Last Day: Which Coach Made a Difference in Your Life?

This is our last Reader's Choice day for collecting candidates for next week's polling, so tell us who is making a big difference now, or which coach made a lasting impression in the past.

They mold bodies and minds, nurture skill-sets, guide and lead boys, girls, men and women through peer pressure, character-building, and achieving through perseverance.

They are coaches.

From tee ball to college, those special leaders empowered to guide us into competition hold a special place in our hearts. Was it the Little League coach when we were 11? The gymnastics coach who taught us to cartwheel? The swimming coach who pushed us to the brink to get an Olympic qualifying time?

Whether it's an individual coach or a team coach, a head coach or an assistant. We want the debate to begin about the coaches who made a difference in the Long Beach community, those who built bridges and confidence, who made us better people in the process.

With your comments for candidates, we'll publish a poll with some of the names that get bandied about. We'll look at the votes, examine the dialogue, and determine who the community looks to when they think of "Coach."

Let the conversation begin!

And feel free to take it to our Facebook or Twitter pages.