Shilo Tisdale has been kicking around a soccer ball since he was 5 years old. His passion for the game has continued on into adulthood through his career as the Wando High School varsity soccer coach, physical education teacher at Moultrie Middle School and coach in the Mount Pleasant Soccer Club.

The active coach, teacher and ultimate family man grew up in Hanahan and graduated in 1999 from The Citadel where he played center midfielder on the college’s soccer team.

Tisdale is married to Sue Scott, an interpreter for the hearing impaired in the Charleston County School District. They have two children Arabella, 2, and Tresten, who is 7 months old.

Tisdale is occupied with soccer practices and games most evenings, but the busy family always has breakfast together, with no TV or other distractions, so they can start their day off on the right foot.

Tisdale slowed down for a minute to tell Lowcountry Parent about how he juggles soccer and family life, all while mentoring hundreds of local children to become the best that they can be.

Q: What made you decide to play 
soccer?

When I was young my dad had me in everything. I played soccer, I played baseball, I boxed. I wrestled. I did everything, but then when you get into high school you’ve got to make a decision on what sport you want to pursue and the likelihood of me getting into college and getting a scholarship for a sport, well soccer was the one. And I enjoy it the most.

Q: Tell me about a typical day in the life of Shilo Tisdale.

I’m up at 4:30 a.m. at the gym by 5 a.m. Then leave the gym at 6 a.m. Come back home help get breakfast ready. The kids get up between 6 and 6:15 a.m. we get them changed and ready for day care or for one of my family members, who comes over a couple of days a week to help out. Sue leaves for work and then I have about 20 minutes of just me-and-the-kids time. I head out the door by 7:15 a.m. Come to school, teach until 3:20 p.m. Then practice starts at 4:30 p.m. and lasts until about 6:15 p.m. I get home around 7 p.m., which leaves me just enough time to hang out and read stories with my daughter for about 20 or 30 minutes before she goes to bed. I go to bed around 10 p.m.

Q: Tell me what happened after your wedding and reception.

Well, after our reception Sue and I were on our way to our honeymoon in Hilton Head. I was a JV coach at the time and my team had made it to the finals of the end of the season tournament. I convinced Sue to go to the game with me – because we were pretty much going right past the school where the final was. So there we were – me in my tux and her in her wedding dress. I coached the team in that final game, we won the final. It was just something different. That’s more of a memory for me than almost anything because it’s something that doesn’t normally happen when you leave your reception.

Q: What is something most people don’t know about you?

I was a professional soccer player in Jamaica after my senior year at the Citadel. I’d trained my junior year for this club, Constant Spring, in the Jamaica Premier League. I was invited to come back and try out after my senior year. I went down, made the team and played one season with the Constant Spring Football Club out of Kingston, Jamaica.

Q: What was it like living in Kingston?

It was nice. I’d wake up in the morning and run two miles down (our house was in the mountains) to the Crowne Plaza Hotel and they had a weight room there. I’d talked them into allowing me to do personal training there for the youth in the facility in trade for letting me use their workout room and have breakfast there. I’d go down every day, work out, do some personal training, eat breakfast run back and train at night.

Q: What made you decide to teach?

Just being around kids. I like to coach. I always really respected coaches and admired what they did. When I went to camps and while in school I knew it was something I could do because it keeps you in the game. No matter how old I get I still get that feeling – the pre-game jitters and stuff like that, which you lose with most other jobs.

Q: Do you get to keep up with your students as they grow older?

Yes, I do, especially with the ones that play soccer. I’m up at Wando a fair amount. But, I’m involved with a lot of those kids who are in high school even when high school soccer’s not going on because I’m either coaching them in the Mount Pleasant Soccer Club or I see them at the fields.

Q: Do you have any advice for parents of non-athletes?

Parents should encourage physical activity and let them choose from a wide range of different activities. Some kids aren’t going to necessarily like what you like to do as far as physical activity. If running, for example, isn’t their thing, you could try some basic weight lifting, higher rep type stuff. And again keep them active. Limit their time at the computer and on the PlayStations and stuff like that. Keep them outside as much as possible.

Q: What do you do with your students who aren’t interested in any activity?

If they’re not really interested in doing some of the activities, I always talk to them individually and try to motivate them a little bit. I ask, “What can I do to help you out?” A lot of them just don’t want to be noticed in a classroom doing this stuff. So I’ll put them in an exercise line in the back where they can’t be seen. I’m perfectly fine with that, and when doing activities I’ll split the teams, having the more competitive athletes play against athletes and the ones who aren’t so competitive do activities that are less restrictive.

Q: Do you have any advice for parents of kids who might be interested in becoming involved in sports?

Kids are going to obviously show that they want to do it and parents should give them every opportunity they can to get that 
training. Remind them if they are inside sitting at the computer or playing PlayStation that that’s not going to help them reach their goals to become athletes. You can push them as much as they’ll let you push them. I’m a firm believer that it helps if they have [you] right beside them … That’s what my dad always did with me – we’d run three miles a day, and he just kept me active. Build the goal and set the stage by pushing them – by showing them that you can do it as well. Even if you can’t, just get out there. I see a lot of parents and dads who cannot do it, but they get out there. They are just out there on the field with their kids supporting them, even if it’s just shooting on goal. They’re just out there. *