FEATURE: On the Fast Track with Sydney Scott

By: Kim Goss, MS

Sydney Scott considered many prestigious universities to pursue her academic and athletic goals. After studying their curriculums and athletic programs, there was no question Scott's final selection had to be Brown University.

Besides experienced coaches dedicated to helping their athletes achieve physical superiority, Brown University allowed Scott to design a curriculum she believed would enable her to develop her musical artistry and successfully enter the music industry. Although the TV talent shows sell the promise of "talent prevails," Scott is pragmatic.

The music industry is a business, and Scott wants to be not only a successful performing artist but work in other aspects of the industry, including songwriting and music production. As such, this Charlotte, North Carolina native decided she needed a course of study that took a deep dive into entrepreneurial frameworks as well as topics such as race, class, and gender. That's where, Scott found, both the business and music curriculums she researched fell short.

Rather than pursuing a music degree with a few business electives or a business degree with little musical overlap, Scott developed an independent concentration she calls Entrepreneurship and Music Innovation. "Creating my own concentration and gaining approval was one of the most difficult things I've ever accomplished as a college student," says Scott. "I was ecstatic to finally be able to pursue a concentration that combined my academic interests and my passions."

While her independent concentration is new, Scott says she has always been passionate about singing and was frequently involved in music groups and songwriting while growing up. "I wrote my first song in high school," says Scott. "In my sophomore year at Brown, I decided to take my passion more seriously and pursue a music career post-grad!" As for her favorite artists, she currently draws inspiration from Rihanna, Flo Milli, Melanie Martinez, Kendrick Lamar, and Miley Cyrus (who, by the way, turns into Hannah Montana when she puts on a wig!).

Sydney Scott

To be clear, Scott recognized at an early age that getting accepted to prestigious universities required academic excellence – and she did just that at Charlotte Latin School. Among other scholarly accomplishments, she became the 2017 recipient of the Frederick Douglas and the Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences. She was also inducted into the Spanish Honors Society in 2016. Her efforts enabled her to exceed the academic requirements to attend Brown, Harvard, and the other Ivy League colleges.

Oh, and then there was track and field.

Higher, Faster, Stronger!
Sydney Scott was more than an outstanding student at Charlotte Latin School – she was an exceptional student/athlete. Although she excelled in basketball and volleyball, what caught the attention of the Bears' coaching staff was Scott's accomplishments and leadership while a member of the Hawks' Track and Field Team. Consider the following:

8x State Champion
2x School MVP
Holder of five school records
2x Charlotte Observer First Team Track and Field
Team Captain (2017-2018)
2019 Best Multi-Sport Performing Athlete

With that background, it was no surprise that Scott won the Track and Field Woman Rookie of the Year for the Bears in 2019. And there's more, much more.

First, consider that with the level of athletic competition at the college level, most track and field athletes specialize in only one event. Not so with Scott. Scott adds valuable team points for the Bears in the sprints, specifically the 60m, 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m.

Asked what event she enjoys the most, Scott replied. "The 4x100 relay! It's one of the few events where you get to compete with your teammates and not next to them, and the adrenaline you get from exchanging a baton and passing it along the relay is unmatched. I think my splits in the 4x100 are always faster than my open 100 times!"

Thanks to the hard work of Jumps Coach Ken Hunt (who also currently serves as the Interim Head Track and Field Coach) and Sprints and Hurdles Coach Gabriel Mvumvure, Scott's athletic journey can best be described as "Kaizen."

Translated from the Japanese, Kaizen means "constant and never-ending improvement." Despite the challenge of COVID, Kaizen aptly describes Scott's competition history at Brown. Case in point: indoor 60m from 7.73s to 7.55s, outdoor 100m from 12.28s to 12.08s, indoor 200m from 25.78s to 24.65s, indoor long jump from 5.41m to 5.83m, and indoor triple jump from 11.72m to 11.80m. Coach Mvumvure offers insight into how Scott does it.

"Sydney has mastered the art of chasing her dreams from all facets of her life with great desire, discipline, and determination," says Mvumvure. "Sydney has an 'If it's to be, it's up to me!' attitude. She can proactively address all things that make her better, and she is not reactive in affirming concerns that can stunt progress."

Of course, a track star doesn't just show up at meets, start breaking records, and walk away with medals hanging around their neck. Scott's daily track practices often last north of three hours, and three times a week she pumps iron at the David J. Zucconi Strength and Conditioning Center. This 12,000 square-foot varsity weightroom was designed by Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Brandon O'Neall. The center opened its doors in 2012 and features 18 state-of-the-art "do it all" training stations and an indoor turf area for warm-ups, sled work, and agility training.

Scott is not a weightlifter but uses weight training to help her jump higher, run faster, and avoid injury. That said, Scott has put up numbers on free weight exercises that would make weightlifting coaches cry. For your consideration: Hex bar deadlifts with 345 pounds, squats with 240-pounds, cleans with 165 pounds, and repetition chin-ups with additional resistance.

The summer is the off-season for the track, but Scott says "that doesn't mean my training stops! During the summer it's important to stay in shape, heal past injuries, and work on my weaknesses as an athlete." Such commitment enabled Scott, in the first indoor track meet of her senior year, to win the 60m, win the long jump, and receive the "Women's Performer of the Meet" award. But there's more to track and field at Brown than winning and receiving awards.

"The Brown Track and Field Team is a close community with a family atmosphere," says Scott. "The majority of my closest friends at Brown are all track athletes, and the relationships I have with my teammates are definitely one of my favorite parts about going to Brown." And then there's the bond Scott has with her coaches.

"I have a close relationship with both Coach Ken and Coach Gabu, and that bond translates into success on the track. They both care about me as a person and an athlete, so my communication and trust with them is really strong. They've always been part of my support system. They're also both huge jokesters, so I've spent a lot of time laughing and trying to out-prank them"

Scott balances school, track, holding leadership positions on two student-athlete committees, and refining her singing chops as a performer in the a cappella group Shades of Brown. She also did a summer internship at a professional social network called Polywork. Such motivation and discipline are already paying off.

In March, Scott signed a contract for her first paid music gig. "I'll be creating hip hop music based on educational material to be used in educational modules for K-12 online learning! It's amazing to take this first big step in my music career, as well as contribute to an amazing form of non-traditional education!"

Scott has been on the fast track as one of the Ivy League's premier multi-event track athletes, setting the standard for future Brown athletes to strive for. And in a few months, Scott will become the first Brown University student to receive a degree in Entrepreneurship and Music Innovation, giving her an edge for a career in the music industry. There's more.

"I'm currently in the process of applying to graduate schools!" beams Scott. "I haven't made any decisions yet, but I'll end up doing either a master's similar to an MBA or a master's in the music industry. My main motivation for going to grad school is to use my remaining athletic eligibility to keep running track! And, if I'm able, I'd like to continue with track after grad school."

Coach Hunt has worked with Sydney Scott throughout her entire college experience. Asked about what most impressed him about this talented athlete, Hunt replied, "Syd has a presence about her, and is destined for greater things on multiple fronts. What we are witnessing now is just scratching the surface!"

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