Woodgrove High School Athletics are a staple in the Woodgrove community. Coaches are the beating heart of all these teams, and lead players to all their successes. Woodgrove is lucky enough to have a wide variety of coaches. Some have been with the school since its opening, some have joined within the last year, and others have joined the staff anywhere in between. High school coaches contribute to school spirit, become mentors to players, and teach players how to manage school, and competitive sports. Woodgrove’s coaches come from all over the world, from all different backgrounds, and have had a variety of experiences. One of the newest coaching additions is soccer coach Sean Cogolludo. 

In the 2022-2023 season, the boys’ Varsity Soccer team welcomed their new coach, Cogolludo. Having been born in Spain and grew up playing soccer (or fútbol rather), Coach Cogolludo sought to share his knowledge and passion for the sport in the states. In 2008, he and his family moved to the US when his father accepted a job at the Spanish Consulate in Miami, Florida. His coaching journey began ten years ago in Chantilly, Virginia for a club called Chantilly Youth Association (CYA). After refereeing a youth game, he was approached by the head coach of the CYA team, who happened to be a fellow Spaniard. Cogolludo was asked if he would be interested in joining the club as a coach. He remarks, “I’d never coached before but this was my passion so I thought why not, and the rest is history.”

Before Woodgrove, Cogolludo took up a coaching position for the girl’s varsity soccer team at Stone Bridge High School. After finishing his third season with the team in 2021, his daughter was born, leading him to resign his title as head coach. It was at this time when Woodgrove’s Assistant Athletic Director, John Sharples, resigned from head coach of the Woodgrove boy’s varsity team. “I took a step out, but I missed it so much that when I saw the Woodgrove coaching position I didn’t think about it, I applied. And I did the job at Woodgrove while being a teacher at Stonebridge,” remarks Cogolludo. Living in Round Hill, the commutes between Woodgrove and Stone Bridge proved to be a challenge for him. As luck would have it, though, a position for Spanish teacher opened at Woodgrove, which he gladly took on this year.

Cogolludo’s fondness for the sport and coaching is what has driven him to mentor young players. “Coaching is a vocation for me. It’s a passion to be able to give back to kids.” His tutelage doesn’t only occur on the field, but also in the classroom. Woodgrove gained a new foreign languages teacher with the arrival of Cogolludo last year. He teaches Spanish 1, as well as Spanish for Fluent Speakers 1, 2, 3 and 4. 

Coach Cogolludo parts with a key piece of advice for upcoming athletes. “At the end of the day it’s one step at a time. Just stick with it, put the work in, and let the good days come around.”