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09/21/2017 12:00 AMMandy Tuthill has a plethora of experience as both an athlete and a coach throughout the Southern Connecticut area. Now, after recently stepping aside from teaching, Mandy is coaching a team at the same place where her field hockey career began.
Mandy, a Middlefield resident, grew up playing softball, basketball, and field hockey for Old Saybrook High School. After that, she got involved in coaching by taking over the JV field hockey squad at Newington High School. Mandy also coached various other sports while teaching at New Britain Middle School and New Britain High School. Last December, Mandy had the desire to coach again, so she retired from being a 7th-grade science teacher at New Britain Middle School and then saw an opening at her alma mater. Now, Mandy is in the midst of her first season as head coach of the Old Saybrook field hockey team, which notched its initial victory by defeating Haddam-Killingworth 3-2 on Sept. 13.
“Last year around Christmas time, my husband and I were talking, and I realized that I’d rather be coaching. I put in my notice and, when they asked me what I was going to do, I said I was going to find a coaching position with field hockey,” Mandy says. “I looked on the CIAC website and saw the positions posted. I saw Old Saybrook, and I thought it would be great to go back there. I wouldn’t have pursued coaching field hockey without the great experiences I had here as a player. I am excited and passionate about field hockey.”
Mandy feels quite invested in the performance of her student-athletes, but above all else, she wants them to strive for what’s best for the greater good of their team.
“As a coach, you have to always be mindful that they aren’t trying to make mistakes. It’s a risky business being an athlete. They go out there and hope the plays go the way they want them to. You have to be mindful that they are doing the best they can do, and you should tell them when they make a good shot or pass,” Mandy says. “I also believe in not using the word ‘don’t’. You want to tell them what to do rather than what not to do.”
Old Saybrook Athletic Director Mike Cunningham says that Mandy has the best interests of her athletes in mind and provides them with plenty of encouragement as they work toward their goals.
“Mandy’s compassion towards the student-athletes in the interview process was great. She really [is] excited to work with our girls and help them grow on and off the field. She has high expectations as a new varsity coach and is very supportive of the girls,” Cunningham says. “At Old Saybrook, we expect our teams to thrive on the field, but also be good people. Mandy, being a retired teacher, can offer that extra support for our field hockey program. She is a welcomed figure into our community and is a pleasure to work with.”
Mandy knows that wins don’t always show up on the scoreboard. In Mandy’s eyes, the biggest victories come when her athletes make progress and gain confidence in all aspects of life.
“It’s rewarding to coach when I see the kids make plays that make them smile. In our first game this year against Westbrook, they came out ready and were smiling at halftime about the things they did,” says Mandy, whose club was edged 1-0 by the defending Shoreline Conference and Class S champions. “It’s great when they recognize the good that they are doing. It helps to make them aware of how good they can be, and then they will step forward and take more risks.”
Mandy is optimistic about her role as head coach of the Rams’ field hockey squad. One thing that made Mandy feel good about taking the job was the responses she got when she asked her athletes to list their objectives coming into the campaign.
“We have 33 girls on our roster, and I asked them to write down their goals before the season started. A lot of the goals involved their ball and stick skills and some were that they wanted to be a good teammate, which is what I like to see,” says Mandy. “There are many ways to win. It can be in wins and losses, it can be in improving skills, or it can be in being a better teammate. I just want them to have the feeling that they’ve won.”