Just having one conversation with Upper School history teacher, girls track and field coach, and cross country coach Tricia Watson, it’s clear how committed to things she is no matter what hits her. From track star to teacher, Ms. Watson puts her heart into everything, especially her girls varsity track and field team; she makes each runner feel proud after every meet.
A former Fordham University runner, Ms. Watson has spent more than two decades coaching girls varsity track and field and balancing her work as a Global Cities teacher. “I believe that athletics and academics are complementary, that they exist in a way that should be together,” she said. In both the fields of teaching and coaching, Ms. Watson has her values rooted in the belief in growth and the power of a strong team.
In high school, Ms. Watson joined the track and field team, and her coach suggested that she later join cross country. “I loved being on a team, and those friendships lasted a lifetime,” she reflected. “I’m still really close with my teammates from high school and my coach, Ed Omer.” Her experience led her to a scholarship to Fordham University, where she started focusing on the 800-meter run and the distance medley relay.
Her career in coaching started 20 years ago in California, which led to her coaching in North Carolina and now in Connecticut, coaching at KO. She has never stopped coaching track and field since she started. She not only coaches track and field but takes on another challenge and coaches the girls cross country team. Her favorite part of coaching is watching students start their journey uncertain, but then slowly gaining experience. “There are 17 different events that we offer,” she explained. “So I just love seeing the progression and the confidence that builds in an athlete across the four years.”
Coaching was different from when Ms. Watson was an athlete as opposed to now. Nowadays, there are often outside commitments and with club teams that conflict with the KO schedule. So trying to incorporate the flexibility of games and practice for an athlete’s schedule who is working on a different timeline is difficult. Ms. Watson takes time making sure the athlete has the right schedule.
Ms. Watson hopes that her athletes will remember her as a fun and energized person instead of just remembering her drills and cues. She hopes they will remember all the good times they had with her, like when she gave a pep talk to her athletes or cheered them to the finish line. She wants to make a positive impact in their lives. “The way I cheer, the way I smile, and just how I make them feel,” she said with a heartfelt smile. “That’s what I hope they can remember me being.”
