Students at Abington High School might know Mr. Moore as the teacher who is serious about history, but makes learning fun with his many games and group activities, but players and fans of girls basketball probably know him better as Coach Moore, the longtime coach of the girls varsity team. Moore has been a teacher for 20 years (16 at AHS) and the girls varsity coach for the last 12 years. He also served as athletic director for three years, just prior to Mr. Serino.

Becoming a Coach

Moore was a student athlete in both high school (Mansfield High School) and college (Assumption in Worcester) where he played football. We asked him how he came to love both coaching and teaching. “I was lucky enough to have some of my coaches in the classroom, so I looked at it as a fantastic life. They were educators, but they could switch roles,” said Moore.

This Season

Victories have not come easy, but the team continues to work hard with two and a half hour practices, six days a week. “It can sometimes be a grind on the coaches and the girls, but our top goal is to improve everyday. We lost a lot of kids from last year’s team that made it to the south sectional finals. So we know that we have to fill some pretty big shoes. It’s a work in progress, but we are getting better every day. By the end of the season, I think we will be a pretty tough team,” said Moore.

Coaches Point of View

Coach Moore says that his coaching style is “tough but fair.” Moore wants to hold the kids accountable and encourage them to work hard every day; however he mostly wants to be reasonable. “My favorite part about coaching basketball is interacting with the kids on the court and seeing them away from the classroom. I have some of the kids in the classroom, and it’s all business there, but, then I can put on my coaches hat, go down to the court and see them working even harder,” said Moore.

Coaching Jenny Worden

Thus far, the team has been balancing wins and losses, but the undeniable bright spot continues to be success of junior Jenny Worden. Just six games into the schedule, she recorded her 1,000th career point, a feat only performed by six players in the program’s history. Her accomplishment was celebrated by the team, parents and fans just prior to a recent  home game vs Norwell. Coach Moore describes Worden as “hardworking, motivated and dedicated to the game of basketball.”

Varsity Roster

The 2015/2016 girls varsity basketball team is made up of seniors: Jen Feeney, Colleen Kearns and Hanna Rogers (C); juniors: Maggie Cawley, Sarah Cochrane, Olivia Whalen and Jenny Worden (C); sophomore: Marissa Golden freshmen Cailin Mahoney, Brianna McCadden, Maddie O’Connell and Kristyanna Remillard; and managers Megan Reid and Liz Venutti. Jen Clifford and Tim Clifford are assistant coaches.