July 25, 2016

Meet Torrance Football Coach: Sebastian Salceda

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Salceda. Below you’ll find edited excerpts of our interview with Sebastian.

Sebastian, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?

My passion in football and coaching didn’t come until later in life. I remember watching one of my brother’s pop warner games in Lakewood one day and sitting in the stand as many people do telling my dad I could do that, I could coach. As my dad has always told me it’s a lot easier to sit up here than to be down there and do what they were doing. At that point in my life something clicked. Playing for only a short time in high school I admittedly didn’t have much football experience. I remember being determined to coach and the next summer I signed up to be a pop warner coach in Lomita. I remember my first coaching mentor, Coach Doug. Coach Doug is what most people think when they picture football coaches. He is tough, loud, and demands a lot from his players and coaches. I learned a lot that year and he constantly would meet with me at his house to teach me the game of football.

That was my first experience with understanding the intricacies of the game. I coached for two years there and my passion began to grow. I started reading everything I could about football books, articles, blogs you name it. It was then that I reached out to my algebra teacher a man named Ron Jenkins who was a really well known coach in the football world. Ron and I became very close friends and he offered to let me join his quarterback company at the time and learn from him. I worked under his company for around 7 years before moving on. During that time I coached at LA Harbor College a junior college in Harbor City and later on USC as the assistant quarterback coach. After my time at USC I began to explore the idea of starting my own quarterback training company and implementing what I had learned throughout the years from USC, Ron, and so many of my other mentors. I started my company in December 2015.

Has it been a smooth road?

My journey has never been smooth and I have had to struggle with many different things from finding ways to get my name out to the public to constantly staying on the edge of what the newest trends in football. I believe that hard work, my attention to detail, and persistence has helped me to move past the rough patches.

What are your plans for the future?

My goal for the next few years is twofold. First, I want to expand my reach and begin running a few quarterback/receiver skills camps during the summer. The training’s that I conduct now are primarily one on one or small groups. I am currently looking into finding a school or facility I could partner up with and run one or two camps for the 2017 summer.

My Second major goal for the future is to expand my college football/NFL clientele. I eventually want to take my training program and expand it to different parts of the country and visit some of the top quarterbacks and help them to improve and gain the edge in their game. I currently work with a few college quarterbacks and I believe that my unique perspective can help teach all levels.

Let’s dig a little deeper into your story. What was the hardest time you’ve had?

I have had many difficult times in my career but I think the biggest hurdle I have had to overcome is the fact that I only played high school football. A lot of people still believe that the best coaches are the ones who may have played the position. Though it is great to have a coach that has played the position at the highest level I do not believe that it is a necessity nor does it necessarily make that coach a good coach. Not all great players can coach and not all good coaches can play. I knew that this would be my hurdle early in my career and I did as I continue to do now read and study as much as the game as I can. I read blogs, articles, and watch countless hours of film in order to study what the best quarterbacks in the country are doing and what new trends pop up in the NFL. I believe this preparation is what sets me apart from other coaches. Though I was blessed to coach at one of the top college football programs in the country I still constantly have to prove to new clients that I can help them reach their goals and my dedication to being a student of the game has helped many of my athletes improve and reach their dreams.

Do you ever just stop and think WOW – I’ve made it?

I think I am far from making it. I have always tried to place myself in a growth mindset where there is always room for improvement. However, on a few occasions I have stopped to count my blessings. Being able to visit some of the legendary stadiums across the country and coach has really been eye opening. I can’t really describe the feeling of being in the Los Angeles Coliseum or South Bend Indiana but it’s surreal. Those moments along with seeing some of the players I train specifically one of my younger quarterbacks competing to be one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2020 has been a blessing.

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