NPHS athletes take on coaching future generation
For many NPHS athletes, their love for their sport began at a young age— often through recreational leagues, clubs or youth programs. Now, some of those same students have returned to where their journeys began as coaches, helping shape the next generation of young athletes. In stepping into leadership roles as youth coaches, these athletes are giving back to the local communities that first inspired them.
Zoey Sarrazine, senior, has been practicing taekwondo for nearly a decade. What started as an after-school activity in fourth grade has grown into a long-term passion, and now, a way to mentor the next generation. “I remember how influential my coaches were when I was younger,” said Sarrazine. “I really wanted to give back and hopefully have that same effect on the kids today,” Sarrazine said. As a taekwondo coach at Club TKD, Sarrazine leads warmups, kicking drills and forms, often running entire classes with other high school coaches. The collaborative element of coaching has been one of her favorite parts of the job. “We have to be on the same page and not tell the kids different information,” Sarrazine said. “It’s cool to work with people I also see at school, and build that team dynamic outside of it.”
For Isabella Steiner, junior, youth coaching began on the same track where she once ran her first track race. After eight years in the sport, Steiner took on a leadership role, creating a structured liaison program and organizing high school volunteers to aid the Newbury Park Youth Track Club. “The hardest part was scheduling,” Steiner said. “Every week I had to adjust things and make new groups, but it taught me a lot about working with people and problem-solving.” The challenge of both youth coaching and organizing a program for other coaches taught Steiner how to compromise. “No matter what you do, someone’s not going to be happy. So learning to work around it was important,” Steiner said.
Kaia Duben, senior, found her way back to gymnastics after stepping away from competition. A former athlete in Monarchs Gymnastics’ Junior Elite program, Duben now teaches recreational and kindergarten classes, guiding students through obstacle courses, trampolines, and foam pits. “I love it when one of my kids gets a new skill,” Duben said. “They’re always so excited about it. It’s just really fun.” Duben leads her own classes and emphasizes the joy of the sport over competition. She says coaching has also helped her develop patience and communication skills, especially when explaining challenging movements to younger kids. “It can be hard to explain a skill in a way that one of my kids would understand, because sometimes I’ll tell them a direction and they’ll look at me with a blank expression, and so I [have to] tell myself, ‘Okay, let me rethink how to say that,’” Duben said.
Through their roles as youth coaches, these NPHS athletes have come full circle in returning to the places where their athletic journeys began. What started as childhood passions has become an opportunity to grow into leaders and mentors. “I’ve learned to incorporate leadership into [coaching] because they are here to learn and I’m here to teach them,” Sarrazine said.
