We are are excited to feature Richard Hite, head coach for the Boys ’07 White team. This is Coach Hite’s first year with Cottonwood FC and we are thrilled to have him be a part of the CFC family! Here’s more about Richard in his own words:

I grew up in Utah.  I graduated from Utah State University.  I started coaching soccer when my son Grant was little.  I saw it as an opportunity to spend more time with him and help him to become a better player.  

I enjoy coaching because I still love the game of soccer.  I love the potential to teach the players life lessons that come from setting goals and working hard to achieve them.  I love watching the players get better and do something for the first time.  As a young player I didn’t have a coach that helped me understand how to become better.  I had a strong desire to be a skilled player.  I just had no idea how to get there.   As a coach I want to help players see their potential and experience the path to become the player and person they want to become.  

Soccer philosophies? A lot of kids play soccer in their youth.  Very few become good players.  Too many coaches spend practices running drills where kids are standing around watching one individual run the drill waiting for their turn.  Players are not getting the amount of ball touches that allow them to be comfortable with the ball.  Players should be getting thousands of touches during each practice session.  My coaching philosophy is based on helping the players taste what it feels like to succeed at something.  To achieve something that they previously only watched others do.  To learn how to win.  Not just how to win in sports but how to achieve more as a person.  

As a business owner and a cancer survivor I have experienced many challenges like each of us.  I want to help the players build confidence to achieve whatever they want in life.  To help them see that obstacles can be overcome.  They can have an amazing life.  Not by chance but by working for it.  

When I’m not coaching soccer I enjoy working as an entrepreneur.  I am the owner of The Barber School in Midvale where students attend school for 6 months prior to obtaining their barber license.  

I am married to Rozalynn Hite and have three children.  My children attend Brighton HS and Buttler Middle School.  I love to ski in the winter and boat in the summer with my family.  I enjoy road biking.  In 2015 I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma cancer.  During this time I founded the Myeloma Crowd Cycling team as a means to raise money to find a cure for Multiple Myeloma cancer and to encourage cancer patients to be active.   This has helped me take the focus off of my cancer struggles while allowing me to help others that are struggling with their cancer journey.

This is my first year coaching as part of the CFC program.  Having coached in other programs, CFC is a great program to be a part of.  I am looking forward to continued coaching as part of the CFC family.  I enjoy each of our players and look forward to coaching them in the upcoming season.