Get to Know Rachel Palumbo

Q&A with Our Director, Rachel Palumbo

Catholic University Head Field Hockey Coach
Former Middlebury College Assistant Coach

Do you have any nicknames?

Rach

Do you have any unusual talents or absurd things that you love?

I am a former National Physique Committee bodybuilder. I really enjoyed the discipline and training that it required. Nowadays, I do more functional fitness training. I might get back into bodybuilding later in life.

If you can eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pizza, for sure.

What is the latest show, series, podcast or book that you binged on?

The Whoop Podcast.

What is the one or more things that you take with you or do every day before you greet the team at practice? This can be something tangible or non-tangible.

In Middlebury, VT – I put on some extra layers to keep warm. “Gearing up” for practice always gets me pumped up!

What purchase of $100 or less has positively influenced your life in the past 6 months or recent memory? 

Packing cubes!! They keep me organized when I travel! You can get them on Amazon.

Do you have a quote, phrase or motto that you use on a daily basis or during tough times? or maybe something you think of often or live your life by.

“Inward, outward, onward, and upward”. I want to absorb and impart positivity & good energy to student-athletes/colleagues/friends/family. And I always want to move forward in a positive, upward direction.

What advice would you give a smart, driven 14 year old athlete about to enter high school and what advice should they ignore on the other hand?

Set BIG goals. Always stay true to yourself. Listen, learn, and allow growth to happen. The sky is the limit.

In the last 5 years, do you have a specific season, game or competition that changed your life? What advice or realizations, do you have for people in the coaching field who are trying to achieve their team’s potential?

Not necessarily a season, game or competition but the people I’ve met have changed my life. The student-athletes, coaches, and friends that I’ve met while being a coach have taught me so much. I’m grateful for the coaches that I have had the opportunity to work alongside and I’m grateful for their wisdom. A quote that has really helped shape me is: “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I want to unlock that next level of performance from a student-athlete and the best way to unlock that potential is to believe it is there in the first place. I’m grateful to Coach DeLorenzo for embodying this and for showing me this quote. It has really helped me grow.

Is there a moment from your youth that set you up for career in coaching?

My graduate-assistantship at Salisbury University opened so many doors for me. While at Salisbury, I learned (from Coach Chamberlin) what it’s like to be a DIII coach and how to effectively provide opportunities to student-athletes. She showed me that you can balance sport, academics, internships, extra-curricular activities, etc. while still being an extremely competitive program. And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my parents for being super supportive of my athletic-centered lifestyle.

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