cbanks1972

Saturday Morning Blitz: The Disclaimer of the Dog House

Saturday Morning Blitz: The Disclaimer of the Dog House

Good morning, Tri-State.

This edition of the Saturday Morning Blitz is going to be a little different.

I want to take some time to explain what we are doing with the Dog House and Dog Pound Radio, provide a few important disclaimers and perhaps open some eyes to what happens behind the cameras, microphones, articles and social-media posts.

Stay with me and read this one to the end. There is a much bigger story behind this entire venture.

First, Let’s Clear Up the Names

Dog Pound Radio, Coaching Culture in Athletics, Charles Banks Author, the Dog House Tri-State Tour and all related social-media pages are my personal, independently operated platforms.

They are not official accounts of the Fort Madison Community School District—or any other school district—and they do not focus solely on one school.

I love supporting the Fort Madison Bloodhounds. I have spent several years around the program, and this community means a great deal to me. However, the larger mission of the Dog House is to recognize student-athletes, coaches, teams and communities throughout the entire Tri-State area.

For clarity, Fort Madison home-event broadcasts are official Fort Madison Bloodhound productions presented by the FMCSD athletic department through Hudl.

Our independent Dog Pound and Dog House coverage is separate from those official school productions, even when members of our crew assist with or appear on a broadcast.

Here is the easiest way to understand it:

  • Fort Madison Hudl: Official Fort Madison home-event productions presented through the FMCSD athletic department.
  • Dog Pound Radio: My independently operated platform with a strong connection to Fort Madison and Bloodhound athletics.
  • Dog House Tri-State Tour: Independent regional coverage celebrating student-athletes, coaches, teams and communities throughout the Tri-State area.

These operations may occasionally work alongside one another, but they are not the same entity.

Something Bigger Than Myself

For the past seven to 10 years, I have worked to establish something much bigger than myself.

There have been plenty of bumps in the road—and even a few strokes along the way—but the vision has remained the same.

I want student-athletes to be seen.

I want their stories to be told.

I want coaches and programs to receive positive recognition.

I want our communities to have a place where high school athletics are celebrated.

We are volunteers trying to give this area something it desperately needs. This is about creating a positive venue for young people without expecting anything in return.

When I describe this as a nonprofit-type effort, I am talking about the spirit of the mission—not claiming any formal nonprofit status.

Over the past decade, I have personally spent thousands of dollars purchasing equipment, paying for subscriptions, traveling to games and building these platforms.

I have never expected to receive that money back.

The Dog House Budget

We are fortunate to have several loyal sponsors supporting my independent, non-school-affiliated work over a 12-month period. I appreciate every one of them more than they know.

However, the amount of sponsorship support remains considerably less than what I spend each year to keep everything operating.

The official Dog House budget?

In the negative.

That is not being shared for sympathy. I am not asking anyone to feel sorry for me, and I am certainly not trying to toot my own horn.

I simply want people to understand the venture.

I expect nothing in return.

I will continue pushing for the communities we cover because I believe in the athletes, coaches and programs whose stories we are sharing.

More Than 30 Hours on a Weekend

I am also the lone operator of the writing side of the Dog House—a responsibility I absolutely love, by the way.

Depending on the weekend, I can spend more than 30 hours gathering statistics, studying teams, speaking with coaches, writing articles, recognizing athletes, editing posts and sharing stories from across the Tri-State area.

That is in addition to traveling, broadcasting, setting up equipment, troubleshooting technology and handling the many other responsibilities that come with running these platforms.

Again, I am not mentioning the hours because I want praise or sympathy.

I want people to understand how much time and care go into providing positive coverage for our student-athletes.

Every article, player feature, ranking and game recap is created because I believe these young people deserve to be recognized.

It is a tremendous commitment.

It is also a labor of love.

There Will Be Bumps in the Road

When people criticize the setup, sound, camera work or stream quality, please understand that we are doing the best we can with the equipment, finances and volunteers available to us.

There will be technical problems.

There will be internet issues.

There will be sound difficulties.

There will be moments when the setup does not work according to plan.

Last night was no different.

Nobody involved in this operation is claiming perfection. We are learning, adjusting and improving every week.

We welcome constructive feedback because it helps us get better. However, there is an enormous difference between offering helpful feedback and simply griping about volunteers who are working hard to serve their community.

We are trying.

We are learning.

We are going to continue improving.

Working With Fort Madison Is a Blessing

Working with the Fort Madison Community School District on home events produced by its athletic department has been a blessing.

I love supporting this community.

Athletic Director Jeff Lamb is doing a phenomenal job, and I truly believe we will continue getting everything dialed in for the people of Fort Madison.

Building something worthwhile requires time, patience, communication and a willingness to work through difficult moments.

We have all of those things.

I have also put together a pretty doggone good group of highly respected individuals. I am proud to call them more than friends.

They have become family.

They give their time.

They share their knowledge.

They roll with the technical difficulties.

They continue showing up for our athletes and communities.

They are helping operate and expand this vision, and I could not do it without them.

Do Not Just Complain—Come See Us

Lastly, when you are watching a broadcast and notice a glitch, sound problem or anything else that does not seem right, let us know.

Shoot us a message.

Give us a call.

Heck, come up and visit us while we are broadcasting.

See what goes into the production. Meet the people behind the microphones. Watch the crew work through the challenges and become part of what we are building.

We welcome constructive feedback, helping hands and people who share our passion for supporting student-athletes.

This vision belongs to more than the people sitting behind the equipment. It belongs to the athletes, families, coaches and communities we serve.

Come be part of it.

Help us improve it.

Help us build something special for these student-athletes.

Why We Keep Going

We do it for the student-athletes.

We do it for the coaches.

We do it for the parents, grandparents and family members who cannot always attend.

We do it for the small communities that deserve to have their stories shared.

We do it because high school athletics can bring people together in a way few other things can.

The Dog House may be operating in the negative financially, but its impact will always be measured by something greater than a bank account.

We expect nothing in return.

We simply ask for a little patience, a little understanding and continued support for the young people whose stories truly matter.

This is the Dog House.

It is not perfect.

It is not polished every second of every broadcast.

But it is built with heart, powered by volunteers and dedicated to the student-athletes of the Tri-State area.

We are building something much bigger than ourselves.

And we are just getting started.

#SaturdayMorningBlitz #DogPoundRadio #DogHouseTour #CoachingCultureInAthletics #FortMadisonBloodhounds #TriStateSports #SupportStudentAthletes #CommunityCoverage #VolunteerMedia #HighSchoolAthletics #FridayNightLights

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Published by cbanks1972

## Charles “Chuck” Banks ### Founder and Voice of Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network Charles “Chuck” Banks—known to many throughout the tri-state sports community as Coach Banks or “Chuck the Tank”—is the founder and lead broadcaster of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network. Built from more than two decades of coaching, teaching, leadership, and relationship-building, the network is dedicated to telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, schools, and communities that make local sports special. A native of rural Iowa, Banks has spent 20 years in education and more than 25 years coaching football. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Graceland University in 2004 before completing a master’s degree in Secondary Education and Educational Administration and a specialist degree in Educational Leadership. Throughout his coaching career, Banks worked with programs across southeastern Iowa. His stops included Centerville, Central Lee, and Fort Madison, along with seven years coaching girls basketball and additional experience in junior-high track. At Central Lee, Banks served as an assistant defensive coach and activities director before becoming the Hawks’ head football coach from 2020 through 2022. Central Lee reached the playoffs during his final season. He was also part of multiple playoff teams and a district championship during his time with the program. At Centerville, Banks spent nine years as an assistant and helped the Big Reds capture a district championship and earn multiple playoff appearances. Most recently, he coached at Fort Madison under Head Coach Derek Doherty, helping develop younger players within the Bloodhound football program. Banks’ defensive coaching journey evolved from the traditional 5-2 defense to the 3-3-5 before he found his preferred home in the 4-2-5. However, his coaching philosophy has never been limited to schemes, formations, wins, or losses. He believes the greatest responsibility of a coach is to build relationships, develop leaders, create belonging, and prepare young people for life beyond the playing field. That belief became the foundation for Coaching Culture in Athletics. What began as an effort to create meaningful conversations about coaching and leadership grew into a full sports-media and broadcasting network. Coaching Culture in Athletics now serves as the umbrella for Dog Pound Radio, The Coach Show, the Dog House Tour, Dog Pound U, Hound Talk, the Dog House Saturday Morning Blitz, live game broadcasts, team previews, rankings, interviews, historical features, and year-round coverage of local athletics. Through the Dog House Tour, Banks visits practices, meets coaching staffs, interviews athletes, studies programs, and gives local teams the type of detailed coverage normally reserved for much larger schools. The network’s reach extends throughout southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri, connecting communities across the tri-state region. Banks has covered and developed relationships with programs including Fort Madison, Central Lee, Centerville, West Burlington–Notre Dame, Mount Pleasant, Macomb, West Hancock, and Brown County. His work highlights more than star players and final scores. It recognizes assistant coaches, linemen, managers, scout-team players, school traditions, historic stadiums, longtime community supporters, and the people working behind the scenes. The Coach Show allows Banks to sit down with coaches from the high-school and college levels for honest conversations about leadership, program development, adversity, family, faith, and the profession of coaching. His interviews are guided by experience rather than observation alone. He understands the pressure of leading a program, the hours spent preparing, the sacrifices made by coaching families, and the responsibility that comes with mentoring young people. Dog Pound Radio brings a more energetic edge to the network. Inspired by Banks’ love for football and his beagles, Leo and Loki, Dog Pound Radio combines local sports reporting with the unmistakable “Dawg Mentality”—toughness, loyalty, preparation, perseverance, and love for the team. Loki continues to serve as a central part of the brand, while the memory of Leo remains woven into its heart. Banks’ journey has also been shaped by significant personal adversity. After suffering multiple strokes, undergoing heart surgery, and facing additional serious health concerns, he stepped away from coaching and entered what he describes as medical retirement from the sideline. He also speaks openly about depression, adult ADHD, recovery, and the importance of faith, family, purpose, and mental health. Although his health changed the way he could serve, it did not take away his calling. Broadcasting became a new sideline. Through Coaching Culture in Athletics, Banks found another way to teach, coach, encourage, and advocate. His experiences have given his work a deeper sense of urgency: appreciate the people around you, tell their stories while you can, recognize the unseen contributors, and never underestimate the impact a coach can have on a young person’s life. Faith and family remain at the center of Banks’ life. He and his wife, Stephanie, have built a life rooted in southeastern Iowa and are the proud parents of Chelsey, Peyton, and Katarina. Their growing family includes son-in-law Donald Archambault and grandchildren Orion, Owen, and Ollie. Banks often credits his family for standing beside him through the demanding seasons of coaching, education, broadcasting, illness, and recovery. Today, Chuck Banks brings together the perspective of a coach, educator, broadcaster, historian, husband, father, grandfather, and survivor. His voice is passionate, direct, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to the communities he covers. The mission of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network is simple: promote the positive impact of athletics, strengthen coaching culture, celebrate local communities, preserve sports history, and provide athletes and coaches with a platform where their work matters. This is more than a radio network. It is a celebration of coaches, culture, athletes, families, and communities. It is local sports coverage built on relationships. It is where coaches, culture, and communities connect. It is Coaching Culture in Athletics.

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