Kathy Flores
Encyclopedia
Kathy Flores is a former rugby union
player from the United States
and was the Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team until Jan. 2011
and currently Head Coach of the Bay Area Touring Side (BATS) Rugby Club, the SF FOG men and the Berkeley All Blues. She has played rugby from 1978 to 1998 for Florida State University, the Berkeley All Blues Women's Rugby Club and U.S. Women's National Team. She started coaching for the Berkeley All Blues 1998 and had been head coach and administrator for the U.S. Women's National team since 2003.
in New Jersey, where she played field hockey, basketball and ran track.
During her undergraduate years at East Stroudburg University Flores played basketball
(guard) and was on the track team ( javelin
). She earned a B.S. degree in physical education in 1977. In 1997 Flores was inducted into the ESU hall of fame
for her athletic excellence during her undergraduate years.http://www4.esu.edu/athletics/hall_fame/inductees_03.cfm
at Florida State University
where she discovered the Seminoles, FSU's Women's rugby team. Drawing from her experience as a basketball
and track
athlete, Flores had the finesse and strength for rugby
. Flores played at Number Eight and scrum-half for the Seminoles and won a total of 4 National Championships. http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=1772&a=1795
and France
with the first unofficial U.S. national team in 1986, known as WIVERN http://www.uswrf.org/History.aspx\. The U.S. Women's National Team
made its first official international appearance at the Can-Am Rugby Tournament in 1987. With Flores capped at no. 8 and captain the U.S. defeated Canada
22-3, for which Flores scored a try
.
In 1991 the USA Rugby sanctioned Women's National Team
would compile a 7-1 record at the first Women's Rugby World Cup
championship with Flores on the pitch as a No. 8. http://www.womeneagles.com/firstCup.html.
In late 2002, USA Rugby announced Kathy Flores as the new head coach of the Women's National Team.http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=491 The following year she was honored with the IRB International Women's Personality of the Year Award. “Kathy was given the Women’s Personality of the Year Award for her contribution to the game first as a player and then in her capacity as an administrator,” said IRB Communications Director Chris Rea. http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=658 in 2007 Flores accepted a two year extension of her contract as head coach. http://rugby.viadesto.com/Information/DisplayFullStory.asp?NavPageID=59152&ItemID=224988
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was the Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team until Jan. 2011
United States women's national rugby union team
The United States women's national rugby union team represents the United States in women's rugby union. Officially formed in 1987, the Women's National Team has been an international powerhouse since its inception. The Eagles won the first official Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, and finished...
and currently Head Coach of the Bay Area Touring Side (BATS) Rugby Club, the SF FOG men and the Berkeley All Blues. She has played rugby from 1978 to 1998 for Florida State University, the Berkeley All Blues Women's Rugby Club and U.S. Women's National Team. She started coaching for the Berkeley All Blues 1998 and had been head coach and administrator for the U.S. Women's National team since 2003.
Early years
Flores was born February 7, 1955 in Philadelphia and calls Tallahassee her hometown. She attended Monmouth Regional High SchoolMonmouth Regional High School
Monmouth Regional High School is a regional, four-year public high school and public school district in Tinton Falls, Monmouth County, New Jersey that serves almost 1,200 students in grades 9 to 12....
in New Jersey, where she played field hockey, basketball and ran track.
During her undergraduate years at East Stroudburg University Flores played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(guard) and was on the track team ( javelin
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
). She earned a B.S. degree in physical education in 1977. In 1997 Flores was inducted into the ESU hall of fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
for her athletic excellence during her undergraduate years.http://www4.esu.edu/athletics/hall_fame/inductees_03.cfm
Discovering rugby
In 1978 Flores started a masters program in exercise physiologyExercise physiology
Exercise physiology is the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to a wide-range of physical exercise conditions. In addition, many exercise physiologists study the effect of exercise on pathology, and the mechanisms by which exercise can reduce or reverse disease progression...
at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
where she discovered the Seminoles, FSU's Women's rugby team. Drawing from her experience as a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete, Flores had the finesse and strength for rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. Flores played at Number Eight and scrum-half for the Seminoles and won a total of 4 National Championships. http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=1772&a=1795
National level play
Flores toured throughout EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the first unofficial U.S. national team in 1986, known as WIVERN http://www.uswrf.org/History.aspx\. The U.S. Women's National Team
United States women's national rugby union team
The United States women's national rugby union team represents the United States in women's rugby union. Officially formed in 1987, the Women's National Team has been an international powerhouse since its inception. The Eagles won the first official Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, and finished...
made its first official international appearance at the Can-Am Rugby Tournament in 1987. With Flores capped at no. 8 and captain the U.S. defeated Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
22-3, for which Flores scored a try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
.
In 1991 the USA Rugby sanctioned Women's National Team
United States women's national rugby union team
The United States women's national rugby union team represents the United States in women's rugby union. Officially formed in 1987, the Women's National Team has been an international powerhouse since its inception. The Eagles won the first official Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991, and finished...
would compile a 7-1 record at the first Women's Rugby World Cup
Women's Rugby World Cup
The Women's Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in rugby union for women. The tournament is organised by the sport's governing body the International Rugby Board...
championship with Flores on the pitch as a No. 8. http://www.womeneagles.com/firstCup.html.
Club level and coaching
Flores moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1994 where she started playing for the Berkeley All Blues. In 1998 Flores officially retired from playing rugby, and began a career in coaching as the Berkeley All Blues head coach. In 2007 she retired as Head coach of the All Blues to focus on the national team.http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=131&a=1581 The Berkeley All Blues won a total of 11 National Championship titles with Flores playing a key role, either as a player or coach. Flores also coached the Cal Women's college rugby team from 1998 to 2004. http://www.scrum.com/2444_19086.phpRegional and national level and coaching
Flores was the Pacific Coast Regional All-Star team Head Coach from 1995 to 2002.http://www.scrum.com/2444_19086.phpIn late 2002, USA Rugby announced Kathy Flores as the new head coach of the Women's National Team.http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=491 The following year she was honored with the IRB International Women's Personality of the Year Award. “Kathy was given the Women’s Personality of the Year Award for her contribution to the game first as a player and then in her capacity as an administrator,” said IRB Communications Director Chris Rea. http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=658 in 2007 Flores accepted a two year extension of her contract as head coach. http://rugby.viadesto.com/Information/DisplayFullStory.asp?NavPageID=59152&ItemID=224988
Honors and awards
- 2001 Flores was named Women's Sports Foundation's Coach of the Year, http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/about/awards/results.html?record=1
- 2003 International Rugby Board awarded her the Personality of the Year Award, http://www.irb.com/history/awards/pastwinners/index.html
- Honored as a Pioneer of the Women's game in the RFU "Women's Rugby - A Work in Progress" http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.Simple_Detail/storyID/13377/storytypeID/93/, http://www.scrum.com/2444_19086.php