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Señor Gonzalez, proud to be Ned

Sara Sandstrom
Posted 5/14/25

NEDERLAND - When you go to a Nederland High School soccer game you will hear the head coach for the Panthers encouraging his players with, “You can do it!”

“Good job!”

“Pressure guys, pressure.”

Luis Gonzalez is in his element on the soccer...

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Señor Gonzalez, proud to be Ned

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NEDERLAND - When you go to a Nederland High School soccer game, you will hear the head coach for the Panthers encouraging his players with, “You can do it!”

“Good job!”

“Pressure, guys, pressure.”

Luis Gonzalez is in his element on the soccer field with his team. He is also just as comfortable in his classroom at Nederland Middle-Senior High School (NMSHS) teaching Spanish, or in the school hallways exhorting kids to have a great day, saying “We can do it!” Or urging them to go out for soccer in the upcoming season. 

Gonzalez was born and raised in Spain, and started his teaching and coaching career there. He decided he wanted to come to the United States after teaching in Spain for several years. His first teaching position in the US was in Texas. 

After being there for a few years he looked at a map of the US, closed his eyes, and stuck his finger right on Denver, Colorado. He accepted a teaching position in Denver and started coaching soccer. 

After some years in Denver, Gonzalez was looking at the Boulder Valley School District website. He saw that there was an open position for a Spanish teacher at Nederland Middle-Senior High School. He did not know the school was in the mountains. 

He applied, and was asked on the phone if he would interview for the position. He agreed. 

It was a long drive from the home where he lives with his wife and two children.

Gonzalez says that he sat in the school office at NMSHS waiting for the interview, saying to himself, “Should I stay or should I just go home? I will do the interview….No, I will get up and go back home.”

Fortunately, they called him into the interview before he made the decision to get up and leave, because NMSHS would have been a very different place over the last seven years without Señor Gonzalez. 

The interview went really well that day. Gonzalez was soon asked to teach all levels of high school Spanish, and to create, build, and maintain the boys’ soccer program at NMSHS. Two years later he would be asked to add the girls’ soccer team to his schedule. 

Gonzalez could have stayed teaching where he was in the city, and he has had other offers. Why did he choose to come to Nederland? And why does he continue to drive from Denver day after day?

He said, “I love to create things and I have motivation to improve the programs. I am always asking, ‘How can we improve?’ ”

He added, “I love these kids, the families, and this community. I love my job.”

These are not empty words. His enthusiasm and the light and positivity he brings everywhere he goes do not go unnoticed. Opposing teams see it year after year. Gonzalez was awarded League Coach of the Year for the sixth time this year since he came to NMSHS. 

Sean DePaula, Vice Principal and Athletic Director at Nederland Middle-Senior High School, pointed out that “This award recognizes who the other coaches in the league believe was the best coach in the league—the coach who got the most out of their teams and players, and led them to be the best version of themselves.”

DePaula continued, “One thing that makes Señor Gonzalez’s recognition unique is that he has won the award in separate leagues (Mile High and Foothills) and separate seasons (boys and girls).” DePaula believes that Gonzalez winning the award so many times in seven years is a testament to the outstanding work he is doing. 

Under Gonzalez’s coaching, both soccer teams have consistently grown over the years. Each team fields over 20 players now. DePaula noted that “From a small school where you only have about 60 boys and 60 girls to choose from, these numbers are really impressive.”

DePaula recently asked a freshman girl on the soccer team why so many freshmen signed up for the team. She replied that it was because Señor (as he is known at school) is so positive and everyone loves him. He engages with all students in the hallways, saying “...when you play soccer this year…” 

“Señor is probably the most positive person I know,” said DePaula. “At first, you might ask yourself if his positivity is really genuine. But as you get to know Gonzalez, you see that it really is, and that his attitude is infectious. The kids know what a kind and caring person he is, and it leads them to work hard for him, themselves, the team, and the school.”

One student at NMSHS commented, “Señor is always respectful to students and he never talks down to us. Because English isn’t his first language you have to listen a little closer, and he talks kinda fast. But you want to understand him because what he says is always encouraging. He’s the best.”

Gonzalez embodies dedication and caring for students. He knows how to make positive and lasting connections with kids. He’s an expert at making strong connections with families and the community. 

Gonzalez says he wakes up every morning with goals in mind. He is always thinking about how to continue to develop a strong soccer program at Nederland. He wants the kids to love the game, and to be strong physically and mentally.

Señor also wants all the students to be good citizens as he helps prepare them for the future. Coaching and teaching are more to him than learning to kick a ball and learning some Spanish. It is about being respectful, showing support, and making connections. 

One of his personal goals has been to become a citizen of the United States. Just over a year ago he became a citizen and he is very proud of that accomplishment. 

You do not have to be on the soccer field very long to see why Gonzalez has been named Coach of the Year six times. You do not have to listen to him long or have an extensive conversation to recognize his love and dedication to his family, his students, their families, and the Nederland school community. 

Señor is extremely passionate about what he does, and that passion spreads to the people around him. He says to the kids consistently, “You are Ned. Proud to be Ned.” He wants them to be proud of who they are and where they come from. 

He tells them, “Every step is a new victory.” He does not mean that they have to win every game or they fail in life, or that he will be angry with them if they say something wrong in Spanish class. He wants them to try. He wants them to put forth effort and they will learn together. 

DePaula said, “As a community, we should feel very fortunate to have Gonzalez working with our kids.” 

With a big smile on his face and sincerity in his soul Señor Gonzalez summed up how he feels about NMSHS, “I love this place.”