In honor of National Coaches Day on October 6th, we want to celebrate our amazing Up2Us Sports coaches, and the lineage of coaches in their lives. We asked some of our coaches about a coach from their youth whose impact they still feel today, as well as what they hope the kids that they work with will take away from their time with them:

Who was a coach in your life that you see in yourself when you coach now? What lessons did you take away from your time with them?

Emma Turcotte (Youth Enrichment Services – Boston, MA)

“All of my coaches were so different growing up but the one thing I see in all of them (which I've tried to adopt as coach myself) is a genuine love for my players/students. I want the best for all of my kids each day and really value their growth, enthusiasm, and development each day.”

Mario Cornejo (South Bronx United – The Bronx, NY)

 “I always remember my first coach, for the club soccer team I played for from ages 9-13, who would always give me high fives or hugs. Even during my bad days, he would always show appreciation and would make sure I wasn't left unnoticed. And even if I didn't show it in the moment, it would be a positive part of my day. It went so far that when he moved on and became the coach of a rival team, he still gave me those hugs and high fives, as if he had never left. That ability and desire to create supportive and positive relationships with players is something that I've learned and would like to pass on myself in the future as a coach.”

Chandlor Lyles (Fenway High School – Boston, MA)

“My father Kevin always coached in every sport I played. Growing up as a little girl I played soccer, softball, and basketball. My dad grew up playing baseball, football, and basketball but he never played soccer. However, he loved to mentor and was always athletic and helped me in every way possible with soccer. He coached me the best way he knew how and I see a lot of his teachings in me today when I coach. I learned how to connect to individuals on a personal level by really taking an interest in their livelihood outside of the classroom and in life. In addition, I learned how to manage different backgrounds, personalities and all different ages. Consequently, emotional intelligence is the most important asset I acquired.”

Kara Dry (Soccer Without Borders – Boston, MA)

“I frequently think about my college soccer coach and how I can emulate him in my coaching. My two biggest takeaways from my time with Coach Breton was prioritizing the growth of the person over the player and pushing yourself to excel in what you can control. While I certainly developed as a soccer player under Coach Breton, when I think about most of what impacted me the most it was long conversations about how to serve your team as a leader, pre- and postgame talks about how to find joy throughout the ups and downs, and sharing in excitement of my future goals and plans. Secondly, I learned how to push myself beyond what I thought I could. Throughout a soccer game, there are so many things outside of your control from the officials, fans, other team, and even your own teammates. Coach Breton encouraged us all to excel in what we could control. I could control the effort I put in to winning a 50-50 ball. I could control how much sleep I got the night before a big game. I could control the work I put into my summer workouts when no one else was around to check if I was doing them. Because of the investment Coach Breton put into me as a person and as a player, my mentality is always to prioritize the holistic development of the young women on my team often times through encouraging them to push themselves a little farther than they think they can go.”

Shamara Rhodes (Boston Youth Wrestling – Boston, MA)

“Coach Mara always taught me being on time was important; although I slacked off through adulthood, I still respect showing up on time and being active in what is happening!”

What do you hope that the kids you are working with now feel they have gained from their time with you when they look back on it in 10 years?

Emma Turcotte (Youth Enrichment Services – Boston, MA)

“I hope that kids I'm working with now will look back at their time with me at YES and feel grateful and challenged. I want every kid that goes through our program to leave feeling more confident than when they arrived and to have a new appreciation for themselves and their environment by the time program is over!”

Mario Cornejo (South Bronx United – The Bronx, NY)

“I would hope the kids I work with now would feel that they were able to flourish and thrive with their talent and efforts on the field, but also feel comfortable to express themselves and feel acknowledged and appreciated both on and off the soccer field. But if there is just one thing the kids can gain from their time with me as a coach, I would hope it would be the ability to see how the skills and behaviors they demonstrate on the field can translate to positive behaviors and values off the field, as individuals that are ready to lead and pursue their goals in life.”

Chandlor Lyles (Fenway High School – Boston, MA)

“I hope the kids gain the importance of their health and wellness. In addition, to the planet as a whole. Due to how human beings especially in North America eat and consume it can become very dangerous if not monitored. Consequently, it starts from within and then take care of the earth which we live on.”

Kara Dry (Soccer Without Borders – Boston, MA)

“I hope the players I am working with now feel they have gained the desire to put others before themselves along with the ability to experience joy despite the circumstance. One of the incredible opportunities of participating on a team is learning how to sacrifice ones own comfort, time , or energy for the good of another. In a soccer game, the more effort and focus I put into a pass, the easier it will be for my teammate because it will go closer to where they want it. Make your teammates job easy even if it's more work for you. As players grow up and are on new teams, whether that's at work or in their own family, I hope they are willing to put in the extra effort to make someone else's job easier. Sports are also an incredible way to learn about choosing joy. Throughout an athletes career, season, or even game there are so many ups and downs. Learning to take joy in the work you are doing, the people who are around you, or the simple fact that you have the ability to play a game you love can be easy or difficult but is so important for how we will live the rest of our lives. In 10 years, I hope the players who I have had the privilege to coach feel they have gained a desire to sacrifice for others and an ability to experience joy through the ups and downs.”

Shamara Rhodes (Boston Youth Wrestling – Boston, MA)

“I hope the youth gain pride in themselves with being leaders in their communities.”