When parents sign their children up for sports programs at Hill Air Force Base in Utah the most requested coach season after season is Susan McIntosh-Oldaker – and it’s easy to see why.
For more than 12 years now the tireless McIntosh-Oldaker – known as “Coach Susan” around the base – has been a never-ending source of motivation and encouragement for her young players. Plus, those who are lucky enough to play for her, and learn from her, take away many positive attributes that they carry with them for the rest of their lives, along with some great memories, too.
“She goes above and beyond what is necessary to be a great coach and mentor,” said Garry Navas, youth sports and fitness director at Hill AFB.
It’s these qualities, wrapped around so many others, that earned McIntosh-Oldaker the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) Coach of the Year award. (She is pictured with Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance For Youth Sports, after receiving her award in San Diego, Calif., at the annual Youth Sports Congress.)
The prestigious award is presented annually to a special individual who embodies everything that a volunteer coach should be all about, including placing the emotional and physical well-being of players ahead of any personal desires to win; treating each player as an individual; being an enthusiastic team leader and positive role model; possessing a thorough knowledge of the techniques and rules of the sport they’re coaching; and understanding that they are in a unique position to be a positive influence on so many other areas of a child’s life.
“To win this award is a great honor,” said McIntosh-Oldaker, who receives almost daily reminders of the life-altering differences she makes in the lives of the young players under her care. “The other day I was walking through the mall and somebody yelled “Coach Susan” and I turned around and it was a mom with her son. He wasn’t too into sports when I first started coaching him but she told me that now he is on three soccer teams and she said that there is not a day that goes by where he doesn’t speak about me so that is so rewarding.”
McIntosh-Oldaker, the mother of six, has coached t-ball, soccer, baseball and cheerleading through the years, often handling multiple teams at one time. Navas reports that she has also logged more than 600 hours of volunteer time, more than five times as much as any other coach in the program.
“Susan’s dedicated service exemplifies the power of what volunteers can accomplish in our Air Force community,” Navas said. “I am extremely proud of her efforts to improve the quality of life and to show youth the value of selfless service, mentorship and sportsmanship. Through her work Hill AFB Youth Sports is truly able to make a greater difference in the lives of our youth, families and community.”
SPECIAL APPROACH
Regardless of the sport or the talent level of the children, her approach always zeroes in on making sure every child not only has a rewarding experience but understands that they are special.
“When I coach everybody is a star,” she said. “I instill in them that they are all winners. During games they need to do the best that they can do and as long as they’ve done that then they know that they have done a good job.”
McIntosh-Oldaker grew up in England, where soccer is king, so it’s a sport that she says “is close to my heart.”
That passion has certainly been evident as she has been instrumental in helping build the soccer program at Hill AFB. The program, which began eight years ago with 73 participants, now features more than 350 youngsters.
“I don’t play favorites,” she said. “With my soccer teams I work out a rotation system so that every one of my players plays a certain number of minutes and rotates so they learn to be goalies, forwards, midfielders and defenders.”
It’s an approach that receives rave reviews from the parents of the children participating, as well as others associated with the program.
“Parents who register their children request Susan as a coach because of her proven track record of positive results,” Navas said. “She is a role model for exhibiting the responsibility, leadership and sportsmanship qualities that are the highest standard for NYSCA guidelines. More importantly, her example as a coach and a role model is invaluable in establishing a positive and healthy sports culture among our incoming coaches, players, volunteers and families. Susan’s positive outlook and selfless effort raised the quality of our volunteer program, resulting in continued growth and positive patron responses.”
Those special coaching skills also mesh perfectly when it comes to working with children who have special needs.
“Susan’s knowledge of NYSCA standards and her compassionate coaching skills make her ideal with special needs youth,” Navas said. “Last soccer season she skillfully coached a youth with Down Syndrome while maintaining a fun team atmosphere and positive experience for everyone involved. She demonstrated great patience and understanding.”
ALL ABOUT THE KIDS
In the ever-changing youth sports environment it is easy for coaches to get caught up in the excitement of games and become distracted on what their role is, yet McIntosh-Oldaker’s focus on always doing what’s best for the children never wavers.
“Sports are not supposed to be about going out there and punishing children because they didn’t win a game,” she said. “Most children play sports because they want to socialize. They want to have a good time.”
Clearly, the young athletes who play for this most deserving Coach of the Year are in good hands.
2010 Sponsor
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All Players is the proud sponsor of the 2010 Coach of the Year Award.
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