Forever Pirates -- Delani Guyot

This week's Forever Pirates feature is from former women's soccer standout Delani Guyot, who attended Orange Coast College from 2017-20.

I was never meant to go to OCC, but man am I sure glad I did. My goal out of high school was to play soccer as far away from home as possible, which I was going to -- shout out to the windy city of Chicago -- but decided to tear my ACL at my senior year powder puff football game. Not even a cool story. Tearing your ACL is just about the worst news you could get as a soccer player. I was left feeling devastated, confused, and mad at the world. Although, little did I know, this would really be a blessing in disguise. A really ugly disguise.

I used to feel ashamed of attending a junior college while I had siblings at four-year colleges, friends at big schools across the nation, and old teammates playing Division I. I know I'm not the only one who's experienced the sympathetic sigh-and-smile response when saying they go to a junior college. It's so demeaning, but I used to give into it. Growing up, you're practically groomed to think that you either go to a university or work in the fast food industry, that's it. It's ridiculous! You hardly ever hear about the other alternatives to life after high school like going to junior college, trade school, or so many other things! OCC was almost forced onto me, but I wish I would've always been open to these options because I couldn't imagine my life happening any other way.

My first year at Orange Coast College was mostly about adapting to college life, ditching high school habits, figuring out my major, goals, life, and getting my physical therapy done. I probably changed my major about five times until finally finding my true love -- nursing. That's one of the many beauties of attending junior college though ... being able to take a whole bunch of completely different classes at any time for a good price and figure out your true interests and destined career.

I joined the Orange Coast College women's soccer team my second year of college, and unlike many of the other girls who had been recruited, I was a surprise. My old high school soccer coach who played under Coach Kevin Smith back in the day gave me his number, which I texted at the end of my first year of college. He invited me to the July summer camp, so the couple months I had leading up to it was all about getting back to the grind. Man, I did not nearly appreciate how good and fit I was until I wanted it back. I put in a lot of hard work to try and get back to where I was, and when the day finally came, the one day I've been working so hard for, the one where I could prove people wrong ... I sucked. Must not have been as bad as I thought though because all the coaches were super excited to have me on board, and I was too.

My first year on the team, I was awarded MVP and Orange Empire Conference first-team honors. I was really just super thankful for the opportunity coaches Kevin, Lauren, Mak, and Glenn had given me. Being a part of a team and wearing a jersey that represents your school and the 25,000 students that attend is one of the most humbling experiences you could ever get. This chance the coaches had given me completely changed me and my time left at Orange Coast College for the greater. With teammates turning into sisters and coaches becoming life mentors, I was pushed to believe in myself and develop a new confidence to utilize both on the field and in the classroom.

This new confidence I gained from my first season on the team had intricately evolved over spring and was ready to kick butt in the fall of 2019. Being made sole captain, I was determined to make this the best season yet and take on the biggest challenge many don't realize junior colleges have -- building chemistry. Teams are completely different every year since players are only granted two seasons and you only have about two months of training together until games start. Though we weren't the greatest skill-wise, we made up for it in spirit. This was the closest team I have ever been a part of; the relationships between players and even the coaches were so rich in love and respect (definitely not an easy thing to do with a bunch of teenage girls).

Going to Estancia High School in Costa Mesa and living right down the street from OCC, I was afraid isolating myself in the only city I knew would prevent me from growing and becoming my own person. To my surprise, Orange Coast College has provided me with endless opportunities and experiences I know I couldn't get anywhere else. I wouldn't have met my best friends, gained this new confidence I have on the field, or realized I wanted to be a nurse instead of a teacher. OCC has shined new light on the city I've grown up in my whole life, making me realize how essential it is to the community. Orange Coast College is the jewel of Costa Mesa and I am truly blessed to have been a part of it.

I would like to thank all the coaches who have been a part of my soccer journey at Orange Coast College, each one has helped sculpt me in some way to become the student-athlete I am proud to be. Thank you, Coach Kevin, for allowing me to join your program and reminding me that I was a leader. You believed in me since the very first day I stepped on the field and saw what I could be before I even could. Coach Lauren, you made soccer fun again and helped the team realize how grateful we should even be to be playing. Coach Mak, your intensity kept me honest with myself and made me always want to strive to be better every day. Coach Glenn, your knowledge of the game allowed me to see the field in so many different ways. Lastly, Coach Nikki, thank you so much for caring so deeply for the team ... it was contagious. In addition to the coaches, Jason Kehler, Ashley Rippeon, and Tony Altobelli made me feel important and respected during my time at Coast, not as a junior college athlete, but as a college student-athlete.

I will definitely miss representing OCC by wearing #16 on game days, getting pumped with music and dancing before games, my coaches, staff wishing us luck, instant comradery with other athletes, and the training room, but I will be forever grateful for the lifelong memories and relationships Orange Coast College has given me. The fact that your time here is so short makes everything that much sweeter. Roll Coast!