Coach Receives Award, Now Takes On New Challenge

For most in the working world, reaching the zenith as one of the best in their chosen professions would be the highlight of their careers, and the point at which some would simply decided to rest on their laurels, maintain what success they have had or just coast into retirement.

But that could not be further from what Kathie DeBonis is doing—instead, she is taking on a new challenge.

A little more than a month after being recognized by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association as an outstanding coach in field hockey for her work at the , DeBonis is set to begin a temporary stint as the assistant principal at .

To take the position, which she says is temporary for now, DeBonis will take a sabbatical from coaching and a career she began nearly 25 years ago that has garnered this latest award.

"It's a great honor," DeBonis said of the sports award. "I do this because I like to promote the sport of field hockey."

On Dec. 6, DeBonis was one of 40 coaches recognized for her contribution to New Jersey high school athletics throughout 2010.

But the coach, whose career has spanned over portions of the past three decades, has excelled at every sport she has been involved in since beginning her career in the 1980s.

DeBonis has won more than 100 games in three separate sports—field hockey, girls lacrosse and girls tennis—and nearly 100 victories while coaching girls swimming. With a 221-98-8 career record in field hockey, DeBonis says she is most pleased with the positive impact she has been able to have on the lives of the students she has coached over the years.

"Field hockey has opened up doors and opportunities that I wouldn't have had otherwise," she said.

Over the years, DeBonis has also proven to be a quality girls lacrosse coach in a program she started on her own 15 years ago.

"We started from scratch," she said of the lacrosse team when it began to play in 1997. "It started with a vision. It was just about taking small steps every year."

But now, DeBonis said, she will take some time away from the team she has coached to 225 victories. It is a move, she said, that will be temporary.

"I have every intent and purpose of going back to coaching next year," she said.

Still, the move has caused what the coach characterizes as mixed feelings among members of her lacrosse team.

"I know they're excited for me too," she said. "So it's kind of bittersweet."

But DeBonis is enthusiastic about the temporary job at the middle school, with her appointment being approved by the board of education at the Dec. 21 meeting.

"I'm excited to be able to contribute to the school system in a different capacity," she said, adding that her experience working with high school students should help her deal with middle schoolers. "Seeing what goes on in high school, it can work backwards. You can see what works on that level."

Debonis will begin her stint as assistant principal on Jan. 12 and will remain there through the end of June.