{"id":13971,"date":"2026-07-21T11:12:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/?p=13971"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T16:18:52","slug":"2026-blue-kc-coaches-with-character-honoree-cassie-dolinar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/community-and-culture\/sports-partnerships-community-and-culture\/2026-blue-kc-coaches-with-character-honoree-cassie-dolinar\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Blue KC Coaches With Character Honoree Cassie Dolinar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Piper High School Cross Country and Track Coach featured the month of Ju<\/em>ly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and the \u201cC\u201d You in the Major Leagues (CYITML) Foundation have announced Piper High School cross country and track coach, Cassie Dolinar, as the Blue KC Coaches with Character honoree for the month of July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew from an early age that I wanted to coach,\u201d said Dolinar. \u201cI started right out of high school. Over the years I\u2019ve coached just about everything; softball, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, track, cross country, and more. The stars aligned at Piper High School and I had the opportunity to teach and coach distance runners year-round through cross country and track. That\u2019s where I found what I think will be my final home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 25 years of coaching experience, Dolinar has worked with hundreds of student-athletes and helped them grow and thrive in all aspects of their lives. She was told at a young age to listen closely to people, and that authenticity matters. Her student-athletes need her to be the best version of herself each and every day. They need her to listen to them and ask questions. She believes that when people feel heard, trust grows. Only then does the real coaching begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSet goals and go after them,\u201d said Dolinar. \u201cThere will be bad days. There will be setbacks. There will be times when you feel like you\u2019re not making progress. That\u2019s normal. Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Most success comes from ordinary people doing the right things consistently over a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her time at Piper High School, Dolinar has seen incredible support from families and the local community. She says their awareness and interest in students and the high school teams make herself, and all student-athletes, feel valued, loved, and appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, I\u2019m most proud of the culture of our team,\u201d said Dolinar. \u201cThe athletes have built something special. They take ownership of their training and their progress, and they celebrate each other\u2019s successes. Our athletes are the kind of people you want to spend time with, and who make those around them better. My team is full of people you would want to be friends with for life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolinar believes standards provide clarity. It isn\u2019t just about performance, rather it\u2019s about becoming the person you want to be. She challenges her student-athletes to continually give it their all in every aspect of their lives. Her determination to teach young people to be the kind of person who finishes things, does quality work, honors commitments, and gives their best effort is on display each and every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would describe my coaching style as relational, equipping, and ownership-driven,\u201d said Dolinar. \u201cI want athletes to understand why we\u2019re doing what we\u2019re doing when we\u2019re doing it. My goal isn\u2019t just to coach them for four years \u2013 it\u2019s to equip them to be active and run for a lifetime. I want them to know how to train themselves, how to set goals, and how to adjust when life gets hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCoach Dolinar is different,\u201d said Dolinar\u2019s nominator, Jamie Shaw. \u201cShe genuinely cares about these kids as human beings first. The athlete part comes second. Her impact around here (Piper High School) goes way beyond what you see on a stopwatch. It’s been amazing watching her build this program into something special. She\u2019s teaching them responsibility, discipline, and the value of hard work; turning them into mentally tough, resilient young adults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCassie\u2019s passion and dedication for coaching is worthy of our praise and admiration,\u201d said Jenny Housley, Blue KC President. \u201cHer unwavering commitment to strengthening student-athletes, both on and off the track, has been on display for more than two decades and we\u2019re honored to highlight her career accomplishments as an inspirating and uplifting coach. Congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue KC Coaches with Character recipients are honored monthly at Kauffman Stadium during Kansas City Royals home games, and fans are encouraged to nominate high school coaches who are making a positive impact on their schools and communities by using the form online at https:\/\/www.BlueKC.com\/NominateCoachesWithCharacter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs<\/h3>

Blue KC Coaches With Character program<\/p> <\/div>\n

\n \n Nominate a High School Coach Today!<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Was this helpful?<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n \r\n \r\n
\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n \r\n \r\n
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t