At Soldiers To Sidelines, we are proud to spotlight those who exemplify character-based coaching, community leadership, and a deep commitment to mentorship. For March 2025, we’re thrilled to recognize Trev D. Lawrence as our Coach of the Month. A retired Master Chief Petty Officer with 30 years of service in the U.S. Navy, Trev has seamlessly translated his military leadership into coaching youth football and basketball. From mentoring underdog athletes to launching community outreach initiatives like a cleat exchange and Toys for Tots partnership, Trev’s dedication to building the next generation of leaders is unmatched. In this interview, Trev shares how coaching has shaped his post-military life and how Soldiers To Sidelines has been instrumental in expanding his coaching career.
STS: Tell your story about how and why you got into coaching. How has it impacted you?
Coach Lawrence: I got into coaching out of necessity. When my oldest son was five, I signed up to help coach his team, which they were in desperate need of. The follow year the head coach and his main assistant left the area, so my other coach and I stepped up to run the team. We coached this team from the age of 5 to 13 years old. We formed fond memories and deep bonds with these kids that still exist to this day. Now, I’m coaching my youngest son, going on the last two years of Pee-Wee’s as well as coaching spring football at one of the local middle schools and I continue to foster relationships that will last a lifetime. As I continued coaching, I found that I had a passion for teaching the game and molding these players into pillars of society. Mainly serving a working-class community, some of which utilize our “scholarship” program, it gave me a great sense of purpose knowing that I can provide them something to look forward to. I work to make those two hours the best two hours of their day. These kids continuously make my day. It truly warms my heart to watch them learn, grow and develop. Coaching is my therapy.
STS: How has your military experience influenced you as a coach?
Coach Lawrence: Basically, a lot of soft skills translate into coaching, coupled with the structure and discipline that we bring to any organization. As a Master Chief in the Navy, I have led many Sailors and helped them develop to Junior Officers. I try to find what drives and motivates them, getting the best out of everyone. I apply the same principles to my coaching style. I find that continuously yelling at an athlete is extremely ineffective. The only purpose it serves is to give a poorly trained coach someone else to blame for his shortcomings. In the Submarine Service, I have been through some seriously stressful situations that I am not at liberty to discuss. The ability to evaluate the situation, and find a solution on the fly, while maintaining a calm demeanor has truly paid dividends for me as a coach.
STS: How has Soldiers To Sidelines impacted your life?
Coach Lawrence: Soldiers to Sidelines has had a huge impact on my life. It has opened a world of opportunities that I had only dreamed of. When I started out on my coaching journey, I had to rely on the local coaches in the local area. Soldiers To Sidelines provided me with the training and certification I needed to build my coaching toolbox and craft my coaching brand. More importantly, it gave me a community of soldier coaches that I can rely on and use as a sounding board. This community is truly second to none and provides an outstanding talent pool of coaches, coupled with proven military leadership, discipline, and structure. Thanks to Soldiers To Sidelines I have grown my coaching knowledge; I have become more of a character-based coach, and I am making an impact on a much larger scale. I am getting personal invites to coaching clinics, and I have been requested to join several nationwide football camps. I have a lot more that I want to learn, and I know that Soldiers To Sidelines “Got my Six.” I cannot thank Soldiers To Sidelines enough for opening so many doors for me.
STS: Describe a coaching interaction that has a special place in your heart.
Coach Lawrence: There are so many, it is hard to choose one. I try to build a relationship with all my players. I tend to gravitate towards the players that get overlooked. Those are the players that I really work with to make the experience in sports a good one. It takes a high level of patience and understanding to build those players and I love doing it. After my Head Coach’s son aged out of pee-wee and started playing high school football, I continued to encourage him, keep him focused, and plugged into the game. He was an undersized kid, who played like he was 6’4” and 250 lbs. His football IQ was through the roof. I would spend time talking to him about life in general, letting him know that if you just keep grinding, no one can deny your effort, hard work, and dedication. He was always willing to listen and learn about football and life. When he graduated high school, he made it a point to come to me and thank me for everything. He stated that the impact I had on his life was very profound and he was a better person for it. That will forever live in my heart. To me it was never about the wins and losses with those kids, it was about positively impacting their lives for the better. I have a ton of kids that will always come to me, shake my hand, and say “What up, Coach,” but this particular kid was truly moved by my efforts, my genuine care, and my concern of him as a person first then athlete second.
STS: What are your aspirations in coaching?
Coach Lawrence: I want to gain as much knowledge as possible and continue to grow as a coach. Looking to be a Cornerback, Free/Strong Safety coach at the high school level or above. One of the sayings I have regarding position coaching is “We have to teach these players to play chess with the person in front of them.” From what I’ve notice, the position coaches are way more hands-on. As a 30 yr. Master Chief in the Navy, I have had my fair share of leading Sailors through difficult times and advising the Commanding Officer, but I was always on the deck plate with the troops, shoulder-to-shoulder making happen. I feel that I have gotten more out of my players when I was in the trenches showing them what needs to get done, demonstrating what it should look like, correcting them, and showing them the right way. Let me tell you when they do what you tell them to do, they go out and execute, and it works, nothing will ever feel as good as when that player runs off the field, smiling from ear to ear because of the success they just experience.
STS: What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve experienced in coaching, and what did you learn?
Coach Lawrence: Keeping the players motivated when things are not going their way or when you take that “L”. I have learned that my words matter. I had to find a way to make sure they understand that failure is a part of success. Another thing that I say a lot is, “You either win or you learn, if you didn’t learn from that loss, then you truly lost.” Or “You didn’t lose, you just ran out of time.” I had to get creative in crafting everything into a teaching moment. I ask them “How well do you think YOU did, what do you think happened, what do you think you could have done better.” In the face of defeat, I ty to engage their brain and look for their own conclusion, not me feeding them leading questions and have them parrot what I think and say.
STS: Is there anything else you’d like to share about your coaching story?
Coach Lawrence: Into my sixth year of coaching at South Kitsap Pee-Wee Organization, I see a lot of opportunities to help support the community and the kids. I noticed that I had a lot of cleats taking up space in my house. Most of these cleats were in good shape. I approached the President at the time with an idea to help struggling families. I created a Cleat Exchange program where families can donate gently used football cleats to the club. During gear check-out, families in need of cleats can grab a pair that fits and keep them for as long as they need, no strings attached. Additionally, I am the Toys for Tots representative for our club. Our volunteers and coaches donate toys for the local community children. I drop off the toys at the warehouse where I help organize and assist with the distribution.
Conclusion
Trev Lawrence embodies everything Soldiers To Sidelines stands for—resilience, leadership, service, and the unshakable belief that sports can change lives. From the submarine decks of the U.S. Navy to the sidelines of youth football fields in Washington, Trev continues to lead by example, building not just better athletes but better people. His impact stretches far beyond Xs and Os—it lives in the lessons he teaches, the trust he builds, and the legacy he creates in his players’ hearts. We are honored to name Trev Lawrence our March 2025 Coach of the Month and can’t wait to see how far his coaching journey takes him.
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