NFL: Sky Sports' Phoebe Schecter reveals how she became historic Buffalo Bills coach | OneFootball

Phoebe Schecter will be pitchside at the Stade Farm Stadium in Arizona for the Super Bowl LVII, providing her expert insight for Sky Sports as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

It will not be the first time Schecter has been present on the sidelines of a heavyweight NFL encounter.

In fact, she is more than used to it, having completed a coaching internship with the Buffalo Bills in 2018 to become the first British female coach in the NFL.

Schecter’s journey to this moment is remarkable, particularly because she didn’t start playing the sport herself until she was 22.

How did Phoebe Schecter become a Buffalo Bills coach?

Speaking to GiveMeSport Women, Schecter explained how she moved to the UK from the United States to pursue a career in equestrian.

“About a month after I moved, I got involved in American football by just seeing an advert on social media,” she said.

“I went to the tryouts, somehow made the team, although I had no idea what I was doing.”

Schecter, who has dual citizenship, went on to play for the British women’s American football team, helping the side to a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships. She also became a coach in the sport.

“I started coaching youth in Manchester. Then I remember doing my first ever college experience, just going out there. I paid for my tickets out there, stayed on one of the coach’s couches for a week, but that really made me fall in love with coaching.

“It was pretty much not long after that I applied to the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship and ended up getting my first opportunity with the Buffalo Bills.”

Schecter admitted she had to overcome her own self-doubt during her time with the NFL outfit.

“The amount of times that I’d think ‘I didn't start playing until I was 22’, and I was in an environment where people spent their entire lives to get to, they had known the game since they were four years old.

“Not giving myself the credit at the time was probably the biggest obstacle. How do I overcome this feeling of, I'm not as good as them.

“But you have to believe in yourself. You have to understand the value that you bring to an organisation. For me, I bring positive energy, consistency.”

While Schecter is an inspiration to women interested in becoming a coach, she is not the first woman to take up such a role in men’s sport in the US.

Becky Hammon, Kim NG, Katie Sowers are also among those to blaze a trail across the NBA, MLB and NFL.

Schecter agreed with the notion that the US is doing more to diversify the coaching staff in men’s sport than the UK, which does not have a single female coach in the top four flights of football.

“You look at the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, all of that," Schecter said. "They're all being really intentional with opening up these pathways for women, and minorities in general, to be involved.

“I would say, and I've had this conversation with a few people in the UK in terms of building up teams, I think there's still a couple things.

“There should be more focus on creating these internships where they come in and see, what it is like to be with Manchester United, with Liverpool? How does that look?

“Then also, there is still this culture, where people are afraid to lose their jobs, people are afraid to open up and help other people out, which is not great.

“It’s definitely a culture still in the UK where people don't want people that look different to them to be in their roles.

“I think we need to move beyond that, because diversity allows for spaces to be creative, and see things from a different perspective completely.

“Again, I think you have to be intentional, and create pathways and opportunities for people.”

Who is Phoebe Schecter predicting to win the Super Bowl?

I was super excited about these matchups,” Schecter revealed. "You’ve got the Philadelphia Eagles who have been just consistent this whole season.

“Then you’ve got Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who are explosive and they are the team that everyone loves to watch.

“For me, I think I love the mentality of the Philadelphia Eagles. I love the way that they don't want to take their foot off the gas pedal, they're going to keep it down and they're going to keep running you over.

“For me, combined with their defence which is elite, I think that might be the deciding factor on Sunday.”