The SWAG Philadelphia
The SWAG is a philanthropically funded, no cost soccer training program focused on opportunities for young athletes aged 4 through age 11 from Philadelphia’s African-American and immigrant communities, principally North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia, as well as Chester.
Launched as a pilot in 2018, and expanded to a large scale program in 2021, The SWAG player pool is comprised of over 2000 young athletes from Philadelphia, who are offered no cost soccer coaching and training year-round with professional coaches.
Over 95% of the SWAG players are of African descent or from immigrant families.
The SWAG has been endorsed by the nationally-esteemed Philadelphia Union Academy program in Major League Soccer, which starts at at U13 (roughly 7th grade) and runs through high school ages, considered to be the number one youth soccer program in the United States.
The SWAG’s focus is on providing Philadelphia’s young athletes with accelerated technical development and professional coaching in a fun setting.
SWAG Select Player Pool
The SWAG Select is an invite-only program and training slots are awarded on a rolling basis through The SWAG’s scouting efforts.
The SWAG’s coaches run player clinics year-round and invite roughly 70-80 players annually into the SWAG Select pool for additional training at multiple satellite locations in the Philadelphia area, also entirely no-cost to players and their families.
The SWAG Select have built on their back-to-back 3v3 National Championships in the 2014 birth year division (won in 2021 and 2022) with continued success across younger age groups, earning titles at IBERCUP (World Champions, 2016 birth year), EDP Tournaments, Rising Stars Cup, and numerous regional tournaments in the 2016–2018 birth year divisions.
Dedication
The dedication of those who support The SWAG is unsurpassed, as evidenced by their personal and financial commitment: all administrative costs of The SWAG are underwritten, so that 100% of your SWAG donation is used to implement on-the-ground soccer programming for the thousands of young athletes involved with The SWAG.
The SWAG’s coaching pool is comprised of former professional and collegiate soccer players who work with the top youth soccer programs in the region, including the Philadelphia Union Academy and other leading programs.
In addition to professional level coaching, The SWAG coaches serve as mentors, counseling players and their families as they as they evaluate future athletic and educational opportunities.
Coaching
James Barnes
Program Oversight and Coach
Read Bio
James serves as a key member of The SWAG’s coaching leadership, providing program oversight and acting as a conduit between The SWAG and the Philadelphia Union Academy to ensure continuity across player development pathways. He is currently the Philadelphia Union Juniors Director and U-12 Head Coach, where he helps guide the region’s top young talent toward the professional level. Before joining the Union, Barnes spent eight years with Cedar Stars Academy, where he held multiple senior positions, including Technical Director for Cedar Stars Academy North, Academy Director for Cedar Stars Academy Bergen, and Head Coach of the Cedar Stars Bergen U-19 MLS NEXT team. Barnes holds an impressive list of coaching credentials, including a USSF A License, USSF B License, UEFA B License, and the USSF Director of Coaching certification. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Development from Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom.
Scott Spangler
Director of Coaching
Read Bio
Scott Spangler is the Director of Coaching for The SWAG, which he co-founded in 2018, and is a member of the SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council. Scott has previously coached at highly-selective club-level programs, including the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, EPYSA’s Olympic Development Program (ODP), 1776 United FC, Villanova Soccer Academy, and FC Delco. He has also served as the Assistant Coach for the professional club Jacksonville Armada FC and as the Club’s Youth Director with oversight of the U9-U12 age brackets for the club. Youth teams coached by Scott have won multiple regional, national, and international events in soccer and futsal, among which include the international Iber Cup Championship events in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships, and multiple 3v3 National Championships. Scott played college soccer at Virginia Tech where he led the team to the NCAA Semi-Finals as team Captain. As a high school player at Strath Haven High School, Scott was an All-American, All-State, and All-County player, and the leading goal scorer in the history of the school. Additionally, Scott played for the EPYSA State and Region 1 ODP teams. Professionally, Scott played at VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Scott is also a UEFA B and USSF B-licensed coach and owns Future Captain Sports, a soccer coaching services business focused upon youth development.
Dom Landry
Director of Operations and Scheduling and Coach
Read Bio
Dom is the Director of Operations & Scheduling and Coach with The SWAG as well as the co-founder, head coach, manager, and a board member of the AC Fairhill soccer club in North Philadelphia. Dom played collegiate soccer for NCAA DI St. Joseph’s University (2004-2006) as a walk on, after picking up the game only a few years earlier at age 17. He later graduated from St. Joseph’s Haub School of Business (2008) with a degree in Business Management. In a coaching capacity, Dom served as a volunteer coach for the Anderson Monarch’s youth girl’s program in South Philadelphia before co-founding AC Fairhill in North Philadelphia, with the aim of giving back to his neighborhood and providing young players with experiences that can change their futures. Dom is also a co-founder of Common Ground Management, a Philadelphia-based firm which consults to small businesses throughout the U.S., assisting its clients with business entity formations, trademark filings and corporate identity initiatives.
Administration
Darra Griffin
Community Ambassador
Read Bio
Darra Griffin is The SWAG’s Community Ambassador and Administrator, managing relationships with families for The SWAG, helping those new to soccer to become familiar with The SWAG’s training program and the curriculum, working closely with families on SWAG scheduling and logistics throughout the Philadelphia area. Darra was born in Barbados and emigrated to the United States in 1984, attending Northeast High School in Philadelphia, where she was a student-athlete involved with track and field, graduating in 1993. Darra attended Pierce Junior College and graduated with a liberal arts degree. She was a member of the Black Student Union and actively involved in several community programs and activities. Darra was employee of Prudential Insurance for over 22 years in the customer service/data entry division. Darra has three children (two daughters and a son) and her son Jordan plays for the Philadelphia Union Academy. Jordan has competed in soccer not only domestically, but also internationally in Portugal, Spain, Scotland and Brazil, playing an important role on youth teams which have won national and international championship titles. Darra is an active member of church where she has honed her administrative, organizational and community outreach skills.
Advisory Council
Ryan Richter, Director
Ryan Richter is The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council Director and a SWAG coach. He is currently the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Union II. He was formerly the Assistant Coach of the Philadelphia Union’s First Team. Prior experience includes a role as Head Coach of the Philadelphia Union Academy’s U15 age group and as the Director of the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy program covering age groups up through U11. He was also as a Union Academy coach with the U12s and U17s. Ryan spent seven years playing professionally after being drafted 5th overall in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Union, later going on to play for Toronto FC (MLS), New York Cosmos (NASL), and other highly respected professional clubs in North America, earning honors as an All-Decade Best XI player in NASL. Prior to his professional career, Ryan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he captained the Men’s Varsity Soccer team, receiving numerous individual accolades, such as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (2010), Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year (2010), Atlantic 10 Sportsman of the Year (2010), 1st Team Scholar All-American (2010), 2 Time Philadelphia Player of the Year (2009 and 2010) and 2 Time Regional All American (2009 and 2010). Ryan attended William Tennent High School in Suburban Philadelphia. He played youth soccer for FC Delco and Phoenix Soccer Club, and was an EPYSA ODP player. Ryan is a USSF A-licensed coach and a US Soccer Pro License Candidate.
Jon Scheer
A member of the SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council, Jon Scheer serves as the Director of Academy and Professional Development for the Philadelphia Union, where he oversees the holistic development pathway from the Academy to the professional level. In this role, he manages a multidisciplinary department of coaches, scouts, performance, medical, and operations staff to align player development and recruitment with the Union’s long-term sporting philosophy. Before his current position, Jon held several key roles within the Union organization, including Director of Scouting for the First Team (MLS) and Director of Talent Identification, where he oversaw scouting and recruitment for the Union Junior Academy upon first joining the club. He also worked with the United States Soccer Federation as a scout for the U.S. Youth National Teams on the men’s side. Earlier in his career, Jon served as Assistant Head Coach at the University of Delaware and as Director of Coaching at Kirkwood Soccer Club. Jon’s professional honors include selection to the United Soccer Coaches “30 Under 30” Program (2014) and recognition as the NSCAA North Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year (2014). He played collegiately at the University of Delaware, where he was a two-year captain, team MVP, and four-time Dean’s List honoree. Jon holds a U.S. Soccer “A” License and a U.S. Soccer Talent Scout License.
Nick Bibbs
Nick is the U14 & U16 Head Coach with Sporting Athletic of MLS Next. Formerly Program Development Director & Co-Director of Coaching with The SWAG, Nick oversaw the SWAG Select program, and worked with youth club programs throughout the region, identifying and developing talented young SWAG players for participation in the Philadelphia Union’s Junior Academy program which starts at Under-9. Before joining The SWAG, Nick served as Head Coach and Youth Academy Director for Syracuse FC. Nick played collegiate soccer as a defender at NCAA DI Syracuse University (2010-2013) where he started 42 out of the 43 matches for the Orange. In 2012 he led an Orange defense that recorded 12 shutouts, tied for the third-most in the nation. He played an integral part of the second Syracuse team to make an NCAA tournament appearance, the first to make a Sweet 16 appearance. Nick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Studies. Following his college career, Nick played 4 years professionally in the Swedish 3rd tier and USL Championship with Saint Louis FC and Bethlehem Steel (now named Philadelphia Union II). As a high school player at Lower Merion High School, and played club with West Philly Hurricanes (now named West Philly Soccer Academy), Palumbo, LMSC and Spirit/Delco (now named FC Delco). He was selected as a Region I ODP player and to the U18 National Pool. Nick has coached for several years at both the youth and collegiate levels and holds an Advanced Youth Technical Training Diploma. Nick is a USSF B-licensed coach.
Scott Spangler
Scott Spangler is the Director of Coaching for The SWAG, which he co-founded in 2018, and is a member of the SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council. Scott has previously coached at highly-selective club-level programs, including the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, EPYSA’s Olympic Development Program (ODP), 1776 United FC, Villanova Soccer Academy, and FC Delco. He has also served as the Assistant Coach for the professional club Jacksonville Armada FC and as the Club’s Youth Director with oversight of the U9-U12 age brackets for the club. Youth teams coached by Scott have won multiple regional, national, and international events in soccer and futsal, among which include the international Iber Cup Championship events in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships, and multiple 3v3 National Championships. Scott played college soccer at Virginia Tech where he led the team to the NCAA Semi-Finals as team Captain. As a high school player at Strath Haven High School, Scott was an All-American, All-State, and All-County player, and the leading goal scorer in the history of the school. Additionally, Scott played for the EPYSA State and Region 1 ODP teams. Professionally, Scott played at VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Scott is also a UEFA B and USSF B-licensed coach and owns Future Captain Sports, a soccer coaching services business focused upon youth development.
Andre Spangler
Andre Spangler is a member of The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council and a SWAG coach. Andre co-founded The SWAG in 2018. He has also served as a coach with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, as well with 1776 United FC and Villanova Soccer Academy, highly-selective club-level programs competing regionally and nationally, as well as nationally-known FC Delco. Youth teams coached by Andre have won multiple regional, national and international events in soccer and futsal, among which include international Iber Cup championship events in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships and multiple National Championships in 3-v-3 soccer. Andre played professionally with the Philadelphia Kixx and the Delaware Wizards. As a high school player at Strath Haven Highschool, Andre was an All American, All State and All County player, as well as being selected as the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the Pennsylvania State Player of the Year, and the Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily Times. Andre was also a US National Team Under-16 player and a State and Regional ODP player. Andre is a UEFA B and USSF D-licensed coach.
Tommy Wilson
Tommy is the Director of The SWAG’s Pro Athlete Council and Technical Director of Charlotte FC in MLS. He previously served as the Director of Academy and Professional Development for the Philadelphia Union. In addition Tommy previously worked as the Reserve Coach and Academy Technical Director at Rangers FC, as well as Head Coach for the U20 Scottish National Team. Prior to Rangers, Tommy served as the Head of Coaching Education with the Scottish Football Association. Prior to coaching, Tommy had a long professional soccer career in the Scottish Premiere League with sides such as Dunfermline Athletic, Kilmarnock FC, Heart of Midlothian and St. Mirren, where he won the Scottish FA Cup in 1987. Wilson finished his playing career with over 300 SPL appearances. He was brought up in Carmyle, Scotland, a small town in the east end of Glasgow. Tommy is from a soccer family, with his father, as well as both brothers playing at a professional level. Tommy is a UEFA Pro licensed coach.
Website: http://www.tommy-wilson.com/
Jimmy McLaughlin
Jimmy is a member of the SWAG’s Pro Athlete Advisory Council and a former professional soccer player with the Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, and Louisville City FC. Prior to his professional career, Jimmy played his youth soccer with FC Delco and Great Valley High School, before attending Colgate University to continue his soccer career, where he was named 2011 Patriot League rookie of the year. He was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia and is currently an investment professional with Southeastern Pennsylvania based private equity firm Graham Capital Investments (GCI).
Zach Pfeffer
Zach is a member of the SWAG’s Pro Athlete Advisory Council and a former professional soccer player with the Philadelphia Union, Colorado Rapids of MLS. Prior to his professional career, Zach played his youth soccer with FC Delco and Montgomery Maniacs, before spending a semester at the U-17 national team residency at IMG. In 2010 at the age of 15 he became the fourth-youngest player ever to sign a Major League Soccer contract. He was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia and was previously an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, now working in New York as an investment professional.
Sherman Washington
Sherman L. Washington is an accomplished professional and community leader. A graduate of Saint Joseph’s University, Class of 2009, with a B.S. degree, Sherman has made significant contributions in vaccine manufacturing at Merck & Co. He is also the co-founder of Common Ground Management, Inc, a management consulting firm, and is a highly regarded professional with a valuable depth of experience in strategic planning, entrepreneurial success and business consulting. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Sherman is the President Emeritus of the African American Alumni Association (A4) at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. Sherman is actively involved in various volunteer roles, including serving as Treasurer for the Athletic Club of Fairhill and holding board positions at Saint Genevieve’s School, St Joseph’s Preparatory School, The Gesu School, and The Trippley Foundation. His dedication to service has earned him numerous awards, such as the Rev. Charles A. Schnorr, S.J. ’37 Service Award (2023), the Bakari Trailblazer Award (2022), the KYW Game Changer Award (2022), the Pillar Award for Community and Advocacy (2022), and the City of Philadelphia Service Award (2019).
The SWAG is supported philanthropically by the Charity for The Arts, Sports & Education (CHASE), a nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2021.
Additional support is provided by the Silverback Educational Foundation For The Arts, Dance & Athletics. The Silverback Foundation is a private foundation exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, founded in 2013.
Both organizations are dedicated to supporting education, sports, the arts, and dance, providing opportunities both for underprivileged youth and for individuals seeking to perform or compete at the collegiate, world class or professional level.
Supporters Acknowledgement
The SWAG would like to extend sincere thanks, and express our gratitude to all of those who make our one-of-a-kind programming possible through their contributions and support.
Special Acknowledgements
- The Silverback Foundation
- Charity for The Arts, Sports & Education
- Graham Partners
- Graham Capital
- The Graham Foundation Trust
- Harris Philanthropies
- The Adelman Family
- The LL Charitable Foundation
- The Jay and Kelly Sugarman Foundation
- The Walt Smith Family Philanthropy
- The Families of the Philadelphia Union Academy
- Individual Donors
SWAG Impact
The SWAG Impact is an innovative educational program offered to SWAG Select players annually, primarily 1st and 2nd grade students. SWAG Impact is designed to enhance literacy, communication skills and early fundamentals in writing composition, history, and geography through the study of past and current famous professional soccer players of African descent from around the world, such as Pele, Ronaldinho, Drogba, and Mbappe, among many others.
SWAG Impact includes interactive work using software platforms such as Slack and Zoom, incorporating written and narrated video submissions by the students working with one another and the SWAG staff. Students not only study the history of famous players of African descent, but also learn what made the players stand out as professionals, whether that be style of play or results on the world stage.
As part of the SWAG Impact curriculum, students select video clips of the professionals and explain to the other students and the SWAG staff what made those professionals and their teams distinctive on the field.
Click here to watch a video about The SWAG Impact program.
SWAG Private School
The SWAG has launched a private school scholarship program for top prospects from The SWAG Select pool. Four to eight SWAG Select players and alumni players are selected annually for the program which involves private school education at a top school in the Philadelphia area, combined with morning training in soccer at the school with SWAG coaches and Philadelphia Union Academy coaches. After school, the players are taken to their training.
SWAG SELECT
The SWAG Select is an invite-only program and training slots are awarded on a rolling basis through The SWAG’s scouting efforts.
The SWAG’s coaches run player clinics year-round and invite roughly 40 players annually into the SWAG Select pool for additional training at multiple satellite locations in the Philadelphia area, also entirely no-cost to players and their families.
The SWAG Select have built on their back-to-back 3v3 National Championships in the 2014 birth year division (won in 2021 and 2022) with continued success across younger age groups, earning titles at IBERCUP (World Champions, 2016 birth year), EDP Tournaments, Rising Stars Cup, and numerous regional tournaments in the 2016–2018 birth year divisions.
DEDICATION
The dedication of those who support The SWAG is unsurpassed, as evidenced by their personal and financial commitment: all administrative costs of The SWAG are underwritten, so that 100% of your SWAG donation is used to implement on-the-ground soccer programming for the thousands of young athletes involved with The SWAG.
The SWAG’s coaching pool is comprised of former professional and collegiate soccer players who work with the top youth soccer programs in the region, including the Philadelphia Union Academy and other leading programs.
In addition to professional level coaching, The SWAG coaches serve as mentors, counseling players and their families as they as they evaluate future athletic and educational opportunities.
Coaching
James Barnes
Program Oversight and Coach
James serves as a key member of The SWAG’s coaching leadership, providing program oversight and acting as a conduit between The SWAG and the Philadelphia Union Academy to ensure continuity across player development pathways. He is currently the Philadelphia Union Juniors Director and U-12 Head Coach, where he helps guide the region’s top young talent toward the professional level. Before joining the Union, Barnes spent eight years with Cedar Stars Academy, where he held multiple senior positions, including Technical Director for Cedar Stars Academy North, Academy Director for Cedar Stars Academy Bergen, and Head Coach of the Cedar Stars Bergen U-19 MLS NEXT team. Barnes holds an impressive list of coaching credentials, including a USSF A License, USSF B License, UEFA B License, and the USSF Director of Coaching certification. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sports Development from Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom.
Scott Spangler
Co-Director of Coaching
As the Director of Coaching and Co-Founder of The SWAG, Scott Spangler also serves on The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council. He has coached with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, EPYSA’s Olympic Development Program (ODP), 1776 United FC, Villanova Soccer Academy, and nationally recognized FC Delco. Scott has also served as Assistant Coach for the professional club Jacksonville Armada FC, where he was the Club’s Youth Director overseeing the U9–U12 age brackets. Youth teams coached by Scott have won multiple regional, national, and international events in soccer and futsal, including international Iber Cup championships in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships, and multiple National Championships in 3-v-3 soccer. Scott played collegiately at Virginia Tech, where he captained the team to the NCAA Semi-Finals. As a high school player at Strath Haven High School, he was an All-American, All-State, and All-County player and remains the program’s all-time leading goal scorer. He also represented EPYSA State and Region I ODP teams and played professionally for VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Scott is a UEFA B and USSF B-licensed coach and is the owner of Future Captain Sports, a youth development coaching organization.
Andre Spangler
Co-Director of Coaching
As the Co-Director of Coaching of The SWAG, Andre Spangler has been a coach with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, as well with 1776 United FC and Villanova Soccer Academy, highly-selective club-level programs competing regionally and nationally, as well as nationally-known FC Delco. He currently coaches the 2017 SWAG Select/Academy team. Youth teams coached by Andre have won multiple regional, national and international events in soccer and futsal, among which include international Iber Cup championship events in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships and multiple National Championships in 3-v-3 soccer. Andre played professionally with the Philadelphia Kixx and the Delaware Wizards. As a high school player at Strath Haven Highschool, Andre was an All American, All State and All County player, as well as being selected as the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the Pennsylvania State Player of the Year, and the Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily Times. Andre was also a US National Team Under-16 player and a State and Regional ODP player. Andre is a UEFA B and USSF D-licensed coach.
Dom Landry
Director of Operations & Scheduling and Coach
Dom is the Director of Operations & Scheduling and Coach with The SWAG as well as the co-founder, head coach, manager, and a board member of the AC Fairhill soccer club in North Philadelphia. Dom played collegiate soccer for NCAA DI St. Joseph’s University (2004-2006) as a walk on, after picking up the game only a few years earlier at age 17. He later graduated from St. Joseph’s Haub School of Business (2008) with a degree in Business Management. In a coaching capacity, Dom served as a volunteer coach for the Anderson Monarch’s youth girl’s program in South Philadelphia before co-founding AC Fairhill in North Philadelphia, with the aim of giving back to his neighborhood and providing young players with experiences that can change their futures. Dom is also a co-founder of Common Ground Management, a Philadelphia-based firm which consults to small businesses throughout the U.S., assisting its clients with business entity formations, trademark filings and corporate identity initiatives.
Administration
Darra Griffin
Community Ambassador
Darra Griffin is The SWAG’s Community Ambassador and Administrator, managing relationships with families for The SWAG, helping those new to soccer to become familiar with The SWAG’s training program and the curriculum, working closely with families on SWAG scheduling and logistics throughout the Philadelphia area. Darra was born in Barbados and emigrated to the United States in 1984, attending Northeast High School in Philadelphia, where she was a student-athlete involved with track and field, graduating in 1993. Darra attended Pierce Junior College and graduated with a liberal arts degree. She was a member of the Black Student Union and actively involved in several community programs and activities. Darra was employee of Prudential Insurance for over 22 years in the customer service/data entry division. Darra has three children, including her son Jordan, who now plays for Philadelphia Union II and was selected to the U.S. Youth National Team’s FIFA U-17 World Cup roster. Jordan has competed both domestically and internationally in Portugal, Spain, Scotland, and Brazil, playing key roles on teams that have captured national and international championship titles. Darra is an active member of church where she has honed her administrative, organizational and community outreach skills.
Advisory Council
Ryan Richter, Director
Ryan Richter serves as The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council Director and is the Head Coach of Philadelphia Union II. He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in player development, having held multiple coaching roles within the Union organization since 2018. Before his current position, Ryan spent three seasons as an Assistant Coach for the Union First Team, helping guide the club to its first MLS Cup Final in 2022. Earlier in his career, Ryan served as Head Coach of the Philadelphia Union Academy’s U15s, leading them to the first-ever MLS NEXT Cup Final in 2021, as well as Director of the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy and coach for the U12 and U17 teams. As a player, Ryan spent seven years competing professionally after being selected fifth overall in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Union. He went on to play for Toronto FC (MLS), New York Cosmos (NASL), and several top clubs in the NASL, where he was named to The Athletic’s All-Decade Best XI. A graduate of La Salle University, Ryan captained the men’s varsity soccer team and earned numerous honors including Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year, and two-time Philadelphia Player of the Year. He played youth soccer for FC Delco and Phoenix Soccer Club, was an EPYSA ODP player, and holds a USSF A coaching license.
Jon Scheer
Jon Scheer is a member of The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council and serves as the Director of Academy and Professional Development for the Philadelphia Union. In this role, he oversees the club’s entire player development pathway from the Union Junior Academy through Union II, leading staff and player development while maintaining a unified approach to the club’s methodology and long-term strategy. Previously, Jon was the Director of Scouting for the Philadelphia Union and held a scouting role with the U.S. National Team at the United States Soccer Federation. His coaching experience includes serving as Assistant Head Coach at the University of Delaware, Director of Coaching at Kirkwood Soccer Club, and positions with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy and Delaware FC. Jon was recognized in the NSCAA “30 Under 30” Program and named the NSCAA North Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014. A former team captain and MVP at the University of Delaware, he was a four-time Dean’s List student and competed at the State, Regional, and National ODP levels. He holds a USSF A coaching license.
Nick Bibbs
Nick is the U13 & U14 Head Coach with Sporting Athletic of MLS Next. Formerly Program Development Director & Co-Director of Coaching with The SWAG, Nick oversaw the SWAG Select program, and worked with youth club programs throughout the region, identifying and developing talented young SWAG players for participation in the Philadelphia Union’s Junior Academy program which starts at Under-9. Before joining The SWAG, Nick served as Head Coach and Youth Academy Director for Syracuse FC. Nick played collegiate soccer as a defender at NCAA DI Syracuse University (2010-2013) where he started 42 out of the 43 matches for the Orange. In 2012 he led an Orange defense that recorded 12 shutouts, tied for the third-most in the nation. He played an integral part of the second Syracuse team to make an NCAA tournament appearance, the first to make a Sweet 16 appearance. Nick graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Studies. Following his college career, Nick played 4 years professionally in the Swedish 3rd tier and USL Championship with Saint Louis FC and Bethlehem Steel (now named Philadelphia Union II). As a high school player at Lower Merion High School, and played club with West Philly Hurricanes (now named West Philly Soccer Academy), Palumbo, LMSC and Spirit/Delco (now named FC Delco). He was selected as a Region I ODP player and to the U18 National Pool. Nick has coached for several years at both the youth and collegiate levels and holds an Advanced Youth Technical Training Diploma. Nick is a USSF C-licensed coach
Scott Spangler
Scott Spangler also serves on The SWAG’s Coaching Advisory Council. He has coached with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, EPYSA’s Olympic Development Program (ODP), 1776 United FC, Villanova Soccer Academy, and nationally recognized FC Delco. Scott has also served as Assistant Coach for the professional club Jacksonville Armada FC, where he was the Club’s Youth Director overseeing the U9–U12 age brackets. Youth teams coached by Scott have won multiple regional, national, and international events in soccer and futsal, including international Iber Cup championships in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships, and multiple National Championships in 3-v-3 soccer. Scott played collegiately at Virginia Tech, where he captained the team to the NCAA Semi-Finals. As a high school player at Strath Haven High School, he was an All-American, All-State, and All-County player and remains the program’s all-time leading goal scorer. He also represented EPYSA State and Region I ODP teams and played professionally for VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Scott is a UEFA B and USSF B-licensed coach and is the owner of Future Captain Sports, a youth development coaching organization.
Andre Spangler
A member of The SWAG Advisory Council, Andre Spangler has been a coach with the Philadelphia Union Junior Academy, as well with 1776 United FC and Villanova Soccer Academy, highly-selective club-level programs competing regionally and nationally, as well as nationally-known FC Delco. He currently coaches the 2017 SWAG Select/Academy team. Youth teams coached by Andre have won multiple regional, national and international events in soccer and futsal, among which include international Iber Cup championship events in Portugal and Texas, the US National Futsal Championships and multiple National Championships in 3-v-3 soccer. Andre played professionally with the Philadelphia Kixx and the Delaware Wizards. As a high school player at Strath Haven Highschool, Andre was an All American, All State and All County player, as well as being selected as the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the Pennsylvania State Player of the Year, and the Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily Times. Andre was also a US National Team Under-16 player and a State and Regional ODP player. Andre is a UEFA B and USSF D-licensed coach.
Tommy Wilson
Tommy is the Director of The SWAG’s Pro Athlete Council and Technical Director of Charlotte FC in MLS. He previously served as the Director of Academy and Professional Development for the Philadelphia Union. In addition Tommy previously worked as the Reserve Coach and Academy Technical Director at Rangers FC, as well as Head Coach for the U20 Scottish National Team. Prior to Rangers, Tommy served as the Head of Coaching Education with the Scottish Football Association. Prior to coaching, Tommy had a long professional soccer career in the Scottish Premiere League with sides such as Dunfermline Athletic, Kilmarnock FC, Heart of Midlothian and St. Mirren, where he won the Scottish FA Cup in 1987. Wilson finished his playing career with over 300 SPL appearances. He was brought up in Carmyle, Scotland, a small town in the east end of Glasgow. Tommy is from a soccer family, with his father, as well as both brothers playing at a professional level. Tommy is a UEFA Pro licensed coach.
Website: http://www.tommy-wilson.com/
Jimmy McLaughlin
Jimmy is a member of the SWAG’s Pro Athlete Advisory Council and a former professional soccer player with the Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, and Louisville City FC. Prior to his professional career, Jimmy played his youth soccer with FC Delco and Great Valley High School, before attending Colgate University to continue his soccer career, where he was named 2011 Patriot League rookie of the year. He was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia and is currently an analyst with Southeastern Pennsylvania based private investment firm Graham Partners.
Zach Pfeffer
Zach is a member of the SWAG’s Pro Athlete Advisory Council and a former professional soccer player with the Philadelphia Union, Colorado Rapids of MLS. Prior to his professional career, Zach played his youth soccer with FC Delco and Montgomery Maniacs, before spending a semester at the U-17 national team residency at IMG. In 2010 at the age of 15 he became the fourth-youngest player ever to sign a Major League Soccer contract. He was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia and was previously an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and currently works at New York private equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners.
The SWAG is supported philanthropically by the Charity for The Arts, Sports & Education (CHASE), a nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2021.
Additional support is provided by the Silverback Educational Foundation For The Arts, Dance & Athletics. The Silverback Foundation is a private foundation exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, founded in 2013.
Both organizations are dedicated to supporting education, sports, the arts, and dance, providing opportunities both for underprivileged youth and for individuals seeking to perform or compete at the collegiate, world class or professional level.
SUPPORTERS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The SWAG would like to extend sincere thanks, and express our gratitude to all of those who make our one-of-a-kind programming possible through their contributions and support.
Special Acknowledgements
-
The Silverback Foundation
-
Charity for The Arts, Sports & Education
-
Graham Partners
-
Graham Capital
-
The Graham Foundation Trust
-
Harris Philanthropies
-
The Adelman Family
-
The LL Charitable Foundation
-
The Jay and Kelly Sugarman Foundation
-
The Walt Smith Family Philanthropy
-
The Families of the Philadelphia Union Academy
-
Individual Donors
Education
SWAG IMPACT
The SWAG Impact is an innovative educational program offered to SWAG Select players annually, primarily 1st and 2nd grade students. SWAG Impact is designed to enhance literacy, communication skills and early fundamentals in writing composition, history, and geography through the study of past and current famous professional soccer players of African descent from around the world, such as Pele, Ronaldinho, Drogba, and Mbappe, among many others.
SWAG Impact includes interactive work using software platforms such as Slack and Zoom, incorporating written and narrated video submissions by the students working with one another and the SWAG staff. Students not only study the history of famous players of African descent, but also learn what made the players stand out as professionals, whether that be style of play or results on the world stage.
As part of the SWAG Impact curriculum, students select video clips of the professionals and explain to the other students and the SWAG staff what made those professionals and their teams distinctive on the field.
Click here to watch a video about The SWAG Impact program.
SWAG PRIVATE SCHOOL
The SWAG has launched a private school scholarship program for top prospects from The SWAG Select pool. Four to eight SWAG Select players and alumni players are selected annually for the program which involves private school education at a top school in the Philadelphia area, combined with morning training in soccer at the school with SWAG coaches and Philadelphia Union Academy coaches. After school, the players are taken to their training.
The SWAG is a free soccer development program launched in 2018 for players aged 4 to 11 who aspire to someday play at a higher level, potentially being selected to join the Philadelphia Union’s Academy system.
