Jon Lambert

Coach Profile: Jackie Scullin

2/24/2021 12:59:00 PM

By: Norman Yacko

Each Wednesday, TCNJ Athletics will profile a coach from one of its programs. Today, its assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach Jackie Scullin. Scullin, a 2005 graduate of the college played for four years on both the field hockey and lacrosse teams as a defender. As a coach, Scullin has helped guide the programs to three national championships, two with the field hockey team and one with the lacrosse team.

You are now entering your 16^th season coaching at TCNJ following a four-year playing career. What is it about TCNJ that keeps you coming back year after year?

I think I keep coming back to coaching at TCNJ because I love both field hockey and lacrosse, and I love the competition. It's exciting to be a part of a team that competes year after year for a National Championship. I also lucked out with finding a job at Hopewell Valley. The school I teach at is five minutes from campus, so I'm able to get to practices when my school day is over.

You both coach and played field hockey and lacrosse during your time at the College. Is there one of the two sports you gravitate toward over the other?

When I started at TCNJ, my initial thought was to choose one sport to focus on after my first year, but I quickly realized that I wouldn't be able to choose between the two and ended up playing both all four years. From the coaching standpoint, I think I gravitate more towards lacrosse. The game has evolved so much since I first started playing and it's exciting to learn new strategies and techniques. I love watching lacrosse film and figuring out new plays and formations.

What is it about TCNJ that sets itself apart from other colleges and athletic programs?

I think TCNJ is unique because despite it being a smaller college, it never feels that way. Our athletics programs are all competitive and exciting to watch. You have a lot of dedicated student-athletes who are playing to win. When I was a player at TCNJ we all supported each other, and I'm sure that still happens today.

What are some of the top memories and moments from your coaching career?

Definitely my top memories are winning the National Championships. I will never forget those moments. But I also have great memories from many other seasons as well. It's rewarding to watch student-athletes work on something for a season or their entire career, then see it all come together for them on the field. Of course, coaching my sister, Breanne, was a unique and rewarding. We have experienced something so special that no one else in our family was a part of. It's nice to have that connection.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your coaching career?

The biggest challenge I've faced is probably balancing coaching and teaching. Being a special educator in an elementary school is very demanding. It can be hard trying to organize the time spent on schoolwork, so I can free up time for coaching. When we're in season, I'm usually working through my lunch break so I can leave right at the end of the day to get to practice.

Who are some of the people that have helped you the most in your career?

Coach Pfluger has definitely helped me a lot in both my coaching and teaching career. She has this way of breaking things down in a simple, yet purposeful way that is so effective. Everything we do at practice has a purpose and it all flows and connects to the big picture. This is such a critical piece of lesson planning and I remember feeling that it just came natural to me because of my playing and coaching experiences with Coach.

You mentioned you are also a full-time teacher. How does that experience impact your coaching and what from coaching translates to your career as a teacher?

Coaching has taught me so many skills that translate to effective teaching. I've mentioned before the process of creating purposeful and meaningful lessons, but coaching has also helped me become better at thinking on my feet and quickly reacting to a situation. As a special education teacher, the plans are constantly changing! You have to be able to modify something when it's not working and also be flexible enough to not get too frazzled when things aren't going as planned.
Also, sometimes it's hard to go from an elementary teaching voice to a college practice voice. I've definitely caught myself explaining things to the student-athletes as if they were 9 years old. Luckily for me, they've all been very understanding and don't take offense to it!

Outside of coaching, what would people find interesting about your day-to-day life?

Well teaching during a pandemic means my day to day life is stressful, but pretty boring. This is by far the hardest year I've ever had as a teacher. The workload is unreal, so that's what I spend most of my day doing. Hopefully life will get back to normal soon so we can all do fun things that don't involve zoom!

Is there anything you would like to say to all of the student-athletes that you have coached?

Everyone has had an impact on my life in some way. They all have made me a better coach and teacher so I thank them for that.

Extra Point - Asked by assistant track and field coach Tilah Young - If you could be on the sideline at any major or elite sports competition, during any period of time, where would you be?

Philadelphia Eagles during the Super Bowl!

Pose a question you would like to hear answered by our next coach.

If you could relocate your team to play anywhere in the world for a season, where would it be and why?

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