Stephen Hart joins the RCGC men's soccer staff for the 2017-18 season, and he is reuniting with a mentor who helped direct him through his own collegiate playing days in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
And for the new Roadrunner assistant, his experience on the sideline has been well worth the effort as he comes full circle from player to junior college coach.
A former prep star at Lawrence High School, Hart played collegiate ball under current RCGC men's coach George Hobbins while at Camden County College. Hart also previously played at Brookdale Community College for 1 year.
So, exactly how is the transition to the RCGC coaching staff working out for Hart as a youthful but fast-improving Runners' team is off to a 2-3 start to the 2017 season?
"I assist coach Hobbins, so he comes up with the game plan for training, and I add my flavor to it so to speak," said Hart, the owner and Director of the Jersey South FC. "This is my first go-round with college coaching and I'm just jumping in and getting my feet wet. So far he (Hobbins) has had me design a couple of sessions and we executed them."
"I've coached Stephen and have worked with him on the sidelines – he is a terrific asset to our coaching staff," said Hobbins. "While this is just his first year coaching at the college level, he has a lot of experience training youth soccer players, plus he is very familiar with Region XIX and junior college competition from his playing days."
Hart possesses over 10 years of coaching experience working with players of all levels, from 5-year old recreation players to U.S. National Team players, and he has a proven track record in helping players achieve individual and team success.
For the past year, Hart has been the Owner and Director of the Jersey South FC, as his club promotes a positive training environment that encourages players to reach their full potential. He was a former Assistant Director at Universal Soccer Academy and former Director of Coaching and Player Development at Barrington SC. He holds a USSF National "D" Coaching License and a NSCAA Advanced Regional Coaching Diploma.