Beyond the Field

COACHES ARE GREAT LEADERS BECAUSE THEY MOTIVATE OTHERS TO BECOME THEIR BEST.

BY EUNICE PEINADO PHOTOS BY LIZ ALLEN & JESSE PETERSEN

FTEN, 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

Photo, from left to right: Addison Tuck, Ceci Chiaravalle, Assistant Coach Abby Wynja, Head Coach Julie Vasquez, Ava Vasquez, Maysa Ganzel, and Talis Hubner in a pre-game huddle.

Photo, previous page: Luis Chávez coaches the Skyline High School boys soccer team practice.

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 crosscountry 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.”

By the Numbers

ATHLETICS AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

78

In the last two years, St. Vrain athletes have brought home 78 total state titles: 14 team titles and 64 individual titles.

147

St. Vrain offers 147 total varsity sports teams across all high schools.

1,792

St. Vrain high school students are sanctioned to compete in 1,792 athletic events each year.

109

Last year, 109 St. Vrain graduates earned athletic scholarships.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR DEMOCRACY BEGINS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

BY CAROLINE CHUTKOW PHOTOS BY LIZ ALLEN

Photo, top: During Niwot High's Mock Trial team practice, senior Angela Wu questions a witness.

Photo, bottom: Longmont High senior, Greta Wedel, presents her argument for debate, while junior Grace Hawkins prepares a counterargument.

ATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

RUTH BADER GINSBURG once famously said, “We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world, and it starts out with three words, ‘We, the people.’”

With this powerful preamble, it is solidified that our populace serves as the foundation for our democracy. While the majority of our students are not yet old enough to vote, opportunities abound for students across St. Vrain Valley Schools to begin their civic engagement and learn how they can participate in our democracy, become contributing citizens in their communities, advocate for others, and introduce – and change – law and policy.

“DON’T RAISE YOUR VOICE, IMPROVE YOUR ARGUMENT.” —

DESMOND TUTU

The ability to think critically about complex issues and articulate ideas eloquently is a skillset that benefits students in any career path they choose. Academic All-American, Greta Wedel, represents Longmont High School in the CHSSAsponsored 4A Speech and Debate competition in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate-style event where she researches and prepares to argue both sides of a controversial topic. Greta spends over 30 hours preparing for each debate, and her competition results are a testament to her hard work. At nationals last year, she placed as a double octofinalist and was ranked the 13th best speaker

out of 260 debaters. Cases are on par with graduate-level political philosophy, with recent topics including whether the United States ought to implement a single-payer universal healthcare system and whether voting ought to be compulsory in a democracy.

Greta is frank in admitting she enjoys the competition because she likes to win, but beyond the competition, she also attributes her academic success to Speech and Debate. “It’s a very valuable program. Class presentations, argumentative essays, and research papers are a lot easier for me now than they were prior to joining the program.” As a senior, Greta is preparing for life after St. Vrain and has her sights set on a pre-law undergraduate program where she hopes to ultimately pursue a legal career focusing on intellectual property or corporate law. Longmont High Social Studies Teacher, Jim Dornan, has led the school’s Speech and Debate program for 26 years and received CHSAA’s Sharon Wilch Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his tenured commitment. Dornan enjoys seeing his students thrive while being challenged by the topics they are assigned and says the research and critical thinking skills he sees them develop are exceptional. During competitions, a coin toss determines which side of the argument the student will debate and they must be prepared for either equally, no matter their personal beliefs on a topic. “The thing that’s great about debate is that they have to argue both sides and the best debaters are the ones who understand their opponent’s argument better than their opponents do,” said Dornan.

“IT IS IN JUSTICE THAT THE ORDERING OF SOCIETY IS CENTERED.” —ARISTOTLE

Gaining hands-on experience navigating the justice system offers skills that transcend the legal realm. While Niwot High School senior, Angela Wu, is planning to pursue a career in either computer science or business after graduation, her participation in the highly competitive Mock Trial program has positively shaped her publicspeaking abilities and willingness to step outside of her comfort zone. Led by local attorney, Erika Grant, Wu has been competing on the Niwot High School Mock Trial team since she was a freshman, and has served as a team captain on the varsity team for the past three years. The competition is called “Mock Trial,” but everything about the event feels incredibly real. Students argue their case in a courtroom in front of a judge, and present to a jury – all of whom are members of the legal community who volunteer their time. In between delivering opening and closing statements, they are sifting through evidence that is introduced during the trial, preparing witnesses, and strategizing their arguments. “I feel a lot of adrenaline when I get in front of the court,” said Angela. “I feel nervous, but I’m also really excited to show what the team can do and what we’ve been practicing all year.”

The team competes at an elite level. Last year they won the regional competition and were the first team to win every jury member’s ballot. They then went on to place in the top ten at the state tournament. “The program provides students an opportunity to learn to speak eloquently and to think on their feet in highpressure situations,” said Grant. “Participating in Mock Trial boosts the students’ confidence, while also teaching them to be graceful and professional, both in success and in defeat.”

As for Grant, she volunteers her time to coach the students. “My ‘why’ is a desire to serve the community of students and to provide a specialized and high-level opportunity for them,” said Grant. “By doing that, I’m able to see unique qualities in the students individually and to help them recognize and grow these facets of their personalities. This, in turn, enhances their self-confidence, helps build their self-esteem, and prepares them to effectively go forward in their lives.”

“WE APPLY LAW TO FACTS. WE DON’T APPLY FEELINGS TO FACTS.” —SONIA SOTOMAYOR

The law shapes our society and is discussed at length in today’s news media. This fall, approximately 80 students across St. Vrain have enrolled in the foundational course, Introduction to Law, as part of the district’s new Pre-Law Pathway program housed at the Career Elevation and Technology Center. Led by David Elchoness, a seasoned attorney licensed in three states who also has extensive experience working in the world of tech and startup industries, the course offers students significant insight into the legal world. A parent in the district, Elchoness saw a job posting for the pathway’s instructor role while navigating the district website and applied. “I decided I would make a big switch and do something that I’ve always wanted to do in my community with a subject that I’m really passionate about.” After completing the introductory class, students in the program will move on to courses focusing on criminal justice, civil rights, and business law, and then complete the pathway with a capstone course. They can expect an experiential learning process with group discussion, real-world court case analysis, and engagement with guest speakers from the legal community. Elchoness views his role as promoting respect and neutrality while the students learn to argue for and against various topics. “I will be stressing that good lawyers and good businesspeople don’t raise their voices and they don’t disrespect others,” he said. “My job is to train the students to think critically so that they can analyze either side, whichever one they’re given.”

Through the countless offerings available across the district that focus on government, law, and civic engagement, including courses, co-curricular activities, and student-led clubs, it’s never too early for students to learn about the justice system and our greater democracy – and experience firsthand what it means to be a member of “We, the people.”