WEST CANAAN — Watching Mascoma High girls basketball practice last Monday inside Edward P. Kehoe Gymnasium was visibly different. No, not because masks were worn at all times to meet COVID-19 protocols — that’s just the norm these days.
It was because Jenn and Walt Hammond were coaching together on the hardwood, running the Royals’ junior varsity and varsity practices. At one moment in practice, the duo stood shoulder-to-shoulder, looking over their practice plan and discussing what drill they wanted to run next.
The two were high school sweethearts at Mascoma, both winning state basketball championships. They’ll be celebrating 25 years of marriage this October.
Walt’s been involved with Mascoma basketball for nearly a decade; he took over the girls program three seasons ago and was with the boys and girls junior varsity teams before. Jenn has been coaching the Mascoma field hockey team for the last seven seasons, which includes a 2018 state title and a 47-16-1 record over the last four autumns.
What’s new is her presence on the basketball court. She’s stepped into a one-year role this winter, running the jayvee team as Rob Bennett takes a leave of absence. Jenn will also be Walt’s top assistant during varsity games.
So the new gig makes them partners in life and coaching, right?
“It is a new endeavor in our relationship, for sure,” said Jenn, who previously was Mascoma’s distance learning coordinator but now works at Creare, an engineering company in Hanover. “He’s super supportive of me in the fall during field hockey, and I spends lots of time watching him coaching basketball in the gym. It’s really neat to be able to coach together; it’s something we’ve never done before.”
Mascoma athletic director Rodney Brown knew when he put out the job posting for a one-year junior varsity coaching gig he wasn’t going to receive many responses. Not many want to step into a role for only a season, even fewer during a pandemic.
Knowing this, Jenn struck up a conversation with Walt about her taking the position. She had experience from the field hockey season of how COVID-19 protocols needed to be executed, and she already knew most of the girls.
Walt loved the idea and brought it to Brown, who thought it was a no-brainer. Even though it’s only his second year in the AD role, Brown’s quickly become realized he can rely on the Hammonds.
“They’re just really good people,” Brown said. “The values and coaching philosophies that I’m looking for align with them, and that makes things so much easier for me as an athletic director.
“They are very prominent figures in our community. Mascoma purple, white and gold definitely runs through their veins.”
The Hammonds have been competitors since their playing days at Mascoma. Walt jokes they used to kid about who would win more state championships in high school, and that same drive has carried over into their marriage.
They also depend on each other to better themselves as coaches. After games, whether it’s field hockey or basketball, the two turn to each other at home for the other’s blunt perspective.
“She’s just always been my best friend,” he said. “The big thing is, coaching is coaching. If you can handle players, it doesn’t matter if you’re on the field or court. Even during field hockey, we talk a lot. She will confide in me; I confide in her.”
The couple have two kids, Walt Jr. and Kayla, who are both Mascoma alums. Walt Jr.’s been racing cars for the better part of his life, and it’s become a family affair. Under the Walt Hammond Racing name, both Walts compete in regional automobile racing in the summers and Kayla helps in the pits.
The elder Walt is a building contractor, but racing still takes up a large part of his life. He and his son have launched Hustling the Highside, a YouTube channel that shows an inside look at their racing lives. Kayla has also been helping out at practices, too, adding a third Hammond into the mix and watching her parents interact as coaches together.
Walt and Jenn aren’t the first coaching couple in the Upper Valley. Stevens field hockey coach Patty Deschaine has assisted by her husband, Rick, for years.
And while Jenn hasn’t coached basketball specifically for some time, Walt has been getting her caught up to speed on plays and specifics. What she lacks in basketball IQ, she has made up for in her pre-existing relationships with players.
Freshmen Kylie Rogers and Hailey Miller both played for her in field hockey and are now hearing her calling out instructions on the hardwood. They both admit it took some getting used to, but after a few practices they are enjoying the duo.
“I feel like I can have those embarrassing moments because she knows me already,” Miller said. “You can tell when they’re thinking the same thing, and they work well together, obviously, because they are married.”
Added Rogers: “It would be hard if they had different styles and approaches, but because they are on the same page it’s better for everybody.”
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.