The nonprofit Nashua PAL (Police Athletic League), announced that its 2021 PAL Coach of the Year is Ben Desfosses, the head coach of the Nashua PAL Force 10U football team. Coach DesFosses, along with PAL’s athletes of the year in basketball, boxing, cheerleading, football and boys and girls cross country – as well as youth and adult awardees in volunteering and policing – will be honored at the 2021 Night of Champions on September 16th at Nashua’s Holman Stadium.

Formerly known as the “PAL Sports Dinner” at Conway Arena, this year’s event has been relocated to Holman Stadium. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the PAL Night of Champions support PAL’s educational, athletic, and enrichment programs for Nashua’s at-risk youth. They are available at nashuapal.com/events; call 603-594-3733; or email Jen@nashuapal.com. For more information on Nashua PAL, go to www.nashuapal.com.

Coach DesFosses was born and raised in Nashua, attending Fairgrounds Elementary, Elm Street Junior High, and Nashua High School (class of 2001) where he played football and lacrosse. Ben graduated with High Honors from the University of New Hampshire where he played rugby, eventually earning Master’s degrees in science and mechanical engineering. He continued his education at Rivier University, adding another Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He has worked at BAE Systems in Nashua for over 14 years, currently as BAE’s Hardware Engineering Manager.

Aside from his family, Coach DeFosses loves two things most: contact sports and the City of Nashua, and he has immersed himself in both. He often refers to the life lessons he gained playing football. He started with the PAL Force program coaching in its flag football program, and then accepted the position of Head Coach of the 8U tackle football team. His squad went undefeated on the 2019 season and won the NHYFSC 8U Super Bowl.

When Covid cancelled the 2020 football season, Coach DesFosses took on a new challenge as the Assistant Coach of Elm Street Middle School volleyball team (head coached by Ben’s wife, Cassandra). He also coaches Nashua Park Rec and travel baseball and basketball teams, and founded Nashua’s first youth rugby program.

Coach Ben and Cassandra have two children, teenager Johanna and ten year-old Leo, both active in youth sports and other activities. Like most youth coaches, his busy life includes a challenging career, family life, responding to parent emails and counseling the athletes he coaches. In Coach DesFosses’ own words, he is “particularly proud to be involved with Nashua PAL, with its strong policy making participation available to all kids, regardless of challenging or difficult family or economic circumstances.”