CHALK TALK with KEVIN FAHEY
Head Club Ice Hockey and Assistant Field Hockey Coach
"Chalk Talk" is a feature that will focus on
our outstanding coaches on staff at St. Joe's.
The Royal Blue faithful will learn more about our coaches as they
are asked various questions about their experiences as a coach as
well as their life away from athletics.
Kevin Fahey recently completed
his third season as an assistant field hockey coach and is in his
fourth year as the club ice hockey head coach at Saint Joseph's.
His field hockey coaching career began in 1980 at Bonny Eagle High
School where he put in time at both the freshman and varsity
levels. He also coached softball and indoor/outdoor track for the
middle school and started the Scots' ice hockey program and led the
team for five seasons. Fahey retired in 2006 after teaching at
Bonny Eagle for 31 years. He currently resides in Sebago, ME with
his wife of 38 years, Patricia.
Background information about Fahey's playing
days:
I played football, starting center my senior year, at Waltham (MA)
Senior High School. Our team was undefeated my senior year (9-0)
and were Eastern Massachusetts Co-Champions. In hockey, I played
goalie and started my junior and senior years at WHS. We made the
final four of the Eastern Massachusetts Tournament my senior year.
We ended up 3rd in the rankings and were selected to play in the
New England High School Tournament (last official one). We lost to
St. Dom's (Lewiston). I then attended Hebron Academy (ME), where I
played ice hockey and baseball.
I went on to play hockey at UNH, or as I like to put it, I was on
the team. I did not play a lot, but my picture is in the Holt
Gallery at The Whittimore Center.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a
coach?
Pretty much since I can remember. I grew up at a time when Little
League and other such organized athletic programs were first
instituted. There was a group of dedicated, mostly men (my dad
included), who gave countless hours of their time to the youth of
Waltham (MA). As corny as it sounds, I am trying to pay those men
back.
Who is/was your biggest influence as a coach?
My high school football coach, Hal Kopp, was a great coach,
greatest I ever played for at any level in any sport. I think of
him a lot during the season(s). David Petterson, who has coached
hockey in Portland and Bonny Eagle for years, has been a great
influence on me as I've entered my second phase of coaching ice
hockey. I'm also a firm believer of Bill Belichek's one game at a
time and it's all about the team philosophy. I really admire the
commitment the Pat's have towards their system.
What is your most memorable moment as a
player?
I can't pin it down to just one. I'm a member of Waltham High
School's 1965 Undefeated Class A Football Champions. The entire
team was inducted this past November to the Waltham HS Football
Hall of Fame. I'm very proud of that, though I missed the induction
ceremony as I was at the NAC Field Hockey Championship Game in
Castleton, VT. Funny but I told my teammates, what would Coach Kopp
do if given the choice between accepting an award or coaching his
team-in a conference championship game? Decision was an easy one.
Heck Coach Kopp would've opted for his team if it was a preseason
scrimmage.
My WHS ice hockey team was semi finalists (final four) in the state
tournament in 1966. We also were chosen to participate in what was
to be the last official New England High School Hockey Tournament.
That was a memorable time.
As a coach?
Suffering like we all do from myopia when asked questions like this
my first reaction would be to say going to the NAC finals in field
hockey this season. We did not win, but it was a memorable
occasion. While coaching field hockey at Bonny Eagle I also was
involved in several league championships including, but not limited
to, Class A State Finals in field hockey, and winning the Western
Maine title AT Sanford was huge. I coached the Bonny Eagle freshmen
field hockey team that year and we beat Sanford at Goodall in the
last game of the season, 1-0. That was the last field hockey game I
coached at BE (after 25 years) and it is something I'll always
remember. Also, and I've wanted to tell this story for years but
never had the platform. It was just a regular season 7th grade
softball game, but we were leading Kennebunk 5-2 in the bottom of
the 7th. First two batters reached base. Next batter hit a lazy
looper to our short stop and short story is she turned it into a
game ending triple play. I will always remember that.
What is your funniest or most embarrassing moment as a
coach?
Nothing comes immediately to mind, I've never left a player at a
game or anything! Only thing I can think of is I threw my car keys,
they were in a bag, into a dumpster at a softball game at
Westbrook. I realized it when we got back to school. Luckily, the
game was only at Westbrook and not say Noble or Marshwood.
Favorites:
Movie: JAWS, the first one.
Food: Seafood
Pro sports team: Patriots
Pro athlete and why?
I admire many NHL goalies for their abilities and commitment, but
if have to pick one favorite player, I guess it would be Sidney
Crosby. He's from the Maritimes, has handled all the pressure,
despite his age, quite well. He's put the NHL back in the limelight
in the USA, as much as can be expected. He's a fantastic player,
and he played Timbit Hockey!
Most famous person you've met:
A lifetime friend of my father's used to hold a celebrity golf
tournament in Massachusetts. One year I met and got to walk around
the course with Bobby Orr! Great experience and he was a real down
to earth, nice person. Though I was almost brought to tears because
Bobby limped around the course. All those knee operations!
If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it
be and why?
This is really tough. I'm now in such a sports mode, I can't think
of anything else, like a famous person from history. Jacques
Plante, who revolutionized goaltending in the 60's with his style
of play and he was the first to wear a mask in the NHL, he'd be a
logical choice but I met him at a hockey camp, and I don't speak
French.
Lord Stanley...that's my choice. I would like to first off thank
him for donating the Cup. I could talk to him about the Cup, where
he got it, why he chose to donate it, etc. While we all may have
our favorite sports and I realize that ice hockey is not number one
on many lists, I think it would be hard not to agree that the
Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy of all the major sports team
championship trophies. All the names on it alone! Ever see the
Pat's run around the field carrying the Vince Lombardi Trophy? Is
there a pecking order for who'll hoist those other trophies over
their heads, like there is with the cup? Ever see a MLB player kiss
that trophy with all the flags sticking out - that could be
dangerous. Who in the overall scheme of things is Larry O'Brien
(NBA)? The history, the traditions, the stories, the Cup!
Tell us something about yourself that most people don't
know:
Given the opportunity, I would move to Atlantic Canada (aka the
Maritimes) in an instant. Though don't tell Brian (Curtin)!!
Hobbies away from your sport:
The easy answer to this USED to be spending time with my two
daughters, but they are grown now and living in Canada and Northern
California. I don't really have any hobbies, pretty much spend my
spare time taking care of the house and yard, snow removal and lawn
maintenance and the like.
What you look for in a player when recruiting:
Skating ability (ice hockey). Size and everything else
notwithstanding, when I go to a game to look for prospective
players I look for those who can skate.
What do you do in the off-season?
The quick and easy answer to this is that I work in the food
service industry.
What are some of the challenges associated with coaching a club
team?
For four years now we have struggled to define what a Club Team is.
I think we finally figured it out, and it has to do with
finances/funding and not commitment. THAT has been the biggest
challenge to establish a team identity and all that goes with it to
a club.
What expectations do you have of your team every
year?
While it is nice to win and I hate to lose as much as anyone, I
expect my team to be competitive, to play at their best at all
times, and as Sidney Crosby says, the first goal is to have
fun.
What did it mean for you and the field hockey team to be in
the NAC this year?
I can't speak for the team but for me it was HUGE. Except for Notre
Dame Football, I never really understood the Independent concept.
Last year when we'd play an away game they'd always announce it
like "Welcome to today's NON Conference game between St. Joe's
and...In fact, most of the time the customary pre-game stick check
wasn't even performed by the officials when we were an
independent!
Being in the North Atlantic Conference really gave our team a goal,
to make it into and do well in the conference playoffs. As an
Independent, it's very difficult to earn an NCAA berth, but when a
team wins the NAC tournament, they're automatically in.
Anything else you feel the web site readers should know
about you/your program?
Field Hockey - that we really appreciate all the support from the
school, even though most don't know all that much about the
sport.
Ice Hockey - That we're back, we're committed to maintaining a
competitive ice hockey program here at St. Joe's and we'd love your
(continued) support. Last year the fan base was great. Hockey is an
exciting sport and, while playing our home games off campus is not
an optimum situation, we hope fans will continue to give us the
usual fantastic support that all SJC teams have come to expect.
They make royal blue sweatshirts as well as royal blue T-Shirts!!