AURORA, Colo. -- Marines presented the National High School Coach of the Year recipients their awards at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association Convention in Aurora, Colo., December 12-14, 2022.
Marines were on hand as part of Marine Corps Recruiting Command’s partnership with USTFCCCA. USTFCCCA is a non-profit organization that represents men’s and women’s cross-country and track and field coaches in the nation. Partnerships like this serve to increase the awareness of the Marine Corps through collegiate high school and college coaches.
“The Marines being here serve as another outlet for coaches, for example some of our coaches went to the coaches’ workshop hosted in Quantico,” said Sam Seemes, CEO of the USTFCCCA. “I feel like the more the Marine Corps is visible, the more that the coaches would think of it as an avenue for learning.”
With a background in Track and Field coaching, Master Sgt. Christopher McComb, 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company communications chief, presented a professional development class on the Marine mindset with high school and college coaches during the annual USTFCCCA convention. In this class McComb spoke on how leadership and the mindset in the Marine Corps can benefit coaches when mentoring their athletes.
Master Sgt. Michael Wood, Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters, Marine Corps, occupational field manager, presented the awards to the coaches who stood out and earned this year’s cross-country award.
“I believe Marines in this event offer a lot of credibility, Marines are not going to partner with an organization that are not a big deal,” Barry Haworth, Awardee and Assumption High School Track and Field and Cross-Country Coach. “It’s usually a bunch of track coaches and when you’re at these events and you’re usually around people you already know but to have a group like the Marines step in and represent something that is outside of your world is very special.”
The USTFCCCA Convention is where thousands of coaches from around the nation come together at the end of the sports season and meet with different stakeholders in the sport. Marines at the event distributed branded items, hosted a two-mile morning run with the coaches, gave two speeches on during the opening ceremony and hosted the luncheon.
“Even though it was cold and there was snow on the ground a big group of Marines and coaches ran together,” said Seemes. “The comradery of that is great and will grow the more we are involved together.”