Talent can take you far, but it won’t carry you alone.
Coach Marco Chacon joins the Woodburn Podcast to talk about what it really means to coach young athletes — not just for wins, but for school, confidence, discipline, and life.
Marco is a Woodburn native, youth soccer coach, creator of Coaching with Marco, and the new head boys soccer coach at Gervais High School. In this episode, he shares how his own experiences growing up — including graduating with around a 1.8 GPA — shaped the kind of coach he wants to be today.
We talk about putting academics before athletics, coaching your own child, dealing with rejection, helping kids build confidence, the role coaches can play as mentors, and why sports can become an escape and safe place for young people.
Marco also receives a heartfelt message from his players and explains why sometimes the biggest win as a coach has nothing to do with the scoreboard.
Talent isn’t enough. The goal is to prepare kids for life beyond the game.
🎙️ Woodburn Podcast — Episode 08
Guest: Coach Marco Chacon
CHAPTERS
00:00 Coaching From the Heart
01:11 Meet Coach Marco
01:28 Rapid Fire Icebreakers
03:06 Taking the Gervais Job
04:27 Youth vs. High School Coaching
05:34 Leroy Sanchez Memories
08:14 Growing Up in the Stands
09:19 Parenting and Coaching Balance
11:25 Fiesta Mexicana Tournament
12:52 Academics Before Athletics
19:38 Hard Lessons and Giving Back
22:56 Sports as Therapy
23:51 Tough Love Coaching
24:57 Players Thank Coach
29:29 Criticism and Vulnerability
31:22 Confidence and Rejection
35:11 Building a B Team
38:13 Coaching With Marco Begins
46:37 Advice to His Younger Self
47:57 Final Message to Kids
source