Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Jerry Coakley of Clayton Valley Charter High
Jerry Coakley
Grade: Senior
School: Clayton Valley Charter High
Sport: Baseball
Following his coaching father and grandfather at Clayton Valley Charter High School carries a lot of weight, but Jerry Coakley has hit it out of the park. Ever since he was five, Coakley has played baseball on Clayton Valley Little League teams, traveling teams and this past summer the West Coast Kings of the Bay Area Collegiate League.
On the Ugly Eagles varsity baseball team for the fourth spring coached by his dad, Coakley hopes to lead his team back to the North Coast Section championship game they played last year after winning the Diablo Athletic League championship.
In describing Coakley, assistant coach Jesse Medrano says, “He is a student athlete who puts the work in on the field, in the weight room, in the classroom, at home and in the community. As a coach you can appreciate the players who have the first to arrive and last to leave mentality. Jerry embodies that. The care he has in the program and putting the work in is truly something special. It has been quite the journey over these past four years and more, and I can honestly say Jerry is one of a kind.” Adds another CVCHS baseball coach, Herc Pardi, said, “Jerry Coakley is one of the best team players due to his leadership, hard work and totally supporting his teammates as well as being a two-time all-DAL performer.”
Besides his all-league and NCS Student Athlete awards, off the diamond Coakley spends his free time playing basketball and maintaining a 3.8 GPA. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the CBCA volunteer and ambassador program. Coakley looks ahead to continuing his pursuit of baseball and academics at William Jessup University in Rocklin next fall. There, he hopes to major in kinesiology to one day start his own coaching career. Carrying on his grandfather’s and father’s name, Coakley hopes to give back to the community in the same way those before him did.
The Pioneer congratulates Jerry and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey and Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.
Corinne Jeandheur
Corinne Jeandheur is a senior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She runs on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall as well as competing on the track and field team in the spring. She also plays the piano and bakes in her free time. Jeandheur is a member of the CVCHS Engineering and Design Academy and concluded her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She is serving as co-president of the California Scholarship Federation at Clayton Valley Charter this school year and continuing her academic and community involvement in the National Honor Society. She is very pleased to be writing the monthly Athlete Spotlight for the Pioneer.