By Tony Adams
Belton Journal
Two state championships. A state semifinal appearance. Twenty state medals. Fifteen postseason appearances. Seven team district championships. Twenty-three regional medalists. A mind-blowing 89 regional qualifiers.
“Our leaders understand the expectation,” Lake Belton athletic coordinator/head football coach Brian Cope said. “Our student athletes and coaches understand the expectation. Now it is working with them to continue to build those relationships that are so important to take another step for all of our teams.”
The culture of Lake Belton High School, North Belton Middle School, and Lake Belton Middle School athletic programs embodies success from hard work, dedication to oneself and the representation of the school. They are built on the foundation of teamwork, which has built a bridge from the middle school programs to the Broncos’ high school program.
“We want to be a seven-year athletic program starting with 6th Grade Pre-Athletics,” Lake Belton athletic coordinator/football head coach Brian Cope said. “For our athletic program to continue to be ELITE, we must work out together in the summer. We want to make sure our kids understand the importance of the weight room and finding a way to get bigger, faster and stronger.”
Bronco Elite Camp helps bridge the gap between school years through fitness, mental toughness, and various sport-specific workouts.
“We had over 500 kids on the first day this summer,” Cope said. “Also, the UIL has allowed us to do sports-specific coaching with our student athletes. This time is invaluable for our coaches and kids. This helps us get ready for the year.”
While the athletes buy into the program, the coaches help administer the program and help the concept along.
“Our coaching staff does a great job of working with all of our kids,” Cope said, “Our strength coach, Kade Cole, designed the workout so each sport is together which allows our coaches to continue to build on their specific culture under the umbrella of all of our athletic culture.”
The winning culture that the Broncos staff and athletes helped build over the 2023-2024 school year helped Lake Belton finish in the top 15 percent in the Texas University Interscholastic League’s Lone Star Cup. LBHS collected 47 points in a year-long competition that combined achievements in athletics, but also in not only athletics but in academics, marching band, robotics, spirit, film, one-act play, theatrical design, and other competitions.
“We finished 33 out of 254 schools in the UIL Lone Star Cup. A big reason is the year-round development that they get from our coaches.”
To the Lake Belton athletic program, ELITE is not only a camp: it is a championship mindset.
