Theme # 2 – The Importance of Club Soccer
Interview with Coach: Scott Snyder - Westmisnter
Proud Accomplishments:
• USSF B and NSCAA Advanced National Diploma
• NSCAA Georgia Coach of the Year 2005
• 4 time State Champion (1996,1997 at Notre Dame HS in Chattanooga; 2001, 2006 at Westminster).
While coaching High School soccer, what impact has the local club soccer programs had on your success as a coach?
I think that club soccer has had a mostly positive benefit on high school soccer’s success, but have also seen it to be at odds with school soccer.
Texas is a state that is dealing with this right now, as clubs are telling their players to not play high school and stay with their clubs. I am glad to
see that the GYSA supports high school soccer by not having a club season during high school play.
Our success at Westminster is a little different, for we have many more players on the boys side who do not play club ball because of them
playing another school sport. Some of my best players are coming from football and basketball (and other sports) to soccer. Having less club
players does make us focus on doing some things differently than if we had more, but it does not always play a major role in our success.
What reason would you give aspiring high school soccer players who has not played club soccer in the past, as to why it is important to find a
good club team in their local or extended area?
Club play will obviously give them many more touches on the ball, as well as expose them to more styles of play and coaches. It also will help
them if they are interested in playing in college with the exposure the big tournaments bring.
What experience do you have with club soccer in your community or neighboring communities?
I have been coaching club soccer for the past 18 years, both in TN and Georgia. This began in my senior year of college and has continued on
since. Since moving to Georgia, I have worked with big clubs such as NASA and AFC Lightning, as well as smaller, local clubs such as ECYMCA
and Smyrna. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, but I have always found good in them all. I am currently the coaching consultant for
Smyrna Soccer, as well as a volunteer coach in Kennesaw with my son’s U-6 team.
What advantage does a high school program with a great club feeder system have over schools that don’t have a strong
foundation of club programs in their area?
This questions answers itself. Getting quality players at the start allows the high school coach to concentrate much more on tactics and they are
able to utilize many more options here due to the quality of their players.
Do you have a positive story about your experience with club soccer as a young man or as an adult?
I have many positive stories here, but my favorite continuing one is when I see my former players playing for their schools (sometimes against
me), or when I get an email from one in college, catching me up with them.
What are some of the local club programs in your schools area that benefit your high school program?
Our girls side is very much impacted by TopHat. The boys side does not have a strong club connection, as many of my boys play other sports.
For example, only 3 of my junior/senior class play club soccer right now.
From a high school coach’s perspective, what would you like to convey to all the club parents out there who sacrifice their time,
money, and energy, for the betterment of their children?
I am glad for their efforts, and think their children hopefully are is well. I would hope they realize that we in the high school world work very hard
as well, and that there is a quality to it that will benefit their child and complement their club training.
What clubs and club coaches have had a positive impact on your coaching career, and why?
I was fortunate to try out and make a club team in my senior year of high school, but then unfortunately it fell through. It was going to be
coached by Phil Neddo, who later was my first college coach and then a coach in the Atlanta area with both Lightning and Concorde.
What do you love about the game of soccer?
Personally, I love the physical aspect, the hard work. As a coach, I enjoy the pleasure of seeing your team execute, beating a “better”
opponent. I enjoy the relationships established in both.
What do you love about coaching high school soccer?
Playing for your school, night games, the crowds, etc. All the intangibles that make high school sports so uniquely American.
Who is your favorite professional soccer team?
The U.S. National team will have to fit here. I enjoy watching professional soccer, but do not have a favorite team.
Who is your favorite professional soccer player?
Hans Peter Briegel – he played for the German National Team and was a physical force. I also really admired John Doyle, a former U.S. National
Team member and professional player.
Who is your favorite college soccer team?
Maryville College (TN), My alma mater.
Who taught you the game of soccer?
I was fortunate to grow up in a true international city of Oak Ridge, TN. Oak Ridge was “created” by the U.S. government to build the Atomic
bomb, and as such had a many scientific and research facilities. These attracted scientists from all over the world in the postwar years, so by
the time I was a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s I was benefiting from being coach by many who knew the game personally. I have been
coached by Turks, English, Germans, Greeks and Indians to name a few.
We wish Coach Snyder and his Westminster boys all the best in the upcoming 2007
season!!!!
