Alexander Lee

Editor-in-Chief

After thirty-four successful years of coaching basketball at Westford Academy, Ed Scollan is retiring as coach following this season.

The twenty-six time Varsity and eight time Subvarsity coach decided to retire because he “wants to try out new things in life.”

He said, “I want to take the energy I’ve had for coaching and use it elsewhere.”

Scollan first started coaching in 1977 when he took over the JV team for his retiring predecessor. He was interested in basketball and had a knowledge of the game, so he decided to try it out.

“The athletic head decided to take a chance on a young guy, and I’ve been coach ever since then,” he said.

Over the years, Scollan grew very fond of coaching and he says that he will miss his job very deeply. Scollan liked every season and every team, regardless of their records: the good times are innumerable.

“There’s too many great moments to mention a particular one. Having a good team doesn’t mean it has to win. Every team is unique, and every team is special,” he explained.

His favorite part of coaching was the day to day interaction with the players. He always liked trying to put together a game plan and then executing it.

Players on the basketball team will also miss Scollan.

Senior Captain Ryan Jann said, “Mr. Scollan was a great coach to have. He was very easy-going, but was always tough when he needed to be. It was great to have a coach that was so into it. He loved us as players and he liked to get to know us as kids, which is awesome. I always love stopping by his room knowing he’ll be excited to talk about our last game, our next game, or maybe our next trip to the owl. Overall, he was just so into it and really cared about all his players, which makes him a really great guy.”

Senior Captain Matt Ellis also stated, “He (Scollan) has definitely had a huge impact in my life not just in basketball but outside of it as well. He’s taught my a lot over the past years that’ll stick with me throughout life. He was loved by the fans, his players, and the coaches; it’s going to be hard to find another head coach and teacher that was as good as Mr. Scollan. He will truly be missed. but I know he will never be forgotten!”

Even after his retirement, Scollan still wants future WA basketball players to keep working hard. He believes that continuous practice and dedication will improve a person’s skills, not just in basketball but also in life.

“Keep playing. Play all the time; Westford has lots of oppurtunities to play, with its Rec. department and frequent open gyms. Work hard, and you will get better.”