Someone who happens upon a Virginia Commonwealth University fieldhockey practice might, at first glance, wonder if the head coach ispresent.
She’s out there all right. Oftentimes, field bossKelly McQuade can be found right in the middle of the drill givingher charges some hands-on demonstrations.
That’s one of the advantages of being a young head coach notfar removed from her playing days. McQuade turns 28 inSeptember.
“I played in the CAA. I know what it takes to succeed.I know the challenges. I know the way to guide them to becomesuccessful,” said McQuade, a 2004 graduate of William andMary who played field hockey and lacrosse for the Tribe.
“Also, I can jump back in, school them in some drills. That never hurts. I love to be able to play and I’mstill active enough that I can jump in and show them. I thinkit adds to the level of respect, helps with the level ofcredibility. I can still do it.”
She did it pretty well for the Tribe. McQuade was an All-CAAplayer in 2003, scoring 12 goals and adding four assists. She hadfive game-winning goals that season. For her career, McQuadehad 28 points on 16 goals and sixassists.
At Central Bucks West High in Doylestown, Pa., McQuade was anall-state field hockey player who had 31 career goals. She wonletters in diving and lacrosse, as well, and left as theschool’s career goals leader in lacrosse.
Once done playing, McQuade spent two years at William and Maryassisting the field hockey and lacrosse programs. She moved to VCUas an assistant in 2006 and was the head coach one seasonlater.
VCU Director of Athletics Norwood T. Teague saw enough of McQuadeto become confident she could lead the program even with herrelatively limited coaching experience.
“Kelly at a young age is someone who seems likeshe’s been coaching for 10 years with the way she recruits,the way she relates to her players, just the way she runs theprogram,” Teague said.
“She’s reshaped that team and that program in ways Icould not have imagined. I’m excited to work with herand to see where she’ll take the program. It’llbe a great era under Kelly. We’re fortunate to haveher. We have someone at a young age who is very talented,very professional, who is doing great things.”
McQuade’s first VCU team finished with a 5-13 recordthat is a little misleading. The Rams lost in overtime tonationally ranked teams American and Old Dominion. They lostby a goal to nationally ranked James Madison. They had fourother one-goal defeats.
It was an upgrade over the previous season, when the team gave upat least four goals in 10 games. In 2008, that number fell tofour. The team gave up two or fewer goals 11 times.
McQuade is confident the improvement can continue thisseason and into the future.
“ I’d like to see is where we are consistently in thetop 20 and challenging for the CAA title,” 
McQuade said.
Her message is being well received on the recruiting trail,where she makes it clear that prospective players shouldn’texpect a soft coach just because she happens to be a youngcoach.
“I demand a lot out of the players,” McQuadesaid. “I demand accountability. I demand thatthey are respectful of their fellow players, that they keep pushingto get us where we want to be.
“I think it is very important as a coach to incorporate allaspects of a kid’s life, not just athletics. For me,coaching includes everything. I’m going to get on yourcase if you’re not doing well in school, if you aren’tgoing to class, if you aren’t doing your study hall –as much if not more so than if you’re not doing what youshould be on the field.”
VCU, she said, affords a student-athlete a chance tocompete at a high level and provides the support needed to succeedacademically.
“This is unparalleled,” McQuade said. “Having a specific advisor for the different sports that meetwith the teams once a week, having the tutoring available, thestudy halls, so many things that are geared toward the academicsuccess of the students. The support isincredible. That is one of the biggest selling pointsof VCU. The school is committed to excellence before you geton the field.”
Once on that field, McQuade will take her stick and show her teamexactly what she means.
“We’ve gone from no structure to having astructure,” she said. “We play much more of apossession game. Attack. Make them tired. Attack. I don’t know that we’ll ever havethat 100 percent flashy, skilled player. We’regoing to work to be so strong as a team, where everybody is on thesame page and everybody knows what everybody else is doing so youcan know without having to look where everybody is going tobe.”
