CFNN Reporter Gabriella Umanzor

When it comes to sports, Cape Fear has been very successful so far this year, but we couldn’t have done this without our amazing coaches. This week we honor Coach Pagan as Teacher of the Week!

Coach Pagan has been dedicated to Cape Fear for four years. During his time here, he has been the varsity boys’ and girls’ coach and a PE teacher. Before his time at Cape Fear, Coach Pagan taught at Southview HS for four years and then at Gray’s Creek for eight years. He is in his 21st year of coaching JV and varsity-level soccer.

School Life

An average day for Coach Pagan during soccer season is teaching PE from 8:30 am-1:35 pm and lunch from 1:35 pm-2 pm. After, he paints the game field or prepares for practice from 2:00-3:40 pm. Practice runs from 4-6 pm and games from 6-8 pm or 7-9 pm. If the game is away, the team and Coach Pagan usually get home around 9:30 pm or 10 pm depending on the distance. He dedicates a lot of his time to the school and his teams. When it comes to balancing being a teacher, coach, and personal life, Pagan is quick to point out how difficult it can be to balance them all.

“Most weekends are dedicated to family time during soccer seasons. Most coaches will tell you that balancing all 3 is difficult,” said Pagan. 

When there is free time, he likes to spend time with his family. They love taking trips to the NC mountains to hike and enjoy nature.

Inspirations

“Soccer actually was my 2nd sport until I was about 12. I was burned out playing baseball year round, so I focused on soccer and have been hooked ever since.” shared Coach Pagan.

Soccer was always a part of his life and an activity he loved. So, when Coach Pagan was asked to help coach at Gray’s Creek in 2003 he discovered that he could share his knowledge and passion for the game with my athletes in a competitive environment. He was hooked. 

On the Field

When it comes to coaching, Coach Pagan feels like competition breeds success.

”I try to challenge them in a healthy, competitive environment. They will earn everything. Nothing is promised, and everyone is held accountable,” he said. “I try to be open and honest with each player, and most respect that. My players know that I care about their development and growth. When kids see my investment as a coach, they generally want to invest in the program as well.”

The boys soccer team has enjoyed tremendous success under Pagan’s leadership. They have finished second in the conference for the last three years and have won the conference tournament for the last two. After reflecting on the Varsity boys’ season, Pagan shared his thoughts about their most recent success.

“I’m proud of our boys’ resilience. We were supposed to have a down year due to losing some of our best players last year to graduation,” he said. “The team focused on playing better on the defensive end, and we ended up having a great season.”

With the upcoming Varsity girls’ season, Coach Pagan believes that although many good players graduated from the program last year, the team this year should still be able to compete at a high level. He shares that they have many good players returning as well as promising newcomers and likes the balance they have. Most of all, Coach Pagan looks forward to winning their conference again and making a deep run in the state playoffs!

“Coach Pagan is not just a great soccer coach, but a great leader and person,” said junior defender AbbiKate Daughtry. “He has a unique ability to know when you need to be encouraged, but also when you need to be humbled! The time, effort, and energy he puts into his teams not just during the season but in off seasons too speaks volumes about his character and dedication. Cape Fear Soccer is in great hands with Coach Pagan in charge!” 

“Coach Pagan is a very dedicated coach. He is always willing to give his time and his effort to help our team be successful. He pushes us to be our best and always wants us to reach our fullest potential.He has helped cape fear girls soccer reach amazing heights  with 3 consecutive conference titles and multiple playoff appearances.In all coach Pagan is hard working and committed to his players’ development in soccer but also their development as people,” said junior forward Hannah McGill.

“The greatest joy of my job is watching my players develop and building relationships. Some of life’s greatest lessons can be taught through sports. How to communicate effectively, learning to deal with adversity, how to be grateful and humble, how hard work pays off, how it’s okay to fail, be unselfish, have integrity, etc. The greatest moments aren’t the wins. Making a positive impact on a player’s life is the reward for me,” shared Coach Pagan.

Finally, Coach Pagan would like to leave one more message for the Cape Fear community: “I’m thankful to the Cape Fear community for all the support they’ve shown to our school and soccer program. I’m privileged to coach and teach at Cape Fear. I’m blessed to be surrounded by a supportive admin, coaching staff, and faculty here at Cape Fear. I look forward to our continued success in academics & athletics. Go Colts!”

Thank you, Coach Pagan, for your dedication to the Cape Fear communities and your students!