UH-Hilo’s soccer teams end the shortest of seasons this weekend on Oahu, but this is just the beginning for Michael Scott.
Or as men’s coach Paul Regrutto puts it, the continuation of Scott’s “transformation” and his “second chance.”
The 2017 Waiakea graduate’s first chance came at Colorado State-Pueblo, where Scott was on the roster for two seasons. His time there was fine, though Scott, admittedly, was not.
“(It) was a great experience, but it was an experience for a different person,” Scott said. “I went up into Colorado with a very individualistic mindset, and that weighed me down and got me into trouble.”
Regrutto recruited Scott to the Thunderwolves of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference before taking the Vulcans’ job, but their prior relationship wasn’t enough to win Regrutto over when Scott contacted him about coming home to play.
“I was still that person I was in Colorado, and coach Paul saw that,” Scott said. “He didn’t see someone who would benefit his program at the moment, and I needed to do some changing.”
Change would come after a wakeup call.
“I got into some more trouble here in Hilo, which finally shocked me into changing some parts of myself,” Scott said.
“So I worked hard and went to all my classes, started training on the side, so I would be ready when he called me,” he said. “It was really hard for me to change, but my motivation to play is what drove me along with my family and friends who pushed me to be better.”
Two of his driving forces were his sister, Sabrina Scott, who wrapped her Vulcans career in 2019, and former club teammate Kalei Tolentino-Perry, a Vulcans senior.
“And after I changed my mindset and bettered myself, he finally gave me a chance to come out and play,” Scott said.
In first two matches of the season on Oahu – Feb. 27 against Chaminade and Feb. 28 against Hawaii Pacific – Scott played a total of 43 minutes. This weekend’s matches were originally slated to be held in Hilo but were moved to Saint Louis Field on Oahu. The Vuls (1-1-0) play Chaminade at noon Saturday and HPU at 11 a.m. Sunday. Matches follow both days for the UHH women, who have played to two draws.
“I’m very excited to help contribute wherever I can for this team,” Scott said. “They’re a great group of boys with good character and solid athletes.”
The former three-sport athlete at Waiakea – football, soccer, track and field – is on pace to get his psychology degree in the fall, when he can return to the Vuls.
“Great to have him out there, a hard-working kid,” Regrutto said. “He’s taken his second chance and really run with it. I’m real proud of the transformation that he’s undergone. Really happy with what he’s been able to do.”