Issue Date: October 3, 2004

Also this week: Most Caring Athlete

USA WEEKEND's '04 Most Caring Coaches

This year, USA WEEKEND readers nominated close to 1,000 youth coaches for the honor. Today, meet the three who made our cut.

By Tameka L. Hicks

Last winter, USA WEEKEND and ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" invited you to nominate outstanding youth mentors for the 2004 Most Caring Coach Awards, then asked six sports pros to be our judges. The judges are Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker, Stanford University women's tennis coach Lele Forood, basketball guru Phil Jackson, Charlotte Sting coach Trudi Lacey, ESPN2's Leslie Maxie and 2004 Olympic men's track and field coach George Williams. Each winner receives $1,000.

Mario Mendez, Reno
Sierra Vista Elementary School was filled with youngsters who were ripe pickings for local gang members. But three years ago, teacher's assistant Mario Mendez, 52, began to change that by starting the school's first after-school soccer league. Mendez believed a strong team would promote discipline and self-esteem among the fourth- through sixth-grade students at Sierra Vista, which is 87% Hispanic. Undeterred by a lack of a physical education budget, he financed the program by selling ice pops and candy; built alliances with the police, who purchased equipment; and enlisted wife Rosalba to cook some meals for the team and even wash uniforms. It's all because he wants the kids to enjoy the sport free. "If they want to play, they should be able to play," says the father of six.

In the league's first year, Sierra Vista won second place overall out of the school district's eight teams. Still, before any of the 40 players participate in a practice or game, Mendez checks that homework is done. If not, those kids don't play.

Former player Rito Correa, 12, knows all too well how important schoolwork is. After Mendez helped him, Correa passed with a C average. "I was never that good in math, but I like it a little better now since Coach came to our math class to help out."

Dan Teresa, Salinas, Calif.
Most athletes on Dan Teresa's Hartnell Community College baseball team juggle a full college load with work and family obligations. Many dream of getting a scholarship to a four-year school upon graduation. And for the past 14 years, head coach and PE instructor Teresa has helped his players do just that. Each year, more than 90% go on to four-year schools with the help of Teresa's annual letter-writing project. (In contrast, a far smaller percentage of other Hartnell students continue their educations.)

Teresa, 42, composes reference letters and contacts colleges directly, mailing out hundreds of letters a year. "A lot of four-year schools don't know about Hartnell. I want to get my athletes' names and accomplishments out there," he says.

But his first priority is to keep his players in school. He checks in with each student athlete's academic counselor weekly and provides each student with college information. Teresa also urges his players to give back through community service projects like Salinas Reads, a program that pairs players with kids in elementary school.

"Dan went above and beyond a normal coach's responsibility for each player," says Scott Richlin, who received eight college bids because of Teresa's efforts. "He gave me an opportunity to play baseball and further my education at Benedictine College [in Kansas]."

Thea Boeckner, Hays, Kan.
Three years ago, Shawn Voss of Stockton, Kan., needed his brother to help him hit a softball and to hold his hand as he rounded the bases. This spring, Voss, 10, who is autistic, played with no help. His new and hard-won confidence was made possible by the dedication of Thea Boeckner.

A case manager for Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, Boeckner, 49, realized that kids with developmental and physical disabilities deserve the same chance as other kids to play team sports and be cheered on. So she created the Unified Softball League in 1999 with the help of the Hays Recreational Commission. Boeckner raised money from area businesses, wrote letters to families served by her agency and recruited volunteer "buddies." Today the program has grown from two teams to four, and young people ages 5 to 21 play for five weeks each season.

Boeckner, who knows the names of all 200-plus players who have come through the program since its beginning, also organizes a postseason banquet where players receive a trophy and pictures of their contribution to the team.

There's just one rule: Parents must stay in the bleachers and cheer. "Most parents of kids with disabilities end up doing everything with their disabled child, so they have to stay sitting. I have some parents who have had a hard time doing that, but they see it does work out."

Kristina Martino and Karen Schubert contributed to this report.