Stuart Country Day School Athletic Head Dishes Game Plan for First Season in Director Chair

It's funny how things sometimes work out in life.

When Kim Ciarrocca was growing up, there weren't a lot of opportunities for girls to play sports. Now, she's the one making the schedules for an all-girls school.

Ciarrocca is currently preparing for her first season as the athletic director at Stuart Country Day School. This follows a successful coaching and playing career for Ciarrocca.

"When I was growing up, I played in a lot of leagues with the boys," Ciarrocca said. "There wasn't as much available for the girls. There weren't all the travel or club teams. I was just fortunate. I had a lot of great coaches and mentors in my life. I'd like to be able to return that favor."

According to Ciarrocca, her mother was her first -- and best -- mentor. She understood Kim was energetic and very athletic.

"She pushed me," Ciarrocca said. "She saw something in me and pushed me. Without that support, I don't know what would have happened."

With the support, Ciarrocca was ready for the opportunites when they arose. She's in the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Hall of Fame. She was good enough to play lacrosse and field hockey at Temple University, where she also became a member of that school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

At Temple, Ciarrocca was a two-time All-American in field hockey and lacrosse. She gives a lot of credit to her success to two other mentors. Tina Sloan-Green was the lacrosse coach, the first African-American to coach the sport in Division I and, also, the first to win a national championship. Gwen Cheeseman was the field hockey coach and a former member of the United States Olympic team.

Hey, Ciarrocca said she had good coaches. She wasn't kidding.

Ciarrocca would go on to play for the United States National Lacrosse team from 1988-92. She was on the World Championship team in 1989.

"That was really cool," Ciarrocca said. "Next to having my children (Colby and Cade) and coming here to Stuart, winning the World Championship was the best."

Fortunately for Ciarrocca, she kind of has a knack for multi-tasking. Obviously, she played sports while an undergraduate student. She was also on the national lacrosse team and began her coaching career while working on a master's degree in Sports Administration (also from Temple).

Ciarrocca's first coaching job came at Ursinus College in 1990, when she led the lacrosse team to the Division III National Championship.

"It was my first year and I was able to teach these players my system and we won a National Championship," Ciarrocca said. "That was the highlight of my coaching career."

It would have to be special to be the highlight of Ciarrocca's coaching career. She would go on to coach at Randolph Macon College (1990-91), Muhlenberg College (1992), Temple (1993-2004) and the University of Delaware (1993-2004). She retired with 203 lacrosse coaching wins.

The University of Delaware was an ideal location because she and her husband (Kirk) both coached at the school. Her husband is currently entertaining offers to coach. Ciarrocca planned on retiring at the end of the 2010 lacrosse season.

"My kids weren't used to my being at home," Ciarrocca noted. "After about six months, they told me I needed to go back to work (laughs)."

She still had the energy. She still had the drive. She still loved sports. Ciarrocca just knew she wanted to try something other than coaching.

"I knew the minute I got down her and started talking to the people at Stuart that this was a good fit," Ciarrocca said.

Ciarrocca's job is to make the schedules for the sports teams and develop the curriculum for the physical education department.

"My main goal is for the kids to strive academically," Ciarrocca said. "If they want to play athletics, I'll help them there as well. I know I can help guide them in that area. That is one of the special things I can offer."

Ciarrocca plans to institute a College Night, which will explain to athletes and parents how to go through the process of finding the right fit to continue to develop as an athlete and a student at the next level.

"There's a lot of miscommunication on how you talk to college coaches," Ciarrocca said. "I can help there because I know a lot of college coaches and I was one."

That is down the road, though. In a a few weeks, school and a new athletic season starts at Stuart.

"Right now, we're really focused on Stuart," Ciarrocca said. "As it comes, we'll worry abut the next level. It's an exciting time here. We're starting a new soccer program (coached by Megan Lipski) from ground zero. Everyone will have an opportunity to play a sport if they want."

Ciarrocca is certainly excited about bringing her established skills to a new profession.

"I had the opportunity to coach a lot of All-American players," Ciarrocca said. "There are a lot of other players that I coached that I keep in contact. I believe I can make a positive impression on young people. That's my goal. I believe I can help others."