Tesoro High’s Darren Phelps has been helping runners excel for over 30 years
MARGARITA, Calif. — Darren Phelps has been coaching for more than 30 years. And he’s spent 20 of those years guiding young athletes to victory in the Capistrano Unified School District.
Born and raised in Anaheim, California, Coach Phelps earned his bachelor’s degree at UC Riverside. He now works as a software engineer in addition to his busy coaching schedule.
Phelps started in 1990 coaching Jr. All American Football for eight years in Mission Viejo. From 2000 to 2013, he coached Track & Field at Dana Hills High School, leading them to four straight Orange County Championship titles. In addition, he helped many individual athletes make their way to CIF State Championships along the way.
In 2013, Phelps signed on as Head Coach for Boys’ Cross Country at Tesoro High School. He led the Titans to their first state appearance at the CIF State Championships that year and returned in 2014 for a repeat performance. Since then, the Titans have made it to nine straight CIF Cross Country Finals with Phelps at the helm.
When the head coaching position for Boys’ Track & Field became available at Tesoro in 2015, Phelps jumped at the chance to take over. He’s led the team to several league championships and coached many athletes as they navigated individual events at the CIF State Championships.
In 2019, four separate Tesoro Alumni had competed in either the NCAA Division 1 National Cross-Country Championships or in the Track & Field Championships. Today, Phelps has six athletes competing in collegiate Division 1 programs.
The secret to his success? Keeping these kids motivated and inspired plays a significant role. Phelps says, “My job is to develop psychologically motivated athletes with positive self-regard, and I do this by helping them foster self-worth and a sense of belonging. We also limit comparisons to other athletes’ successes.”
And when asked his favorite part about coaching, Phelps shares, “The best part is empowering my kids to change their lives and being able to witness their growth and progress.”
Kudos to you, Coach Phelps, and here’s to many more Titans victories to come.
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