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Often, when we reflect on our childhood, we remember that some of the best times were spent perfecting the Maradona turn on the soccer field, working on our swing to hit the next home run, building up height and endurance to clear the hurdles, or practicing our routines so they would be in sync when it came time to go out and cheer for our favorite team.
Many athletes have followed in the footsteps that were paved by their favorite coach to continue their passion in another way, by paying it forward and becoming a coach themselves.
To be a coach means much more than helping students develop to their full athletic potential. Coaches inspire confidence in others, motivate, and encourage athletes to perform at their highest level, whether it be on the field or in the classroom. Our St. Vrain coaches have inspired our students to become the very best student athletes and leaders they can be by sharing the love they have for the sport.
Building a Legacy
Watching his own father play soccer, Luis Chávez was motivated to follow in his footsteps. He began playing as a young kid and has competed all of his adult life. Chávez credits his accomplishments as a player and coach to having an amazing coach himself, one who inspired him to become the person he is today. “He pushed me to excel in school and to be accountable for myself. He even nominated me for a college scholarship,” recalled Chávez. Coach Chávez became Skyline High School’s Boys Soccer Coach in 2010, and began coaching the girls soccer team in 2012.
For Skyline High School senior, Landon Nates, the impact has been significant. “Coach Chávez has helped me grow as a player and as a person. He really shows us by example what makes a great coach and person. Through his attitude and the lessons we learn from soccer, it all translates to the outside world. He has become a huge role model in my life.”
Coach Chávez was named the 2018 Boys Soccer Tri-Valley Coach of the Year and has led his soccer team in the playoffs for the past several years. Since being named head coach for the girls soccer team, he has had a significant impact on their competitive level over the years.
“Through Coach Chávez’s example of leadership, he has taught me how to lead as team captain and how to teach others,” shared Lizette Duran Valderrama, senior at Skyline High School. Coach Chávez strongly believes that sports can guide students in the right direction. “They also hold you accountable if you are really dedicated,” added Chávez.
When he’s not on the soccer field, Coach Chávez spends his time building relationships within his own community. He serves as the Homeless Education Liaison in St. Vrain Valley Schools and spends his free time running the Coaching Boys into Men Program through Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, where he focuses on mentoring young adults into respecting themselves, respecting those around them, and helping them develop the skills they need to become successful adults. For Chávez, at the end of the day, it’s more about the person than the athlete.
“Life is like sports,” shared Chávez. “You are giving yourself that chance to not settle for less. Work hard, do what you have to do, and go as far as you want to go.”
Beyond the Ballpark
“Coaching became second nature to me,” shared Julie Vasquez, Cheer and Softball Coach at Lyons Middle Senior High School. “My dad coached me through high school, so it became part of the family.” It’s more than coaching for Vasquez, a graduate from Lyons Middle Senior High School, it’s continuing the love her community has for their student athletes.
“Growing up in Lyons and being a part of the community, I was highly involved in softball,” recalled Vasquez. Her passion for softball and her love of the game is what drove her to become the girls softball coach. At first, she admits, she had doubts about whether or not she could do the job; however she knew this was another opportunity for her to lead these girls to something phenomenal.
“I’m always working on becoming a better leader for them and for myself,” shared Vasquez. “I want them to continue to push themselves and have grit because they have to get through the uncomfortable to become great leaders.”
Coach Vasquez leads by setting a good example every day, on and off the field, holding herself to the same expectations as her athletes. “If I’m not setting a good example for them and I’m not showing them what a good leader is and what leader I expect them to be, then I’m not doing my job,” said Vasquez.
Keeping the Pace
Training to become a triathlete in high school makes you discover that you may shine at one sport more than the others. “I was a pretty good hurdler in high school and had the opportunity to continue through college,” shared Scott Dickinson, Track & Field and Cross Country Coach at Longmont High School. Having been involved in sports during high school and college, Coach Dickinson learned that competing in athletics and being strong academically can be challenging, but striking that balance helped him grow as a person.
Most recently, Coach Dickinson won the 2022 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Coach of the Year award for Colorado Boys Track & Field. “I try to hold myself to a really high standard in terms of my mentality,” shared Dickinson. “We all have good and bad days, but no matter what, I try to show up to practice with a positive attitude.”
Coach Dickinson creates an environment where students are meeting people with different perspectives, because he strongly believes that it gives them a greater outlook on life. The biggest impact he believes he can have on his students is if they can take the lessons he teaches them on the track or cross-country course and apply it to real life.
“We don’t focus on the fact that it didn’t go right; instead we focus on how we can grow and what we can learn to be better next time,” added Dickinson. For Dickinson, a champion mindset leads to the greatest success.
Two Minutes and Thirty Seconds
When we think about cheerleading, we may not consider the complexity it entails. During the two minutes and thirty seconds of a routine, an athlete has to incorporate tumbling, running, an elite stunt sequence, a pyramid, and dancer jumps, all perfectly timed to a music track. It’s all of those elements that make cheer so entertaining to watch and so athletically demanding.
For Nora Roth, Cheer Coach at Erie High School, being a coach has been the most fulfilling thing she has ever done.
“I always knew I wanted to be a cheer coach. It’s such a unique sport and I wanted to bring the athletic side into it,” shared Roth. Coach Roth has been the Head Coach of Erie High School’s cheer team for the last five years. She was the Colorado High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2018 and the team has won state championship titles in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
There is no doubt that Coach Roth works hard to build strong relationships between herself and her students, and encourages them to become their best. “Coach Roth has taught me how to push past my limits in order to be successful while still creating a supportive and loving environment on the team,” shared Maryn Murphy, senior at Erie High School.
“Coach Roth reminds me that cheer is something I choose to do because I love the sport. It has impacted me on a scale bigger than just cheer and it has reminded me that it’s okay to have ups and downs as long as I learn from it,” shared Jada Kloppe, junior at Erie High School. “Coach Roth has built a relationship with each individual athlete, which has impacted me by having someone I know I can always talk to.”
