The Texas High School Coaches Association Coaching School and Convention is just around the corner.

The 81st edition of the annual event is scheduled for July 28-31, one week before preseason football drills can begin.

Coaches in all sports from around the state will have opportunities to take in seminars led by prominent Texas high school coaches from within the state, as well as some NCAA coaches from across the country.  The gathering, based at the Fort Worth Convention Center, also offers and exhibit floor for vendors to showcase their various goods and services to the coaches in attendance.

Some of the big names in college football are slated to be on-hand. Texas Longhorn head football coach Mack Brown is one of the scheduled guest speakers, as is Kevin Sumlin of the Texas A&M Aggies.

TCU’s Gary Patterson and SMU’s June Jones add a little Metroplex gridiron flavor to the list of speakers. Mark Dantonio of Michigan State and James Franklin, who begins his third season at the helm of Vanderbilt’s football program, will provide some football perspectives from the rest of the nation.

A couple of high profile college basketball coaches are scheduled to speak as well.  Johnny Jones of LSU and Gregg Marshall from Wichita State are on the agenda.

Additionally, breakout seminars on a wide variety of subjects – ranging from on-field emergency management for coaches to topics like video editing and determining how to deal with or utilize social media – will be offered throughout the four-day session.

Specific breakout sessions are set for almost every sanctioned team sport in the state’s high schools, including football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track, wrestling and golf.

Of those, some of the titles for the talks, and the listed presenters, can make you scratch your head and wonder what really will be discussed.

You have to wonder how many secrets Katy head coach Gary Joseph is really going to give away during his Basics of Katy’s Success: 3-4 Defense session on Monday afternoon.

And it’s not likely Kerrville Tivy baseball coach Steve Rippee will discuss how his team will pitch to a district foe’s leading hitter in a game situation during his Pitching – “The Tivy Way” chat.

But that’s really not the point.  This is the ultimate frat gathering for the brotherhood (and sisterhood) of coaches in the state of Texas and these are opportunities for success to breed more success.

Executive boards of the various sports also meet during week.  Rules discussions and compliance seminars are held.  There’s even a resource room for coaches who are looking for jobs…and jobs looking for coaches.

Undoubtedly, the convention is the association’s major tool for equipping its membership to deal with all the expected and unexpected details of the coaching profession.  And, it’s the coaches’ opportunity to absorb as much as they can.

So what is the main thing it means to the rest of us?  Football season is just around the corner.