While Natalie Randolph was officially announced today as one of the first ever female head football coaches, she was much more interested in discussing the future of the program at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School (Washington D.C.) than her gender.
"While I'm proud to be part of what this all means, being female has nothing to do with it," said the new coach. "Once all this clears, it's straight to business."
Randolph, who played for the D.C. Divas of the Independent Women's Football League from 2004-2008 and was an assistant coach at a local high school from 2006-2007, was hired to replace Jason Lane after he resigned earlier this year amid questions about players' academic performance. The new coach graduated from prestigious Sidwell Friends High School (D.C.) - Chelsea Clinton's alma mater - and ran track at the University of Virginia. She is a strong proponent of academic as well as athletic excellence.
"For all of my students - you already know - you are a student first, that is your job, you can't get anywhere without it. Sports are a means to an end; when you get out there, anything can happen but no one can take this away form you," she said.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was on hand to join Coolidge officials in formally introducing Randolph at Friday afternoon's press conference at the school. Her former Divas' teammates and current colleagues cheered wildly as she took center stage with a huge smile and an air of positivity.
Her appointment was met with tremendous enthusiasm from players, officials and fellow teachers.
"I took her (environmental science) class as a freshman and she helped me a lot, not only with the books but learning how to be a person in general. She’s a great teacher and she can only improve us as a team," said sophomore Oluwakemi Bamico, who will be in the mix for the starting quarterback job next fall. Junior defensive lineman Daniel West added, "That’s our coach, that’s the person who is our guidance. She's like a mother; the coach is like a mother or a father figure."
It was nice to see Coolidge players excited about Randolph and eager to discuss the hire. Several said she's one of their favorite teachers and they have no qualms about playing for a woman.
Seeing a group of her players surround her at the press conference was pretty cool; a touch of humanism in the violent, chaotic world of football. It'll be very interesting to see how this plays out when the season starts but it's a HUGE step in the right direction for a school district desperate for improvement. "Since I've been here I've been about change - new ideas and new things - and this falls right into line; I'm ecstatic about it," said D.C. Public Schools' Athletic Director Marcus Ellis, who took over last August.
Change is certainly necessary - I've seen Division I recruits from Coolidge end up in junior college because they weren't taught how to perform in the classroom. Poor academics have been one of my biggest issues with DCPS since I started covering local sports here in 2008, and Randolph seems like a breath of fresh air.
"You can be the best player in the world but if your academics aren't right, you will not be going to college," said West, one of several students who took part in the media availability and showed tremendous maturity. "When I talked with Ms. Randolph, she assured me that she's not only for us on the field but for us in the classroom. First and foremost, she is our teacher and first and foremost, we are students, before athletes." I was pretty impressed with this kid, especially.
Who said the women's rights movement was over? "I feel that it’s a great opportunity to wow the world and show them that, you know, that it’s still football, whether it be a male or female coach, you’re still playing football and competing every day out there," said Bamico.
Randolph spoke with confidence and didn't hesitate in expressing her purpose. "Some people will undoubtedly want to focus on my gender and they’ll focus on the historical meaning of this day but I’d much rather focus on something that all dedicated coaches already know: I'm here to give these young man, these student athletes - these wonderful students - the best opportunity and guidance to succeed in the classroom, to make good decisions at home and to perform well on the football field."
Welcome aboard, coach.
The Washington Post has an excellent story on this
Check back for my feature on Randolph for the Northwest Current, coming next Wednesday.
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