Is your coach a diamond in the ruff? Someone who excels as a teacher and mentor, but may not have been the best player themselves. A person who understands the value of a positive youth sports experience and strives to showcase the potential of every player. Our Coach of the Week, Armando Del Gallego of Brockport, NY is exactly that, coaching both lacrosse and football.
Just four years ago, Coach Del Gallego discovered his passion for coaching and his commitment to leading young athletes has only grown stronger.
While he started out with a limited knowledge of the game lacrosse, his background playing recreational soccer and baseball gave him the starting blocks he needed. So when his son Brendan joined the Brockport United Lacrosse team four years ago, he decided to volunteer and give coaching a whirl. He quickly fell in love with the sport, which he feels is a critical need for any coach.
Wanting to teach kids effectively and with confidence, Coach Del Gallego quickly became a member of US lacrosse and received his level one coaching certification. As he improved his game, Coach Del Gallego wrote that he instantly became a die-hard fan. "Once I started coaching I truly caught 'the bug.'" he stated. Soon enough, he found himself helping out with his son DJ's football team, the Ogden Bears. He's now a member of the full-time football staff.
Coach Del Gallego shared that he feels extremely honored to be surrounded by an amazing group of coaches with the Ogden Bears. Combined, the veteran coaches have more than 65 years of experience to pull from.
But experience is not nearly as important and team unity. So last season, when the Del Gallego family learned that their son DJ had Crohn's disease, the Ogden Bears family joined together to help support their coach and player. While the 2009 season was a rough one, Coach Del Gallego and wrote that he received the best sports education possible watching his son show such strength and perseverance. That along with the love of the Ogden Bears family, cemented Coach Del Gallego's belief in healthy sports play and the life lessons and friends made on the field. Coach Del Gallego wrote, "His [son DJ's] determination and passion has prompted me to take my coaching to the next level."
Coach Del Gallego and his wife Jenna have three kids: Brendan (17), DJ (10), and Camryn (4). Outside of coaching Del Gallego works for a company called Post Central in Rochester where he is Vice President of Creative Business Development.
Coach Del Gallego continues to take his coaching to the next level as he just finished a successful lacrosse season and has already started to prepare for his upcoming football season. He has truly become a coach for life.
Coach Del Gallego's Keys to Success:
- Always take every opportunity to educate
- Some of the best techniques and life skills I have learned have come from the most obscure clinics I was involved in.
- The “family unit” on any youth sports team is critical. Without that bond you will never achieve any success.
