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Dr. Kevin Nielsen had all the familiar built-in excuses. In 2009, Dr. Nielsen returned to the Pacific Northwest to work as a dentist at Dental Care of Lacey. He is also a father of three – two sons and a daughter. Time, as a father and as a dentist, was already in short supply.

But when Nielsen started signing his kids up to play sports and he was asked to coach, rather than fidget and say he couldn’t, he volunteered. And he didn’t stop saying “yes.” He became the answer to local youth sports programs in urgent need of help.

Nielsen coaches four sports, only taking the month of July off. He coaches football, basketball, baseball and soccer, transitioning from sports and age groups. For example, on the last Saturday of February, he coached his final basketball game. And on the following Monday, he was on the baseball field, coaching.

youth sports coach
Dr. Kevin Nielsen serves as a youth sports coach for 11 months out of the year.

“There’s no better way to spend your time then with your own kids,” Nielsen said, a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. “They grow up fast.”

Besides coaching 11 months out of the year, Nielsen is also an Assistant Boy Scout Master. He attends weekly meetings and he likes taking the troop on camping trips.

“I was a Boy Scout growing up,” Nielsen said. “I love the outdoor activities. I love teaching the boys how to backpack. I’ve taken the boys out to the Olympics the last couple of years and we’ve done multi night backpacking trips.”

Nielsen said the “real reason” he got involved in coaching was only partly because leagues weren’t getting enough parent volunteers.

“I thought that dentistry is nice. I’m done with work by 4:00 p.m. every night,” Nielsen said. “I have no reason not to help out.”

Mike Townsel, director of the Upward youth basketball program that Nielsen coaches in, is impressed with Nielsen’s time-juggling talent with his busy schedule.

dentist
In his “day job,” Dr. Kevin Nielsen is a dentist in Lacey.

“Kevin has some serious time management skills going on,” Townsel said. “He gives from his heart. He also gives of his time, as well as the type of character he has. He’s really flawless when it comes to these kids in our community.”

As a coach, Nielsen has become a role model for the kids he coaches.

“Kevin brings a lot of his background and education into play. He knows how to put things together,” Townsel said. “He knows how to lay it out for the kids and have them digest that for future growth in life. He does a great job.”

However, Nielsen admitted he didn’t know much about coaching baseball. So, when it came time to volunteering to coach his son’s youth baseball team, he had some learning to do. Since he never played baseball, other than tossing a ball in the street with the neighbor kids, he didn’t know much about playing the game.

“I never played baseball on a team in my life,” Nielsen said with a smile. “And they needed a coach, so I volunteered to do it and I spent a lot of time on YouTube, trying to figure out how to play baseball.”

dentist lacey
Due to a flexible schedule, Dr. Kevin Nielsen felt like he had plenty of time to commit to youth sports as a coach.

That was an example of how Nielsen faces a challenge and overcomes it. Ironically, that’s a trait he picked up playing sports and that helps explain his commitment to coaching. He appreciates the life lessons kids can learn from playing sports. Perseverance, bouncing back after a loss, is something sports taught him.

“Even in dentistry, sometimes things don’t work out the way I wanted them to,” Nielsen said. “But that doesn’t mean you just quit. You fix it. You make it better. You do your best. That’s all that matters.”

Nielsen likes the work ethic sports teaches and just learning how to push yourself when you’re tired. Kids need that push.

“Especially kids now days,” Nielsen said. “If it’s not instant gratification, if they’re not amazing at it right off they really struggle, so sports really helps them learn how to work and get better.”

For Nielsen, it’s not just about the final score. Winning and doing your best is always the objective, but it’s the involvement and learning how to push yourself that’s the real takeaway from playing sports.

dentist lacey
Dr. Kevin Nielsen returned to the community in 2009.

Upward, the basketball program Nielsen coaches with, is through Living Water Church. He applauds the objectives of the league, which is more about teaching kids life lessons than how to shoot a jump shot.

“They run a phenomenal program,” Nielsen said. “It’s more about character development than basketball. I think that’s what sports can do for kids – teach them more about character than the sport.”

In a way, Nielsen is simply trying to pay back a debt by coaching.

“I had a lot of amazing coaches growing up,” Nielsen said. “If I could help one of the kids out and be that kind of mentor for someone else, it’s awesome.”

Visit Dr. Kevin Nielsen on the court or in the dental chair.

Dental Care of Lacey
5024 Lacey Blvd SE
Lacey, WA 98503
360-455-1231

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