Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.” There is no truer statement than this to epitomize the life of Coach Steve Scott. In one year, many athletes are impacted by their coaches, but just think about 35 years of coaching. The lives he touched are almost immeasurable. Coach Scott’s legacy also goes beyond the basketball court. He inspired his players, his managers, his fellow coaches, and so many others in the community by his acts of kindness, his selfless demeanor, and his genuine care and concern for others.
I had the opportunity to watch him coach my daughter, but I also was lucky enough to discuss basketball and life with him on a regular basis. As a fellow coach at Saegertown High School in the winter sports season, my practices followed his on many occasions. This allowed me to watch the end of his as well as his interactions with his entire team. It was truly inspiring; he always motivated me for my practice with the boys’ team. A colleague of mine once said, “Girls will go through a wall for Coach Scott, even when they don’t believe in themselves.” He was a master motivator who always believed in his team, and because of that, they achieved a lifetime of lessons that go beyond basketball.
Coach Scott truly cared about his student-athletes. Whether in season, out of season, in college, or 20 years down the road, he was there for his players. He was there to support them, encourage them, to congratulate them on their weddings and births of children, or just to let them know he was thinking of them. They would always be HIS girls! It was in our discussions at the end of his practices and the beginning of mine that we spoke the most. We would always talk basketball, but not too long into the conversation the topic would change to life and how things were going for me. As a new coach, he would always ask me about my transition into coaching and how I felt about it. It was his genuineness that impressed me the most. He did not need to take time out of his routine to converse with me.
His impact within his family was even more evident as a husband, father, and grandfather. He always gleamed with excitement when he spoke of his family. There were several Saturday mornings when I walked into the gym for my practice, and he was there with his team; however, one eye was also carefully watching his grandsons shooting and dribbling. I would even see him instill some lessons into their game. He never stopped teaching the game of basketball, but also showing his love for his family. He would always gloat about his three children, their families, and his 10 grandchildren.
It is my hope that as I continue my coaching career, I will take many lessons learned from Coach Scott–not only from the basketball court on the principles of execution, but in also the way that he treated those around him. He was a role model, mentor, teacher, father-figure, and friend to many. I know that Saegertown athletics, the community of Saegertown, and the thousands of lives that he touched will surely miss him. I am blessed to have met one of the finest coaches in Crawford County history. I am even more blessed to have called him a friend. Thank you, Coach Scott for EVERYTHING and the impact that you have had on so many!
(Chris Greco coaches the boys’ varsity team at Saegertown.)
