In the last year, I have had the privilege of meeting amazing athletes and their outstanding coaches as well. I have learned that the face of the coach comes in different forms and titles such as mom, dad, teacher, mentor, neighbor, businessmen, etc. Some are former athletes, some just love the sport.
As I have talked to some of those coaches, I learned that most have started at the amateur or community level. Meaning that at one point they did not or still do not get paid. In fact, I would bet they have often put out of pocket to help out with the athlete’s goal, all in the name of the sport.
However, the real contribution at hand is without a doubt their time and commitment. With no conditions or expectations for something in return. Their goal is as strong as the athlete, to win and bring a championship home.
So who is this coach we are talking about? Why do they do it? Here is a story to highlight some of them, one a businessman coaching football and the second a housewife training the future of boxing representing Oregon in the world.
James Lange
James Lange is the President of Pacific Community Design, a development consultants firm providing expertise to clients to help build communities. For what I gathered from research and after speaking with him, the demands of his job are great and “free time” does not come easy to a person like him. Yet he has been coaching for the past 14 years, and let me tell you, this type of commitment is not an hour or two per week… It’s much more than that. In his own words, here is his story of why he chooses to be a coach.
OSN: How long have you been coaching for?
JL: This is my 14th or 15th year. I got started when my youngest son was playing and kind of ran with him through the program. This was a long time ago when the Tigard Youth Program was not ran as well. The program did not have the emphasis it does have now and I really value the experience I have with the kids. They learn to conquer fear. It’s a terrific life lesson that can be incorporated it and influences their lives.
OSN: What’s your favorite age group to coach?
JL: My favorite is the 8th grade. They play a good level of football and are physically able to execute higher parts of the game. They’re a little bit older. I always am in favor of attitude over ability. I want to have fun, the kids want to have fun.
OSN: Did you play football yourself?
JL: I did. I played in high school. A long time ago.
OSN: Are you a volunteer or paid coach?
JL: I am a volunteer.
OSN: What kind of commitment does being a coach means?
JL: A lot. Our youth program starts in February or March. We have coaching clinics and get together with HS coach and staff and run through offense, defense technique so that everyone is ready to coach and use the vocabulary we need to use. That way the kids are hearing the same things, if presented the same way .Once August comes we have conditioning for 4-5 days a week for two hours and once we actually get into the season we practice 3 – 4 hours in addition to the hours spent on the game and prep day.
OSN: Prep day?
JL: Yes, that’s the time we use to prepare. We watch other team’s videos to get ready. Usually on Sundays the coaches gather at someone’s house and we watch the film together and talk what we need to fix from the previous game as well as watching our next opponents game. Between practice, plans, getting ready etc, I’d say about 20 hours.
OSN: That’s a major commitment. Why Tigard Youth Football of all other clubs?
JL: At Tigard we want every kid to play. We don’t cut kids out or restrict the numbers. Typically we have teams that run between 20-26 kids. If you get too many kids, you form another team, if you don’t have enough you have 23 or so.
OSN: What do you look for in a player?
JL: You hope to have kids that want to be there. That enjoy a contact sport. Is more physical and some are and some are not. You like them physical. Our job is not as a NFL team where you have to win. For us is about getting the kids to participate instead of playing video games.
We don’t care how athletic or how physical they are. Our job is to give them an opportunity to participate in something. There is no weeding out in this program, we want every kid to show up in practice and doing their part.
OSN: Being that you are coaching a youth program, how do you balance the competitive and recreational side for each participant?
JL: There is no denying. When I talk about having fun, it is having fun to win. As coaches we are all very competitive. For me is just a balance. Some coaches will do anything to win. I’ve seen coaches who have a 26 kids and 11 get to play and everyone else get the minimum.
Our program discourages that practice.
I think the challenge as a coach is to work with the kids to get them in the right position so that they can get in the game in the position they practice, and not at the end of the fourth quarter. For example this year except for one or two I had the minimum playtime done for each kid by halftime. It was not by accident, but by intent. We were able to have a successful season where we play them where they practiced. This puts the responsibility on the coach.
OSN: Such a serious commitment of time and dedication must have something that drives it. What are the rewards?
JL: For me coaching has been a great opportunity to practice leadership strategies that affects how I run my business. Think about it, how do you get 26 kids to be excited to work towards the same thing and deal with the inevitable disappointment and the success you have? When you are working with adults is a similar experience, to me there is a connection.
OSN: What are the challenges?
JL: Challenges as a coach is the time. Is being there totally engaged even if it’s hard because you have work to do. Sometimes is hard to disengage from your job and be there and focus in the kids that whole time. But, that’s part of the reward for me because I have to step outside of my life and be totally engaged. And why not, be a kid myself and for me that’s a great way for me to step away from my work and do something fun.
There is also the challenge every coach goes through of putting your natural competitive urges in perspective, and remember in my case I am dealing with 13 year old kids. They are not high school and not colleague, and you have to put your expectations in the correct place so they succeed so you don’t get frustrated.
OSN: What words of advice do you have for your team to prepare as they head into HS football?
JL: For me I would encourage them to participate in every sport. In every one you learn something different. If you are slow go run track they’ll help you get faster. If you are not strong get involved in something that will strengthen yourself. Go out and learn wrestling! That is a great thing for football. It seems that a lot of kids are specializing in one sport and in my mind they are not as adaptable because they have done one kind of thing forever.
OSN: Overall what could you tell our readers about your experience as a coach?
JL: First of all I am very proud that the Tigard youth program has become absolute first class. A great experience for the kids. I know parents are concerned about concussions and I can tell you that I know our program is aware. We have even changed the way we tackle to discourage the head to head contact that leads that problems.
I’ve been doing this for 14-15 years. I think the concern is manageable and I think the league is taking a great lead to make the game safer. If parents have those concerns, talk to the league and the coach educate yourself because is a life changing experience when they get to participate in a contact sport such as football.
Salud Diaz Barrera
Salud Diaz Barrera is a wife and mother of four. A former boxer herself. And her most current title is that of boxing trainer as well. Ms. Diaz Barrera starts by telling me all about her pupils who happen to be her sons and daughter too. She recently came back from the 2016 Junior Open and Youth National Champions in Reno where her very own Diana Estrada Diaz won the gold medal, having her qualify to compete at the international level representing the US and the PNW. In addition Diana was awarded “Outstanding youth female boxer” award presented by the USA Boxing. All and all not bad results for Coach Salud.
OSN: How did you get into boxing?
SDB: My husband used to fight back home in Mexico City. I used to fight in my hometown of Michoacan in Mexico as well. I did what I set myself out to do under the limitations and support a woman has in boxing. They limit you a lot back there.
OSN: How long ago was this?
SDB: We are talking about 28 or so years ago. My husband tried to fight when we got here but due to the family’s needs we had to reprioritize.
OSN: All of your children are boxers correct?
SDB: Yes, they are. I have three boys and a girl. Efrain Estrada Diaz Jr. (Angelo) – 21 years old, who has fought about 120-130 fights. Active, but currently recovering from a shoulder injury. Eric Jose Estrada Diaz – 19 years old, active heading to Bend in two weeks to fight at the Golden Gloves event. He has fought about 100 fights. Diana Estrada Diaz- USA Boxing Champion, 125 lbs and classified to be in the USA team. She is 17 and has about 60 fights. And then there is my youngest Omar Estrada Diaz – 75 or 80 fights also active at 14 years of age.
OSN: How did you get started in coaching?
SDB: It all started with the kids. I had enrolled them in Tae Kwon Do, but to be honest the program lacked organization. Teacher would sometimes be a no show and I could see all they were doing was playing most of the time. We knew they needed a sport to practice so we decided to try out box. We took them to the boxing club in Beaverton PAL. There we met Charlie Rios who is the head of the program. We enrolled the oldest and from there all wanted to box.
Charlie is that one that pulled me in. He knew I had fought back home in Mexico. He knew I was passionate about it and he invited both me and my husband to participate and mentored us to become a certified coach. After three years of observing me he knew I was there not only for my kids but for others too. So he walked us through and we took the testing and became certified.
My kids continued going to PAL however as I saw them grow I could see they needed more time and work 1:1. There were great opportunities at PAL but if we wanted more competition and experience we were going to have to travel and that’s when we decided to leave the club and work in our own. However Charlie was great and still is great. We have a great relationship with the club.
OSN: Are you the lead trainer for the four of them?
SDB: Yes I am. I also work with other youth as well. We have about four more.
OSN: How many hours do you dedicate to being a trainer?
SDB: Hard to say, for sure Monday through Friday at least two hours per day per kid. If they are prepping for a fight we train them twice a day. Like right now Eric is preparing so he is training hard.
OSN: How do you balance your job, a family and being a trainer?
SDB: I am a stay home, and my husband is the main provider. He is a painter and does remodeling work. He helps with the trainings from time to time, depending of his schedule allowing him to do so. But if he has the time he helps me.
OSN: Is the training the same for all?
SDB: We individualize it. Depending on the boxer, trajectory and experience. Some of the kids have different school schedules, it depends on each boxer.
OSN: Why boxing?
SDB: Is something I wanted to do as a kid and I did bit but not to the level I wanted, however my kids are. I wanted to support them and is not only a sport anymore is a career, so more than anything I want to be supportive to them and I am wherever they are. Boxing fulfills me.
OSN: What are the challenges of being their trainer and parent?
SDB: Sometimes is hard to separate. You have to work hard at it. I try to make sure that I am a mom when in the house, but their trainer when we are on the mat. For example, before practice I ask about school related stuff, homework, etc. That way once we get to the training part we concentrate on training talk.
OSN: That must be hard?
SDB: Is not easy but is not impossible. We push them to do their best and that includes their education as well.
OSN: What do you do when you are not training?
SDB: We do things like any family does. We go to the park, mall, to try to relax with them. We talk about their future, their school or careers. Sometimes if my husband has a lot of work we go and help him as a family. We all know the business of painting so we step in and help with paint or drywall work. Because that’s how it is. Together as a family. We are an honest family. We are a family like many others that come from other countries searching for a dream and a better life. To help our kids to move ahead. We are a family that contributes to our community by trying to help the youth who needs and wants to box have a sport instead of getting in trouble. More than anything is about helping kids reach their goals and to be good people. And if while doing boxing we can help or change their lives, then we know we have done our part and that fulfills us both.
We have amazing talent in the Pacific Northwest. There are great organizations who are growing the future in sports here in our very own backyard. As a parent and sports fanatic I want to thank all of those coaches who give their time and dedication to keeping the enthusiasm level high.
Their commitment is a serious undertaking. The work no doubt is demanding and at times hard to balance with their personal lives. However the rewards as you can see are amazing and we couldn’t do it without them. This one goes out to you Coach, for taking the time and passion to make a difference, to include a child. For working hard and putting your own priorities on hold during the season so you can give your knowledge and expertise to the sports we all love. To you the father, the mother, the neighbor, the sports fan who makes that decision and takes the responsibility of being called “Coach”.
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