I use to hear coaches say, "My job is dependent on the actions of 16 year old children." What a feeling to have the results of your efforts dependent on young people under the age of 18. Our education accountability if measured on quantitative measures in the same way: how many students pass, how many students receive commended, how many students take higher-level classes. Nobody would deny that standards have to be set and met for success to be measured; however, it is truly difficult to see the entire picture if you only use quantitative measures. Having numerical standards is the only way to actually measure progress comparatively. Athletic coaches have understood this for years. How frustrating it can be to see the talent and not be able to produce results. It comes down to a record. That is what will be in the yearbook at the end of the year to broadcast the history and success of a certain group. Academic coaches, teachers, deal with the same frustration on a daily basis. How difficult it can be to see the potential in a student: "if they only cared"—"they could do it if they wanted to!"

Our biggest job as leaders of the youth is to give them the plans and motivation to be successful. There is no greater job than instilling confidence and motivation in our younger generation. There are many different ways to do this and nobody does it better than educators, except maybe students under the age of 18. TAKS testing days are game days. Texas underwent the first game day on Tuesday, March 1. Students in 4

th, 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th took the writing or ELA portion of the TAKS test. Results will be available in late May.

In San Saba, we have many students involved in many different areas: stock shows, tennis, golf, track and field, one-act-play, cheerleading, drill team, band (sending six to state), power-lifting, FCCLA, technology. Oh yeah, by the way, if you haven’t heard, our Lady Dillo Basketball Team will travel to Austin this weekend to make its first "historic" trip to the State Basketball Tournament. History will forever immortalize this team as the pinnacle of girls’ basketball success until another team reaches the same destination. The memories for the team and the fans will last forever! As a father of three young girls, I know that this team has more potential to motivate my daughters than I do. It might not happen while we are sitting there on Friday morning, as I’m chasing my four-year old and telling her to sit down, but the seed will be planted and I hope that the success of the girls’ Dillo team produces the motivation for my girls to work hard and achieve goals. I know this, there won’t be a year go by in the next fifteen that we don’t mention, "Remember when we watched the Lady Dillos at the State Basketball Tournament?" Those children under 18 have more power to motivate than we do.

Do you have tickets?