In 2018, the Mira Costa High School community lost someone who meant so much to generations of students, our beloved athletic trainer, Tim Cooper, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. To so many of us, Tim wasn’t just staff, he was family.

For 30 years, from 1988 to 2018, Tim was far more than a trainer at Mira Costa, he was a pioneer in student athletics. As the first full-time athletic trainer in the South Bay, he helped shape the standard of care and support student-athletes receive today. Many remember the old gymnasium and training room where Tim spent countless hours caring for athletes. Whether helping students recover, calming nerves before a game, or simply checking in, Tim shaped lives and turned no one away. His warmth, compassion, and dedication left a lasting imprint that continues to be felt across generations.

At Tim’s memorial, our community was told that when the new Mira Costa athletic complex was built, the athletic training room would be named in Tim's honor, a reflection of how deeply he shaped the student experience. Today, with the new complex in place, our community is working together to fulfill that vision. With strong support and a clear proposal underway, we are ready to move forward and ensure Tim’s legacy is permanently and visibly recognized.

To honor Tim’s memory and decades of service, we are raising funds to create and install a commemorative plaque naming the athletic training room after him. This tribute will serve as a permanent reminder of the compassion, leadership, and care he brought to Mira Costa students year after year.

For many of us, this effort represents meaningful closure: a way for the Mustang family to come together and complete something long promised to someone who gave so much of himself to our school. It is, in many ways, unsettled business for a community that believes Tim deserves a permanent place in Costa's history.

All funds raised will go directly toward the design, creation, and installation of this memorial plaque. We are grateful for the community’s support as we take this final step in honoring a man whose impact continues to shape lives.

If Tim ever supported you, your child, or someone you know, we invite you to join us in celebrating his legacy. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us create a tribute worthy of the difference he made.

Thank you for helping us honor a true member of the Mustang family.