I’ve been a head coach at. What it does is it brings the team more togetherness. This year was the first year that we included middle schoolers, and our philosophy is that we are one staff coaching two teams. By the time these kids get up to the varsity level, they’ll be fully integrated into our program and will be ahead of other students who won’t have had that experience. It’s almost like a rite of passage to practice first. Our goal is to be the first team to practice, and the last team to practice. We’re taking care of the first goal at the Midnight Madness, and if we’re the last team to practice, that means we’re playing for a championship.
Q: What have you tried to instill in your student-athletes?
A: Our motto is “Christ, Character and Class”. We also add a fourth “C” to that list this year, which is “Champion”. Of course, the ultimate Champion is Jesus Christ, and the ultimate reward is His salvation. As the Head Coach, I pass along the technical skills and knowledge to the players so that they will have the chance to be successful in the game of football; however, that is not the cornerstone of the program. It is my desire to develop student-athletes who, upon graduation, are able to be successful and Godly influences as they enter the next phase of their journey. I feel that the personal and spiritual development of each player is a very important part of my job. As the Head Coach, I will get to know each player as a person and share how they can develop as a Christian Leaders. My commitment to the student-athlete is for life.
Q: How surreal is it to take this program from no wins four years ago, to now, where you’re expected to win the championship?
A: I think we’re a year ahead of where I thought we would be. When I was coaching in Oregon, we implemented the same type of program, and where we’re at now is where we were at in 3 years at Oregon. These guys have bought in and they’ve fought hard, they’ve really wanted to get better. When I got here they were hungry, and so what we’ve done is we’ve made it fun and exciting and up-tempo. We also made it an inclusive atmosphere where everyone takes care of each other. We just finished with camp, and we had seniors working with freshman. There’s a feeling of respect, not a feeling of fear. I want those young guys to respect our seniors. We have 13 seniors this year, and most of them have been here since they were freshman. So they’re extremely excited with where we’re going with this program and the direction we’re heading toward.
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Coaches Corner: Jim Stomps, Christ’s Church Academy
Written by Kim Hoy
Photo by Kim Hoy
