Arthur D. "Skip" Roderick is a retired American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who played professionally in the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

, Major Indoor Soccer League and the American Soccer League. He is the head coach of the NCAA Division III

Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown College (informally Etown) is a private college in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. History Founding and early years Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren in response to an initiative by ...

men's soccer team.

Playing career

As a youth, Roderick had played for the Delco youth club. He attended

, graduating in 1974. In 1974, he played a single season with the

Philadelphia Atoms The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors ...

of the

. The Atoms released him during the off-season and although he received an offer from the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...

, he signed with the Pittsburgh Miners of the American Soccer League instead. In 1976, he moved to the

New Jersey Americans New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

for a single season. Roderick signed for

Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club is an Irish professional association football, football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in ...

in the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...

in December 197

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 (MISL), Philadelphia Fever of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Roderick also played for the

Philadelphia Ukrainians The first Philadelphia Ukrainians team, also known as the "Philadelphia Tridents", Tryzub FC (Ukrainian Sports Association Philadelphia Tridents, in ), was an American soccer club based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was a member of the Ameri ...

and Elizabeth S.C. in the

German American Soccer League The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatl ...

Coaching career

Roderick became interim head coach of the Philadelphia Fever (MISL), Philadelphia Fever for the last three games of the 1980–1981 season. In February 1982, the Philadelphia Fever (MISL), Philadelphia Fever fired head coach

Walter Chyzowych Walter Chyzowych () (April 20, 1937 – September 2, 1994) was a soccer player who played for Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals and Newark Sitch of the American Soccer League and was later a coach for the United States national soccer team. Hi ...

and elevated Roderick to interim head coach. In 1983, Roderick returned to

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 Lancaster County (; ), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States ...

. 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

External links

NASL/MISL stats

Elizabethtown College coaching profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roderick, Skip 1966 births American soccer coaches American men's soccer players American expatriate men's soccer players American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Cosmopolitan Soccer League players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) coaches Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players College men's soccer coaches in the United States New Jersey Americans (soccer) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Philadelphia Atoms players Philadelphia Fever (MISL) players Pittsburgh Miners players Sligo Rovers F.C. players Elizabeth S.C. players League of Ireland players Living people People from Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Elizabethtown College alumni Men's association football midfielders Soccer players from Delaware County, Pennsylvania USL League Two coaches Expatriate men's association footballers in the Republic of Ireland American expatriate sportspeople in Ireland 20th-century American sportsmen