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04/05/2018 12:00 AMPat Dougherty had a successful tenure as a member of the Haddam-Killingworth track program. Now, Pat is coming back to where it all began to give back to the Cougars as an assistant coach this spring.
Pat, a Killingworth resident and 2013 Haddam-Killingworth graduate, capped off his career as a Cougars’ athlete by taking first place in the javelin at both the Shoreline Conference and Class M State championships during the outdoor track season as a senior. With the victory at the Class M meet, he became H-K’s first throwing state champion since 2004.
Following high school, Pat attended the University of Rhode Island, where he studied toward a teaching career and also coached unified basketball. Pat graduated last year and then returned to Haddam-Killingworth to work as a para-professional. After serving as an assistant coach for the Cougars’ football and boys’ swimming teams, Pat is beginning his first season on the outdoor track squad’s coaching staff. He will mostly work with the sprinters, in addition to assisting the javelin throwers.
“After I got going as a para-professional at H-K, [boys’ outdoor track coach] Matt Diglio reached out to me, and I was very excited to help out,” says Pat. “It’s going to be cool to work with different individuals, and I want to make sure the kids are goal oriented. It’s going to be great to help out in any way that I can.”
Pat knows all about what it takes to be a top-tier high-school athlete. He’s eager to work with H-K’s present-day competitors who have those same aspirations and show them the extra steps that are needed to reach new personal pedestals.
“A lot of kids who do well in track are those who are committed year-round. I love helping those kids who have that motivation,” Pat says. “I also look forward to using my experience to help guide them to their goals, and then the success is just a bonus.”
Track and field typically comes down to fractions of a second or a matter of centimeters when determining a winner. That’s why Pat wants to emphasize the fundamentals that are so often the difference between first and second place in his new role as a coach.
“It’s about teaching them basic techniques, whether it is a certain throw or sprint or handoffs for relays,” Pat says. “[H-K track assistant coach] Sean Gallagher is pushing using the weight room, which is also a big part of the sport. I want to make sure they are motivated and pay attention to detail.”
Coach Diglio saw how Pat grew as an athlete on his path to becoming a state champion. Digilo says that Pat has both the passion and pedigree to help mold athletes of a similar caliber at Haddam-Killingworth.
“Not only is Pat extremely knowledgeable in the sport of track and field, but he has developed a rapport with our student athletes...As an athlete, Pat was very focused, driven, and always working hard to accomplish his goals, and we know that he will take that same approach as a coach,” Diglio says. “We are very excited to have Pat join us as a coach this spring and are looking forward to working with him and having him add his energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to help our student-athletes.”
Pat is excited to be working alongside some of the people who mentored him when he was an athlete. As he begins a new chapter at Haddam-Killingworth, Pat wants to see the Cougars display great intensity from the first day of practice through the final meet of the season, while meshing together as a group.
“I am lucky to be around the same great group of coaches that coached me. I want to make sure the kids are bringing the same energy to a practice that they would to a meet,” says Pat. “Beyond that, I want to make sure they are also being great teammates, because the team aspect is huge here.”