Tim Cooper (53) died after a battle with cancer on Saturday, October 13, 2018. He worked as Mira Costa’s athletic trainer for almost 30 years, developing training techniques and helping thousands of Costa athletes and staff members recover from their injuries. Tim was known for his aquatic workout, which became a favorite of Olympian and former Costa girls beach volleyball coach Eric Fonoimoana. Tim’s training techniques also assisted many professional athletes, including National Basketball Association players and Olympic gold medalists in volleyball. Tim prepared dozens of trainers for careers in athletic training, inspiring those around him to succeed while keeping a positive attitude. He had a profound impact on athletes across the Manhattan Beach community and will be dearly missed by the Mira Costa family. A memorial service will be held in his honor on Saturday, October 27 at 2:00 p.m. at Cooper Field.
From the Costa community…
“What was great about Tim is that he didn’t just work on you. He also got to know you as a person and had a way of making you feel you were his best friend. Everyone you talk to, who knew him even a little, will tell you that he was their close friend, and vice versa.”
– Principal Dr. Ben Dale
“Tim was someone who always knew how to make someone smile when they weren’t feeling the best. He was there to help you physically, but he also helped you emotionally. He would take the time out of his day to talk to you about your problems because he wanted to. It’s just who he was. Tim Cooper was an amazing person and will forever be remembered.”
– Varsity volleyball player and junior Katie Colvin
“I had the opportunity to train with Tim over the summer and throughout the cross country season. Not only was he a great coach who knew how to push you to your limits, he also had one of the kindest hearts. He was so caring to each one of us and always was checking on us to see how our season was going. I really appreciate how willing he was to look out for others.”
– Varsity Cross Country member and senior Brooke Inouye
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