He’s heart and soul

PATRICK SHELBY/Acorn Newspapers FOOTBALL FAMILY—Thousand Oaks defensive back Trenton English, left, watches on with his father, Lancer freshman football head coach Chris English, as T.O. battles Agoura last Friday night. For the past two decades, Chris English has volunteered his time at a multitude of youth sporting leagues in the Conejo Valley.

From serving as an original board member of the Conejo Cowboys (now the T.O. Titans), to his current post as head freshman football coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator at Thousand Oaks High, English has always been willing to give back to his community.

During his two decades as a volunteer, English’s “glass always full” approach to teaching kids how to carry themselves both on and off the field has remained consistent.

“My mom told me a long time ago that the glass is either half empty or half full,” English said.

“And so I tell the players just like I tell my employees that I work with, ‘Every day you have a choice. You either see it as a great day or you see it as a bad day. You either choose to be positive about something that happens and turn it around, or you choose to be negative about something that happens. But it’s all your choice.’”

While English, 43, has been involved in sports ranging from baseball to cheerleading, it’s been youth football that’s long been his coaching passion. He considers himself a student of the game, and prides himself on his commitment to breaking down game tape week in and week out.

“I probably spend eight to 10 hours per week breaking down film,” English said. “I want to give the kids every opportunity to succeed, and it’s my job to give them as much information as possible so they can succeed.”

Helping kids learn to succeed has long been one of the major motivating factors behind English’s volunteer coaching work, he said, adding that much of the reason he’s willing to give so much time and effort now comes from not having a father figure around during his adolescence.

“Youth football to me was—I don’t want to say a saving grace— but it was a means to allow me to belong to something, because I grew up without a dad and had a mom that was trying to do dual roles,” English said. “I always told myself that if I had the opportunity to give back I would.”

After 20 years of helping kids, English has established himself as one of the most popular and beloved figures roaming the Thousand Oaks sidelines.

Taylor Malm, a Lancer senior wide receiver, has been playing for English since he was 10 years old and speaks of the coach in glowing terms.

“He’s done so much for me and my family and I can’t thank him enough for it,” Malm said. “I love him like he’s my own father.”

English said he was prepared to hang up his clipboard three years ago to be able to watch his son, Trenton, play for the Lancers, and he actually did take a year off during Trenton’s freshman season at T.O. But when Lancer head coach Mike Sanders found himself without a freshman coach prior to the start of last season, English was the guy Sanders asked to step in and fill the void.

As always, English opted to help.

“Chris has done a great job,” Sanders said. “We kind of struggled for a couple of years having a solid staff, but he’s done a super job and always coaches with a positive approach. He gives every one of those kids a positive experience.”

During his first season at the helm of the freshman squad, English instituted what he refers to as the “Green Team” as a way to allow incoming students who may have never played football before a chance to learn the sport.

Under English’s watch, the Lancer freshman squad now has three levels of practice teams— Green, White and Black, colors that represent individual skill levels.

“We don’t say starters or second or third-team, we just give them colors,” English said.

“We’ve had between 60 and 80 kids come out to play. So when you have that many kids, you have a variety of talent levels. The color system allows the competition to build itself up, but also allows the kids who haven’t played a lot a chance to gain experience and knowledge.”

Thus far, the Lancer freshmen have responded well to the system. The team posted a 9-1 record in 2004 and is off to a 7-0 start with two games remaining this year. They’re also closing in on a Marmonte League championship.

English said he isn’t sure how long he’ll continue to coach at the school, but added he’s unlikely to serve as both JV defensive coordinator and freshman head coach next year because it’s such a demanding schedule.

Always looking for a new conduit to assist others, English, along with his wife Tammy, recently started the English Family Foundation as a way to raise addition funds for kids who want to pursue sports but lack the financial ability to do so.

“The foundation’s goal is to be able to impact the kids who maybe don’t have the financial means to do things that all kids should be able to do,” he said.

“Every kid should be able to experience playing football, and cheering, or running track or playing baseball. Every child should be able to have that opportunity,” English said.