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. Wade Miller, a former track and field and cross country athlete at OC, now serves as the university's men's and women's coach for those sports.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 28, 2020) – The foundation of my desire to coach is found in the concept of tackling a challenge.

The wonderful sports of track and field and cross country provide an abundance of physical, mental and emotional challenges. My goal in working to help our student-athletes wrestle with those challenges is to encourage them to develop skills that will be applicable to other facets of life.

My hope is that by challenging themselves in their academic and athletic pursuits, they will also be able to apply the skills and techniques they have developed in growing their relationships, spiritual lives, careers, etc. There are few things more satisfying for a coach than watching one of his or her former student-athletes apply those lessons learned through athletics to become a success in life.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to coach and I'm joyful in my challenge of working to provide a platform for a type of growth that will be beneficial for a lifetime.