Interview with Coach Scott Luthart

                      Grayson High School Head Boys Soccer Coach




Proud Accomplishments:

1994 “Teacher of Promise” for Georgia High Schools
1998 Gwinnett County Coach of the Year
2004 Gwinnett County Coach of the Year
2004 AJC Co-Coach of the Year
2004 NSCAA Georgia Coach of the Year for A-AAA Schools
2003 and 2004 Region 8AAA Champions
2004 AAA State Co-Champions

Question: What advice would you give to young players entering high school who want to play soccer
for their high school team?

Make sure you take care of your academics first.  Playing soccer is a privilege that you have to earn in the
classroom through your academic performance and behavior.  To quote Chris Wilson (Grayson girls’ coach) – “you
can have academics without soccer, but you can’t have soccer without academics”.


Question: What training would you recommend for a high school player who is dedicated to improving
him or her self in the off season?

Make sure you are playing against the highest level competition you can find and touch the ball as much as
humanly possible.  

You also need to work on the “conditioning of soccer” instead of just distance running.  Soccer is a game that
involved rapid change of pace – make your workouts emulate that trend.  Incorporate speed training, plyometrics,
agility training, and weighttraining into your regimen.  Set personal goals for yourself and raise them consistently.

Question: What advice can you give to those athletes who are not as talented as the top players in the
state, but want to get better and compete on the high school level?

Try out for multiple club teams and push yourself to make a roster at the highest level possible.  The better the
competition around you everyday, the quicker you will develop as a player.  Also, work on individual foot skills as
often as possible.  Serving a ball off a wall and receiving it a couple of hours a day will help improve your touches.

Question: What special skills do you think a successful coach must possess to lead his or her team
during the season?

I think a coach must maintain a good balance of discipline while building a relationship with his/her players.  We
should make a sincere effort to instill a love of the game in our kids while maximizing player development by offering
constant challenges to their athletic comfort zone.  Anson Dorrance (UNC) calls this the “competitive cauldron”.


Question: How has being a teacher helped you become a better coach?

In order to succeed in the classroom, you really have to learn how to “teach”.  These skills also help on the playing
field.  Different “learners” learn more effectively through different styles.  Positive reinforcement is also effective on
the field too.

Question: Do you have any players that graduated that are playing College Soccer? If so, who are they
and where are they playing? Do you have any advice for them?

I have sent some to various schools, the most successful going to Gardner-Webb University during my
Meadowcreek coaching days.  The best advice is to learn time-management skills.  Balancing college course loads
and athletics is very difficult.  You must be organized and self-motivated.

Question: What advice would you give to student athletes who are struggling academically in school?

Academics must be the main focus of any student-athlete.  Colleges require certain minimum performance levels
for acceptance, and those standards hold true no matter how good a soccer player you are.  Keep in mind the main
reason you attend college – to continue your education in preparation to becoming a contributor to our society.

Question:  To whom or what do you attribute your ability to be a successful high school coach?

During my playing career I played for some good coaches and some downright bad ones.  I like to think that those
experiences helped to mold me into the coach I am today.  I learned from every coach, no matter which end of the
spectrum I felt they were on.  I also played for a coach in HS that, in my mind, didn’t respect the game – so our team
was overly physical and dirty at times.  I never respected that, and I vowed to change that if I ever had a head
coaching position.  We try to instill class in our athletes and want our school to represented in a positive light.  
I feel that I maintain a pretty good rapport with most of my players by hopefully being successful at balancing
discipline, instruction, life lessons, and fun.  

I also try to go above and beyond to find motivational material for pregame and constantly try to tap into that desire
that is inherent within all athletes.


What do you love about the game of soccer?

To me, it’s the most fluid and thought-provoking sport there is.  There is never a moment you can afford to take a
physical or mental minute off if you’re playing effectively.  It’s also a great sport that depends on 11-strong (plus the
bench) to be successful.  

What do you love about coaching high school soccer?

5 words – Friday night, under the lights!  The atmosphere is terrific and added into the excitement is the
opportunity to represent your school and have the student body cheering you on.  Lots of school spirit.  I also like
to see some of the same kids I teach in my Physics or Chemistry classes succeed outside the classroom.  It’s a
totally different attitude and atmosphere that what’s expected in class and discipline drives what they do.

Who is your favorite professional soccer team?

Arsenal Gunners of the EPL

Who is your favorite professional soccer player?

He’s kind of older now, but I’ve always idolized “the Iceman”, Dennis Bergkamp, who played for Arsenal and the
Dutch national team.  He was the epitome of the complete soccer player – and for highlight material, look up the
goal he scored in the World Cup against Brazil in 1994.

Who is your favorite college soccer team?

I follow Coastal Carolina since we go to camp there every summer and I’m friends with the coaching staff.  I also like
Indiana, Maryland, Furman, and Clemson.

Who taught you the game of soccer?

I learned from many different coaches growing up and I’ve also learned from many colleagues during my coaching
career.  Hopefully some of them can say the same for me, as I love to give back to the game.


Thanks to Coach Luthart for all the time and energy he invests in Georgia High School
Soccer. Good luck to Coach Luthart and his Grayson Rams in the upcoming season.