On the Court with… is a new series the athletics department is doing in order to give our coaches—most of whom do not receive much recognition—a platform in order to share their coaching philosophy, their journey into coaching, and what success means to them.
 
PL: Describe your coaching philosophy. How has it changed over the years and how did you develop it?
 
JS: Competitive and Christ-like. I do my best to allow competitiveness to permeate all that I do while trusting that God has ordained for me to be in this role. I also am a firm believer that if Jesus played volleyball, he would be a gritty and gnarly competitor!
 
PLNU Volleyball has eight core values that we intentionally try to live out here: Respect, Responsibility, Servant Leadership, Work Ethic, Growth Mindset, Communication, Competitive Joy, and Faith. Competitive Joy is a term we, as a program, came up with a few years back, and I feel it truly sums up the program.
 
PL: How did you end up as the head coach of the Point Loma's women's volleyball team?
 
JS: I originally wanted to be a diplomat for the US in the Middle East. I was studying Arabic and getting ready for grad school. Then I heard the Lord speak to me in some not-so-uncertain ways telling me not to leave. Two of those ways happened nearly simultaneously: I met my girlfriend at the time (soon-to-be wife), Jamie, and I got a job offer to be a part of the coaching staff at USC.
 
After three years at USC, and a full year married to Jamie, I knew God wanted me at a small Christian school in Southern California—and it seemed everything pointed to Point Loma. In the biggest step of faith we had ever taken, Jamie and I both left full-time jobs in LA for a part-time assistant coach position here at Loma. But we knew it was the right thing, and all along God was preparing the way for me take over as head coach three years later.
 
PL: In terms of recruiting, what are 3-5 main qualities you are looking for in a potential student-athlete and why are those important to you?
 
JS: In no particular order, I am looking for someone who loves God and family, who is competitive, mentally tough, has a lot of grit, and is a great teammate. These are all qualities that don't just show up on the volleyball court—they are deeper attributes of one's true character.
 
PL: Pick 2-3 coaches you look up to. Why do you look up to them and how have they made you into the coach you are today?
JS: First would have to be John Wooden. A goal of mine is to read everything he's ever written and I'm probably close to halfway there right now. He was a man of God who loved his wife Nelly dearly, who had all the success in the world when it came to wins and championships, and who would be the first to say those wins and championships had nothing to do with why he was successful.
 
Second would be Karch Kiraly. Not only is he currently the US women's national team head coach, but also he is unquestionably the best volleyball player in the history of the sport—indoor or beach. Usually, the best of the best players do not make the best coaches (I pride myself in knowing that I was an average player!). But Karch is different. He works so hard. He is humble despite having every reason not to be. And he has immediately turned himself into one of the most formidable coaches in the world.
 
PL: Sports in general are driven by success. What does that word mean for you? In other words, what does a successful season look like once it is over?
 
JS: In the past few years, my mindset with regards to success has seriously evolved, as has my definition of the word. In the past, it would have been simply as many wins as possible for a successful season, with each loss being my fuel to avoid the next one. It was always stat-based: win more than other guy, get as many rings/trophies, plaques, have the team with the best hitting percentage, most kills or assists, whatever.
 
Now, don't get me wrong, I still love the numbers. But there are two new stats I am hoping will pile up to be as big as possible: First, the number of decades I coach at Point Loma and second, the number of weddings of former student-athletes I officiate.
 
With that being said, I know I am already a successful coach because now I focus on relationships first. Winning will always be a motivator, but it is no longer something to look back upon for assurance that I did a good job. I believe successful people live in the present instead of focusing on the past. Each day I ask myself: how do I further my relationships with my players today? How do we play hard in practice today? How do I become a better husband dad, and coach today—right now?  In addition to that, I keep an ongoing list of quotes readily available that help frame my definition for success (most of which are Wooden): 

• "If there's a secret to success, it might just be little things done well"
• "The team's success is everyone's individual success"
• "Success is a peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming"
• "Success is in the struggle"
• "Triumph starts with TRY and a great big UMPH"
• "Good enough never is"
• "Ability can get you to the top, but character keeps you there"
• "What you get from achieving your goal is nothing compared to what you become achieving your goal"
• "Success is a derivative of persistence"
• "Success is making others around you better"
• "Success is not what you have done compared to what others have done. success is what you have done compared to what God has called you to do or who He has called you to be."
• Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (I view this in the light of another of my favorite quotes: "we are all one-of-a-kind masterpieces") 

You can catch coach Scott on the court again September 14^th against rival Azusa Pacific in Azusa as the Sea Lions begin PacWest play.