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11/28/2018 08:36 AMThe official naming ceremony won't take place until next season, but a sign at the Branford High School sports complex will be raised in 2019 in honor of the Cathy and John McGuirk Field Hockey Field.
Cathy McGuirk served as Branford High School (BHS) head coach of field hockey for 41 years, and was joined in coaching by her husband, John McGuirk, as assistant coach, for many of those years. The McGuirks announced their retirement from coaching at the end of the 2017 fall season. The Board of Education (BOE) formed a naming committee at the close of the school year.
On Nov. 14, the BOE voted unanimously to accept the naming recommendation of the committee. The committee included BOE members and past and present parents of players, as well as a player and member from the coaching community, noted BOE Chairman Michael Krause.
The sign will be incorporated as part of James L. MacVeigh Alumni Athletic Complex at BHS. The complex also includes another named field, the George T. Dummar Jr. Baseball Field.
"The committee all felt, in knowing Mr. MacVeigh a little bit, [he] would be very honored to share his field with others," said Krause, speaking at the Nov. 14 full board meeting.
For over 40 years, the BHS field hockey team has held practices on a grass field in the complex while the teams also later transitioned to school's synthetic turf playing field behind the building. Krause also noted the committee felt it was important to recognize both Cathy and John McGuirk in naming.
"There was discussion about whether do we honor just the head coach, or do you honor both the head coach and the assistant coach. And we felt, based on the teamwork that Mr. and Mrs. McGuirk have done over 41-plus years, and how many girls that they have affected over the years, [it] was appropriate to honor both of them with this recognition," said Krause.
BOE Vice-chair John O'Connor said the Branford couple is an example of coaches dedicated to working with their players.
"This was their family, and this is just a nice tribute to a couple that devoted themselves totally to their student-athletes for 41 years. I think it's a nice recognition for them," said O'Connor.
The McGuirks were not in attendance at the Nov. 14 BOE meeting, but they will be the honored guests at 2019 sign installation and naming ceremony, said Krause. Over the coming year, the committee will meet periodically to plan for the event, working with BHS administrative and athletic department leaders, said Krause. According to Krause, the committee and the administration will be discussing the appropriate sign to honor the McGuirk's, the appropriate location on the main field, the date, and a variety of other items to appropriately honor two individuals that have given so much to the field hockey program and the community. The committee will than report all back to the board on the plans.
He said the intent of holding off on the field naming, potentially until the opening game of the fall sport next year, was a decision the committee made so as not to "interrupt the process" of 2018 BHS Field Hockey season.
Details of the event will be announced when complete.
"We'll plan out a very nice night for the McGuirks," said Krause. "I think it's well deserved, and I think a lot of people in the community will be very pleased with this."
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated a grass playing field at the school would be named for the coaches. Additionally, this updated version provides more clarification on the process involved in the committee's ongoing work to determine the appropriate sign, appropriate location and other details.