Andrew Carl Youngworth

Educator and Coach

Andrew Carl Youngworth, son of Thomas and Barbara Youngworth, was born in October 1958 in Sioux Falls, SD.  Andy attended Yankton College, SD in 1977-78 and after transferring, graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Kansas in 1981 and went on to earn a Master of Arts in Native American History from the University of South Dakota in 1983.

 Andy’s first teaching and coaching assignment was at Marty Indian School (Marty, SD) in 1983.  After 6 years teaching in private schools, he began his career at Carthage High School in 1990.  In addition to his teaching duties, Coach Youngworth was involved in many areas of athletics at CHS including Assistant Football Coach, Assistant Wrestling Coach, Head Boys Swim Coach, and ultimately Athletic Director in 2004.  It was in the sports of track and field and cross country, however, where Coach Youngworth’s teams had the most success.

 In Coach Youngworth’s 40 plus years of coaching, his cross country and track and field teams have won 32 conference championships, 17 district championships, and 9 state trophies including a Class 4 Boys State Track and Field Championship in 2018. He coached 8 individual state champions in track and field, one in cross country, and 4 relay teams on the track. His athletes earned over 200 state medals in cross country and track and field.  

In addition to these awards, Coach Youngworth’s athletes have stated he not only gave them the tools they need to succeed in athletics, but also in life. One athlete said, “Coach Youngworth made it a point to give his students and athletes alike the tenacity to accomplish whatever they put their minds to.”   Perhaps more important to Coach Youngworth was using sport as a tool to prepare his student athletes to deal with successes and challenges as they enter adulthood.  His coaching philosophy was influenced by former CHS track and field coach Ed Streich.  Coach Youngworth always stressed the team over self, and with hard work, good things will happen.  Coach Youngworth would not have achieved his success without the support of his family, and the great athletes and assistant coaches who worked with him. 

Andy served as the President of Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Association “MTCCCA” in 2016. He was inducted into the MTCCCA Hall of Fame in 2017 and was named 2017 MSHSAA Cross Country Coach of the Year, the MTCCCA 2018 Track and Field Coach of the Year, and was a nominee for USATF Coach of the Year.

 Coach Youngworth continues his teaching and coaching career at McAuley Catholic in Joplin, but this community will always be grateful to his commitment to the athletic program and his dedication to his students.