MEET THE COACH
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Award Winners Boys Travel Coach of the Year: Jamie Scott In 2017, Jamie ended his run with Penn Fusion Soccer Academy Elite 98 Boys by adding more hardware to a full trophy case. Penn Fusion added a fifth State Cup title, a third Region I Championship and a second US Youth Soccer National League Division crown. In the process, Jamie has developed players to progress to the next level at an astonishing rate: 23 of his former players with the 98 Boys have committed to play college soccer, 11 at Division I schools.
MEET THE COACH - 4 QUESTIONS WITH JAMIE SCOTT How did you get into coaching and how long have you been coaching? I completed my first coaching course at age 16 in England, but (I) really didn't start regularly coaching until I was 18. This was at a professional club in England while I was studying at university. I have been coaching in the United States for 10 years now. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from coaching? I think on a personal basis that coaching is a non-stop educational experience and you are always learning. On a player standpoint, I have learned that you always have to treat them as people before players in order to get the best out of them. What accomplishments are you most proud of? I have been really lucky to work with some special players and teams. The 2017 season with La Salle University Women's Soccer was an incredible season to be involved with; we went from a team that won 4 games to a team that won 18. I was extremely proud of both the Penn Fusion 98 and 99 Elite teams last year in what they were able to achieve on the field. I actually get most pride from when we see players from our teams commit to appropriate college soccer programs and the impact they are able to make.
What qualities do you look for in a good coach and/or what qualities do you hope to establish in your players? I believe a good coach is able to teach simple or complex concepts in an interesting way. In my view, the best coaches are the ones that are passionate about their craft and this passion becomes infectious to their players. I always hope that the players that I work with demonstrate core values such as having high integrity, a strong work ethic, and a resilience to difficult circumstances.