Athletic Hall of Fame
June 1, 2013 - Maura Kehoe ’01 shared that prior to coming to Brewster for her senior year, she had not been invested in school or her future. She also shared that her first week at Brewster she was assigned work hours because she had gone over to the Corner Store to buy a drink after lights out.
“From there though, things progressed well. I learned that the more I invested in Brewster, the more I got out of the experience,” she said. “The soccer season was in full swing, and despite often receiving yellow cards for hip checking (it took me a while to adjust to the non-contact portion of the game) – my teammates elected me captain. I was so touched that they had invested in me, I vowed to myself to lead by example and to try never to let my teammates down. When we won the [New England] championship – I knew I didn’t have much to do with it on the field, but I felt that I had contributed with everything I had to offer. I had invested – and it felt awesome. I was liberated from my teenage indifference. I was finally free from apathy.”
She explained that Brewster had helped her balance academics with sports and for the first time she was able to let go of the stress of academics and play hockey “the way I think I had always meant to.”
She continued, “The [hockey] season was exciting. Our team had love and hate and tears and adrenaline. We had experienced hockey players, and players who we had to show how to get the equipment on. It was a rollercoaster, but somehow we ended up in the New England tournament in Salem, Mass. I remember distinctly that the championship was on my 19th birthday. I scored a winning goal against Holderness in overtime. Headmaster Smith had allowed the whole school to bus down and watch the championship, and when we won – the whole school sang me 'Happy Birthday'. It was really really loud. It was the coolest thing that had ever happened to me.
“I remember hugging my teammates…and then for a second, looking up in the crowd – and just for a second – I saw my dad. And I thought I saw him cry. And honestly, it was the most incredible moment because I knew that he was proud of me. …”
“Being here today has been really hard for me. When people say congratulations – I am so humbled and grateful for the experience that Brewster gave me … that I have a hard time standing here being recognized. To me all I did was follow the Brewster system – a system designed to have kids actively invest in their futures – and it took me places I never dreamed. … I owe so much of my personal success to the Brewster community.”
Kehoe had many thanks to so many in the Brewster community but especially for her hockey coach Jonathan Fouser and her soccer coach and admission officer Everett Logan, who returned to campus for the ceremony.
“Jon Fouser was one of the best coaches I have ever ever had. And I have had a lot of coaches. His intensity boils just below the surface, and his daily demeanor is so calm, but you know there is fire behind his speech and his eyes … And it’s in that hanging -- hanging in the balance of calm and fire -- when you’re at your most competitive and at your most focused. It’s a powerful experience. His enthusiasm and competitive nature motivated me and his calm made me respect and listen to what he had to say.”
“Everett was the one who green lighted my admission – despite me being – let’s say rough around the edges in the interview. It just goes to show – and I try to remember this as a coach myself – that if you believe in a young girl, even when she doesn’t believe in herself, it can be a powerful and transformative thing."
