Page 7 - Jupiter Spotlight - January '22
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Jupiter Spotlight, Page 7
      Chad Rollins: NAYS Volunteer Coach Of The Year




        For more than two decades Chad Rollins has been
      impacting young lives as a beloved volunteer coach through
      the Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association (JTAA) in Florida.
        Big hearted and humble, with an endless supply of
      energy and enthusiasm for kids, his days are packed with
      coaching youth football, junior varsity girls basketball
      and track and field. Plus, this dad of three somehow finds
      time to volunteer to coach young athletes in the Special
      Olympics, too.
        It’s all these qualities – and many more – that earned
      Rollins the prestigious  Volunteer Coach of the Year
      award, annually presented by the National Alliance for
      Youth Sports (NAYS).
        “Just seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and seeing   which includes placing the emotional and physical well-  Focusing On Fun
      them having fun, that’s what it’s all about,” Rollins said.  being of players ahead of a personal desire to win; treating     “With the Jupiter Mustangs, we’re focusing on learning
        Rollins was selected among hundreds of nominations   each player as an individual and understanding the range   the game and also having fun playing the game,” Rollins
      submitted from recreation agencies nationwide and U.S.   of emotional and physical development for the same age   says. “Once you have a kid who’s having fun at a young
      military bases worldwide. Judging is based on how the   group; and doing his/her best to provide a safe playing   age they will grow up and love sports so that’s my biggest
      nominee upholds the NAYS Code of Ethics for Coaches,   situation for all players; among many other key areas.  accomplishment is making sure the kids love the sport and
                                                                                                           also learn the sport that we are teaching them.”
                                                                                                             One of Rollins’ biggest attributes is his unwavering
                                                                                                           focus on having fun. When he steps on a field, court, or
                                                                                                           track, he always brings a big smile and genuine passion
                                                                                                           – and his young athletes latch onto his energy and are
                                                                                                           excited to compete.
                                                                                                             “When I start at the beginning of the year I don’t care
                                                                                                           how old they are, I like to have fun coaching them,” he
                                                                                                           says. “I think if kids see their coaches having fun they
                                                                                                           will follow in their footsteps, and they’ll do the same and
                                                                                                           have fun.”
                                                                                                             Parents love having their young athletes learn
                                                                                                           from Rollins, too. And while he works with youth –
                                                                                                           encouraging, motivating, and inspiring them – he never
                                                                                                           seeks out attention for his efforts. He’s all about the kids
                                                                                                           – all the time.
                                                                                                             Rollins was nominated for the award by Brad Caldwell,
                                                                                                           president of Jupiter Mustangs Tackle Football and Cheer.
                                                                                                           “Chad coaches my son in two different sports, and I’ve
                                                                                                           coached football with him for a couple years,” Caldwell
                                                                                                           said. “For the basketball league there’s eight to 10 kids and
                                                                                                           he runs around a couple different towns to pick them up.
                                                                                                           Most of them have broken homes, and he always puts these
                                                                                                           kids first. One day, Chad asked if I could step in and coach
                                                                                                           basketball because he was going to be about 15 minutes
                                                                                                           late. I was curious why he was going to be late because
                                                                                                           he’s never late – and it was because he was with the Special
                                                                                                           Olympics that day, which is one of his big passions. I never
                                                                                                           knew that he did the Special Olympics on top of coaching
                                                                                                           high school and all of the youth sports here at JTAA.”
                                                                                                           Community Commitment
                                                                                                             Rollins is well-known throughout the Jupiter community
                                                                                                           for his strong commitment for helping all the kids on
                                                                                                           his teams become not only better players but – more
                                                                                                           importantly – better people. While players are stretching
                                                                                                           at the start of his youth football practices he can be seen
                                                                                                           weaving all over the field, talking and fist-bumping and
                                                                                                           high-fiving every single young athlete.
                                                                                                             With Rollins’ engaging personality and kids-first focus,
                                                                                                           it’s easy to see why he is a wonderful mentor for new
                                                                                                           coaches coming into the JTAA program. And a terrific
                                                                                                           source for longtime coaches as well.
                                                                                                             “I am the coaching liaison here for this program so when
                              Home         Away                                Home        Away            first-year coaches come to our program I try to tell those
              Legend:         Games       Games               Legend:         Games        Games           coaches to make sure it’s all about the kids, because if it’s

                                                                                                           not all about the kids then you’re in the wrong profession,”
                                                                                                           Rollins says. “You have to do it from the heart.”
         Individual Tickets go on sale                                                                       That’s exactly how Rollins has been coaching kids and
                                                                                                           changing lives season after season. And he’s genuinely
                                                                                                           touched when he hears from former players who share how
                     JANUARY 8!                                                                            much he has meant to them in their lives.
                                                                                                             “One kid must have had to do a school project on
                                                                                                           somebody that they admire, and he wrote about me,” Rollins
                                                                                                           said. “So, I had tears in my eyes. He was like ‘when I was
                                                                                                           5 Coach Chad helped me do this and helped me do that.’
                                                                                                           So that’s what it’s all about right there.”




















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