When she takes to the soccer field, she lets her feet do the talking.

Scott, 18 and a June graduate of Douglas Freeman High, left last weekend for the University of Kentucky (the only school to which she applied), where she will continue to indulge in her sports passion as a member of the Wildcats' soccer team.

She also can focus on what she wants to do as a career.

"I'd like to teach the hearing impaired and disabled. My grandmother taught the deaf, and I always wanted to learn sign language," Scott said after finishing up a day in her summer job as a teacher intern at Tuckahoe Mid- dle School.

Scott began learning sign language at Douglas Freeman, then expanded her knowledge by taking classes at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. That's where she hooked into the Silent Lunches and Silent Dinners, which were started by the community college's sign-language professor, Bruce Sofinski.

Richmond-area residents who are deaf come together weekly at Willow Lawn for food and company at the Silent Lunches. Those who can't hear help the students learn to communicate and socialize with them.

"Conversationally, I'm still learning a lot," Scott said. "I learn something every time I go to a lunch or dinner."

The personable Scott has shared some of those experiences with her teammates and coaches.

"I've talked to her quite a bit about it," Douglas Freeman coach Mike McEvoy said, "and I admire her because so few people are doing that."

Scott served as a teacher intern working with deaf and multi-disabled pupils at Three Chopt Elementary this past spring. While there, she could engage school principal Rob Spotts in conversations about Freeman and archrival Mills Godwin soccer. Spotts has a daughter on the Godwin team.

The Rebels won the Colonial District regular-season and tournament titles (beat Godwin twice), but Freeman fell to Godwin in the Central Region championship game.

Scott, who played forward primarily, scored 15 goals and had 11 assists.

"Lillian and Corey [Prior, both All-Metro first-teamers] at forward made us a better scoring threat, but Lillian is also a very strong defender," McEvoy said. "When I pulled her from the top, we felt the loss there, but she made us stronger defensively.

"She is a very, very hard worker, a team captain and a good strong leader. She was willing to speak out when needed."

Scott was introduced to soccer in the first grade, fell in love with the game and has played year round the past eight years. She has honed her skills as a member of the Strikers Premier travel squad.

"Her techniques are wonderful. She is very disciplined, very aggressive and makes good decisions," said Emilio Piero, a Strikers travel team coach. "I tell coaches she is a player you want on your team."

Simply put, Scott likes to compete. She played on the Douglas Freeman basketball team, and the past 12 summers, has swum (50-meter butterfly is her best event) and dived (nine years) in James River Aquatic Club meets. She was awarded a JRAC Michael J. Stott scholarship at the recent championship meet.

Her drive to learn, whether it's soccer or sign language, never seems to ebb. Sometimes, Scott says, she catches herself signing when she is speaking to someone who can hear.

"My boyfriend teases me about it. I've been teaching him sign language, and I use my hands when I'm talking anyway," Scott said. "He'll tell me, 'You can stop now.'"

By Arthur Utley, Times Dispatch