During the summer of 2007, one of The Hill’s very own helped win gold for the U.S.A.
Lindsay Mulhern, Hill instructor of English and head coach of the girls’ varsity lacrosse team, was an assistant coach with the U.S.A. under-19 girls’ lacrosse team during the 2007 International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA) World Lacrosse Championship in Canada.
The Championship was held during the first two weeks of August and played host to 11 nations across the globe. The U.S. won the gold medal without much opposition, outscoring opponents 109-24 through six games. In the gold medal game against Australia, the U.S. had resounding success, winning 18-3. This is the third straight gold medal for the U.S. Under-19 team and head coach Wendy Kridel (who coaches at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore), with the previous teams winning in 1999 and 2003.
Mulhern, who coached during the U.S.’s first gold medal games in 2003 as a rookie assistant, came back for more this time around. Every four years, the assistant coaching staff is hand-selected by the under-19 head coach. Mulhern had to apply for an assistant coaching position again. After an arduous sorting out process, she was selected to help represent the U.S. at the Championships.
“Representing the U.S. is an amazing honor and I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented group of young women for the past year,” said an ecstatic Mulhern. “Winning the World Cup [Championship] is an incredible feat considering how much work went into preparing the girls for international play—which is very different than playing in the States. The year, overall, has been a very long process for the girls. For them to end their journey with the gold medal truly is a testament to their commitment and dedication.”
Attaining gold was a great accomplishment, but Mulhern believes there always is room to grow. As a coach, she knows the work she did in Canada will help play a valuable part in the coaching strategies she uses with The Hill when lacrosse season rolls around.
“I strongly believe it is essential to stay up to date with what is going on in my sport. There is no better venue in which to learn than during international play,” said Mulhern. “I also find it rewarding to work with other coaches to see what they are doing with different ideas.
“I can always use new drills or different ways of coaching simple skills, so I love this aspect of working with the U.S.A. team. I love coaching, and the amount of time I devote to the U.S.A. team only prepares me to do a better job for the Blues.”
Once a prominent lacrosse player for James Madison University, Mulhern spoke about the difference between coaching and playing. She says there needs to be a distinct separation between the playing career and the coaching career: Interlock the two, and a coach won’t be able to see the bigger picture. Although it isn’t easy for her to stand on the sidelines and watch things unfold, she says coaching is a different kind of action that requires patience and fortitude.
Mulhern didn’t exactly need the kind of patience that most coaches deal with during the Championship—the USA outscored all of their opponents by nearly 90 goals—but she did admit there were some obstacles to overcome.
“The hardest part for the girls was our week-long training camp in Buffalo,” she said. “It was hot and we were throwing a lot of information at them at once. We played two exhibition games against college players, and in the end I think the week was very stressful for the girls.
“Many of the girls said that week [pre-tournament] was the hardest thing mentally they had ever gone through. I spent a lot of time outside of practice reviewing our plays, rides, and defenses with the girls. For many of them it was information overload and they could not process all of the information at once.”
While the commitment and dedication to the team were pivotal in a successful run at the Championship, those two fundamental virtues also played a part in filling a gap between sporting life and home life. Mulhern noted that she was away from her home, husband (Matt Mulhern, associate director of Admission at Hill), two sons, and their yellow lab.
“I feel extremely blessed to have a husband who supports my ‘other life’ that takes me far from him and our two boys. I do not know how many people would be willing to let their spouse pack up as many times as I did this year and leave them all alone.
“As happy as he was that we won the gold again, I think he was even happier to have me back after being gone for almost three weeks in August.”
“In the end,” she says, “I do this as a volunteer. I never get paid a cent; I do it because I love it and I feel it is important to give back to the game. Women’s lacrosse has grown so much since I first picked up a stick 19 years ago. I feel honored to be a part of the best team in the world!”
The Hill School congratulates Mulhern on her tremendous accomplishment and wishes her the best of luck this upcoming lacrosse season.