Sports

After 18 Years of Coaching, Coach Scott Takes His Leave

November 12, 2005 marked a special moment for boys soccer coach Bill Scott. It was his last game after 18 years of coaching at Andover. Coach Scott is one of the most accomplished high school coaches of the last three decades. He won two championships with Suffield Academy before coming to Andover and won back-to-back titles with Andover in ’94 and ’95. He has always produced extremely competitive teams, evident in the 39-13-10 record he holds over the last four years. His coaching has extended far past the high school level, however. In 1997 he went on sabbatical to coach at Stanford. Last year Coach Scott traveled to England and earned his Premier Coaching License, the highest coaching license. To the players and fans, however, Coach Scott’s contributions to the Andover program have been much more meaningful than his winning record. We could fill pages with his accomplishments and awards, but to us, he has been so much more than a soccer guru. To every player he has coached, he has left an indelible impression. For Coach Scott the job was about much more than calling great plays, it was about being a mentor on and off the field. Through his years of successful coaching, Coach Scott has attained prestige and acclaim from far beyond just the Andover community. He has spread his virtue and knowledge to anyone who has been graced with his presence. As the Scottish PG Rory MacRae ’05 says, “He has many friends far and wide…” As a result, his recruiting has been second to none, bringing in talented players from overseas (which not even Winchendon could rival). In terms of preparing his college bound players, he has provided a crucial link between players and college coaches. Four year senior TJ Thompson exclaims, “He literally knows everybody!” We speak on behalf of the entire Andover community when we say we are lucky to have been touched and influenced by Coach Scott. Justin Wu ’06 added, “I would play for Coach Scott at Andover over any other team in New England.” Talk to any other member of the team, and you’ll get a similar response. Bottom line, Coach Scott is classy. Through his years of influencing the many students at Andover, he has stressed the fact that it is not all about winning. This year’s soccer season was an emotional test for Coach Scott as well as the entire team. We knew coming into this season that it would be Coach Scott’s last and we were determined to send him off on a good note. Looking at it now, we realize that Coach was not only thinking about how we were going to get a result, he was thinking about coaching his last home game, coming to practice for the last time on a Monday afternoon, leading the team through his last Andover/Exeter game. Although the result was not exactly how we imagined, the pride on Coach’s face as we stepped off the field felt much more important. We are blessed and honored to be a part of his last season and his legacy as the Andover Varsity Soccer Coach. Coach Scott always told his players to “play with emotion, but don’t be emotional.” Even though the quote refers to the game, it is truly an example of his character on and off the field. We wish Mr. Scott the best of luck in the future, and congratulate him for a successful and memorable career. Thanks Coach.