About Coach Kath
Information. Instruction. Inspiration.
On an early Saturday morning in the spring of 1972, a scrappy tomboy lined herself up on the track of the nearby college to race a 50-yard dash. Chalk lines carefully laid down the stretch, she looked left then right, at the competitors aligned; then straight ahead to a ribbon pulled across the finish line. Right then and there, she decided, “I shall (will) be first.”
And she never looked back.
Coach Kathy Devaney completed an award winning career in collegiate Field & Track, earning numerous conference titles and All-American honors three times in the discus. She participated in 3 National Championships. After competition, she coached for 8 years at California Polytechnic State University and tutored 13 All Americans and 2 National Champions.
Following coaching, KathyD helped raise 4 children and coached them in their favorite sports. In addition to working with her own children, KathyD coached at the youth level for 16 years and assisted hundreds of young athletes pursuing the highest level of competition their skill, talent, interest, effort and family support allowed. Further, KathyD has served on numerous boards and nonprofits and has contributed to a wide range of community improvement causes.
Kathy presently serves as Assistant Coach, Throws, at San Luis Obispo High School, where she has been since 2006; and continues to grow a program offering whole health opportunities to dozens of student-athletes each spring.
Coach Kath lets her artistic side serve counterpoint to the joyful demands of rearing a family and coaching: she continues to play piano, perform with a cover band, paint rocks and bake delicious desserts.
Even discipline takes a visionary break from time to time.
What a Hero Looks Like:
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field. There just wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. As a girl, growing up in the pre Title IX ‘70s, Kathy identified. She was a natural athlete who could swing the bat, throw the football, race on foot with th’best of th’boys.
Coach Kath wanted to be as good as Babe who won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics; then made an easy shift to professional golf. Once again a natural, Babe won 10 LPGA major championships. While Kathy never reached this level of athletic prowess, Babe has remained an inspiration for Kathy's entire life.
Women up against it, persevering. These are what heroes have looked like to Coach Kath. Babe, Wilma Rudolph, Wyomia Tyus.
Making waves and staking claim.
