For more than 30 years, Coach Rodney “Coach Rod” Williams has used athletics as a vehicle to develop young people—not simply as competitors, but as confident, disciplined and resilient leaders.

Coach Rod founded STEP Academy around a philosophy refined through decades of working with young athletes: performance and personal development belong together. His approach combines elite athletic training and injury prevention with structured life-skills education, emotional intelligence, accountability and mentorship.

That philosophy became the foundation of STEP Academy’s comprehensive youth-development model, designed to help student-athletes excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.

For Coach Rod, the goal has never been just to build better athletes. It is to help build prepared, purpose-driven young leaders equipped to succeed long after the competition ends.

Coach Jake “Shorty” Ogdahl has been passionate about football since he first stepped on the field at age six. He played for 15 consecutive years, including at Patrick Henry High School, where he started alongside Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. He continued his career at Grossmont College before walking on at San Diego State University, where a career-ending injury ultimately led him to pursue coaching.

For over 12 years, Coach Jake has dedicated himself to coaching youth and high school football. He has led two Pop Warner teams to the National Championships in Florida and built multiple teams that competed at a high level in national tournaments. His coaching experience includes stints at both Grossmont High School and Patrick Henry High School.

After more than a decade of friendship and shared vision, Coach Jake officially partnered with Coach Rod in May 2025 to help take STEP Academy to the next level.

Outside of football, Coach Jake has over a decade of experience in financial services, specializing in asset-based lending. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from National University and lives in San Carlos with his wife and two children.

**Warren “Coach P” Preston** is a coach, mentor, community leader, and youth advocate whose work is driven by one central belief: **when you pour into young people, you change more than a season—you can change the trajectory of a life.**

Based in San Diego, Coach P has dedicated himself to creating opportunities for young people to grow through athletics, mentorship, leadership, accountability, and community. His passion extends far beyond wins and losses. Whether he is standing on a football field, working with student-athletes, building community partnerships, or sitting behind a microphone, his focus remains the same: helping the next generation recognize their potential and giving them the tools, support, and standards necessary to reach it.

As the founder of **The Standard Academy**, a nonprofit youth mentorship organization, Coach P works to equip young men with practical life skills and strong personal values. The program emphasizes leadership, accountability, conflict resolution, financial literacy, personal responsibility, community service, and the everyday skills young men need to become confident, productive adults.

His commitment to youth development also extends deeply into sports. Through his involvement with the **Skyline Tigers Youth Football & Cheer** organization and **STEP Academy**, Coach P uses athletics as a platform to teach discipline, resilience, preparation, teamwork, and character. For him, developing the athlete is important—but developing the person inside the uniform matters even more.

Coach P is equally passionate about building bridges between young people and the communities around them. His work has included partnerships and initiatives involving schools, law enforcement, churches, coaches, athletic organizations, businesses, and community leaders—all with the goal of surrounding young people with a stronger network of positive influences and opportunities.

That same mission carries into media through **Tuff Talk with Coach P**, where he creates conversations centered on sports, mentorship, leadership, perseverance, and the stories behind the people. The platform gives athletes, coaches, community leaders, and emerging young stars an opportunity to share not only what they have accomplished, but what they have overcome and learned along the way.

At the heart of everything Coach P does is a commitment to **service, standards, and legacy**.

He believes coaching is bigger than teaching a game. Mentorship is bigger than giving advice. Leadership is bigger than holding a title. It is about showing up consistently, holding people accountable while believing in them, opening doors for the next generation, and leaving every community better than you found it.

**Coach P isn’t simply trying to develop better athletes. He is working to develop stronger young people, stronger families, and ultimately, a stronger community.**

 Coach Lila Tawa

**Founder & Head Coach | The Method Track Club powered by STEP Academy**

Coach Lila Tawa is the Founder and Head Coach of **The Method Track Club**, a youth track and field program powered by **STEP Academy** and dedicated to developing confident athletes, strong competitors, and young leaders both on and off the track.

Serving athletes ages **5–18**, Coach Lila has built The Method around a simple philosophy: **greatness is earned through consistency, discipline, purposeful training, and trust in the process.** Her goal is to create an environment where athletes of every experience level feel welcomed and valued while being challenged to reach their full potential.

Coach Lila and The Method coaching staff are certified through the **USA Track & Field (USATF) Coach Education Program**, bringing nationally recognized coaching principles and development standards to each athlete. Through technical track instruction, speed development, strength and agility training, competitive preparation, and character building, Coach Lila focuses on developing the complete athlete—not simply improving times and performances.

Through The Method's partnership with STEP Academy, athletes receive a comprehensive approach to development. STEP helps build the physical foundation through speed, strength, agility, conditioning, and movement training, while The Method translates those abilities into competitive track and field performance.

Under Coach Lila's leadership, The Method offers **one-on-one, small-group, and large-group training**, along with competitive indoor and outdoor track opportunities. Athletes are regularly evaluated to measure progress, identify areas for growth, and establish new performance goals. The program also emphasizes strong communication with parents and families, recognizing that long-term athlete development requires a true partnership between coaches, athletes, and the people supporting them.

But for Coach Lila, The Method is about more than competition.

Her vision is to build a community where **every athlete belongs**—a place where young people can develop confidence, discipline, accountability, teamwork, leadership, and a lifelong love for competing. Team nights, family activities, travel competitions, and shared experiences help create relationships and memories that extend far beyond the track.

As The Method continues to grow, Coach Lila's vision is to establish the program as one of **San Diego's premier youth track and field organizations**, expand opportunities for underserved athletes, compete at the regional and national levels, and build a lasting legacy of excellence.

Her philosophy can be summed up in the words that define the program:

**Trust the Method. Earn the Results.**

**Train with purpose. Have fun. Grow together. Become legendary.**