Coach's Corner

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY OFFICE

"I try to run every day," Didio said. "I love to run and the peace I get with it. Lots of times, I use the time to have a talk with myself and plan what I'll do with the team that day. Almost all of my team talks come to me while I'm running."

And those talks are doing the job. After a 7-2 victory over Holy Cross on Wed., Oct. 14, Didio's Elis are 8-2 on the season and ranked 19th nationally.

When Didio came to Yale in 1997, she brought with her a wealth of experience. She has held head coaching positions at Tufts, New Hampshire, and Northwestern and played on the U.S. National Field Hockey Team. Didio feels that her field hockey experience has made her a better coach.

"I just have a good understanding of the discipline involved and the responsibility that comes with playing," she said. "It's easy for me to visualize plays and settings as they happen on the field."

Didio came to Yale after two years away from the head coaching ranks, during which time she served as a consultant to various programs, including Yale, and as an assistant coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. Her stay as an assistant whetted her appetite to return to head coaching.

"One of my favorite parts of coaching is the process that is involved in implementing a system," Didio explained. "And I found that as an assistant, you can only really help the head coach's philosophy. I knew then that I wanted my own team again."

Didio's captain this year, Lindsay Hobbs, PC '99, recognizes that her coach's intensity shows in the team's play on the field.

"When she came here, she brought and expected a great commitment," Hobbs said. "We all trust her and believe in her system and what she's doing."

And what Didio is doing is running--running her team to a potential NCAA tournament berth. From the sound of things, one place she will not be running anytime soon is away from Yale.

"I really like the non-scholarship setting," she said. "These kids show up every day to play because they truly want to. At schools with scholarships, there are other considerations that sometimes change perceptions. But coaching at Yale is really coaching in its purest form."

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