NOTE: One in a series of pieces written by Oklahoma Christian's head coaches, explaining in their own voice why they do what they do. David Scott is entering his 15th season as OC's men's soccer coach.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 21, 2020) – I love this game! I started playing soccer when I was seven years old and the game has been a huge part of my life ever since.

Growing up, I was always playing – outdoor seasons during the fall and spring, indoor soccer during the winter months and camps during the summer. Through all of it, I had never really thought much about it ending, just what comes next.
 
As I reached the end of my collegiate career, my coach at the time asked if I had any interest in staying with the team as a graduate assistant and working with the goalkeepers and defenders. I had never considered becoming a coach, but I wasn't ready to leave the game and I saw it as an opportunity to stay around the game a little longer at a high level.

The beginning of the first season was difficult. We had a young team that year with three freshmen goalkeepers and I still wanted to be on the field, but as the season progressed, I began enjoying working with those guys and seeing them develop and gain confidence. I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes work of scouting opponents, recruiting and evaluating players to develop training plans to help them to continue improving.
 
As the seasons have gone by, and as I have gotten older, I have begun to realize the effects that becoming a coach has had on me and how the relationships I have made through this profession have blessed my life. I am given the opportunity to mentor and assist our student-athletes on a daily basis in achieving their goals – not only on the field, but off it as well, and to help them mature and grow as young men.

Seeing our players succeed in the classroom, graduate and move on to successful careers, watching as they form relationships, get married and now start families of their own, these things give me just as much enjoyment as successes on the field. To see them successful and thriving after leaving Oklahoma Christian is the ultimate goal.
 
The ability to do all these things at OC – to work and coach in a Christian environment, and to have the ability to share my faith and serve as an example to our players – has been a tremendous blessing on my life. It has given it a deeper meaning and me a way to use coaching as a mission to help bring students to Christ and help them grow in their faith.