Teachers' Day: The coaches who shaped the world's best athletes

Behind every Olympic medal, world record, or historic championship, there is someone who rarely takes the spotlight, but whose influence is fundamental: the teacher.

Today, on Teachers' Day , we celebrate those coaches who not only teach technique, but also shape character, discipline, and resilience.

They are the true architects of sporting success.

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In basketball, few college coaches have had as much impact as Dean Smith , Michael Jordan 's mentor.

It was he who taught him to trust in collective play, to understand the value of passing, and to master not only the ball, but also pressure.

Jordan once called him “the second father” in his life.

Without Smith , perhaps Her Majesty would never have flown so high.

In tennis, Toni Nadal is the perfect example of a family mentor.

Since Rafael Nadal was a child, his uncle trained him with a firm philosophy: no complaints, no privileges, with humility in victory and respect in defeat.

Interestingly, Toni never charged a single euro for training him . He said that if he did, he would lose the authority to educate him as a person rather than as an athlete.

In athletics, Patrick Sang , a former Kenyan athlete, is the brain behind the legend Eliud Kipchoge , the first human being to run a marathon in less than two hours ( 1:59:40 in Vienna, 2019 ).

Sang doesn't just train physically, he also works on his mentality: Kipchoge meditates, reads philosophy, and trains in humble conditions. Greatness, according to Sang , is born from simplicity.

WOMEN IN CHARGE

In gymnastics, Marta Karolyi 's story is impressive.

Together with her husband Béla , she trained generations of elite gymnasts, from Nadia Comăneci to Simone Biles .

His rigid, perfectionist style generated controversy, but it was also key to bringing the United States to the top of the world.

In Paralympic athletics, Mexican María de los Ángeles Ortiz , a multi-champion in shot put, had Adriana Sánchez as her guide for more than a decade.

Sánchez was more than a coach: she was a companion, strategist, and friend on a path fraught with social and physical obstacles.

WITH NATIONAL SEAL

In Mexico , coaches are also invisible pillars of high performance.

José Manuel Zayas , who died in 2013, was the one who polished the talent of Soraya Jiménez , the first Mexican woman to win Olympic gold ( Sydney 2000 ).

He recognized her unusual strength from a young age and prepared her to break gender paradigms in a historically masculine sport.

In diving, the impact of Ma Jin, a Chinese coach who joined the Mexican sports system, was revolutionary.

Under his leadership, Mexico raised its competitive level.

Rommel Pacheco, Paola Espinosa, Tatiana Ortiz, and Germán Sánchez found in her a blend of Eastern demands and human sensitivity that took them to the world podium.

And in boxing, Eddy Reynoso has become an institution.

From a young age, he trained Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez , forming a tandem that has won multiple world championships.

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Beyond the ring, Reynoso designed a career plan for Canelo that includes mental preparation, publicity strategy, and nutrition.

His success is not just physical: it is comprehensive.

On Teachers' Day , we pay tribute to those educators who don't win medals, but without whom none would be possible.

To those who teach with patience, guide with discipline, and forge legends with love.