Skip Roderick

Skip Roderick
Personal information
Full name Arthur D. Roderick
Place of birth Springfield, Pennsylvania, United States
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1973 Elizabethtown Blue Jays
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974 Philadelphia Atoms 5 (0)
1975 Pittsburgh Miners
1976 New Jersey Americans 18 (1)
1976–1977 Sligo Rovers
1977–1978 New Jersey Americans 35 (0)
1978–1980 Philadelphia Fever (indoor) 28 (1)
1979 New Jersey Americans 24 (0)
Managerial career
1981 Philadelphia Fever (interim)
1982 Philadelphia Fever (interim)
1983–2023 Elizabethtown Blue Jays
2015–2016 Ocean City Nor'easters (assistant)
2021 Ocean City Nor'easters (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Arthur "Skip" Roderick is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and the American Soccer League. He is the head coach of the NCAA Division III Elizabethtown College men's soccer team.

Playing career

As a youth, Roderick had played for the Delco youth club. He attended Elizabethtown College, graduating in 1974. In 1974, he played a single season with the Philadelphia Atoms of the North American Soccer League.[1] The Atoms released him during the off-season and although he received an offer from the Portland Timbers, he signed with the Pittsburgh Miners of the American Soccer League instead.[2] In 1976, he moved to the New Jersey Americans for a single season.

Roderick signed for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland in December 1976 [1].

He returned to the United States to play the 1977 season with the New Jersey Americans. He played two seasons (1978–1980) with the Philadelphia Fever of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Roderick also played for the Philadelphia Ukrainians and Elizabeth S.C. in the German American Soccer League.

Coaching career

Roderick became interim head coach of the Philadelphia Fever for the last three games of the 1980–1981 season. In February 1982, the Philadelphia Fever fired head coach Walter Chyzowych and elevated Roderick to interim head coach.[3]

In 1983, Roderick returned to Elizabethtown College to become head coach of the college's soccer team. In 1989, Skip coached the Blue Jays to the NCAA Division III title. Roderick was often offered positions at larger schools, UVA for example, but always stayed with his alma mater. Coach Roderick also maintains Elizabethtown Soccer Camp, the longest running soccer day camp in the United States. Roderick was awarded the 2015 George W. Kirchner Award for his leadership and contribution to athletics in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.[4] On October 24, 2015, Roderick recorded his 500th victory for the Blue Jays, becoming only the 7th DIII coach and 12th in all divisions to reach the milestone, with a 3–0 drubbing against Drew University.

References

  1. ^ Philadelphia Atoms History
  2. ^ Miners Reunite Dynamic Duo
  3. ^ Last-place Fever fire coach
  4. ^ "Skip Roderick wins the 2015 George W. Kirchner Award | Sports | lancasteronline.com".