By Nathan Dugener
LocalSportsJournal.com

NORTON SHORES–Mona Shores varsity girls’ soccer assistant coach Scott White has dedicated his time to serve our country with his military service of 20 years and local communities through high school sports.

White is a graduate of Mona Shores, Class of 1979.

White served in the United States Air Force from 1979 to 1999. White was involved with aircraft avionics maintenance, which is the repair of aircraft radios, internal crew communication, radar, and navigation aids, both on the aircrafts and on test benches. He was also trained in other aircraft maintenance tasks. White attended technical school in Biloxi, Mississippi at Keesler AFB.

White traveled to 20 countries and 45 states during his tenure with the Air Force and was stationed at the following locations, twice at Wright Patterson AFB, Fairborn, Ohio, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, Eglin AFB, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Yokota AB, Fussa, Japan, Altus AFB, Altus, Oklahoma and retired from Dyess AFB, Abilene, Texas.

White received an Associates Degree in Applied Sciences in Avionics Technology from the community college of the Air Force. During his time in college, most of Scott’s educational experience was working with hands-on training or evening classes.

Scott White during his days serving the United States Airforce.

White’s first volunteer experience began at Yokota AB, Japan volunteering for the local girl scouts and becoming the Regional Cookie coordinator. This position was to ensure that all bases in Korea and Japan received the shipments needed to sell girl scout cookies. After working this position, he realized that he had a passion for working with kids.

While stationed in Oklahoma, White began his coaching career when his daughters, Randi and Samantha, began playing soccer. He then started coaching the softball, basketball and volleyball teams for the Youth Activities on the base.

When they moved back to Michigan after he retired from his military service, Scott began coaching at Mona Shores when his youngest daughter made the soccer team. Scott helped out with the indoor teams and with scorekeeping and announcing. That progressed into the junior varsity team and eventually led him to helping out at the varsity level.

“It is a great feeling to see these young ladies come into the program as timid freshmen and graduating as confident young women,” White said. “I hope I had a small part in that.”

White believes his military experience has had a positive impact on his coaching.

“I feel that the military helped prepare me for educational athletics by giving me the ability to handle stressful situations, adapt to change on the fly, teach why teamwork is an important piece of the game, the ability to navigate the different personalities we come across and just being organized (some think a little too organized at times) and keeping things together,” he said.

White currently works for GE Aviation in Grand Rapids, supporting the C-130 aircraft flight management system.

Scott is married to Terri White and they have two children – Randi and Samantha – as well as four granddaughters: Chloe, Madison, Rayleigh and Quinn.

White has some sound advice for current players and coaches.

“Remember it is still just a game, have fun and don’t get too wrapped up in the statistics and wins/losses,” he said. “These will be the memories you cherish as you move along in life.”

Thank you to Scott for his service both in the military and in the many communities he has greatly impacted.