Cross-Country and Track & Field Coach Conrad Haber was recently awarded the 2023 Regional Double-Goal Coach Award by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). Founded in 1998, PCA provides nationwide resources, workshops, and training for athletes, parents, and coaches at all levels. PCA's research-based programs aim to ensure positive youth sports experiences for athletes regardless of socioeconomic circumstances. Their vision focuses on developing coaches who inspire youth athletes to be the best version of themselves in their sport and life. The leadership team and board members of PCA are made up of professional, collegiate, and amateur athletes, coaches and executives from all walks of life and include our city's own 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers. 

The Double-Goal Coach Award is given to coaches who lead their teams to success and teach life lessons through their sport. Haber is one of 72 award recipients vetted through a rigorous application process and selected out of thousands of nominees. Doube-Goal Award winners demonstrate a mastery approach to their respective sports, teaching their athletes to work hard and maintain a growth mindset. The coaches must give constructive, corrective feedback that fill their athletes' "Emotional Tanks". These coaches lead by example and demonstrate respect for all rules, opponents, officials, and team members. Haber is now eligible to receive PCA's National Double-Coach Award and 2023 Coach of the Year. 

Although Cross-Country and Track & Field are largely result and number-driven sports, Haber said he achieves a mastery climate "by redefining what success is, and understanding that no progress or success is reached linearly. We set process goals instead of outcome goals, and that can include goals outside of the athlete's races or events." Haber included examples of progress goals: being consistent with training, getting eight hours of sleep, or running with a different group at practice. Haber's teams focus on success markers, race strategies, and highlight positive attributions over times and rankings. 

Haber is self-reported as "very competitive", but he creates an inclusive family atmosphere on his teams. Haber and his staff "embrace the weird" that every individual brings in order to create a motivational climate at practice that can be self-sustaining.  GFS' Mental Performance Coach Colleen Finegan further explains, "coaches can fill emotional tanks with nonverbal feedback such as clapping, nodding, smiling, and listening attentively. When athletes feel emotionally supported, or like their "emotional tank" is full, they are more optimistic, better able to handle adversity, show more coachability, and change behaviors in the moment to improve performance." The application of these coaching techniques has paid dividends for Haber and his teams, who maintain a champion dynasty and continue to produce nationally recognized athletes.