In many ways, Ian Wilson is your typical coach. He schemes. He prepares. He motivates. He loves winning.

But there is much, much more to the 42-year-old man who leads the track and girls varsity soccer teams at Waterville Senior High School.

For starters, Wilson expects his athletes to get better because he has the same expectations for himself. He is, his athletes say, always trying to hone his skills, whether it be from reading up on new techniques or participating in demanding training programs across the country.

He’s very passionate about both sports, whether it’s soccer or track,” Waterville High Athletic Director Doug Frame says. “He’s a real student of both sports. He goes to every training he can go to, in Georgia, the Midwest, wherever. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better-prepared coach.”

Wilson’s investment in the kids stretches beyond a track or soccer field.
“Kids know when you don’t give a crap about them,” he says. “You invest in the kids because the return on the investment is that they will work hard.”

For more on the innovative coach who’s won nine state championships — eight at Waterville and one at Mt. View — check out the Sunday edition of the Morning Sentinel or Kennebec Journal.