In high school sports, coaches are often measured by their win-loss records and championships, but if you ask any athlete on the Unified Track team to define Coach Moosbrugger, you won’t hear about stats and rings. What you will hear about is the person who knows exactly how to make every athlete feel like they are the most important person on the track.
Coach Moosbrugger is often described as compassionate and caring. “He will take the time out of his day just to have a genuine conversation with you and check up on how you are doing” said Sebastian Brown a sophomore at HSE. Coach Moosbrugger has always had his athletes’ best interest in mind and helps drive each and every one of them to success.
The Unified Track team lives by the GRIP motto which stands for Gratitude, Respect, Integrity, and Purpose. This motto is instilled into the Unified team by Coach Moosbrugger throughout every practice. “On the track Moose supports us by always being the first person to cheer us on” said Claire Roehm a senior at HSE “He is always offering words of encouragement saying, ‘You’ve got this,’ ‘I’m proud of your hard work,’ and ‘Keep working hard.” By always being there, he builds a team culture rooted in support.
Coach Moosbrugger has shown repeatedly that he genuinely cares about every member of the team. “He says after practice that even if you failed a test, heard something you didn’t want to or just had a rough day, all those worries go away when you show up to unified track,” said Sebastian. One of the biggest goals of Unified Track is to be a place where everyone feels like they can be themselves and don’t have to worry about anything. “He says that we don’t need to be fastest or throw the furthest all that matters is that we fully support our team and be the loudest and bluest group on the field,” said Claire.
“Moosbrugger has created a strong and loving family, and I know I will forever be grateful, and I know hundreds of other students and families feel the same,” said Claire. At its heart, Unified Track is a community built on the simple, powerful idea that everyone belongs. Through the daily example set by Coach Moosbrugger and his fellow coaches, the team has become a testament to what happens when we lead with empathy. They aren’t just teaching their athletes how to compete; they are showing them exactly how to treat people.
