The future is now: HC Frank Sciolla and the Pennsbury HS girls basketball team
MORRISVILLE, Pa. — 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to be a critic or a cheerleader. It鈥檚 harder to be a coach,鈥� Adam Grant, the best-selling author, and organizational psychologist recently tweeted. 鈥淎 critic sees your weaknesses and attacks your worst self. A cheerleader sees your strengths and celebrates your best self. A coach sees your potential and helps you become a better version of yourself.鈥�
If you ask the Pennsbury community about coaches that made a lasting impact on their lives, Frank Sciolla鈥檚 name comes up consistently. Described as a mentor, inspiration, role model, and even as a legend, one thing is certain, Frank has made an indelible impression on the lives of many during his career. Originally hired by Bob Buckanavage as Pennsbury鈥檚 boys鈥� head basketball coach in 1995 (the same year he began teaching English at PHS), Frank is self-effacing about his early days in the program. 鈥淭o be honest, I鈥檓 not sure why he hired me,鈥� he tells us. 鈥淭here were sixty-seven candidates, some internal, that were more experienced and more qualified than me.鈥� He took this as a sign to give coaching a chance. 鈥淚 decided to put off law school for a year and try coaching. I鈥檓 still coaching today.鈥�
In two and a half decades of coaching, Frank has an incredible track record, described by one parent as a 鈥榗oach with the Midas touch鈥� (because every team he touches turns to gold!). Frank coached the boys鈥� team at Pennsbury from 1995-2010, which he describes as a 鈥渨ild ride鈥� 鈥� during that time, the boys鈥� basketball team won seven league championships and made deep playoff runs. The team traveled the country, playing and beating nationally ranked teams, not an easy feat as a public school in a world increasingly dominated by private schools with open enrollment. 鈥淭he team always had the support of the community,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淚n most years home games were sellouts and you needed to get to the gym early to get in. I was able to coach incredible young men at PHS with over forty of them going on to play in college including Torrian Jones (Notre Dame), Jason Vegotsky (Bucknell), and Lavoy Allen (Temple/ Philadelphia 76ers). All were products of Pennsbury elementary and middle schools.鈥�
One of Frank鈥檚 best coaching experiences has been the support his teams receive from within the school district. 鈥淓ach year, I would take my team to do an assembly at the elementary schools,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淓very boy on my team had to address the student body on what they were reading, what they liked to read in elementary school, and they then told a story about their favorite teacher.鈥� The next night, that school鈥檚 chorus would sing the national anthem at our home game. 鈥淚 also let any child from grades K-8 come into the locker room to watch the pre-game or halftime talk if they came up to me before the game and told me about a book they were reading,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淭his created an incredible bond between team and community and really helped the atmosphere at our games. Those were great times, and we do the same thing with the girls鈥� team now.鈥�
After leaving coaching at Pennsbury for 5 years (he coached for Bristol Borough and Conwell-Egan during this time), Frank returned to Pennsbury in 2016 to coach the girls鈥� basketball program. 鈥淲e have incorporated many of the concepts that we used successfully in the past,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淭he girls鈥� program is in a great place. We are coming off the first back-to-back league championships since 1978, and our community outreach has led our game atmosphere to be amazing. There has never been a better feeling than seeing the girls play in front of big crowds and get the recognition and respect that the outstanding female athletes have always deserved.鈥�
For the past four seasons, Frank鈥檚 daughter, Ava, has been a member of the basketball program. She recently signed with perennial basketball super-power, the University of Maryland. 鈥淐oaching your own child is not without challenges, the biggest one being my coming to the realization that I need her more than she needs me,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 humbling.鈥� He鈥檚 quick to credit fellow teachers and coaches for their impact on his daughter and the success she鈥檚 had, both academically and in the athletics program. 鈥淎va has had so many great influences throughout Pennsbury to help get her to this point, including Pete Sienko, Ryan Hohman, and her volleyball coaches Mike Falter and Tim Paulson at the high school. She has also received great guidance from our assistants in the program. Sean Ryan, Logan Klock, Jen Sroba, and Kaitlin Kelly.鈥�
Becoming Champions Creates More Opportunity for the Growth of Players
The better the team performs, the more opportunities they have to play other great teams, which helps the girls hone their skills and generate more awareness and interest in the program. 鈥淭he teams play in the state鈥檚 highest classification against the best competition in the state,鈥� Frank says. 鈥淭his is the place to really test yourself because, top to bottom, the Suburban One League is the deepest in the state. It鈥檚 extremely rare for a public high school today to churn out as many scholarship athletes as Pennsbury does, and that is a credit to the type of kids and families we have here and the support they get academically and athletically at the high school.鈥�
Accolades from Parents, Students, and Fellow Coaches
Kathy Kraeck, a proud parent of three PHS grads, met Frank through her work with the 5th grade D.A.R.E. program and penned an open letter to the local paper after the team鈥檚 championship win in February of 2020. 鈥淭he success of the girls鈥� basketball team is a testament to Coach Frank Sciolla and the dedication and leadership he brings,鈥� Kathy stated. 鈥淲hen he became head coach, there were just 8 girls in a high school of 3,000 students who wanted to play basketball. Frank went from classroom to classroom to recruit players.鈥�
鈥淢y daughter has been fortunate to have Frank Sciolla鈥檚 coaching and mentorship since the 5th grade,鈥� says parent Lou Pompili, a parent whose daughter, Nicole, is a senior at PHS and has played for the Falcons throughout high school. 鈥淔rank has touched so many in our community. Not only in basketball, but also as an English teacher at Pennsbury. Many times, he鈥檇 go from teaching, to practice, to tutoring a child who was struggling. He has been an instrumental part of so many kids鈥� lives. My daughter was recruited and will be playing for Elizabethtown. The lists of the kids he鈥檚 coached that have gone on to play in college and some to the pros are quite impressive!鈥�
Joe Pesci is a PHS teacher, the coach of the PHS boys鈥� baseball team, and a Pennsbury alum who was coached by Frank. 鈥淎s a high school basketball player, Frank Sciolla had the most influence and the greatest impact on me,鈥� says Joe. 鈥淎nd I barely got any playing time,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淚 went from being a player of his to a colleague and a friend. He is the reason I wanted to become a coach and a teacher. It’s not an accident that every single place he goes, he turns the program around, wins titles, and gets kids to the next level!鈥�
The Pennsbury Athletics program is special for many reasons according to Traci Curtis, coach of the Girls鈥� Field Hockey team. She shared how PHS coaches learn from one another and, as a coach, she appreciates the camaraderie of the athletics program. 鈥淚 enjoy the connection our coaches share,鈥� Traci explains. 鈥淭here is a lot that we can learn from one another. I will never hesitate to reach out to Frank, Joe Pesci, or my husband, Dean Curtis for advice, suggestions, or just to talk sports!
For Amy Patterson, whose family created the Rick and Chris Block Memorial Scholarship (RCBM) to honor her late brothers (extraordinary PHS athletes, students, and PHS basketball legends), Frank鈥檚 guidance in the early years was priceless. 鈥淔rank was so helpful in the infancy of RCBM,鈥� says Amy. 鈥淥ur family is grateful for his input and to see him recognized for his work with Pennsbury basketball.鈥�
The Importance of Making Connections
Asked about his favorite experiences as a coach and educator, Frank focused on people. 鈥淚鈥檝e had incredible memories and experiences at Pennsbury,鈥� says Frank. 鈥淭he wins and championships are nice, but the people I鈥檝e got to know have been way better. We are fortunate to have a teaching and administrative staff of principals and an athletic director who makes it a priority for our kids to succeed.鈥� Perhaps Kathy Kraeck sums it up best, 鈥淭hank you, Frank, and thank you to teachers everywhere who are role models and inspire future generations. When I look at young people today, I see confidence, empathy, people who care about many issues, and who I know will be voices for positive change!鈥�
Getting Involved
Pennsbury offers ways for athletes to play in all seasons. The best programs also feature coaches that offer year-round opportunities to improve and hone their skills. Frank has been able to coach in conjunction with the Lady Falcons Elite basketball program, which provides quality instruction and player development for girls in the Pennsbury community. You can learn more by visiting their Facebook page at We wish the PHS Girls鈥� basketball program continued success in their new season! You can cheer the girls on at a local game or follow their progress online using #pennsburygirlsbasketball.
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