This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
01/15/2016 11:00 PMKitty Palmer has been part of countless victories on both the field hockey turf and tennis court with two of the most successful programs in the state. Now, she has another honor to add to her mantel.
Kitty is a Guilford resident who recently completed her 34th year as head coach for Indians’ field hockey and her 15th at the helm of Hand girls’ tennis. Prior to starting her coaching career, Kitty played field hockey, basketball, and tennis for Foxcroft Preparatory School in Middleburg, Virginia and scored 37 of the field hockey squad’s 54 goals through a two-year span. The Class of 1972 graduate will soon be celebrated in the grandest way by her alma mater when Kitty is inducted in Foxcroft’s Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 5. She’s the school’s first unanimous Hall of Fame inductee in its three-year history.
“It wasn’t so unusual playing three sports back then versus now, but I was a part of a very successful class that was successful and got to play a lot,” Kitty says. “I loved prep school. It was a huge experience for me and made so many friends. I was very honored to be chosen for their Hall of Fame.”
In terms of her coaching career, Kitty explains that even though she strives to get the most out of her athletes, they are the ones who actually bring the best out of her. Kitty also says that the numerous triumphs of her coaching career go beyond the final count of games won or goals scored.
“I want to help them develop into a whole person, both on and off the field. I try to set a good example and work hard for them, but they challenge me as much as I challenge them. I really want them to come away with something, while having fun,” says Kitty, who was also a 2015 finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches’ Association National Coach of the Year award in tennis last June. “A great win for me is when someone improves at something that they hadn’t done much previously. This year for field hockey, we had a senior that hadn’t played much score on Senior Day. When they get that confidence, along with the joy of being with the kids and watching them develop, that excites me.”
During her tenure at Guilford, Kitty has taken five field hockey squads to a state final since 1994 and guided the Indians to their lone state championship when they shared the Class L crown with Simsbury in 1997. With Hand tennis, she collected back-to-back Class M championships in 2011 and 2012. Regardless of whether it’s the fall or the spring, a season with Kitty is always filled to the brim with memorable moments, notable victories, and studious pupils.
“It was extremely exciting to win those two titles in tennis. We had a lot of great teams that just couldn’t beat FCIAC teams, but those teams, I will always remember,” says Kitty, who’s also claimed two SCC crowns with Guilford and six with Hand. “For Guilford, the seasons kind of mold together, but the year where we were co-state champs was great as state titles are hard to come by. Also, the 2012 team that went to the Class M final [as a 10th seed] was special. We played well at the end of the year, which is what you hope for. Overall, though, there was something special about each season with both.”
Guilford field hockey goaltender Brooke Misbach completed her final season with Kitty this past fall and praises her coach for her attention to detail when it comes to prepping for prominence.
“Kitty was my coach since my sophomore year. She pushed all of us to do our best and knows the right drill to do to improve our play as individuals and a team,” says Misbach. “She always ran a tight team and is in it to win it.”
As one who gets to do what she loves by coaching two sports at different schools, Kitty says that each of their successes stem from the caliber of athletes she’s been lucky enough to work with.
“The kids and the programs are the same. They all want to be successful. The kids are great and I enjoy each season. The kids love to compete and learn,” says Kitty. “Coaching has been my life as it’s all I know and I’ve always loved sports. Coaching these kids and young adults, it’s all I do.”