SPORTS WRAP
Scot Davis is back as a high school wrestling coach.
“I’ve tried this retirement thing, and it hasn’t worked well for me.”
The 74-year-old former OHS coach searched online, applied for a few positions, and was offered the job at St. Paul Highland Park before the end of the interview process.
This will mark his 50th year as a wrestling coach and his 44th total as head coach. He holds the national record with over 1,200 dual meet victories, most of those coming at Owatonna from 1986-2011, along with state titles in 1998 and 2005.
“I need to keep challenging myself. I need to be worried about this lineup or that lineup or what some kid just did,” he said.
Coaching stops have included Hutchinson, Bird Island-Lake Lillian, Eden Prairie and St. Cloud in Minnesota, plus high schools in Montana, North Dakota, Iowa, Idaho and South Carolina.
Davis is excited for the opportunity in a new setting – an inner-city school for the first time in his career. “I’ve seen so many different situations at so many different levels, and the kind of community you’re working with and the kind of kids you’re working with. That’s all been helpful,” said Davis. Highland Park won their conference last winter.
He feels communication is a strength of his. “I’ve been doing it for so long. A lot of those same things don’t change with kids, I think. They might look at my white hair and a few wrinkles, but once they get to know me, it’s not a problem.”
Davis stays in shape by running and weightlifting and believes “coaching, working, making decisions and working with young people, it just keeps you younger.” He says people can waste away without “something to motivate them or challenge them.”
He keeps up with current events by writing for Wrestling USA Magazine and the National High School Coaches Association newsletter.
Summer lacrosse
Sam Pfieffer and Preston Meier (OHS Class of 2022) jumped at an opportunity they saw a few years ago to offer a summer camp for youth lacrosse players.
“You just look everywhere in the Owatonna sports community and every team kind of has their own thing that they do in the summer… The offseason is probably the biggest time for players to get better,” said Meier.
He says they want to give back to the sport and share their knowledge of playing in town and now at college. Meier is at Concordia University Wisconsin and Pfieffer at St. John’s College.
“We went through the entire program and saw success and then played at the college level. We have a lot of knowledge, being coached by many different coaches. We both played in tournaments across the country,” said Meier.
He strives to give players one-on-one attention. “You run these drills. Multiple people are involved in every play. So, I think it’s important to coach each kid individually. After the drill is done, going over to them” for personal instruction.
Meier says they find ways to make it fun while teaching skills. “Keeping it upbeat. Keeping them moving. I think they get into the drills more. And being creative. Turning skills into games.” For example, one simple passing drill gets turned into a competitive relay race around the field.
The camp for under-eights to under-14s runs through July 23 at the old Owatonna High School practice fields Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7:30 p.m.
OwatonnaLive.com schedule
Wednesday, July 9
VFW baseball vs. Byron, 5 p.m.
Aces baseball vs. Waseca, 7:30 p.m. (Strike Out Hunger)
Thursday, July 10
Concert in the park – Owatonna Community Band, 7 p.m.
Friday, July 11
Aces baseball vs. Stewartville-Racine, 7:30 p.m.