Abilene High School math teacher / assistant football coach Conlan Aguirre has seen from a young age the kind of impact someone in his position can make on a student or student-athlete. And he’s made it his life’s mission to make that kind of impact on students and players every day.
It’s because of the impact he’s already had in just four short years in the profession that he was chosen to be part of the 2nd annual R.O.C.K. Coaches Mentoring Workshop, which will be presented March 20-21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
The mentoring program is a partnership formed between the Texas High School Coaches’ Association (THSCA) and Texas A&M University’s Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy, which has been created to meet the needs of and retain high school coaches and administrators. Coaches at all levels impact large numbers of individuals, teams, and communities on a daily basis.
Positive lifelong physical, mental, emotional, and social components can be found in well led athletic teams, programs, and communities. THSCA and the Thornton -McFerrin Coaching Academy believes there is a critical need to cultivate and assist young coaches to find their passion and be prepared as coaches, teachers, and leaders in an ever-evolving environment.
In this increasingly rewarding, complicated, and challenging area the R.O.C.K. Coaches Mentoring Program has been developed by and for coaches to cultivate leadership, foster work alignment, execute best practices, combat apathy, enhance time management and address work life balance issues.
Aguirre, who began his career at Abilene High in 2018, said he realized at a young age the kind of impact coaches can have on athletes, and it’s what drove him into the profession.
“I was coached by men who were passionate about the sport they coached, but more importantly they were passionate about kids,” he said. “I knew as a middle school student that I wanted to make that same impact as a teacher and coach. Of course I had a passion for sports, but I fell in love with serving and possessing the opportunity to mold young people into better versions of themselves.”
Aguirre gained some notoriety on social media during the COVID-related shutdown of schools in 2020, coming up with unique ways for his athletes to work out and posting them to Twitter. It was through those workouts that Aguirre realized his impact on his students and athletes was more than just what he did, but how he performed whatever the task that made a difference.
“I want my students and athletes to understand how to approach the task at hand,” he said. “I’ve come to realize it’s not always what you do but it’s how you do it. I do my best to show them the importance of a strong work ethic paired with an unmatched passion. My hope is that our field house is a place they look forward to being at each day and that they leave better than they were when they came to us.”
AHS head football coach Mike Fullen said Aguirre’s importance to the Eagles’ program can’t be overstated.
“He’s great at developing young athletes physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Fullen said. “He is ‘Mr. Juice’ at our place. He has every player’s ear and knows how to keep them engaged and always growing and achieving greatness.”
Fullen added, “Coach Aguirre is exactly what the R.O.C.K. program is about and needs. He is and will be a great ambassador for this profession. He has unbelievably bright future. The AISD is very fortunate to have a man of great character and leadership pouring into our athletes each and every day. I’m proud that he will be representing our region and the AISD in the R.O.C.K. program.”
Aguirre said if there’s one thing he wants his students and athletes to hear each it’s a mantra he heard countless times from his head coach at Hardin-Simmons University, Jesse Burleson.
“I talk to my students and athletes about the power of choice,” Aguirre said. “Life is all about choices and we have to live with the ones we make. We make thousands of choices each day and they each have consequences, good or bad. My college coach (Burleson) would not let us leave the practice field, weight room, field house, etc., without saying ‘Make. Great. Choices.’ I guess you could say I have stolen that saying from him. I want my students and athletes to hear that every day.”
