Here's what Lubbock-Cooper Liberty sports will look like its first year

WOODROW — The work for Lubbock-Cooper ISD athletic director Max Kattwinkel began 18 months ago, and the payoff is beginning to show.

Kattwinkel has been at the forefront of getting Lubbock-Cooper Liberty sports off the ground as the school prepares for its first day of class Wednesday. It's a monumental task, one tackled by a group effort, including advice from the outside.

Kattwinkel discussed best practices when adding a school with districts that have been there before, including Frisco ISD. FISD has plenty of experience, as its 11th and 12th high schools opened each of the past two years.

But some of the most pertinent information came from Wylie ISD and Boerne ISD, which each added a second high school within the past 16 years.

"That's the hardest thing, to me, is going from one to two," Kattwinkel said. "Once you get two it's not as big of a deal to get three or four. But it's just that whole mindset and that culture changes when you open up a second high school."

Who's at Liberty?

Kattwinkel used the template from FISD, which he said has "gotten it down to a science." That gave him a timeline, which included when to complete the coaching staff.

Liberty's maiden crew is complete. Kattwinkel said he placed an emphasis on finding coaches who had a long-term vision, and experience at smaller schools was a plus. The enrollment, which includes only freshmen and sophomores, a week before opening was 340. Kattwinkel said the number will "probably" be higher on the first day.

Sophomores who attended Lubbock-Cooper last year and are zoned to Liberty had their choice of school. Kattwinkel said about 100 students in that situation chose Liberty.

They're not alone. Patriots volleyball coach Katelyn Anderson made the switch from Cooper as well. She got to celebrate the school's first victory when Liberty swept Friona to open its inaugural season Tuesday.

"I've been ready for this moment since March," Anderson said post-match. "… I know this sounds corny, but this is my dream job. I think it's every coach's dream job to start their own program, start their own culture."

Liberty's teams, facilities

There have been and will be hurdles along the way. The volleyball team played at Laura Bush Middle School because of flooding at Liberty's gym. The Patriots are expected to return to their home floor Sept. 1.

Liberty's football team has a stadium, which includes a track. The Patriots will practice there, but without stands won't host games. Kattwinkel said the on-campus facility will be ready for the 2024 season, when Liberty begins varsity play.

This year, Patriots football will play at Pirate Stadium. Baseball and softball will share fields with Cooper, and soccer will host games at Lubbock-Cooper Middle School. Liberty will eventually have its own baseball and softball fields.

Liberty will offer all the same sports at Cooper, although Patriots football will not play varsity. All others will get a chance to compete for the postseason.

The Patriots will be in Class 3A for most sports. The exceptions are swimming (4A), soccer (4A) and wrestling (5A), which do not have 3A. Kattwinkel said Liberty's enrollment will push it to 4A following realignment.

Challenges abound with rosters of freshmen and sophomores, but coaches hope that lays a foundation for future success.

"My main goal is for the kids to have fun this first year," said Liberty football coach Joe Sexton, who spent the past 22 years at Cooper. "Not many coaches get to start their coaching career as kind of a test run for us. … This first year is going to be just a good learning curve for the kids and the coaches also."

Kattwinkel shared the sentiment, and he's eager to see it all take shape.

"It's going to be a process," Kattwinkel said. "They're going to compete and they're going to be successful. But you've also got to realize that you're competing against older kids, and it's gonna take a while. You want to make sure you can establish your long-term vision and what your culture of your program's going to be."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: What Lubbock-Cooper Liberty sports will look like in 2023-24