Lenape coach Sarah Moretti inspires

Can a coach who teaches at one school inspire a winning sports program at another?

Sarah Moretti remembers that question arising last spring during an interview for the head field hockey job at Lenape, where she was an assistant coach.

A special-education teacher at Cherokee, Moretti didn't flinch.

"I said I was going to rely on the character of the returning starters to spread the team spirit they developed the previous year," Moretti said.

That year, 2007, was a disaster, a 2-15 nightmare that had the players looking for a reason to continue practicing after getting pounded the day before. The Indians went 0-8 in the Olympic Conference American Division, home of some of the best teams in South Jersey.

Then something magical happened during their days in the cellar.

The Indians developed an

esprit de corps

born of daily trials and lack of rewards except for the encouragement of Moretti and then-head coach Nicole Perone, now at Egg Harbor Township.

"Two and 15 definitely challenges your character," said Moretti, now the head coach. "But it was very inspiring because though they were less skilled than the teams they faced, the girls came out and practiced and worked hard each day knowing they were underdogs."

Sam Maira taught at Shawnee while he was the boys' soccer coach at Riverside from 1990 to 1996. Now a guidance counselor at Seneca, where he is the boys' soccer coach, Maira regrets that he wasn't able to spend more time with his team.

Charlie Pirrello has regrets, too. After leading the Holy Cross football team to the Non-Public Group 2 state title last year while counseling students at Northern Burlington, the coach stepped down from gridiron duties.

He didn't think he could do both effectively.

Moretti is determined to make it work with the help of a quartet of players from last year's squad.

Forward Kelsey Rella, midfielders Kelsey Hogan and Hannah Moir, and goalie Ashley Sam have helped guide the inexperienced players.

The Indians are headed to the playoffs, with a 7-6-1 record following yesterday's 1-0 loss to Camden Catholic.

"Team chemistry is great," Rella said. "We all get along. We can grow and be stronger."

Rella, Hogan and Sam, who are seniors, and Moir, a junior, have played with intensity. And senior Imani Ferguson has stepped out of the shadows to lead the team in scoring.

The only Futures player on the squad, Rella said postseason competition is the goal.

"This team is hard-working, intense and wants to win," said Rella, who lives in Mount Laurel with her parents, Frank and Marge, and three siblings. "Nobody wants a 2-15 record.

"Last year was so difficult," she said. "Our momentum completely crashed. We wanted to do our best, and losing [almost] every game was awful.

"It built character."

Moretti is counting on the character of her core players as well as their positioning at attack, midfield and defense to influence the others in a positive way. The first-year head coach, who appears to have a good relationship with her athletes, uses the word "contagious," as though whatever the core group has is worth catching.

"I want the girls to learn the game, be happy with the results at the end of the season, and be happy with me as coach," Moretti said.

"But mainly I want them to work hard in order to earn the fun."

Rella said that attitude led the players to pull for Moretti to get the head-coaching job, even though her teaching at another school presented challenges last spring. The coach had to send text messages to the four players, who relayed instructions to their teammates about a summer training program.

That was just another bump on a rocky road to characterville, where the core players live.