Diane Morey, Bishop Brady High School
Years coaching – 8 years, 16 seasons (indoor and spring seasons)
Other coaching gigs, sports, schools: NHIAA T&F certified official, USA T&F member, USA T&F certified official, USA T&F masters athlete in throwing events
What got you into coaching? My kids wanting to play town sports that didn’t have coaches. They grew up with mom stepping up to coach soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball through the years. When my daughter joined track and asked the coach if I could help with the throwers her sophomore year, the rest is history since I was finally back to the sport of my choice.
Where did you get your coaching philosophy? Brady is a parochial high school, which fits well with me in that I want to work with respectful, grounded, hardworking athletes. I had high school and college track coaches that both taught me a lot about treating my athletes the way I’d want to be treated in their shoes.
Coaching Philosophy: It’s the coach’s job to break throwing techniques down into small easy to learn pieces, teach and drill those pieces in the correct order such that when they are put back together it becomes a thing of beauty.
Greatest coaching achievement: Talking my seniors into going out for their college track and field teams and some of them getting scholarship money to throw.
Favorite coaching achievement: Sean Sullivan winning 2016 Division III Discus State Title! He was probably the most surprised of anyone there. Little known fact: his big brother Stephen placed 2nd in Division 2 Indoor Shot Put my very first season coaching.
Greatest coaching moment: Working with Cam Labrie (Kennett HS) during training for the Granite State Games – Lakes Region. That moment when he realized I actually knew what I was talking about. He added roughly 15 feet to his already impressive javelin throw at our meet by having planned steps and turning/extending his hips into the throw.
Strength of your program: Roster is never closed and I never cut athletes, all are welcome.
Favorite workout: Throwing discus with my throwers, or when they ask to see a couple hammer throws (safety first of course).
How do you pump up the team before a big event? Team tradition for a moment of quiet before we get off the bus at any meet, a team captain says a prayer for the team.
Three athletes you would love to have dinner with: Mary Decker – to talk about perseverance. Al Oerter jr – to learn what steps a coach took to teach him discus throw so he was able to win Olympic gold in 4 consecutive Olympics. Jesse Owens – to apologize for how he was treated and to thank him for what he did for our sport.
Coach you look up to: Coach Ira Brown, from Woonsocket, RI was my throw coach at Bryant College (now University). He taught me not just how to physically throw, but the science behind each piece of throwing techniques. Thank you, Coach!
