PD News

SUNDAY SITDOWN

With Jack Smiles Associate Editor

Kathy Healey, 49, is the only sports coach to have been a head coach at all three local high schools, Seton Catholic, Wyoming Area and Pittston Area. Currently she’s the head girls’ basketball coach at Pittston Area. She graduated from Seton Catholic in 1978 and got as B.S. from Marywood University in Health and Phys Ed. She has a Master’s degree from Wilkes University. She’s a Health and Phys Ed teacher at Hanover Area High School and lives in Pittston where she grew up with her parents the late Joseph and Rosaleen Healey.

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How did you get into coaching?

Marlene Marriggi called me when I was a freshman in college and asked me if I wanted to coach with her at St. Mary’s Avoca grade school. I was there four years. I loved it. For a little grade school we practiced every single day. We were much better than the other teams and won a lot of championships.

Had you wanted to be a coach?

Not really. Not before St. Mary’s. I wanted to play, but we only had one car and I couldn’t get back up to Marywood for practice. (laughs).

How did you get to the high school level?

Margie Pace asked me to be her assistant and JV coach at Seton. I did that for eight years and then was hired as head coach when she stepped down.

At that point did you see yourself in it for the long haul?

Yes, definitely. Once I got to Avoca I was committed. I saw myself coaching all the time.

What attracted you?

It’s just something I love. I love basketball. I love working with the kids.

I love the strategies at the end of a tight game.

I love that adrenaline rush.

Catholic education and girls’ basketball go together well?

It was the only sport for girls. Now they have cross country and other sports, but for a long time basketball was it for Catholic school girls and they really embraced it.

Do Catholic schools have an unfair competitive advantage?

I kind of have mixed emotions about that. When I was at Seton, I didn’t think so. Now that I’m in a public school, I can see the point because at a Catholic school you can draw from anywhere. There are no boundaries.

Could you pick an all-star team?

Oh my God, that’s hard. You don’t want to hurt people’s feelings either.

I had a lot of stars, but I had a lot of role players who didn’t get much attention. You can’t win without them.

Players often have love- hate relationships with coaches?

I love basketball and I want the kids to be committed as I am. I think that might turn some kids off, because they might have other things to do. They have jobs. They want to be with their friends more. Not everybody’s going to like you. My mother used to tell me that a long time ago.

Does girls’ basketball get the attention it deserves?

At Seton we were the top dog, so definitely at Seton. At Pittston I feel the administration has been behind us 100 percent. Whatever the girls need, whatever I needed they’ve been above and beyond what we’ve asked for, and the kids have been really good. Mr. Turco has been supportive. He wants what’s best for the girls.

What about the Pittston fans?

I thought they were pretty good this year. They came out to see the kids play hard. We trapped a lot, we ran a lot. The students came out and that’s a key for players when their peers come to games. I think we had more people in stands than other years, but I don’t really look in the stands. I focus on the game. Somebody will say did you see so and so there and it’s “No.”

Were players more committed 20 years ago?

Absolutely. They didn’t have cars. Their parents drove them everywhere. They didn’t have jobs. There so much more for them to do now. Having said that, I think the Pittston girls were very committed this year.

You had 20 win seasons at Seton. Is it harder to win at a public school?

I don’t know. Seton had the top players from a lot of grade schools forming one team. In a public school you can see what’s coming up in grade school and middle school, so you can actually start them in first grade. Our seventh, eighth and ninth coaches did a good job this year. If we can get those kids committed to basketball we’ll be really, really good. Everything goes in cycles. Is it harder to win at AAAA? Yes. But if you get the girls committed and believing in themselves it doesn’t matter what league you play in.

You had a career change?

Yes, I delivered mail for 19 years. The last eight of those I was looking for a teaching job. I have a stack of about 35 rejection letters. My boss used to ask when I was going to stop looking for that teaching job. I’d say, “When I get it.”

What do you do at Hanover?

Teach health and phys ed. Right now I teach swimming, I’m in the pool all day, except I have senior CPR. I have the best job in the world.

You teach at one school and coach at another?

I think it’s good. I live a mile and a half away from Pittston Area. If something happens, I don’t have to drive 20 miles to help another coach or see a junior high game. I see different sets of kids everyday. It’s refreshing. I like that.

Mentors?

Well, Margie and Sister Sandy was my coach, so I really looked up to her a lot. This year Jim Blaskiewicz, Coach Nemetz from Redeemer, Coach Callahan from Hanover and Doug Miller from the Rock. We talk a lot. They share a lot with me.

Why aren’t there more female coaches?

I think when the whole thing changed about the pay it attracted more men. Boys sports used to pay more, now that’s there’s equal pay more guys get into coaching girls.

How do you enforce discipline?

We have rules and they have to be followed. The girls and the parents sign off on the rules and they know the consequences if they aren’t followed. If they are going miss practice they have to call me. No texting, no leaving a message. They have to talk to me. I can’t text my boss if I’m not coming in. There may be things they don’t like to do, but they have to do them.

Is there too much pressure to win? Is it overrated?

No, it’s not overrated. I hate to lose at anything. Why play if it’s to lose? I don’t think anybody can put more pressure on me to win than myself.

But they are students first?

Well, of course. We follow their academics. They are in school for an education and it’s a privilege to play basketball. And there are life lessons. Be on time, work well with others. Kids I coached 20 years ago still get to work 15 minutes early.

Favorite other sport

I like to run and play golf. To watch, baseball. I’m a Yankee fan.

Favorite all-time Yankees?

Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly.

What’s on your IPod?

A Mike Krzyzewski motivational speech, even though I’m a UNC fan (laughs.) Music? I listen to classic rock. I like the Beatles.

Hobby?

I’m a computer geek. I’m not a PC. I love my Mac. I can make videos with graphics and music and stuff.

TV?

I tape Biggest Loser, but I don’t like to sit around and watch TV much unless it’s basketball. I’m always on the go.

Favorite food?

I like pizza. I go to Tony’s a lot.

Dinner guests?

My mom, my dad and Pat Summit.

Sunday Sitdown is a weekly interview feature conducted by Jack Smiles. Suggestions for interviewees should be sent to jsmiles@psdispatch.com. Call him at 602-0178.