The PCA Blog - Colorado

National Award to Thomas Deaguero

03.17.2016

Adams City High School Wrestling Coach Thomas Deaguero has won Positive Coaching Alliance’s coveted Double-Goal Coach® Award presented by TeamSnap for his positive impact on youth athletes.

Deaguero is one of 50 national recipients of the Double-Goal Coach award, named for coaches who strive to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. The award includes a $200 prize, a certificate, and mention within the websites and newsletters of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national non-profit developing Better Athletes, Better People through youth and high school sports.

Key to Deaguero’s ability to impart character-education to his wrestlers “is to model it myself,” he said. “I try to make sure the behavior I exhibit meets the higher standard I am asking of our athletes. I asl teachers in our school to hold them to higher standards, too, and  get a lot of comments that our wrestlers are visible, not hiding in a corner of the classroom, but available to the teachers and ready to be involved.”

By the time wrestlers are ready to leave the program as graduating seniors, Deaguero said, “They should be the type of people, who, when you ask for help, are always willing. They are able to gain the knowledge they need to take care of business and do what they need to do. They’re resilient and value education, hard work and sacrifice.”

Deaguero’s approach illustrates the role coaches can play in the development of youth, said PCA-Colorado Chapter Executive Director Linda Crum. “Our Chapter’s employees, board and supporters are thrilled that Coach Deaguero is getting national recognition for his work at Adams City High School. Having Thomas as an award-winning Double-Goal Coach in our community provides an example for other coaches to emulate, so thousands more youth and high school athletes in our area can benefit from a positive, character-building sports experience.”