In remarks captured in the meeting transcript, an unnamed first-year coach at Southwest said the team started the season "a couple weeks ago" and is prioritizing a culture shift and bonding as it builds the program.

The coach said the players are "bringing lots of energy" and "becoming a team," and added that the coaching staff is "really trying to establish that culture" so players will "buy in to our program." He said, "the wins and losses will take care of themselves if we're taking care of all the things that we're supposed to take care of."

Why it matters: Building team cohesion and a consistent approach early in a season can affect player development and performance later in the year. The coach emphasized day-to-day practice habits, trust in the coaching scheme and off-field bonding activities as central to that effort.

On specifics, the coach said players were "bringing more and more energy" at practice and that this year's group shows "much more potential than last year" with "much more grit." He said the team is working to "establish that structure" and repeated the coaching message to "trust the process." The coach also singled out team dinners as an important bonding activity: "I think the team dinners where we all bond together as a team ... are so cool."

The coach noted a small roster when discussing expectations: "We don't got no expectations. We're only 10, so this year is just building," and later added, "we'll see how we do." He described the team as often being viewed as "the underdogs" but framed the focus on culture and effort rather than external expectations.

Discussion-only versus decision: The remarks in the transcript are descriptive and programmatic in nature; no formal actions, motions or policy decisions were recorded in the provided transcript segments.

The transcript excerpts capture the coach's outlook and emphasis as the team begins its season and did not include additional details about schedules, opponents, or program funding.