“I have a love for the game that I can’t get away from,” senior chief at Oak Island Coast Guard also volunteers as South Brunswick coach

The Officer in Charge says leading young adults is a passion and he sees parallels between both jobs

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WWAY) – Logan Adkisson lives a double life. By day and by night, he leads and serves in different ways.

Luckily for the Officer in Command at Oak Island Coast Guard, a lot of the qualities crossover, allowing him to be successful as an assistant soccer coach at South Brunswick High School. He sees parallels in how to best lead both units.

“The number one translatable skill I have because of my military service is leadership. Especially leadership of young adults. That’s what I do here (at the Oak Island Coast Guard). My job is to lead the unit. It’s no different with the 18-year-olds I work with here and the 14-to-18-year-olds that I work with at the school.”

“Leading young adults is something I’m very passionate about and it translates to the game of soccer.”

South Brunswick has two double-digit winning seasons in the last 13 years. In 2023, the varsity team won six games. As of Wednesday, the 2024 Cougars are 5-3 and 2-2 in the notoriously tough gauntlet that is the Mid Eastern Conference.

He has 21 years of experience with the Coast Guard, with a specialty in search and rescue. He has taken part of some high-profile rescues in Brunswick and New Hanover County.

“I quickly realized I needed to do something to keep me engaged. I couldn’t sit inside at a desk,” said the Senior Chief. Reflecting on his time as a lifeguard, he says that drew him to the water. The new opportunity arose when South needed a new coach for this season. With his fulltime job already a serious commitment, he decided to become an assistant to now head coach Leah Egan. He says the biggest reason for the shift in success has started off the field.

“I’ve coached soccer at almost every age level,” says Adkisson. “I have a love for the game that I can’t get away from.”

“I’ve noticed a shift in the morale of the team,” says Adkisson. “I think we have a tight knit and close team. Morale is an underrated piece of the game. When a team fits well and is having fun, I think it’s easier to coach them into developing new skills because they want to return for the next practice – the next game… plus a winning record helps.”

Just like it is in sports, morale is one of the most important pieces to having efficient teamwork says Adkisson.

“You can tell someone to do something all day long, but if they are doing it because they are told to, it works for a little while… but what’s sustainable is getting people to want to do their job so you can get more return and they keep getting better. That’s something I’ve noticed over my 21 years of service is that the most effective units that are sustainable are the ones who come to work and are happy and are enjoying the job.”

He says he plans to stay past this year as a coach at South.

“I enjoy coaching and it’s very rewarding to me. As long as they need my help, I want to be able to assist South Brunswick.”

He adds members of the Coast Guard have helped step up and ensure he can do both jobs effectively.

“I’m so thankful I have a team that can step up and help me maintain while I am away coaching. I have a great team down here.”