Up2Us Sports coaches are leaders in the field of sports-based youth development (SBYD), but they often don't receive the recognition they deserve. Coaches' Corner is our way to show our appreciation for our incredible coaches who make positive change in their communities every day!
This month, we spoke with Rory, a coach at Youth Mentoring Partnership in Philadelphia.
From Coatesville, Pennsylvania.
A coach at Youth Mentoring Partnership (YMP).
A coach and mentor to 7th and 8th grade athletes at Coatesville Middle School.
An avid fisher, and lover of track and field.
These are all good words to describe Coach Rory Robinson, who has been serving as an Up2Us Sports coach since August of 2022.
Coach Rory graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High School in 2009. While there he was a part of the B.R.I.D.G.E.E (Brothers, Reaching Individually Determined to Generate Educational Excellence). It was here that he learned his love of track and field. When asked about how he began coaching, he said:
“During the summer time I was working as a Personal Care Assistant for Coatesville’s one-on-one program and was approached by one of the principals who had the YMP program starting at their school. After seeing me interact with students and knowing my past, they highly recommended that I look into the program knowing that would be something I would enjoy. I grew up in this area and I once was also a part of a mentoring program in the same high school. I had also started coaching track and field the previous year for Coatesville Middle School, so I knew there would be no other place I'd rather be.”
As a current coach to 7th and 8th grade athletes at Coatesville Middle School, Coach Rory has been able to help his students grow in both confidence and ability and has been a tremendously positive role model to both athletes and coaches alike. He has been providing steady guidance, and promoting inclusion to all at this important stage in their journey.
“I tell this to students because the way the teachers and coaches view you matter. You can be one of the most gifted athletes in the sport but if your behavior is wrong, nobody will want to coach you and it only takes the first impression to have your opinion.”
According to Coach Rory, one of the most important lessons he has learned about coaching is time management. “Time management is very important when it comes to coaching a team. Being able to divide time equally to work on drills and also to be able to teach the game and love of the sport isn't easy. Rory continued, “For example, learning how to coach on the run, not taking the time out of practice to stop the whole group just to speak with one athlete in the middle of a drill. Not only does that stop the flow of practice but then before you know it, a possible 10 mins of valuable practice time could have been lost.”
Time management is a lesson that Coach Rory vividly remembers from his childhood. Now an adult, he imparts his wisdom and lessons learned on his athletes. Using a 2001 quote from retired coach and friend James ‘Scoogy’ Smith: “You never get a second chance to make your first impression.” Coach Rory has also been teaching his young athletes how to be respectful of one another, and has made a very good impression on his athletes. When asked about his coaching style, Coach Rory has this to say:
“I tell this to students because the way the teachers and coaches view you matter. You can be one of the most gifted athletes in the sport but if your behavior is wrong, nobody will want to coach you and it only takes the first impression to have your opinion.”
“The joy and excitement for the students with the opportunity to run at such a high level and popular event by far was my biggest accomplishment, just to see the smiles on their faces.”
As for the reason why Coach Rory teaches? He genuinely cares about his athletes, and how they are doing both on and off the playing field. He fondly looks back on his first year of coaching, and coaching track and field specifically. Both his boys and girls 4x100 relays times qualified to run at the Penn Relays. As coach Rory explains, “the joy and excitement for the students with the opportunity to run at such a high level and popular event by far was my biggest accomplishment, just to see the smiles on their faces.” Bringing joy, and well-being to an athlete is one of the biggest accomplishments for a coach.
Coach Rory could not help but gush over his amazing athletes saying, “I coach 7th and 8th grade track and field and football for Coatesville Middle School. They are ranked as one of the top schools in the state for athletes, with a ranking of A+ for sports and B- overall. Practice for both sports are usually very intense and competitive.” His athletes are super talented, on and off the field!
Coach Rory explained that the excellence of his athletes comes from some of his favorite drills. “In football I would have to say my favorite drill would be 1vs1 WR vs CB drill. I love this drill because it's straight up one on one to get the ball,” He continued, “with track I would say my favorite drill would be the 100m dash. When I ran in middle school this by far was my favorite race, which led to it becoming my favorite race to watch. To watch the runners jump off the blocks and take off at 100% for a full sprint is great,” he shared.
“For some kids playing a sport is their way of expressing themselves outside of school or at home and being there for them showing you care brings nothing but joy to me everyday.”
“I love coaching both sports because it helps me build a better relationship with my student-athletes,” said Rory. “For some kids playing a sport is their way of expressing themselves outside of school or at home and being there for them showing you care brings nothing but joy to me everyday.”
When asked if there was anything cool we should know about him, Coach Rory explained his love of fishing. “A cool fact about me is that I love to fish. Fishing brings me a peace of mind which allows me to meditate. With fishing you learn the importance of being patient, which also helps me with coaching and everyday working with students.”
As for what’s next for Coach Rory? He will continue to be a guiding light for his athletes at Youth Mentoring Partnership, representing Up2Us Sports and Philly!
Rory has served as an Up2Us Sports coach at Youth Mentoring Partnership in Philadelphia, PA since August 2022 thanks to support from AmeriCorps.
