Smiles surround John Britton during training sessions and games. The positivity he brings uplifts his players to perform to their maximum abilities.

“He is humorous about things and doesn’t make you feel bad if you messed up,” Nancy Adams, a student in one of his soccer classes, says.

Adams is one of many who attributes Britton’s humor as inspiration as Britton has been a part of the El Camino campus for 25 years as a badminton, men’s and women’s soccer coach. In addition, Britton was on one of the first ECC soccer teams and was on the junior and adult Scottish championship teams. He also played rugby, junior tennis and water polo. Britton’s athletic versatility comes from his mom.

“My mother was really good at tennis, badminton, and running,” Britton says. “At the time she grew up, those days women didn’t play sports.”

Britton started playing badminton in the 1970s, which he says “was quite a sport for guys and girls at the time, but it died out.” In1995 Britton became a coach for the soccer teams after helping colleagues at ECC.

“The opportunity came about to apply for a job as a soccer coach,” Britton says, “so I became a full-time faculty member in 1999 and coached badminton.”

Britton is a good coach, Adams says, because he can evaluate his players’ wants and needs on any given day.

“He can tell how far we can push things,” Adams says. “He kind of evaluates where your skills are and from there works on additional techniques.”

Men’s soccer player Brian Burrell also admires his work.

“He was one of Scotland’s top players that ever came out,” Burrell said. “Soccer, badminton, croquet, tennis, water polo…he is the most prolific athlete we have here.”

Throughout the years, Britton has created an easy work environment for his players at ECC and will continue to do so in the future.

“I really enjoy working at El Camino because it is a great environment with great faculty, staff and students,” Britton says. “Everybody in El Camino has always been extremely professional.”