CAM MULLINS-- SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER COACH OF THE MONTH
Scorpions MetroWest Girls Director Cam Mullins has been rolling on the sidelines. His three regional teams compiled a 12-3-2 record in September, with all of them in first place in their respective divisions. In recognition of their efforts, Coach Cam has been named Spotlight Coach of the Month for September!
"Coach Cam works so hard," said MetroWest Director Correy Couch. "As the Girls Director he has lots of responsibilities running the region, but he doesn't let that affect his dedication on the sidelines. His teams are working hard, improving and finding success."
Spotlight asked Coach Cam to tell us a little about his soccer history.
From Coach Cam:
Hi! My name is Cam Mullins and I am currently the head coach of the MetroWest Girls 2011 Black, MetroWest Girls 2015 Black, and MetroWest 2016 Boys Black team.
I am from Norfolk, MA; growing up right here in our MetroWest region for Scorpions. I have been around the game of soccer my whole life; from playing locally with the town of Norfolk when I first moved here, to then playing with my best friends at King Philip High School, and eventually having the opportunity to play in college.
I first began coaching when I was 16 years old, offering to help assist with my younger sister’s town team in Norfolk. I also had the opportunity to work with the Lil’ Kickers program at Forekicks in Norfolk in high school. Throughout college, I would work various local and non-local soccer camps, and this is when I truly gained my love for coaching the game; as much as I loved playing the game.
I am now in my third year of coaching with Scorpions. All three of the teams I oversee are in different stages of time working together; now being in my third season with the 2011 girls group, second season with the 2015 girls group, and finally just one month now with the 2016 boys group.
The 2011 group has now entered the high school age group, but we have a great group of players this Fall playing together who are still in eighth grade. We’re currently 2-0-1 this Fall, currently in first place in our flight in the NECSL. Seeing the progress this group has made over the past 3 years and now week-in and week-out brings me a lot of joy to see. One of the goals of this group is to prepare the rest of these players to be ready for the jump to high school next year, where they no longer may be playing against players who are their same age. Over the first few games of the season, it’s been great to see the increase in their game awareness; players are moving off the ball, communicating with each other, and playing at a level that has me excited for the rest of the Fall, and when we have our additional players return from their high school season.
The 2015 group has also had a great start to the Fall season, where we are currently 3-1, but also are at the top of our flight in the NECSL. When I took over the group last year, I was unsure how I would fare; as I had never coached a team that young before. But the energy and passion for the game these players possess made it a very easy transition. Over the past two seasons, we have been working very hard to continuously improve and refine our fundamental skills and abilities, while also expanding their ability to think and play like top level players. We had our first exposure to playing 9v9 at the beginning of the season, playing in the Seacoast Labor Day Tournament. We had a great start to the tournament, going 3-0 in the group stage but unfortunately lost in the finals! With the transition to 9v9, many of the girls are playing in new positions and roles that they may not have had during our first year playing 7v7. Their attitudes to improving and learning new responsibilities is inspiring, and I enjoy every interaction I have with this group.
Taking over the 2016 group is an exciting experience so far, being my first time coaching a boys team here in the MetroWest. The boys have had an awesome start to the season! We started the season making the finals at the Seacoast Labor Day tournament and are now 2-0 in our NECSL play. With just over a month of working with the group so far, seeing some of the progress this group has made in the short-term has been great! This is a very talented group of individuals, and we’re working very hard now to use our teammates more. My main message to this group has emphasized the importance of using our teammates to play, and the progress over the last month has me very excited for the rest of the year!
Overall, I am very grateful to work for a club and with players that are growing up in the same communities that I was a part of growing up. Now as director of our MetroWest girls region, I recently had the opportunity to invite many of our players to participate in a morning with TOPS Soccer at King Philip High School. This was a program that I had the opportunity to be a part of growing up and we had a great turnout of Scorpions players last week! Being able to provide a fun morning of soccer and games, and provide support for our community, makes it so great to work for a club and with such wonderful players who are willing to give back to their community.
All of the players I work with, make what I do so much better! I’m very thankful to all the parents who trust me to work with and help develop their kids into the best players they can be! My goal is to provide each player with the opportunity to work hard, challenge themselves to play their very best, and most importantly grow their love for the game. This sport has provided me with so many great opportunities in my life, and having the opportunity to give back to the next generation of players is very fulfilling. All three groups have had a great start to the season, and I look forward to seeing their progress as the year goes on!
Congratulations Coach Cam!
