From his training philosophy to his wealth of experience, practice makes perfect for new Penn field hockey coach, Scott Tupper.
Tupper, in the midst of his first season at the helm of the Quakers’ field hockey team, is no stranger to leadership. As an assistant coach for Big Ten champion Maryland and a leader on the Canadian national team before then, he has spent years addressing teams, implementing game plans, and scheming for tough opponents.
Now at Penn, Tupper’s coaching style follows a similar blueprint: prepare, improve, win.
“I believe really strongly in practice, and running, and making sure that the kids are getting a whole lot out of all the time they’re on the field,” Tupper said. “If we want to become a better team in the games, we have to train at a really good level. So I’m going to push the kids to develop their skills, and we’re going to have exercises that are high-tempo, high-energy.”
“There’s been a greater focus on developing our technical skills [under Tupper],” senior midfielder/defender Julia Ryan, Penn’s leading scorer in 2024, said. “There’s definitely a higher level of play at practice, and we all seem to be getting more touches on the ball.”
It’s all part of what Penn hopes will be a new era for the program under one of the sport’s rising stars.
Tupper, 38, began his journey to Philadelphia as an elite player in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. He went on to play for clubs in Germany and Belgium but left his largest legacy with the Canadian national team, where he played in three Olympic Games and set the all-time record for goals scored.
“Not everyone is like this, but I really like practice — that normal day-to-day stuff that, in the moment, isn’t always super fun, but it sharpens you during your career,” Tupper said following his retirement from Team Canada in 2021.
Tupper played under 12 different coaches between his time on the Canadian national team and his European professional career, a gauntlet that he says taught him “what works and what doesn’t work” when leading a team.
Now, he brings those lessons to the Red and Blue.
“I was exposed to a lot of different coaches,” Tupper said. “Some, I thought, did things incredibly, at a world-class level. Some not as much. So you’re kind of learning along the way. … I’ve been really fortunate to have a front-row seat to what good looks like.”
Tupper’s playing career has also uniquely equipped him to advance the Quakers’ performance. As a veteran of the highest level, he has an eye for adjustments and the ability to demonstrate them, a combination that has elevated Penn’s game.
“Scott is incredibly skilled at field hockey. His skills are exceptional,” Ryan said. “I think learning from the best has been super helpful for developing my skills, for developing the rest of my team’s skills, because we’re able to actually see the skill in person and see what to tweak.”
Last Friday, Penn dropped its season opener against No. 2 North Carolina before bouncing back for a 4-2 victory over Old Dominion on Sunday in Tupper’s first win as a head coach. The Quakers leapt out to a 3-0 lead before the Monarchs battled back with two goals of their own, but a penalty-corner win from junior forward Emma Nahon set up a final goal from sophomore defender Beau Lilly Barrington-Hibbert to seal the deal.
A program known for its aggressive non-conference scheduling, Penn’s triumph over Old Dominion gave the team something it hasn’t seen in some time: early season momentum.
“No one on this team has been 1-1 before,” Tupper said. “To see them be really pleased and satisfied with having won a game and get that feeling of success, I was super happy for them.”
“It’s a game-changer,” Ryan said. “Getting that first win is major, as it shows that we do have the ability to win, and good teams find ways to win.”
Soon, Tupper’s team will be put to the test against a familiar foe: On Friday, the Quakers travel to College Park to take on No. 10 Maryland, a homecoming for the former Terrapins assistant coach.
“I might walk to the wrong player’s bench at the beginning of the game,” Tupper joked.
As always, Tupper has done the work in advance.
“We have some ideas that we’ve already talked about,” Tupper said. “If we can find ways to unsettle them a little bit and keep the tension in the match, to get into the second half a tight game, then we have a chance.”
