Walnut Creek Coach Laura LaCursia Wins National Positive Coaching Award

Walnut Creek Aquanuts Coach Laura LaCursia is a winner in the 2015 Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Double Goal Award presented by TeamSnap. Through the Double Goal Award, the organization annually honors coaches who pursue winning, while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.

Laura is among 25 national winners who stood out over the more than 2,100 nominations, covering a range of sports, from throughout the United States. She is the first Synchronized Swimming coach to have received the award.

Coach LaCursia was a synchronized swimmer as a young girl and has been a coach for over 40 years. Laura has done it all from coaching high school & collegiate programs in the mid-west, to serving as US Olympic team Manager in 1996 and the National Team Director and head of the US Delegation for the Olympics in 2008. She came to WCA in 1990 and has served the club in nearly every capacity from head coach to club president, coaching athletes at every level from novice to elite. She is currently the coach of the 10 and under team.

“Our 10/U program is the best in the nation because, thanks to Coach Laura, we are able to offer our athletes elite coaching and positive guidance right from the start of their athletic journey & introduction to the sport,” said WCA Head Coach Kim Probst.

Numerous nominations came from the WCA parents both past and present, who have seen the effect Laura has on their children in both athletic ability and sportsmanship.

Says WCA parent Dora Jih, “Her skill coaching these young athletes is superb. She brings out the best in every athlete. She is the perfect combination of having high expectations while being comforting, passionate, and caring. Her ability to blend the two makes every athlete respect her and listen to her. When my daughter was coached by her, the 10&U A team was undefeated all season, However, Coach Laura did not focus on winning; winning was simply a by-product of their dedication to the sport all season.”

“Coach Laura embodies the values of the Positive Coach Alliance,” said WCA parent Deena Collier. “She provides an environment for the team to master the sport through motivating each athlete to give her all. As the team practices, you will often see Coach Laura on her belly, on the side of the pool, with her face 6 inches from the water cheering and motivating her Athletes. In a calming voice you may catch her ask each athlete “What did you do differently this time?”, “How did the figure feel to you?” Then she takes a moment, to allow the athlete to contemplate and answer. She encourages athletes to discover what went right, be able to self-correct and articulate what is working and what is not. You can regularly hear her shout positive remarks to her team with glee. Thus, if a correction needs to be made, athletes are open and receptive. With her humble, respectful, strong coaching style, Coach Laura inspires each athlete to give their all and strive for mastery in the sport.”

About the Walnut Creek Aquanuts (www.aquanuts.org; www.facebook.com/aquanuts).

The Walnut Creek Aquanuts (WCA) is a world-renowned synchronized swim club based in Walnut Creek, California. Over its 45-year history, WCA has produced over 30 Olympic athletes and garnered more than 200 national and world competition titles. WCA is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization, with a roster of over 100 athletes ranging in age from 6 - 21, and in ability from novice to Olympic hopeful. Our mission is to develop athletes from novice to elite, building both bodies and minds and instilling skills that will serve our swimmers throughout their lifetime.”

For more information on The Positive Coaching Alliance, please visit them on Facebook, follow on twitter or go www.positivecoach.org

For more information on synchronized swimming, visit http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Synchronized-Swimming.aspx