Schools

Marple Newtown Phys. Ed. Teacher Named Into 2011 Delco Hall of Fame

Cathy Large Long, a former coach and a current physical education teacher at Marple Newtown was recently inducted into the 2011 Delco Hall of Fame.

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Cathy Large Long, a physical education teacher at was recently inducted into the 2011 Delco Hall of Fame.

"It means a lot," commented Long about receiving the distinguished honor. "Because it's a culmination of all the years of hard work and dedication and commitment that I've put in and other people have put in. It's always nice to be recognized."

However, this isn't Long's first time being recognized for her athletic abilities. In 1984, she was named All Del-Val 1st Team for field hockey, basketball and lacrosse; All-Delco 1st Team in field hockey and lacrosse; All-Delco 2nd team in basketball; Outstanding Athlete of the Year; U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Assn. All-American High School Team; and Phila. Daily News Suburban Female Athlete of the Year while attending Penn Wood High School.

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While on a full athletic scholarship at Old Dominion, Long was a member of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey National Championship Team in 1984 and NCAA Division I Field Hockey Final Four runner-up team. In 1986, 1987 and 1988, Long was on All-Conference and team MVP in lacrosse, All-Conference in field hockey, and NCAA Field Hockey 2nd Team All-American.

The long list of athletic achievements continue for Long who also received Female Athlete of the Year in 1987 and 1988, Metropolitan Area/Virginia Beach Sports Club/Portsmouth Area 1988 Athlete of the Year, and NCAA Lacrosse 1st Team All-American while at Old Dominion. Long was also inducted into the Old Dominion Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1989, Long coached for six years at Penn Wood High School and another six years at Marple Newtown High School. More recently, Long has been a physical education teacher at Marple and has served as a field hockey and lacrosse official for Delaware County for the past 10 years.

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Although Long is no longer coaching, she's still involved in Delco sports as a referee.

"I'm not coaching any longer but I'm still invovled in the Delco sports," said Long. "I still love reading about them and watching them play. I'm just on the other side of the whistle now. I miss the relationships you build with the kids as a coach but refereeing still allows me to be involved with sports."

Sports has always been a big part of Long's life, who started getting involved with sports when she was just 7- or 8-years-old.

"I've always been playing, coching, refereeing, discussing sports," said Long, since she could remember.

Now with two children–Kyle, 12, and Alyssa, 9–who have followed Long's athletic footsteps, are very active in almost every sport from lacrosse to soccer and baseball to track, refereeing has allowed her to spend more time with them.

"I wouldn't know what to do if my kids didn't play sports," said Long. "It's our way of life. What I hope other people get from it and what my kids get from it is that it gives kids an opportunity to be a part of something–to compete and to be resilient and to learn all those qualities to get you far in life. All those qualities you learn in sports just transfer over to your daily life and makes you a stronger person and build good character."


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