A father-daughter bond over Eagles football is certainly not unique, but a variation of the sport created a special relationship between Katie Kavanagh and her father, Mickey. See, Mickey taught his daughter how to play Gaelic football, a marriage between soccer and rugby. Mickey was born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States when he was 17.
Katie grew up in Ambler, Pennsylvania, with two sisters and a brother. She lettered in soccer at Upper Dublin High School, then followed in her father's footsteps and played Gaelic football for teams in Philadelphia, Glenside, and Upper Darby for more than a decade.
She never envisioned being the head coach for the flag football team at West Catholic, but when the school looked for a volunteer to launch the program three years ago, Kavanagh didn't hesitate. A social worker at the school, Kavanagh embraced another avenue to connect with the students.
"This is something I think is going to help shape the girls at my school into even better people," said Kavanagh, the Eagles Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week. "People don't realize the mental health aspect of playing sports."
There's been on-field success. After scheduling games against other novice programs in 2023, the Burrs joined the Catholic League for its first year of conference play in 2024. This season, West Catholic enjoyed a stretch of five wins in six games to improve its win total over 2024.
"Throughout the season, we found where everybody excels at," Kavanagh said.
The time on campus with the students during the day allows Kavanagh to cultivate deeper relationships with her players. She understands how to push the right buttons to get the most out of each player.
"It's very important knowing even the slightest little bit about your players because people are so good at hiding their emotions that once you really get to know someone or even just being around them, you can kind of tell when, 'Hey, that's not them,'" Kavanagh said.
Kavanagh instills the power of belief in her players. And their faith in her has paid off. Senior Tasia Gaskins will play flag football for Neumann University next season. Several other key players, including Keyani Brooks, Maya Boyer-Mayes, Saniyah Ravenell-Moore, and Ciani Scott, developed into leaders who carry Coach Kavanagh's message throughout the team and embody what she wants to represent the program.
After graduating from Neumann, where she majored in criminal justice and earned a minor in psychology, Kavanagh was not initially looking to traverse the path of a social worker. It wasn't until she landed a job at Saint Gabriel's Hall, a residential program for juvenile delinquent boys, that she found her calling. The boys she encountered were typically waiting for court dates. They had no support system. No one who believed in them.
She earned her master's in social work from Widener University and since December 2020 poured into the students at West Catholic. When she's not coaching the Burrs, she's volunteering at various learn-to-play clinics and showcase events to fuel the growth of one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
"Ever since I was a kid, I've always, always wanted to help people," Kavanagh said. "It's really rewarding."
