Dewayne Roberts is drawing on nearly two decades of coaching experience in his first season as the Goddard High School cross country head coach.
Roberts said his goal for the team is to keep improving for the District 4-4A and Class 4A state meets. Goddard will host the district meet at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Enchanted Lands Disc Golf Course. The state meet will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Albuquerque Academy High School.
“We’re just really focused on staying consistent, making sure we’re improving our mileages each week and just really work at peaking at the right time,” Roberts said.
For Roberts, 40, the coaching journey started as an athlete for Clovis High School, where he ran varsity cross country from 2000 to 2003 before soccer eventually took priority. As a senior, he traded the cross-country course for the soccer field, playing goalkeeper for Clovis before graduating in 2004.
Roberts continued his soccer career at Eastern New Mexico University where he played goalkeeper from 2004 to 2008. He graduated from ENMU in June 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies. Soon after, his playing career gave way to coaching.
Roberts stayed at ENMU as an assistant volleyball coach from 2008 to 2013. While there, he earned a master’s degree in physical education-sports administration in January 2011.
He later continued his volleyball coaching career at Sul Ross State University, serving as an assistant from 2014 to 2016.
Roberts then moved to New Mexico Military Institute, where he worked as an athlete academic advisor from 2016 to 2017. He also returned to soccer, serving as an assistant coach for the NMMI High School boys team.
Then came Goddard. Roberts took over the Rockets’ volleyball program in 2018 and remained at the helm through 2024. The highlight came in 2022, when Goddard captured the state championship with a sweep of St. Pius X, 29-27, 25-26, 25-20.
“Winning the state title is always going to have a special place in my heart,” Roberts said. “I’m happy to have that on my resume.”
Although Roberts has moved on from coaching the Rockets, he hasn’t moved on from the program.
“A lot of the seniors now were sophomores my last season there,” Roberts said. “I just want to see that program still be successful. I do cheer for them every chance I get, and it’s really cool to see how that group of kids are carrying the tradition of Goddard volleyball.”
Roberts also has plenty of respect for his successor, Andy Luikens, who guided Goddard to a 14-3 record in non-district play this season.
“Luikens is a good guy and a good coach,” Roberts said. “I’m glad to see that he’s leading them to a great season.”
After a long volleyball coaching career, Roberts stepped away from coaching for a year. He wanted time with his family and an opportunity to recharge.
“I did not coach anything last year,” Roberts said. “I took a year off to spend time with my family and rejuvenate a little bit.”
After this break, Roberts moved to coaching cross country. While volleyball remains close to Roberts’ heart, his move to cross country has given him a different opportunity.
Instead of preparing athletes for a match, he watches them push through miles of discomfort, with the finish line often demanding as much mentally as it does physically.
Roberts has found plenty of satisfaction in that challenge.
“Seeing my runners push through the pain of running a 5K is an awesome sight,” Roberts said. “I’m always going to be thankful that I got an opportunity to pass on what my coaches did for me in high school and do for my runners now.”
Marshall Mecham can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.
