Kathy Flores
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Kathy Flores is a former rugby union player from the United States and now is the current Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team. 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 has been head coach and administrator for the U.S. Women's National team since 2003.
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[edit] Early years
Flores was born February 7, 1955 in Philadelphia and calls Tallahassee her hometown. She attended Monmouth Regional High School 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.[1]
[edit] Discovering rugby
In 1978 Flores started a masters program in exercise physiology 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. [2]
[edit] National level play
Flores toured throughout England and France with the first unofficial U.S. national team in 1986, known as WIVERN [3]. 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 scrumhalf and No. 8. [4].
[edit] 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.[5] 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. [6]
[edit] Regional and national level and coaching
Flores was the Pacific Coast Regional All-Star team Head Coach from 1995 to 2002.[7]
In late 2002, USA Rugby announced Kathy Flores as the new head coach of the Women's National Team.[8] 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. [[9] in 2007 Flores accepted a two year extension of her contract as head coach. [10]
[edit] Honors and awards
- 2001 Flores was named Women's Sports Foundation's Coach of the Year, [11]
- 2003 International Rugby Board awarded her the Personality of the Year Award, [12]
- 2004 International McLovin award
