To me, a coach is a patient, inspiring, and compassionate person who has the ability to challenge themselves in their coaching techniques or delivery of instructions. A coach who will take on a challenge for themselves and push themselves just as much as they would their athlete. I’ve had many coaches, and sometimes some of these coaches didn’t understand me as an individual. I also played sports alongside my younger sibling, which led to some difficulties in separating us as individuals, particularly in terms of how we received instructions and the coaching skills that were imparted upon us. One thing I remember was meeting Coach Ortiz at summer camp along with my sister, and back in my freshman year, I struggled with so many social skills due to my autism that came so naturally to others. I was not always the easiest at having confidence and was extremely anxious with crowds and loud noise, which often came inside cross-country meets. Coach Ortiz took the time to realize this and help work through my challenge. He never made me feel less than a part of the group and made me feel seen for my hard work. If I'm being extremely honest, it was a struggle for me to continue to do cross country, but I went back every time because Coach Ortiz found time to speak with me, help me feel important, and valuable to the team. Coach Ortiz had a compassionate side that understood my athletic level and didn’t bring me down, but worked with me from the ground up. Despite not being the fastest runner, I was motivated by Coach Ortiz’s words during our hard workouts, and it made me push myself to get better. Every time we ran he had one distinct saying that stuck with me which was “Last one best one,” I always found it to be inspiring because it made me want to push myself as those words were what kept me going knowing that I just had one last mile left. A coach to me is someone who sees potential and finds a way to help you fuel it and bring it to a level that makes you feel motivated to continue and work harder. A coach that will make you want to come back and do better, not only for yourselves but for them as well. Not every athlete is born with talent, but a coach who takes the time to see that potential in someone and help grow that talent is the coach I want to learn from. Having a coach who believes in me and works alongside me, just like how Coach Ortiz would ride his bike during our long runs, shows me the dedication of a coach and the effort that we all take to succeed. A good coach is one who can see when an athlete is struggling and takes the time to see why they are having difficulties is an important trait to have. To improve on their coaching skills and give that athlete the same time in helping them better themselves as they would any athlete in their training is the embodiment of my version of a coach. This shows the hard-work ethic inside them that I would like to see; instead of making me leave feeling discouraged or uninspired, this is when I need the coach to step up and understand me as an individual.