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(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Isiah Archer provides remarks about the Bobcats football team Thursday, Aug. 7. Archer serves the football team as head coach. -
(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Newcastle parents and fans in attendance at the booster bash event Thursday, Aug. 7. The community showed up to support Newcastle athletes as they kicked off the new year. -
(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Tina Hawkins gives opening remarks at the Meet the Bobcats and Ladycats Booster Bash event Thursday, Aug. 7. Hawkins serves as the booster club president in Newcastle.
The 2025-26 academic year for Newcastle ISD kicked off this week and the school decided to usher in the new year in style with their annual booster bash event.
This event called “Meet the Bobcats and Ladycats” took place Thursday, Aug. 7 on a cool and breezy summer evening.
Parents and fans in the Newcastle community came out to support their local sports teams over at the high school football field, where student athletes from the football, volleyball, cross country and cheerleading teams were introduced and showcased.
The night kicked off with a word of excitement from Newcastle Athletic Booster Club President Tina Hawkins.
Hawkins was encouraged by the overall turnout on the night and the amount of support student athletes have in the community.
“From years past until this year, you can just see the growth,” Hawkins said. “There’s more people coming out, more people getting involved, more people volunteering, more students. I’ve just seen this multiplication over the years.”
After Hawkins gave her opening remarks, she turned everyone’s attention to the overhead commentator in the press booth.
From there, athletes walked out of the Bobcats tunnel onto the football field one by one and were shown off in their respective teams.
After this, the teams brought up seniors from both the football and volleyball teams who gave remarks about their upcoming season.
The Bobcats and Ladycats assured the Newcastle crowd that they were locked in on the season and ready to perform at the highest level.
After this, individual coaches came up to the mic and spoke about their upcoming schedules and high expectations for their teams and athletes going into the year.
Finally, the athletes were given a special testimonial about how they should carry themselves as athletes and men over the course of the season, that message was condensed into three Rs.
Those were to relinquish personal desires and focus on the goals God has for each athlete, repent of wrong doings and rescue others by helping them and showing them respect.
“Just watching the way everyone cares for each other, the way we rally together, good times, hard times, whatever times, that is for me personally one of the things that keeps me involved,” Hawkins said. “I love the camaraderie and the way everyone cares about each other.”
Now that the school year has kicked off in Newcastle, sights are set high for the community and its athletic clubs.
