Rusty St. Cyr, Assistant Coach
TEAM: 2014 Boys
If it weren't for coaches in my own younger years, I honestly might not even be here. I certainly wouldn't have considered going to college, much less trying to walk-on for a college sport or become a scholarship-athlete. That said, what drew me to coaching is the life-changing opportunity to pass-along what coaches offered younger-Me:
The chance to be seen, valued, encouraged, empowered to build upon strengths and challenged to aim higher than one's own limited view of what's possible.
My first crack at coaching was actually at 15 years old (assistant-coaching the girls basketball team). Later I studied Phys.Ed in college, got a Masters in Teaching, taught some P.E. and over the years have volunteer-coached mostly middle and elementary schoolers at a number of sports. Soccer is the sport I always wished I would've played as a kid, but it was not available to me where I grew up. Since 1998, I've been a Soccer fan ever since running into the World Cup in Paris while backpacking Europe, playing intramural soccer in college, working with students in Scotland & California, and now continuing-on as a Parent/fan with my son Jack venturing into his 4th year playing with Newberg Youth Soccer.
When off the field, one might find me hiking, drumming, disc-golfing, surfing, yoga-ing, camping or doing any & everything with my beloved wife of 24 years (Steph) and our 3 kids (Ella, Matea & Jack). For the last 15 years, I've worked at George Fox University as a chaplain, counselor & coordinator of service-learning, and I also serve on the board of Habitat for Humanity in Newberg. Whether on or off the field, I'm ALL IN on encouraging next generations to become what P.Lencioni describes as "The Ideal Team Player" (HUNGRY + HUMBLE + SMART) not only at sport, but in life as an ideal human being!