Wardell Jones, a 2017 Double-Goal Coach® Award Winner, coaches youth football for the Texas Heat (Spring, Texas). Jones has spent some 20 years volunteering in youth sports, including his leadership of Texas Heat, where he coaches primarily 8-to-15-year-olds. The team travels the South, playing in tournaments sanctioned by Amateur Athletic Union and other organizers. Even in such competitive environments, Jones does not simply select the most talented players for his team, but mixes in players who require the development he believes he can provide.

Jones wants people to know that while volunteer coaching takes a lot of time on and off the field, it is very rewarding. "I have no regrets," Jones shared. One of the most important parts of coaching for him is being there for a child even if they need your help outside of the sport. Whether it be in school or somewhere else, he strongly believes that every coach should have an open door policy for all of the players.