Lucy B. .Pellegrini, Vermont – 2002
Lucy is currently the Chaplain at the Helen Porter Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Bristol, Vermont. She previously taught at Mt. Abraham Union High School where she was the head coach of field hockey.
“For the past 34 years, much of my year has revolved around field hockey, first as a player and umpire, then as a coach, and always as an advocate of the sport and women’s athletics. From playing in matches against international teams to taking my high school team to England, from running a hockey camp to mowing our fields by hand, I have always believed that hockey can broaden perspectives, expand horizons, promote tolerance, understanding, and appreciation, and emphasize the importance of commitment and perseverance when striving toward a goal.”
Lucy has been affiliated with the Vermont Athletic conference and is a Gold Member in that organization.
Her coaching is varied and includes: 1973-1975 coach, Herringswell Manor School, Herringswell, England; Sauk Valley Hockey Camp, Michigan; 1975-1976 junior varsity and 1977-1991 varsity coach Mt. Abraham Union High School, Bristol, VT. Team statistics are not available, but with the exception of 1 year, teams made it to the state tournament and qualified by winning 60% of their games. They played through the quarter finals each year, the semifinals 6 times and the finals once.
She has long been an advocate for girls’ and women’s sport and has worked with the Vermont Headmaster’s Association Field Hockey Committee for over 10 years and with the Vermont Field Hockey Coaches Association as a selector for many years. She was the founder of the Vermont Junior Field Hockey Camp and worked with it from 1986-1996. She has also worked with the Bristol Little League as a commissioner on the governing board and directed the T-ball program. Lucy was the head coach in 1988 and 1992 of the Twin State program.
Lucy has been recognized by the Vermont Coaches Association as the Field Hockey Coach of the Year, Division II in 1991 and 1992. She was presented with a Distinguished Service Award in 1994.
“Believing that every member, if dedicated, had something to contribute to the team I never cut a player. I also encouraged all foreign exchange players to join, believing that they had much to contribute, even if they had never held a stick. All my players knew they would get playing time. Sportsmanship has always been of paramount importance to me and the only subjective awards I have ever given were Sportsmanship and Most Improved.”