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After three decades as Head Coach of Varsity Field Hockey, during which she led Bulldog teams to five VISAA state championships and 24 TCIS conference championships, Mary Werkheiser has decided to step down from coaching at the close of this season.

Coach Werkheiser came to Norfolk Academy in 1989 as a Lower School P.E. teacher and field hockey coach. Throughout her tenure, she has not only built the field hockey program into a powerhouse, but she has also immeasurably strengthened the school’s overall approach to athletics and fitness. Working with her colleagues in the Lower School’s distinctive daily P.E. program, she has taught young Bulldogs the fundamentals of an array of sports and instilled the habit of vigorous physical exercise as a component of a healthy and enjoyable life.

Coach Werkheiser is a legend in Hampton Roads and beyond. Playing annually against national-caliber competition, the Bulldogs have won more than 450 matches since she took over the varsity program in the 1995-96 school year. Prior to coming to Norfolk Academy, she coached at Perkiomen School for three years, bringing her overall record to 508 wins - 138 losses - 14 ties to date.

In 2005, Coach Werkheiser was Academy's inaugural winner, along with Tom Duquette, of the Excellence in Coaching Award. This annual recognition goes to an individual who serves as a role model for both athletes and coaches alike and advances the mission of the school through strength of character and integrity. She has been named TCIS Coach of the Year an astonishing 14 times. In 2019, she was inducted into the prestigious Regional Training Center Ring of Honor, which recognizes the contributions of exemplary individuals who have promoted, expanded, and enhanced field hockey in Hampton Roads.

Even more notable than all those impressive accomplishments is the culture Coach Werkheiser has created and sustained. She has said on many occasions, “When you make the field hockey team, you’re part of a family.” Her student-athletes remain close, even after they advance to college and professional life. Dozens and dozens of her players have gone on to become student-athletes at the collegiate level; she currently has nine players on collegiate teams. Many players have also been on the USA Field Hockey Jr. National squad. Some have remained in the game after graduation, following in her footsteps and becoming teacher-coaches.

Coach Werkheiser is a 1984 graduate of Lock Haven University, where she earned a degree in Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. While at Lock Haven, she played both field hockey and lacrosse and competed on two national championship field hockey teams. Outside the Academy, she has been involved with club field hockey as a founder of TCOYO Hockey, and she ran the U.S. Field Hockey Futures Program at the National Training Center.

This year’s team is advancing in postseason play, joyfully embracing its status as the final varsity team to play with Coach Werkheiser at the helm. As a result, I will save for a future communication our process for seeking a successor, and I will also share plans for celebrating Coach Werkheiser’s monumental contributions to Norfolk Academy. She has pursued excellence with the utmost humility; she has always deflected praise and sought to draw attention to the achievements of her players. However, as a Bulldog community, we deeply appreciate all she has accomplished and the spirit in which she has done it.

This letter was sent to the Norfolk Academy community from Head of School Travis Larrabee, October 24, 2024