The Coach Behind the Awards 

Fresno State’s Discussion Meet Success Under Dr. Steven Rocca 

By Jasmine Flores, Ag 166 Communications/Publications class

 

On Saturday, February 29, 2020, Fresno State’s Collegiate Discussion Meet Team won the state championship in the California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet Contest.

Pictured above is the 2020 team composed of four Fresno State students, three of whom made it to the final round.

Senior Agricultural Education student Austin LaSalle won First High Individual; sophomore Agricultural Communications student Jasmine Flores was 1st Runner Up; and junior Mechanical Engineering student Andrew Skidmore was 2nd Runner Up.

Also in the picture is Senior Agricultural Education student Clayton Sheehan and past state winners, Tim Truax (left) and Samuel Looper (right).

The team’s success marked the third consecutive win for Fresno State and they owe it all to their coach.

Behind the plaques and awards for Fresno State’s Collegiate Discussion Meet Team and individual winners, is their coach, Agricultural Education Professor, Dr. Steven Rocca.

Dr. Rocca began his career at Fresno State in August of 2005, just one year before he began coaching the team.

We had the opportunity to sit down and interview him about the discussion meet contest and how it all started.

 

Jasmine: Why did you start coaching discussion meet at Fresno State?

Dr. Rocca: “I started coaching it by accident, I had a student from Wisconsin who was the National FFA President in 2005, and she came to Fresno State in 2006 after her year of service and begged me to start a team. She did all the real coaching, I just signed papers and got the van to take her and other team members to contests; and we went from there every year since.”

Jasmine: You’re nationally recognized as the coach to beat as some professors at other universities say, what is your advice to other coaches?

Dr. Rocca: “That’s funny actually because I really don’t feel like I do much. I just have really great and talented students who I work with and fine tune a bit and you guys do the real work. I guess I would tell them that having fun and just getting to work with students is what it’s about.”

 

We also interviewed 2019 state winner, Samuel Looper and asked him the following question.

Jasmine: What has Dr. Rocca’s mentoring and coaching meant to you?

Samuel: “Dr. Rocca deserves the world. The man works so hard for Agricultural Education students, advising and making class schedules, he’s a farmer, he has two young children, he’s an advisor for Agriculture Ambassadors and the FFA Field Day Committee; and he never complains."

Samuel: "He is honestly so talented and having him as a coach has been one of my college highlights. I am bummed due to the COVID-19 scare that Dr. Rocca and I won’t be able to travel to Louisville for the National Discussion Meet Contest, but I am so grateful for his work.” 

With the team's 2020 performance, Dr. Rocca has won eight state team championships and has had eight individual state winners since 2006; making him the most decorated coach in the history of collegiate the discussion meet contest in California.

Fresno State is grateful for Dr. Rocca’s guidance with students and the legacy he is leaving.