Winter Sports Wrap-up - Freedom Eagles Athletic Booster Club
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Freedom
Eagles Check Upcoming Events
Athletic
Booster Club February 2021 Newsletter
Winter Sports Wrap-up
Dear Freedom Eagles Supporter,
We’ve just about made it through the Winter Sports season and are
very proud of our Eagles players, coaches and administrators that
overcame the many obstacles placed in their paths to put on a safe
and successful season. Several sports teams will be finishing up
with Regions these next 2 weekends and hopefully State meets the
following. Congratulations to all the Winter sports athletes and
especially the Seniors for leading with class.
This month, we’re starting a new feature - 6 Questions For Coach -
as we try to get to know better some of the awesome Eagles
Athletics coaches. This month, I interviewed Gymnastics Head
Coach Laura Wrighte of the 3 time (4 of last 5) defending state
champion team. Find out what makes coaching gymnastics at
Freedom so special.
We’ve got a couple of great upcoming fundraisers. Valentines
Dinner solved! Order delicious, “World’s Best” jumbo lump crab
cakes, pick them up on Saturday 2/13 and you’ll help support
Freedom Athletes! Coming in late March is our annual Mulch
sale! Lastly, we’re looking for fundraising talent- specifically Mulch
Sale, Golf tournament and Eagle Trot 5k run organizers - contact
FEABC VP Tom Krall at freedommulch@gmail.com.
The Booster Club can’t support Freedom Athletics without
volunteers. While COVID has thrown us all a curveball, we’re getting
ready to knock it out of the park. We need assistance in a couple
areas in addition to fundraising- Sponsorship, Spirit Wear,
Membership, and Newsletter. We meet virtually, for now, usually the
1st Tuesday of the month- next is 2/2 @ 6:30pm. Send me an email
if you can help in any way to President4FEABC@gmail.com.
Season 2 (aka Fall Sports) is now upon us. Football (1st game 2/27)
and Cheer tryouts start this week. Followed by Cross Country, Field
Hockey, Golf, and Volleyball tryouts starting 2/15 with first games
starting March 1. Season 3 (aka Spring Sports) will run from April
12 – June 26 (First Contest Date – April 26) featuring Baseball,
Lacrosse, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field. Right now, we don’t know
if the games will have spectators allowed but you and your family
don’t have to miss a play and can watch on the Freedom High
School sports channel on the NFHSNetwork.com. All of Freedom’s
stadiums and main gymnasium are equipped with HD cameras and
sound.
Thank you for your continued support of Freedom Eagles athletics
and the Booster Club.
Yours in Athletics,
Craig Koch, President, FEABC
President4FEABC@gmail.com
P.S. Great candid shots courtesy of Victor O'Neill Studios
JOIN Freedom Eagles Athletic Booster
Club
6 Questions with Gymnastics Coach Laura Wrighte
Laura Wrighte- Head Coach, Gymnastics Bio
Years coaching Gymnastics at FHS: 11 years
Regular LCPS position: PE teacher at Liberty ES
Other sports coached: I've only coached
gymnastics, but I do judge VHSL Cheerleading
State championships (years): 4 state team
titles: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
2021 record: 12 wins, 1 loss
1. How did you get interested in coaching Gymnastics? I did gymnastics starting at the age of 10
competitively. I went to Longwood for gymnastics and the University cut the program after my first 2
years. After I got out of college, I started teaching 2nd grade in Suffolk, Virginia and began teaching
tumbling classes at the Windsor School of Dance. After getting married and moving to Fort Bragg, NC, I
was the gymnastics and dance director at the Fayetteville YMCA. When my husband, Mark, took a position
in Washington DC, we moved here to Northern Virginia where I began coaching high school gymnastics
at Robinson Secondary in Fairfax, VA. I coached there for 4 years and during that time I also coached
some at Cardinal Gymnastics and Capital Gymnastics both in Fairfax. Then I took a little hiatus from high
school gymnastics coaching because children, Kyle & Sydney, both graduates of Freedom were actively
involved in sports of their own. I continued to judge VHSL Gymnastics during this time. While judging I
was able to see the talent at Freedom and offered to volunteer to help put routines and skills together
which soon translated into me becoming the assistant coach and then the following year the head coach.
2. What do you like best about gymnastics at FHS? I love coaching high school gymnastics at Freedom
because I've been fortunate enough to be able to allow all of the talented young ladies that participate in
club gymnastics in the area to be a part of their high school team and get some much-needed
recognition. When an athlete competes for USA Gymnastics she practices at her club for 20+ hours a week
so it doesn't leave much time for anything else. We have our practice from 8-10 pm at night so these girls
are able to be a part of our team. It's a lot of sacrifice on all of us involved for practice to be that late each
day, but due to the LCPS policy of attendance, that is what is necessary. I love that our team is a family. We
support one another no matter how talented of a gymnast you are. Everyone that makes the team
competes during the season unless unable due to injury.
3. What challenges did you have this year? This year our team is much smaller than normal. A few athletes
that have been a part of gymnastics their entire high school career aren't participating due to their fear of
COVID and we also lost two of our top gymnasts: Kelly Fangyen and Liliana Gines. Their club coach/owner
is very cautious about COVID protocols so she was nervous to let her Level 10 gymnasts to be exposed to
anything more than necessary because of their intense training. We miss all of our team members greatly
this season. Also this past Friday at Briar Woods was our first competition with our entire team due to
COVID or contact tracing and due to the shortened season heading into Regionals on Friday we are not as
prepared as usual.
4. Your teams have been very successful, what are the keys to having a championship level
program? I'm very fortunate to have very talented gymnasts at Freedom. It also helps that one of the
best pieces of advice I was given when I started to coach high school gymnastics was to become a VHSL
judge and learn the rule book. As coaches at Freedom, we are extremely skilled at getting the best start
value out of each gymnast and every routine. Our team members know that we care about each one of
them as people, so we've built a family where I feel like student athletes really like to be a part.
5. Do you have a favorite memory/memories of FHS gymnastics?I have a few: 1) Our first state
championship in 2016 at Kellam High School in Va. Beach was pretty special. Honestly not because we
actually won, but we started out the day in a bad place as a team. A few teammates were at odds and I
found a way to get them together as a team, talk to them, and they found together til the bitter end. 2)
The team's first Black and Gold Scrimmage. We try to do this every year right before regionals and our
first time doing it our team went ALL out and dressed in their team colors, painted their faces, and our
managers competed as well. I love that it now has become a tradition. 3) Our state title in 2018 when both
Sydney Wrighte and Riley Waldrop chose our team over a club competition in another state. Much more
difficult for Riley as a freshman to do this.
6. Anything else you would like the readers to know about the gymnastics program at FHS? I feel so
fortunate to be able to coach such spectacular young ladies with two amazing assistant coaches: Barbara
Oliphant and Kelsey Laird. Kelsey is new to our staff this season and we are so happy to have her. She's a
very talented coach. She was a gymnast at Chantilly Academy, Chantilly High School, and JMU. She has
brought a wealth of knowledge and compassion to our team.
Thank you Coach Wrighte, Coach Oliphant and Coach Laird for all you do for
Freedom Eagles Gymnastics!!
2020-2021
Freedom Eagles
Gymnastics Team
Good luck in
Regions and States!
Dori Bruno, Emily Clark, Taylor Duncan, Emily Hyun,
Riley Mullins, Anisha Nanda, Paulina Pham, Kendall
Powell, Camryn Procaccini, Riley Waldrop
Managers-Emily Bymers and Morgan Taglieri
Valentines Day Crabcake Fundraiser
Perfect blend of spices & Jumbo Lump Crab
Support our Freedom Athletes and enjoy the
World's BEST Crab Cakes!! Order your
Valentine's Crab Cake dinner and a portion of
the proceeds will go to support Eagles
Athletics!!
Order by 2/12 and pick up Crab Cakes on
Saturday 2/13 at the FHS Parking Lot
Click Here to Order- Enter "FREEDOM" in
Instruction box
Watch Freedom Play on the NFHS Network!
The NFHS Network is your home for
LIVE Eagles athletics. Subscription Options for
Eagles Fans
YES, WE'D ALL RATHER WATCH THE GAMES FROM THE
BLEACHERS! But until we can, get unlimited access to watch all Annual Pass- $69.99
Freedom events this year on the NFHS Network. NFHS will bring Month Pass
you every game from our stadium fields (includes main, baseball - $10.99 per month
and softball) and gym LIVE- HOME & AWAY (all LCPS schools
included). HOW TO REGISTER
- Visit www.NFHSnetwork.com
Full access to ALL content on the Network: - Search for Freedom High
All of Freedom Athletics live and on-demand sports
broadcasts School-South Riding
All of Loudoun live and on-demand sports, and other -Follow to see upcoming games
performances -Subscribe to get access to the
All other sporting events from around the Nation network
FHS Athletics receives a
share of subscriptions
proceeds!
Next Up - Season 2 - Fall Sports!
Season 2 (Fall) February 15 – May 1 (First Contest Date – March 1)
Football & Cheer tryouts - 2/4
Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Volleyball tryouts - 2/15
Season 3 (Spring) April 12 – June 26 (First Contest Date – April 26)
Baseball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field
2021 Football Schedule
Feb 27, Sat, @ Potomac Falls HS-1pm
March 5, Fri, vs Riverside HS-7pm
March 12, Fri, vs Briar Woods HS-7pm
March 19, Fri, @ Stone Bridge HS-7pm
March 26, Fri, vs Woodgrove HS-7pm
April 2, Fri, vs T.B.D-7pm
Bold=Home game
Check Upcoming Game
Schedule
Message From Freedom Athletics Department
Volunteers Needed
Freedom Eagles Athletics
Booster Club Needs Your
Help! We are looking for
volunteers to help with the
following areas:
Sponsorship
Fundraising- Mulch,
5k & Golf
Spiritwear
Membership
If you can help us in any of
these areas or have
additional ideas, please
contact President Craig
Koch at
president4feabc@gmail.com
This year is very different from any other year we have
Learn had and we appreciate your patience and understanding
More of all the changes that have and will occur this year. We
are excited to see Freedom athletes back on the courts,
fields, and sidelines, but ask for understanding that it is a
Next Meeting fluid situation. We also encourage all involved to practice
February 2, 2021 safety and caution on and off the courts/fields. We have
6:30pm-8pm worked hard to set up a plan to safely return to
competition, but know it will take everyone to continue.
Read More Athletics Updates
HERE!
Major Accomplishments -- Our Mission
STRENGTH TRAINING ROOM RENOVATION! Provide financial support
New Bleachers in Main & Auxiliary Gym through fundraising and
New All-State Athlete Displays sponsorships to help subsidize
Upgrades to Concession Stands athletic programs
Supplemental Athletic Trainer Provide volunteer resources to
Spiritwear Trailer help run athletic events
Outdoor Scorer’s Table Promote and support all
Ten-Fourteen $500 College Scholarships to Freedom athletic programs
Graduating Seniors Annually
FEABC Board Members 2020-2021
Officers Committee Chairs
President - Craig Koch Communications - Missy
Vice President - Tom Krall Hillenbrand
Secretary - Meredith Kane Concessions - Deirdre Posey,
Treasurer - Laura Kemmerer Michele Roberts, Lynn Vicchio -
Athletic Director - Brad Bauder Fundraising/Mulch Sale - OPEN
Spirit Wear - OPEN
Next Meeting; Sponsorships - Nancy Hall
Volunteers - Morgan Luck
February 2, 2021, 6:30pm-8pm
Phone: (703) 957 4308
Eagles Athletics Address: 25450 Riding Center Drive,
South Riding, VA 20152
Drop Us A
Line 
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