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Katie Berglund Wins National Coaching Award

03.02.2017


Katie Berglund, head coach for the Highland Park High School girls’ junior varsity soccer team, has won Positive Coaching Alliance’s coveted Double-Goal Coach® Award presented by TeamSnap for her positive impact on youth athletes.

Berglund is one of 50 national recipients of the Double-Goal Coach award, named for coaches who strive to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports. The award includes a $200 prize, a certificate, and mention within the websites and newsletters of Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national non-profit developing Better Athletes, Better People through youth and high school sports.

“Katie helps her athletes win on and off the pitch,” said Danielle Moorman, Executive Director of PCA-North Texas, the local Chapter of Positive Coaching Alliance. “By creating a positive, character-building youth sports experience and serving as a Double-Goal Coach, Katie helps youth develop into better athletes and better people.

Written materials submitted from the Highland Park community to nominate Berglund for the award mentioned players eligible for the varsity team sometimes choose to play JV for an extra year. “There’s a unique atmosphere in Highland Park soccer, because there is a lot of pressure for state championships,” Berglund said. “Traditionally, some players would consider it a lesser experience to play JV, but here they know it’s about developing as a person and as a player and finding the best fit for them, where they’re going to have a really fun team experience.

“For some of the juniors, where it’s a high-pressure academic year as well, they find that it feels good to be in an environment where they can just have fun and not always feel like it’s a major competition.”

Berglund’s approach demonstrates the role sports can play in the development of youth, Moorman said. “Our Chapter’s employees, board and supporters are thrilled that Coach Berglund is getting national recognition for her work at Highland Park High School. Having an award-winning Double-Goal Coach in the community provides an example for other coaches to emulate, so thousands more youth and high school athletes in our area can benefit from a positive, character-building sports experience.”

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