Below is the coaching philosophy that Coach Casto brings to Cooper ISD Athletics:

Our calling as coaches and teachers is simple:  We have to prepare our kids to be successful after they leave us.  Athletics plays a critical role when it comes to this task. I truly believe that the process of developing young people is very important to our society. When kids leave us they must be better people than they were before they went through our program. One of my favorite verses from proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Winning will happen in our athletic program and in our kid’s future because of the traits that our kids will develop in our athletic program. Below are the core values that our kids will gain from participating in our athletic program.

First, athletics teaches young people to love. Growing up I had the privilege to play multiple sports, and I have coached for 15 years now. The bonds that I developed with my teammates and fellow coaches have lasted a lifetime. Through athletics, our kids will learn how to care about others and the importance of being selfless. They will continually be taught to put the team first and to be unselfish. In today’s society, everything is supposed to be about us, but kids in our program will learn the importance of laying it on the line for others week in and week out. They will in turn apply this in their relationships with their friends, and later in life as parents and spouses.  

Second, when a young person participates in athletics they learn discipline.  Discipline is an attribute that is paramount to a successful life.  We need discipline in all aspects of our lives. There is not a better place to learn discipline than through participation in athletics.  It takes discipline to show up to practice every day, just as it takes discipline to show up to work every day to provide for your family.  It takes discipline to avoid harmful things that will affect your body, such as drugs and alcohol. In athletics, you have to be disciplined to have any success; and without discipline in your life, success will be hard to achieve. Kids in our program will leave us with great self-discipline.

Finally, athletics teaches young people the very important virtue of being mentally tough. In athletics, you will experience some lows. A kid may be injured; something bad is going to happen at some point. Our kids will learn how to handle adversity. They will learn the importance of taking it day by day, and fighting through difficult situations. They will carry this grit into their future and be able to withstand life’s storms and come out on top in their studies, careers, and relationships.  

Athletics is such a vital part of the educational process today.  Without athletics, young people would be deprived of learning so many things that can help them become successful adults.  Equipping young people with the tools to be successful is the job of those of us who have chosen to help them through the educational process.

Our athletic program will be first class in everything we do.  We will represent ourselves with class and dignity that our entire community will be proud of.  In most cases, an athletic program is the most visible aspect of any school system.  The most important part of the educational institution is obviously academics.  However, whether people like it or not, the opinion of many is based on how the athletic program conducts and carries itself.  Therefore, the student-athletes in our program will have no choice but to carry themselves like classy young men and women.  Our student-athletes will be constantly reminded that the way they carry themselves is not just a reflection upon them.  They are representing their family, teammates, coaches, classmates, and community.  Our student-athletes will understand this fact.  Each one of our student-athletes will work as hard as they can to be the best person, student, and athlete they can be.  Anything other than their best effort can and will not be tolerated.  In order to be the best athletic program we can be which will ultimately help each individual student-athlete be the best person they can be, we must work together.  Teamwork and team success will be stressed over any individual success.  Each young person in our athletic program will understand the importance of sacrificing any individual success for the success of the team.  Teamwork and unselfishness will be stressed throughout our entire program.  Individuals involved in our athletic program will have high expectations for themselves.  We will expect to do well, carry ourselves with class, and win both on and off the playing field.  Ultimately, every person involved in our athletic program will become better people because they had the opportunity to compete and be a part of a team.