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1 April 30 th, 2017 Hudson Raider Football Players and Parents: I hope this letter finds all of you well. For those of you who have driven to the high school in recent weeks, you can see there is something exciting going on at the school. For over 50 years, Hudson Raiders have called Newton Field our home. We will always look back on our history and have great memories and pride when we think of Newton Field, capping off its tenure with a thrilling win over BRC rival Chippewa Falls in the WIAA playoffs. But now, as we look forward to another season of Hudson Raider Football, we will open a new chapter in a brand new stadium. We are so appreciative to the community for the support in this endeavor and are excited about the opportunity to call this field our new Home of the Raiders. As we approach this monumental season, I wanted to give you a full schedule of events and all of the dates and times that you should know as a football player or parent. Note: These events and dates are for players who will be in grades this fall. A separate incoming 9th grade football letter will be sent to those players and parents since some of the dates and times will be different. END OF THE YEAR FOOTBALL MEETING: Thursday, June 1 st (3:00 3:30 PM) This meeting is mandatory for all players who will be in grades in the fall, and who are planning on playing football. The meeting will be from 3:00 3:30 PM in the auditorium. Any player who cannot make the meeting, including players in a spring sport, must see Coach Kowles before to get information. 7 ON 7 LEAGUE IN WOODBURY: Sundays, June 11 th, June 25 th, July 9 th, July 23 rd We will again participate in a 7 on 7 league in Woodbury against seven other teams in the east metro area. It is open to any player in the Hudson Football program and will take place on four Sundays in June and July with the times to be announced. Players who are interested can sign up through Coach Kowles any time before the end of the school year. MINI-CAMP: Monday, June 19 th Thursday, June 22 nd (6:00 8:45 PM) We will hold our annual mini-camp during the middle of June for all players going into grades which allows us to get a jump on the upcoming season by using the WIAA-allowed five contact days in the summer. Camp will be used to implement new schemes, evaluate personnel, and begin our on-field practice for the upcoming season. With construction going on at the high school, this year s mini-camp will be held at Newton Field. However, we will still pick up equipment at the football equipment room which is off the weight room. To pick up equipment on the first day of camp, players should report to the equipment room on June 19 th at the following times: Seniors 5 PM, Juniors 5:20 PM, Sophomores 5:40 PM Players will be able to ride over to Newton Field together for meetings and practice on the first day. For all of the other days, players should report directly to Newton Field. Practice will be in the evenings Monday through Thursday. This camp is essential for all players as we get started on the new season ahead. Any player who has a conflict with mini-camp must see Coach Kowles as soon as possible.

2 NAVY-WHITE SPRING GAME: Friday, June 23 rd (7:00 PM) It is time for our 8 th annual Navy-White Spring game at Newton Field to conclude our five-day mini-camp. Come to Newton Field on Friday, June 23 rd to get a sneak preview of the 2017 Raiders. All players in grades will participate. The Benchwarmers will be providing food during the event, so parents and families can arrive early and have a chance to enjoy the evening with others as they watch the Raiders for the first time in RAIDER ELITE - SUMMER 2017: Monday, June 12 th through Friday, July 28 th Raider Elite is a specialized program for the athletes of Hudson School District entering grades It is made possible through the partnership between the athletic department and Catalyst Sports Medicine. A team of certified strength and conditioning coaches from Catalyst Sports Medicine design and implement the program with the goals to teach proper lifting techniques, injury reduction, and gain strength, speed, and power. Summer 2017 Dates: Begins on Monday, June 12 th and continues every week Monday through Friday* and ends Friday, July 28 th (No sessions on Tuesday, July 4 th ). Every session is 1 ½ hours long (except the 4:00 pm session at Catalyst Sports Medicine is 1 hour). On Fridays* athletes will have the opportunity to participate in a recovery workout (including yoga, foam rolling, and stretching) for an hour from 10:00-11:00 am. Yoga dates are June 16, 23, 30 and July 7, 14, 21. Times/Days for Raider Elite Summer 2017: 7:00-8:30 AM (Co-ed Athlete Session) Monday-Thursday at HHS Weight Room 8:30-10:00 AM (Female Athlete Only Session) Monday-Thursday at HHS Weight Room 10:00-11:30 AM (Co-ed Athlete Session) Monday-Thursday at HHS Weight Room 4:00-5:00 AM (Co-ed Athlete Session, Limited to 20 Athletes) Monday-Thursday at Catalyst Sports Medicine *10:00-11:00 AM (Recovery/Yoga) Friday at HHS Weight Room Price: $ includes all 39 sessions of weight lifting, speed, agility, and quickness training, as well as recovery/yoga on Fridays. Notes: We will need every athlete planning to participate to come to the HHS weight room during our Test-In Week of Tuesday, May 30 th - Friday, June 2 nd from 3:00-5:00 pm. If those dates/times do not work, Test-Ins will continue June 12 th -15 th when summer starts or call Scott Hintz, Head Strength Coach, to set up a different Test-In time. We would like to get as many athletes tested as we can before we start on June 12 th. How to Register: 1) Go to the Hudson High School Athletics webpage and scroll down to the Raider Elite Summer info. - OR 2) Go to the Catalyst Sports Medicine webpage, go to Services, and scroll down to Strength and Conditioning, then scroll down to Raider Elite. - OR use this link: We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in a program like Raider Elite. It is critical that all football players participate in the summer program so that we are able to achieve everything we possibly can on the field this fall. Improve yourself, improve the team, and be the best that you can be through hard work, discipline, and teamwork. Conference Champions 1936, 1942, 1944, 1948, 1954, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974, 1982, 2009, 2012, 2013 WIAA State Playoff Participants 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 State Semi-Finalists 2012, 2013

3 ABC & RAIDER PRIDE FOOTBALL CAMPS: (Monday - Thursday) July 10 th 13 th Another staple of the Hudson Football program has been the annual ABC Football Camp, in its 17 th year. Many current and former players were introduced to the game at these camps. This year, the ABC Football Camp will again include athletes going into 3 rd grade through 6 th grade. Taking place concurrently with the ABC Camp will be the Raider Pride Football Camp for athletes in grades 7-9. We will continue to focus on fundamentals, teamwork, and making the game safe and fun at the lower grades. For players in grades 7-9, we will also incorporate some of the schemes and techniques that we do at the high school to get these players ready for the middle school and 9 th grade programs. And, since we do not have high school mini-camp for players in 9 th grade, they are encouraged to attend this camp to get a jump on the upcoming fall season. This year s camp will take place at Newton Field and the adjacent fields near EP Rock, and is coached by the high school and middle school football coaching staffs as well as by many of the current high school players. Registration can be done online at the Hudson Football web site, FALL SPORTS REGISTRATION: Online beginning mid-july Online registration will again be in place again for fall sports this year. Forms for registration can be completed online around mid-july. Check the high school athletic website for details as to when the online registration is open. Here are the 3 things that need to be done in order to register for football: 1. Register and pay online in FeePay. If families chose to pay by cash you may do so, but you still are required to fill out the registration form in FeePay. Click on "add to cart" for football. This brings up the registration form. You must fill it out and add it to your cart. Once it is in your cart, the athletic office can go in and update if you are paying with cash. 2. Students must go to their Skyward Account and complete their Athletic Registration. It is their acknowledgement of the Rules of Eligibility, WIAA Concussion and Code of Conduct. 3. WIAA Physical or Alternate Year Card must be turned into the Athletic Office. Make sure all forms are completed before August 1 st, including physical if needed. Physicals are needed every other year. If you are not sure if you need one, check with the athletic office at the high school. The athletic office will be open during the day the week before football begins as well as Monday, July 31st. PRACTICE BEGINS FOR GRADES 10-12: Tuesday, August 1 st (8:00 AM) There will be no equipment hand-out on Monday, July 31 st. Instead, we will have equipment hand-out as well as the first day of practice on Tuesday, August 1 st. Check in will be at 8 AM and players must have all paperwork completed online, including fee paid and physical completed in order to get equipment and participate. The first day will conclude at 12:30 PM. This is an hour and a half later than normal since we will be getting equipment as well in the morning. The only thing that is up in the air right now is where we will be practicing during two-a-days. We are scheduled to practice at Newton Field for the first couple of weeks, but there is a chance the stadium as well as practice fields will be ready at the high school for us to practice on right away in August. We will be ready for both cases, but will hand out equipment at the high school regardless of where we will be practicing on day one. We will continue to practice the same way as we have the past few of years due to WIAA regulations. The WIAA calls it their fall acclimatization guidelines for football, which essentially is the body adapting to exercising in heat to be able to tolerate physical activity. These guidelines do not allow for two-a-day practices on back-to-back days, limit the time that can be spent practicing, as well as requiring a long break between twoa-day practices. Conference Champions 1936, 1942, 1944, 1948, 1954, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974, 1982, 2009, 2012, 2013 WIAA State Playoff Participants 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 State Semi-Finalists 2012, 2013

4 The highlights of the format to adhere to the WIAA guidelines are as follows: Every other day can be a long day (which means we can have two practices) Long Day 8:00 8:45 AM Meetings 8:45 10:45 AM Practice 10:45 11:30 AM Cool down and film 6:00 6:30 PM Meetings 6:30 8:00 PM Practice *Note: the evening practice will be helmets only Short Day 8:00 8:45 AM Meetings 8:45 10:45 AM Practice 10:45 11:30 AM Cool down and film 11:30 AM Noon Weight Lifting The calendar below outlines the schedule for the first few weeks of the season. Once the third week begins, the typical practice time is from (3:00 5:00 PM on Thursdays) and will continue throughout the season. 6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday July 31 August 1 1 st Day Practice 8 AM-12:30 PM AM-Noon 8-11:30 AM Gold Card Blitz 4:30-7:30 PM SPASH 6 PM 6:45-8:15 PM 4 Labor Day Varsity Practice 6:45-8:15 PM EC N 4:45 PM 3:00-5:30 PM 2 8 AM-Noon :30 AM :00-5:30 PM :30 AM 10 1:00 4:00 PM Pigskin Picnic 5:00 7:00 PM 17 School Start KenoshaTravel Itinerary (Vars) Soph: 3 5 PM 24 3:00 5:00 PM 31 3:00-5:00 PM 7 3:00-5:00 PM 4 8 AM-Noon 11 Scrimmage LaC Logan 4 PM Kenosha Indian Trail Vars 5 PM 25 Stevens Point Vars 7 PM September 1 EC North Vars 7 PM Soph: 3:00-4:30 8 Superior Vars 7 PM Soph: 3:00-4:30 9 th GRADE PRACTICE BEGINS: Monday, August 7 th (8:00 AM) As in past years, the incoming 9 th graders will not begin practice until the second week of August. More information will be available to incoming 9 th grader players and parents in a future letter :30 AM Varsity Practice 9:00 11:00 AM 2 9 Varsity Practice 9:00 11:00 AM PARENT/COACH MEETING: Monday, August 7 th (7:45 PM) For the second year in a row, the parent meeting for all players in grades 9-12 will be during the 2 nd week of August, on Monday, August 7 th at 7:45 PM. We have two-a-day practices on this day so the teams will be finishing up practice around 8 PM. We will be meeting in the commons at the high school. Coach Kowles will have a brief meeting with parents of players in grades while Coach Grossenbacher will meet the 9 th grade parents. The meeting will last no more than 30 minutes.

5 RAIDER CARD BLITZ: Tuesday, August 8 th (4:30 7:30 PM) Players will begin selling Raider cards on the first day of practice. We have extended the selling time of these cards into the second week to give players the weekend to sell and also to include the 9 th grade in our blitz. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and is needed to offset some of the travel costs for this season as well as field equipment for the new practice fields. HUDSON RAIDERS PIGSKIN PICNIC: Thursday, August 10 th (5:00 7:00 PM) We are excited for our fourth annual Hudson Raider Pigskin Picnic! Please mark your calendars for Thursday, August 10 th from 5:00-7:00 PM for this fun-filled family event which will be held at Newton Field. We hope you will take time to come out and meet your extended football family! Our goal is for families and players to make connections, have fun, kick off the upcoming season, and continue to support the Raider Program. PRE-SEASON SCRIMMAGE: Friday, August 11 th (4:00 PM) We are excited to be joining a new scrimmage this year and hopefully for many years to come in La Crosse at Logan High School. The scrimmage will be for both the varsity and sophomore teams as we will go up against La Crosse Logan, Reedsburg, and Wisconsin Rapids. HOTEL FOR KENOSHA: Thursday, August 17 th Since the varsity will be traveling to play Kenosha Indian Trail High School on Friday, August 18 th which is over five hours away, the team will be staying in an area hotel the night before. We will again be staying in Brookfield, WI at the Hampton Inn, the same hotel we stayed in last year on our trip to Arrowhead. The hotel has also blocked a small number of rooms if parents are interested in staying either Thursday night before the game or Friday night after the game as part of a group rate. Parents who might be interested in this should contact the Hampton Inn in Brookfield at Much more information will be sent out later including complete travel itinerary. Since this is the first day of school because of the early start, we will be leaving school midway through the day and miss the second day, but we will make sure players see their teachers right away on day one to receive any information or assignments. We continue to push for the WIAA to create a schedule which includes non-conference games so we don t need to travel this far, but we are excited to use this opportunity as a team-building experience. We will return to Hudson after the 5:00 PM game. LABOR DAY WEEKEND To give parents an opportunity to plan for Labor Day weekend, we will not bring the players in on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, September 2 nd. To get the most time off and to be able to enjoy some of the long weekend, varsity players will practice on Labor Day, Monday, September 4 th at 6:45 PM to prepare for their upcoming game, while the sophomore team will not practice on Labor Day. Don t hesitate to contact Coach Kowles if you have a conflict about practice on Labor Day. VARSITY SATURDAY MORNING PRACTICES The only day the sophomore team will practice on Saturday will be at the end of the first week of practice, which is Saturday, August 5 th. However, once we are into the swing of the season, the varsity will routinely practice on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00 AM beginning on Saturday, August 26 th and going each Saturday through the remainder of the season (except on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend). This will allow us to get a quality run and stretch after the game from the night before as well as watch the film as a team. MONDAY NIGHT PRACTICES We will also continue our Monday night practices at the stadium from 6:45 8:15 PM for the varsity again this season beginning on Monday, August 28 th. Since we won t be practicing right after school, players will have an opportunity to get extra help after school in their classes, be able to make up a test, quiz, or lab, or simply to get homework done right away instead of leaving it for after practice when they get home. We also enjoy the chance to practice in the same environment we play in under the lights. This will be for the varsity team only.

6 THANK YOU, CLASS OF 2017 SENIORS As we move forward to a new season, we need to thank the class of 2017 seniors for all they have done for Hudson Football in their careers. These seniors were true leaders in every sense of the word and left their mark in such a positive way as Raiders. Our motto was Anchors Up for many reasons, and this group lived it through the many peaks of the 2016 season. We were on the road so much last season which is very difficult for the players, but they decided to pull anchor every step of the way and represented this community very well. They were able to get the team back on track through their work ethic and commitment, not only to the team, but to each other. They also were able to close Newton Field in style with back-to-back huge wins, keeping the jug against River Falls and knocking off Chippewa Falls in the playoffs in the last Hudson High School football game at Newton. These young men left their mark on and off the field and will be missed, but I know they will go on to greater things in the future, and will always be a huge part of the tradition that is Hudson Raider Football. Noah Bennett Rocco DiBerardino Colin Knefelkamp Parker Poling Jack Berg Josh Frey Bryce Marion Trevor Reimer Thomas Berg Levi Goodman Jagger Marvin Travis Reiter Andre Burgess Tanner Gray Taylor Mattern Isac Schindler Tyrel Busby Toby Haynor Jacob Morrissette Spencer Schmidt Connor Cameron Jackson Helmers Logan Nelson Dominic Situmbeko Jake Danielson Mitch Hockbein Thomas Newell Anthony Soukup Devon Daulton Malcom Kavaloski Daniel Olsen Curtis Whitwam FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG With still over a month left in the school year, it is crucial that we all finish strong in the classroom. Just as some of the most important plays in a football game can happen during the final moments in the fourth quarter, we have the opportunity to make tremendous gains in class. Pour everything that you can into the last few weeks. See your teachers for extra help. Use your football coaches as resources for extra help in classes as well. Set up study groups for finals. Let s see what we can do as a group and get the job done. Remember that eligibility for the fall is based on the fourth quarter grades from the previous school year, not the semester two grades. If you fail a fourth quarter class, you are ineligible for two games of the season, and if you fail two classes in the fourth quarter you are essentially ineligible for the season. Set goals now. Turn B s into A s, turn C s into B s. Find a way to get the job done in the classroom SEASON We are thrilled to embark on our new journey this season. It will be the first time the Hudson Raiders will play a true home game, with the stadium being right on campus. As we pondered mottos to represent the 2017 team, three themes continued to emerge and three quotes were the focus in creating this year s motto. The first quote is one that speaks to challenges in life, and there is a way to overcome anything if the right path can be found, which can be difficult unless you begin trying whatever it is that you want to achieve. Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley. - Theodore Roethke We always talk about team in everything we do. Our efforts can only be maximized by doing things together. It is not about the 11 best that matters on a football field, it is about the best 11 that truly makes the difference. My favorite quote deals with the fact that we are all in this together. There is a similar version of this quote that is credited to Harry S. Truman as well. It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit. - John Wooden Finally, there are times when we want to do things that have never been done before. There may not be a direct path over a mountain because nobody has ever climbed it before. If we want to be the first to achieve these goals, we must do it using our own blueprint, and not something that others have done before. This quote summarizes this idea. Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

7 By putting these ideas together, it became clear what this year s motto should be. THANK YOU, PARENTS HUDSON FOOTBALL 2017 CREATE OUR PATH As always, a huge thank you goes out to all of the parents in the program. As coaches, we could not do what we do without your trust and support. Each year I am so impressed by the character of the young men that we are able to work with, and it s because of all of you. If you have any questions at all, please don t hesitate to contact me at kowlesaj@hudson.k12.wi.us or at (715) ext Thanks for your support and we ll see you soon as we Create Our Path. Sincerely, Adam Kowles Head Football Coach 2017 HUDSON VARSITY FOOTBALL Day Date Opponent Site Time Fri 8/11 Scrimmage La Crosse Logan 4:00 PM Fri 8/18 Kenosha Indian Trail Away 5:00 PM Fri 8/25 Stevens Point Home 7:00 PM Fri 9/1 Eau Claire North Home 7:00 PM Fri 9/8 Superior Home 7:00 PM Fri 9/15 Menomonie Away 7:00 PM Fri 9/22 Rice Lake Home 7:00 PM Fri 9/29 Eau Claire Memorial Away 7:00 PM Fri 10/6 Chippewa Falls Home 7:00 PM Fri 10/13 River Falls Away 7:00 PM *We are in the process of adding the Varsity Reserve schedule 2017 HUDSON SOPHOMORE (B Squad) FOOTBALL Day Date Opponent Site Time Fri 8/11 Scrimmage La Crosse Logan 4:00 PM Mon 8/28 Stevens Point Away 6:00 PM Tue 9/5 Eau Claire North Away 4:45 PM Mon 9/11 Superior Away 5:00 PM Mon 9/18 Menomonie Home 4:45 PM Mon 9/25 Rice Lake Away 4:45 PM Mon 10/2 Eau Claire Memorial Home 4:30 PM Mon 10/9 Chippewa Falls Away 5:00 PM Mon 10/16 River Falls Home 4:30 PM