NAYS Volunteer Coach of the Year: Randall Reels

12/11/2019

Pictured above (from left to right) is NAYS Volunteer Coach of the Year Randall Reels and legendary football coach Lou Holtz.

Young athletes love playing for Randall Reels at the Murphy Canyon Youth Center military housing program in San Diego, and it’s easy to see why.

His practices are high energy and filled with fun. He is well-known and admired for the time he devotes to devising action-packed practices that feature innovative drills that keep the kids engaged and moving.

“I just love the opportunity to be able to mentor the youth,” said Reels, this year’s recipient of the prestigious NAYS Volunteer Coach of the Year award. “To be able to joke around with them, have fun and teach them teamwork, among so many other things, is an opportunity I really appreciate.”

And the young athletes and their families certainly appreciate the efforts of Reels, a beloved coach.

A popular staple of his sessions features him participating in the drills right along with the kids. Plus, he recruits parents to participate as well, creating a special atmosphere that the youngsters love being a part of.

“It started out that sometimes kids would do something amazing in practice and they would look over and they would see their parent playing on their phone or not really paying attention,” Reels said. “And those are quality moments that I didn’t want the parents to miss out on. So I got them involved to make it more meaningful for the children. I bring the parents into the drills, we do scrimmages with the parents, and the kids get so excited. It creates a lot of talk at the dinner table and makes practices so memorable.”

Reels coaches with boundless enthusiasm and a deep passion for teaching teamwork, fairness and sportsmanship, along with the skills of the sport.

During the past couple years, he has coached baseball, basketball, flag football and soccer. And he somehow finds time to often coach multiple teams during a season.

He also arrives early and stays late on game days, always helping out by setting up and preparing the fields for games, and assisting with the take-down tasks afterward.

Well-known for always having a smile on his face, he exemplifies what coaching youth sports is all about as he continually provides his young players with wonderful memories that they will remember for a lifetime.

“One of the most important things is be enthusiastic and definitely set a positive tone for the kids because they are going to emulate your attitude toward practice, toward the games, and toward everything about the sport,” Reels said. “So always encourage them and provide positive reinforcement.”

Coaching Practices Scrimmages Fun Mentor Sportsmanship

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