Kathy Taylor and the Coach Who Made Room for the Person Behind the Player

Kathy Taylor coached women’s lacrosse at the collegiate level with a reputation for demanding high standards and maintaining a close, intentional connection with the athletes she led. Her coaching philosophy emphasized discipline, accountability, and excellence on the field, but it was her ability to see and support the person behind the player that truly set her apart. During her time at Le Moyne College, this approach left a profound and lasting impact on many athletes, including Madison Pritchard Killen, who played for the Le Moyne women’s lacrosse team from 2017 to 2019.

Killen arrived at Le Moyne after transferring multiple times between institutions, a period marked by uncertainty and emotional strain. The constant transitions had taken a toll on her confidence and mental health, leaving her unsure of her place both academically and athletically. Joining a new program under those circumstances could have felt isolating, but what Killen encountered at Le Moyne was something entirely different. She found not just an opportunity to compete, but a sense of belonging that reshaped her experience as a student-athlete and helped her regain stability during a vulnerable chapter of her life.

“Afte transferring multiple times and struggling with my mental health, Coach Taylor opened her team and her heart to me when I needed it most,” Killen said. “She made me feel seen, valued, and safe in a way that went far beyond being an athlete.”

That sense of safety did not come from lowered expectations or leniency. Le Moyne’s women’s lacrosse program was highly competitive, and Taylor held her players to demanding standards both on and off the field. Killen was part of a team that would go on to win the 2018 National Championship, an achievement that reflected the program’s commitment to excellence. What stood out most to Killen, however, was not just the championship title, but the culture that surrounded the team’s success.

“I have never had a coach who cared so deeply about the people behind the jerseys,” Killen said. “The culture she created was rooted in trust, compassion, and believing in each other even on our hardest days.”

Under Taylor’s leadership, athletes were encouraged to support one another, communicate openly, and grow not only as competitors but as individuals. For Killen, that environment proved transformative, reinforcing the idea that true leadership is measured not only by wins and losses, but by the lasting impact made on the lives of those being led.

For Killen, that environment was transformative. She describes Kathy Taylor as someone who understood that performance and personal stability are not separate concerns in college athletics.

“Because of her, I learned what it truly means to be part of something bigger than yourself,” Killen said. “Her impact on my life, and on so many of us, is something I will always carry with me.”

Killen’s experience reflects a broader pattern often described by former players from Taylor’s programs. Success on the field was expected. Accountability was non-negotiable. At the same time, athletes were treated as whole people whose challenges were not dismissed or minimized.

In the context of women’s college lacrosse, where intensity and pressure are inherent parts of the sport, Killen’s account highlights a leadership style that prioritized trust alongside competition.

“She opened her team and her heart to me,” Killen said.

Years removed from her time at Le Moyne College, Killen’s words speak to a form of coaching that does not rely on slogans or statistics to define its value. It is measured instead by whether athletes felt supported when they needed it most.

For Madison Pritchard Killen and Allison Hild, that support came from Kathy Taylor.