BERKELEY – Not even the pouring rain could stop an outpouring of love at Central Regional High School.
Madeline Dutton, who guided the Golden Eagles’ field hockey teams to nearly 500 wins and numerous titles, was honored by about 100 people, including nearly 40 of her former players, during a ceremony in the school’s small gymnasium. The team’s field was named the Madeline Dutton Field. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at the field.
“Most of you who know me know this was not my idea,” Dutton told admirers. “I spent pretty much of my entire adult life here. I would not change a thing except for getting artificial turf a little sooner. Pam Boyd (who played under Dutton and earned a berth on the United States’ women’s Olympic handball team) could have played any sport male or female and been an all-state player. Madison (Demand, who played under Dutton) has two players on her team whose parents played for me.
“I can’t say a bad thing. I got the most athletic teams anyone could have ever had. Back then, there were not a lot of Ocean County schools so we played Keyport, Shore Regional and Manasquan. We had a lot of talent. I was a little worrisome when the girls from Lacey Township pulled out of Central and played for Lacey Township High School. Island Heights had great players for me. We had a lot of great players from Lacey. Seaside Park, Seaside Heights and Ocean Gate were smaller communities that had great players.
“Lacey beat us and I said, ‘I will never live this one down.’ Our girls were fortunate and talented. Anyone who is a true athlete wants to work and put the time in to get better. We stressed teamwork. You are only as good as the player next to you. Thanks to the parents of the players. They always stepped up. They did whatever fundraisers were needed to get us to Florida to play field hockey. We had a group of girl dads. I don’t know how they ever worked as they never missed a game. How did they ever have a job?
“Our ’86 team was our most talented team. It did not have a weakness. I could have put our sweepers and fullbacks at forward and they could have handled anything. Patty Fortus’ team had some characters. The more one girl talked, the more the girls ran uphill. Times have changed, but players are still players. In the early days of field hockey, there were a lot of rules and too many whistles – every 10 seconds.
“If you want to play field hockey, Central is the place to be.”
Dutton posed for numerous pictures, including some with current Central players. A Powerpoint video was shown of her teams. Light refreshments were served. She received a colorful field hockey stick heralding her honor from athletic director John Scran and Demand. The duo presented Dutton with flowers in Central’s school colors.
Dutton posed in a large group photo with fans and ex-players and former assistant coaches. Two former players who attended the ceremony were LeAnne Hyslop and Sam Grabowski. Hyslop played on Team USA North in Italy and is in the Wesley College Athletic Hall of Fame.
“I loved seeing all of them,” Dutton said. “It is pretty cool. Some of them are real old timers. All of the girls looked good. They all looked good. Some of them are still involved in field hockey.”
Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen Amato presented Dutton with a proclamation listing her accomplishments. The document proclaimed Sept. 25, 2023 as Madeline Dutton Day.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be here as we honor her. I attended Central Regional High School. Berkeley is very proud as Central has had a lot of dedications going on in terms of past coaches (girls softball’s Norm Selby, football’s Joe Boyd, boys track and field’s Steve Healey and baseball’s Al Kunzman at Al Leiter Ballpark). I am happy to see you honored for all of your dedicated work. She was named either division, conference or state coach of the year nine times.”
Central athletics director John Scran emceed the event. He presented Dutton with a plaque from the Central Regional Board of Education.
“Forty years,” he told fans. “What was the stipend back then? Coach Dutton did not do it for the money. She loved field hockey and Central Regional. She led her players with the utmost passion.”
“There is no one more deserving of this honor than coach Dutton,” Demand said during the ceremony. “We are lucky she got here tonight as the Eagles’ game is on at seven. Even those who work the toll booths on the Parkway love her. Congratulations Grammie.”
Attired in a Central field hockey shirt was Dave Trethaway. He was the superintendent of the Central Regional School District for six years in the early 2000s. He was an assistant superintendent in the district for one year.
“First of all, she was so successful because of her knowledge of the game,” he said. “She knew how to relate to the kids over a long period of time. It was more than field hockey. She cared about the kids. That’s what made her successful. She was an outstanding coach. There are only a few who have had her longevity and put together a program year after year. She had rules and discipline, but she also understood the lives of the kids. She had flexibility. She was fair. She is a very special person.”
The ceremony took place prior to Central’s 4-1 home victory over Toms River South. Emma Bianco led Central with one goal and one assist despite weather more fit for ducks than humans.
Dutton told one fan at the ceremony, “Miserable weather. We played in it so what’s the difference?”
Lyna Anderson founded the program in the mid-1960s. Dutton was a Central assistant coach in 1971 and 1972.
“I just always loved the sport and wanted to take over the program,” Dutton said. “I played field hockey and other sports in high school. Field hockey was the one I liked the most and I played it in college. I liked the speed of the game of field hockey and the competition. I was not tall enough to play basketball. On a good day, I was 5-1.”
Dutton coached the Golden Eagles from 1976-2016. She guided Central to a 496-247-63 record. Her 1986 team won the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III title en route to a 16-4-1 record. Central captured 16 Shore Conference division championships, including 15 in Class B South. Another title was won in Class A South.
She said she learned of the honor in a phone call from Central athletics director John Scran last spring. The lower level field was named in her honor.
“I was very pleased that Central was honoring me and recognized my dedication to the program,” Dutton said. “My teams were so successful because most of them worked hard to get in shape physically and mentally. We also always stressed playing as a team. We were always more offensive minded than defensive minded, but we made adjustments to the individual skills of the players. I am not surprised that Central field hockey has been successful. We have had great athletes and always great parents supporting our teams.
“I was never concerned about reaching 500 wins. It would have been nice, but I wasn’t staying to reach that milestone. I decided to retire after the 2016 season. Naming the field after me is special because it represents all of the teams that are a part of Central Regional field hockey.”
More than 40 of Dutton’s proteges played in the collegiate ranks. And Dutton is a Hall of Famer’s Hall of Famer as she has been honored by Central (2016), the New Jersey Interscholastic Coaches Association (1990), the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association (1999) and Salem University (2022).
“All of the Hall of Fame awards are special,” Dutton said, “The award in 1999 means a great deal because it includes all sports.”
Several of Dutton’s players are in Central’s Hall of Fame. They include Nola White, Boyd, Fortus, Diane Hardie, Agnes Whitfield, Cory Golembeski, Amanda Dafeldecker, Jackie George, Jen Kleva, Kelly McGowan, Lauren Wagner, Cheryl Perrone, Faith Clyburn and Jess Fritz.
“It is difficult to choose one player as my best,” Dutton said. “Among the best were Kleva, Golembeski, George, Fritz and Tara Homage.”
Dutton said the 1986 team was special.
“It was our best all-around team,” she said. “The 11 starters were very skilled. They passed the ball. They were athletic. They could play different positions.”
Central’s opponent in the SJ III championship game was North Hunterdon, which entered with a 44-game winning streak. The Golden Eagles prevailed 3-2 in overtime. It didn’t take much longer for Central to hoist its award as senior forward Denise Poll scored off an assist from senior forward Janet O’Rourke in the first minute of the extra session.
The Golden Eagles fell 3-1 to Northern Highland in the 1986 Group III championship game. Central’s other team members were senior forward Jen Kindon, senior back Deana Reyes, sophomore Missy Medolla, sophomore back Diane Bondulich, senior forward Kelly Fosbre, senior back Karen Darrah, junior midfielder Dee Golembeski, senior goalie Dawn Cosnoski, senior forward Betty Hester, senior forward Laura Pietro, senior forward Nancy Narbus, senior midfielder Kleva, senior midfielder George, senior back Dafeldecker and senior goalie Colleen Glass.
“That was our first South Jersey Group III title and it was great for this team, which was loaded with seniors,” Dutton said. “It was a talented, experienced team. We had 14 seniors, many of whom started on the team during the previous season. They practiced all summer prior to the 1986 season and played against some of the top teams from the Philadelphia area in August. The personality of the team consisted of hard work, staying focused, playing as a team and enjoy playing the game.”
Dafeldecker attended the ceremony in an SJ III championship jacket.
“Coach Dutton was so successful because of her perseverance,” Dafeldecker said. “She was liked. Players wanted to play for her. She understood the game and made us want to win. We were a team from the first day of the season to the last day. She liked to win as much as we liked to win.”
Central often got the best of its Shore Conference rivals.
“Our early rivals were Manasquan and Shore Regional,” Dutton said. “From the 1980s and on, our biggest rivals were Lacey Township, Pinelands Regional, Toms River North and Southern Regional.”
Dutton has fond memories of her career.
“From the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, I have many great stories and memories,” she said. “From the first division title in the 1970s to the last one in 2014, each team made its season unique and special. From 1999-2015, we started taking a team every two years to the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando to play in a preseason tournament. I will fondly remember the stories about those teams. I will always remember the team with the dads who never missed a game home or away. They supported the girls everywhere I was blessed with talented athletes and great parental support.”
Dutton was not big on slogans and rituals for her Golden Eagles.
“We didn’t really have any sayings except for maybe, ‘Any team can beat any team on any given day,’ ” she said. “Winning was important. If a team works together, practices hard, has the skill and plays well, it usually is successful. When we lost a game, we discussed what we could improve on and what areas needed to be changed. Sometimes, the other team was just better and that’s OK if our girls played their best.
“The most rewarding part of coaching was watching the players improve their skills and love playing the game. There were also the bonding and fun things we did as a team.”
Several assistant coaches worked under Dutton, who reeled off the names of Sharon Devlin, Steve Holleran, Fortus, Cindy Stout, Jackie Peterson-Golden, Faith Clyburn-Davis, Kelly Fosbre-Grosse, Colleen England, Kathy Mueller and Kelly Healey.
Dutton’s husband, Chris, coached winter and spring girls track and field at Central. She retired from coaching to travel and watch her granddaughters, Madison and Maitland Demand, play collegiate field hockey. The latter competed at Southern Regional and is now a senior defender at Liberty University after transferring from the University of Louisville. Madeline Dutton retired from teaching in 2006.
Dutton, 76, played field hockey at Lenape Regional High School in Medford and at Salem in West Virginia. Salem had a new program and most of its players were from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Dutton majored in health and physical education.
“I wanted to coach after graduating,” she said. “I enjoyed working with young women who enjoyed the game. When I began teaching in 1969, there were no openings for field hockey coaching positions. I became an assistant coach and in 1976 the head job opened up.”
Dutton also coached girls lacrosse at Central under Fortus from 1999-2006. Fortus began the program.
“My teaching and coaching career at Central was rewarding,” Dutton said. “I was lucky to teach and coach so many wonderful students.”
Dutton said she has noticed several changes in her beloved sport.
“Field hockey has changed a great deal over the years,” she said. “The game has fewer whistles and the stick skills of the players are improving all of the time. Many of the teams play on artificial turf and that changes the speed and skill of the game. Many high school players also play on club teams, which helps grow the game of field hockey. They also have access to weight training and indoor programs.”
Demand is the lone relative to play for Dutton as she was on the varsity team from 2013-2016 and played left of center midfield. Demand, who was a four-year varsity player in lacrosse at Central, played four varsity seasons of field hockey on the Bryant University field hockey team in Rhode Island. The Bryant graduate is a clinical mental health counselor.
“Coach Dutton was so successful because of the love and dedication she showed to her players, assistant coaches and her program,” Demand said. “She would eat, sleep and breathe field hockey – unless, of course, the Philadelphia Eagles were playing. Practice did not end when she left the field as she was always strategizing, scouting and building her program. She always emphasized the love of the game and built the team’s relationship around that. She knew the weak points of each of her teams and worked to improve them. She always had a great balance between offensive and defensive work with the help of her assistants.”
Demand said Dutton has been a large influence on her life.
“She has influenced my life in more ways than I can count,” she said. “She has always supported me in my academic and athletic careers. Grammie started the field hockey legacy in our family that my mom, sister and I continued as we played as well. Off the field, she is always just a phone call away whenever I need anything.”
Demand said Dutton coached with grace.
“She was always a classy coach,” Demand said. “Winning was, of course, the goal, but when her teams lost she evaluated the game for days to make sure the team wouldn’t make the same mistakes moving forward that it made in that game. She has always had a strong, outgoing personality. She is confident in everything she does, which is contagious when she is the one leading the team. She always made sure her players were taken care of above all else, which showed in the amount of success she had.”
Demand said she enjoyed playing for her grandmother.
“I grew up around Central Regional field hockey and have been going to its games for as long as I can remember,” she said. “When I joined the team as a freshman, coach Dutton became Grammie. Our relationship didn’t change just because she became my coach. Practice didn’t end for coach Dutton when she left the field and I know because I was the one driving home with her for four years. She was good at setting boundaries and differentiating our relationships. We would talk about field hockey on the card ride home, but once she dropped me off she was no longer my coach. She was my Grammie and I was her granddaughter until practice again the next day.”
Demand is Central’s field hockey coach. She led the Golden Eagles to wins in four of their first five games this season.
“My grandmother’s coaching style has influenced me not only in the way I played, but also in the way I now coach,” she said. “After graduating as an NCAA Division I athlete, I never thought coaching was something I would get into so quickly. One of the main reasons I decided to apply for the position was because I wanted to live in the legacy that my grandmother left. To say she has helped shape me into the player and coach I am today would be a tremendous understatement.”
Clyburn competed in field hockey for four seasons. Now a Central paraprofessional, she also played basketball and performed in track and field for the Golden Eagles. The 2005 Central graduate coached under Dutton and now is an assistant under Madison Demand.
“I went out for the field hockey team because my mother and aunts played for coach Dutton,” Clyburn said. “Once I found out my friend was trying out for the team, I said, ‘Why not give it a try?’ “
Clyburn said Dutton was an extractor of talent.
“I feel as though Madeline Dutton was successful at coaching because she was able to get the best out of you,” she said. “She was hard on us, but it helped. I can say I came into the game not knowing a thing. She helped me evolve into the player that I became. Madeline Dutton and my father were on the same page in making sure I gave 100 percent on the field. If I complained once about how hard she was, my parents would literally tell me to suck it up. Being a teenage girl and looking back now as an adult, I am glad she was the way she was. Being that she was very young coming into coaching at Central, she got to build her program, having some of the best players and being very successful.”
Clyburn said Dutton was demanding.
“I can remember summer practices being tough,” she said. “During each day, we would run a timed mile. She would look at me and say, ‘Faith, you better come in first. You run track.’ I would always remind her, ‘I am a sprinter.’ That didn’t matter. She pushed me beyond what I thought I could accomplish. She saw things in me at that moment that I didn’t see and I had no choice but to deliver. You couldn’t slack at practice. You always had to be on time no matter what was going on and you better be ready to go from beginning to end.
“We had fun practices and there was laughing and joking. When she needed to get down to business, you knew … She would stand on the side with her hand on her hip and stare and that meant you had better get serious.”
Dutton used body language to communicate with the Golden Eagles.
“She would stand with her hand on her hip when she was getting serious about something,” Clyburn said. “If we did something she liked, she would say, ‘Very nice.’ On corners, she would tell us, ‘Execute.’ These sayings would reassure you that you were doing what she expected you to do. If she needed to get something out of me and I wasn’t up to par for her, she would say, ‘Don’t make me get your father.’ At that moment, I knew I had to deliver. For me specifically, I can remember being on a break away and hearing her say, ‘Hit and chase.’ I knew there was an open field ahead and I knew it was time to score.”
Dutton also watched the school’s junior varsity teams compete.
“She took field hockey to another level once I fell in love with the game,” Clyburn said. “She reassured me that I belonged there and she wanted me to be a part of her varsity team. She stayed to support the team and I in every junior varsity game. Probably our third game, she came to me and told me she wanted me to practice with the varsity the next day. As the season went on, I got a chance to play in varsity games here and there, but went into junior varsity games as well.”
A Shore Conference home game was packed with intensity.
“We went into seven on seven, meaning seven on the field for each team,” Clyburn said. “It was a battle and I had multiple chances to score. I was exhausted and I specifically remember my father yelling from the sidelines, ‘Faith, put the ball in the cage.’ I looked at coach Dutton and she nodded in agreement.”
Clyburn delivered. She drove the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.
“As our team cheered and went off to the side of the field, coach Dutton said, ‘We need to have your dad yell at you more often.’ “
Clyburn netted a goal against Red Bank Catholic.
“Coach Dutton looked at me in shock,” Clyburn said. “At that time, Red Bank Catholic was a powerhouse. When she looked at me, I was not bothered about it because they were just another team to me. Seasons with coach Dutton were well worth it and I use her coaching strategies today when I coach my athletes.”
Dutton wasn’t afraid to get after her athletes.
“She was definitely an old school coach,” Clyburn said. “Yelling motivated us as athletes and didn’t offend us. It pushed us and we realized we needed a coach like that. We needed that push, drive and determination behind us and coach Dutton gave us that and more.”
Dutton was involved in the off the field lives of her players.
“She became that mom out of home on the field,” Clyburn said. “She coached us with passion, determination and heart. She took it even farther when it came time to celebrate my Sweet Sixteen. She came with her granddaughters, who were very young. She didn’t have to do that, but it was more than just player and coach. It was a personal bond we had created. When she opened up a spot for me to coach alongside her, she trusted me enough to have me on her staff. To play for her and then to coach with her was an honor.”
Brittany Poplawski played left wing for Dutton as Brittany Oldehoff, graduating in 2013. She also competed in basketball and softball. She played three varsity seasons in each sport. She played on the team that gave Dutton her 400th career win.
“She truly cared for the sport and wanted to win,” Poplawski said. “She made us do things over and over again until we got it right. She understood what worked and didn’t work in the game. She understood everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and would put the players in their positions accordingly.”
The Golden Eagles played at Toms River East on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
“She got us involved in games to practice our skills against other skills,” Poplawski said. “At the time, we didn’t have an artificial turf field. When we played on artificial turf instead of grass, she’d either make us practice in the gym or she would find a school that had artificial turf and we’d practice there. She never wanted us to be at a disadvantage and she figured out ways to help our team.”
Poplawski, a system analyst for the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, said offense was stressed.
“She was very offensive minded,” Poplawski said. “We didn’t do a lot of conditioning with straight running. We conditioned while we practiced our skills. We worked hard and did things repeatedly until they were up to her standards. Offensive and offensive corners were stressed at practice. If we were doing a defensive drill, it quickly turned into an offensive drill before we realized it. Each time we had an offensive corner, she would yell, ‘Execute this.’
“She influenced my game of field hockey to be the best I can be and to play to my strengths. In life, she taught me to always keep trying and never give up. She taught me to keep working to be the best I can be and be respectful. I would love to be a coach one day and use both old school and new school coaching.”
Poplawski said Dutton was a no nonsense coach.
“Being she was an old school coach, she would get quiet and you could tell she was sad and disappointed that we lost,” Poplawski said. “If we played a good game but came up short, she would let us know we played well and tried our best. At the next practice, she would make us work on what we messed up in the game. She yelled and made us work hard. If we didn’t do something right, we’d do it over and over again until we got it right. We would always end on a good note whether it was a successful corner or a long hit play. You could tell she was very passionate about field hockey. You earned her respect. She wanted you to work as hard in practice as you would play in a game
“She enjoyed what she did. She wouldn’t have coached for all of those years and stuck around to coach her granddaughter if she didn’t like it. She was happy, caring, dedicated, hard working and passionate. She wanted what was best for everyone.”
Clyburn best summed up the honor, stating, “40 years is a long time coaching and this field dedication is well deserved.”
