When Branson Young helped the Columbus East boys soccer team win the Seymour Regional title last season, his father David and brother EJ were there to watch him.
Branson and the Olympians are back in the regional this morning, but this time, David and EJ will be 60 miles away. David is the head coach, and EJ is one of his assistants for the Columbus North girls, who are playing in the Bloomington South Regional at the same time.
“We had discussed that whenever the North job came open,” David said. “Any night that we’re not playing, I’m trying to be there. Sectional finals, we weren’t too concerned about since they’re at different times. Regional, we are. Obviously as a dad, I’m concerned that I won’t be able to see him play, but he’ll have family there to support him and cheer him on.”
David’s wife and Branson’s mom Jennifer will be at Seymour, along with the couple’s other two children, Grant, 18, and Aliyah, 11. If the East boys would happen to lose their 10 a.m. semifinal against Terre Haute South, and the North girls were to beat Evansville Memorial at the same time, they would go to Bloomington for the 7 p.m. final.
On the other hand, if the North girls were to lose in the morning, and the East boys win, David and EJ would be at Seymour to watch Branson on Saturday night. David figures he got to see Branson, a junior midfielder, play six or seven regular-season games, plus all three sectional games.
“Fall season is very busy in our house,” David said. “As soon as the season is over, we try to take some time off and go as a family somewhere.”
Coming to Columbus
The family was living in Franklin, and David was an assistant boys coach at Franklin High School in the spring of 2016 when he was diagnosed with cancer at age 39. Doctors discovered a giant cell tumor on David’s spine.
“The original diagnosis was not great,” David said. “They gave me three years to live. Then, they said it was treatable with chemo and radiation, and they were able to remove it. I’m at a point where I do my yearly checkup and get an MRI, and everything is good. I feel blessed.”
David took the head girls coaching job at Franklin that fall and stayed there through the 2017 season. He came to East as a boys assistant in 2018 and brought Branson with him.
In 2019, the North girls job opened up, and David was hired to lead the program.
“It’s definitely different with him not being over here by my side all the time,” Branson said. “But he still supports me. It’s kind of cool to have my perspective through the East side and have his perspective with what he’s experiencing over there. It’s a pretty unique thing.”
David, now 44, has worked as an engineer at AT&T in Columbus for 21 years. Although he mainly works from home these days because of COVID-19 concerns, he recently moved the family from Franklin to Columbus.
“It’s a good place to raise a family,” David said.
The coaching bug
EJ, the oldest of David and Jennifer’s kids, played soccer at Franklin and the past two years at Bethel College.
Because of COVID, EJ didn’t know how campus life was going to be or if there was even going to be a college soccer season this year. So knowing that he wanted to get into coaching, he took a spot on David’s staff at North.
“I’ve loved every second of it,” EJ said. “I’ve always been around the game, and my dad’s been around for a long time. When he had an assistant position open, I was excited, but I was kind of skeptical. I didn’t know how he would feel taking advice from me. But it’s been fun watching film. Overall, it’s been a great year being able to coach with my dad and (assistant) coach (Dane) Whitley, as well. I’ve learned a lot for sure.”
David feels fortunate to have had EJ, who also coaches a Columbus Express Soccer Club team, on his staff this season.
“Professionally, soccer speaking, it’s been fantastic,” David said. “He brings knowledge of the game. He’s more mature that I could have imagined a junior in college to be. The knowledge of the game he has, he has the ability to teach that to the girls. There’s a difference between knowing the game and being able to teach it, and he’s able to teach it to the girls.”
EJ, who now is studying finance and accounting in online classes with Liberty University, would like to eventually coach in college.
“That’s my ultimate goal,” EJ said. “I’ll still be at North next year as long as they’ll still have me around, but I’d like to get a graduate assistant job or be a volunteer on staff. For me, that would kind of be the perfect opportunity to get with a college, and hopefully, that would lead to a job with that college or another college, and I can get my graduate education, as well.”
Making his mark
Branson, who also is one of the top swimmers at East, is in his third year of varsity soccer with the Olympians. He was a starting midfielder last season when they went undefeated in the regular season and reached the state’s final four for the first time in school history.
Branson said David definitely has impacted the player that he has become today.
“EJ and my dad are always talking about how they can improve their team,” Branson said. “We talk about how we can improve ourselves and the team. There’s a lot of soccer talk, but it’s not all we talk about.”
So does Brandon want to follow in David’s and EJ’s footsteps and get into coaching?
“I’ve thought about,” Branson said. “I think it’s definitely a possibility for me. I don’t think it’s something that I’m going to get straight into like EJ did. It might be something I get into later on. I know that if I do get into that, I’ll have them to help me along the way.”
