Theresa Gorman was born to be a Bambie.
Gorman, a 1990 graduate of St. Hubert High School, loved the institution when she was a student. She loved representing the team in field hockey, which was her main sport, and also volleyball.
But like most St. Hubert grads, she never lost the passion for the school even after graduating. So after she was away from the school for a few years, she returned as a coach.
And with the exception of a few years that she spent as head coach of the Little Flower field hockey team, she never left.
Until now.
Gorman is stepping away from coaching the Bambies field hockey and lacrosse teams. It ends her 29 years of coaching field hockey, the head coach since 2000.
“I’m not going to lie, I always wanted to win the big game, and when I started as an assistant we went to championships and they were great experiences,” Gorman said. “But I had seasons where we didn’t win a game. Then I would watch them go play in college and knowing they never saw a stick before high school. I loved it.
“I wanted to build a winning team, and I cared about player development, but the biggest thing was teaching them and respect. I wanted to coach in a way that gives kids a foundation for moving forward as adults, and I think we did that.”
The “we” Gorman speaks of is her trusty assistant and fellow Hubert grad Kristen Lepkowski, who she played with in high school. Her other assistants are Jess Maloney and Kristi Mackin, who played for her at Hubert.
“(Lepkowski and I) have been coaching 22 years together and we played field hockey together in high school,” Gorman said. “We’ve been the dynamic duo ever since. I don’t know what (former athletic director) Pat Berry was thinking when she hired us, allowing us to cause chaos throughout the Catholic League, but something went right because we had some great girls and had a lot of fun. She was our teacher, too, so she knew what she was getting into.”
What Berry got by hiring Gorman was a dedicated educator, coach, friend, mentor and above all else, a Bambie.
Even when Gorman went on to coach lacrosse at Little Flower or Ryan, she was a Bambie at heart.
“We were at Ryan and Little Flower and we played Hubert’s, nothing felt weirder pulling up on a bus at Russo Park and standing on the visitor’s side,” Gorman said. “They would kick our butts and rub it in my face all field hockey season.
“I love it there. I always loved the school. Loved the kids. Everything we do, sisterhood, it’s a true statement.”
Gorman is a teacher above all.
She is a physical education teacher at St. Matt’s and she loves to help children improve. A true competitor, she loves to win, but she’s always put more stock in improvement than championships. And if any kid needs help, Gorman will lend a helping hand.
But there was something extra special about helping kids at Hubert.
“It means everything that I did it at St. Hubert,” Gorman said. “When I wasn’t at St. Hubert’s, I enjoyed it, I loved coaching and I liked helping build the sport in the Catholic League, but I couldn’t wait to get back.
“I’m proud of what we did. You’re playing on a field you share with the city. In August you show up with grass up to your shins, it’s so high that there were times you couldn’t find the ball. We were looking for a plot where you can play.
“When you coach these sports in the city, it’s tough, it’s tough for the girls, too. In the suburbs, they’re playing field hockey and lacrosse as kids. Philly kids play soccer. In the suburbs, they’re playing these sports. So we’re behind. But we have the best girls. Hubert’s girls are tough. They are great athletes. They give you everything they have.”
Although there was a time when she got yelled at by the parent of one of her players.
If you coach at any level, that might not be a huge surprise, but the shocking part was the mom yelling at her was the mother of 2005 graduate Aillen Miller, who is also Gorman’s sister.
“She forgot her field hockey bag, so she called me while she was at school and asked me to bring it,” Gorman laughed. “No other kid could call me to do it, so I wasn’t going to bring it for her. We lived about five blocks away, so she had to run home, get it and then run back. I remember watching, she got back at 2:59. If she was late, she would have been running.
“My mom yelled at me! But I was just treating her the same way I treated all the players. If she was on the team, she wasn’t getting any special treatment.”
That’s just one of the many things that made Gorman a special coach. But there are many others.
“It’s a sad day, it’s the end of an era,” said Hubert president Lizanne Pando. “Theresa Gorman bleeds brown and gold. She’s done her alma mater proud every single day in every single way. She really emulates a woman of faith and integrity and she had the strongest work ethic of anyone I’ve ever met. Her entire heart and soul was on the field.”
Her heart and soul remain with the Bambies.
She is starting to get more involved at St. Matt’s in various activities, but she will always have time for her players. She won’t be at every practice, but whenever her players need help, she’ll be there.
“I think I’m going to miss everything,” Gorman said. “I’ll miss watching them develop. Growing from just barely out of girlhood into incredible women. That’s a great journey. It’s always good to see them go off.
“But I’m not going to miss it because I’ll get a nice reclining seat and park down there and watch games. I do that at colleges now to see former players, but I’ll miss it. It will be hard, especially the season coming up. It’s been emotional. We’ve been laughing and crying. It’s hard and it’s emotional. It validates the greatest parts of it. We’ll see how I do, but I know they’ll be great.
“It’s just the right time. I’m nearly 50 years old. I’m 18 in my heart and 18 in my head, but my knees tell me I’m nearly 50. I’m going to miss it, but it’s the right time, but I’ll always be a Bambie.”
St. Hubert is looking for a lacrosse coach for the season, which begins in March. Interested parties can contact athletic director Ed Evanitsky at 215-624-6840, ext. 1560 or email [email protected].
