Faculty Emeriti Profile: Penny Matthews

Penny Matthews arrived on the scene at Ransom Everglades in 1988 and retired in 2020, after 32 years. She is a favorite of many, especially the girls' volleyball team that won the 1990 State Championship!

RE: You’ve had many positions. What were they?
PM: Health and Physical Education Teacher, Interim Athletic Director, Class Advisor, 9th Grade Academic Dean and Annual Fund Representative.

RE: What were your coaching positions at RE?
PM: I was Head Coach Girls Volleyball 1988-2000, JV Girls Basketball Coach 1988-1989, Head Softball Coach in 1989, Head Boys Volleyball Coach 1997-2005 and Assistant Girls Golf Coach 2012-2014.

PM: I grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. I attended the Elmwood Franklin School and the Buffalo Seminary. My mother was director of nursing at the same hospital where my father was on the OB/GYN staff. As an only child, I remember hearing quite a bit about the practice of medicine and health care. I found it fascinating, yet I knew I wanted to work in some capacity other than human health care. I was very fortunate to have most of my summers and vacations spent in Lake Erie on Crescent Beach and Muskoka in Ontario or in rural western NY on a dairy farm my family had as an investment. I will always be grateful for the urban, suburban and rural experiences I had as a young person. I believe the social lessons from the Junior League in the city, the carefree play at the lakes and the competition through the 4-H Club dairy cattle shows at the farm all contributed to my wide range of interests. 

I wanted to be a large animal veterinarian. The late 1960s was not a decade of support for non-traditional roles for women, and without family support, I decided to pursue a career in education. Since I loved the outdoors, wanted to be active and enjoyed competition, I made the decision to focus my energy to learn how to help others develop their skills. I earned my undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and my MEd from Temple University. 

I am and always will be a team sports person. I appreciate those athletes who compete in individual or dual sports; however, I appreciate the larger team approach. I remember dreading the classes required for a PE degree - gymnastics, dance, archery, fencing, to name a few. The only one I loved was swimming. I can credit swimming and becoming a lifeguard and water safety instructor as the most valuable certifications I ever earned. I spent years as a college work-study student lifeguarding and teaching swimming and eventually became the Director of Aquatics at Glassboro State. I played field hockey, basketball and lacrosse in college. My favorite was lacrosse because of the free flowing nature of the game. 

I had the privilege of attending Temple University and studying under Dr. Carole Oglesby. She is a pioneer, having been among the group of women’s sports activists responsible for girls and women making progress in the sporting world over the past five decades. I studied sports psychology and realized the remarkable impact of the mind-body connectedness. 

PM: I cannot tell you exactly when; however, it was the influence from all my coaches over the years who gave me the confidence to attempt to share my interest and experience with others. I worked summer recreation and was a volunteer high school coach while still in undergraduate school. I found it very rewarding and fun! The Delaware Valley/Philadelphia area in the late ‘70s had amazing women coaches to whom I will be forever grateful for their impact on me. They were the epitome of dedication and professionalism. I became Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Drexel University in 1977. I found myself among a group of experienced, well respected experts in women’s athletics. I was offered a full-time position at Drexel if I would develop and coach their women’s volleyball team. (Note, I did not have too much volleyball experience.) I accepted the position and immediately immersed myself in the pursuit of volleyball knowledge. To the dozens of RE volleyball players who attended The World Volleyball Training Center in Hugenot, NY, I want you to know it was there under Scottie and Stephanie’s tutelage that I became the coach I was to all of you. 

PM: I moved to Miami Shores from Philadelphia in 1987 to be a partner in a business venture. Unfortunately serious health issues affected the financier and plans had to change. I enjoyed life as a tourist for about six weeks but found I missed the excitement of teaching and coaching. I attended a meeting of the Sports Society and met Russie Tighe, Athletics Director from Miami Jackson. I was offered and accepted a position at Miami Jackson as a permanent sub for the spring of 1987. Hoping to secure a full-time position elsewhere, I contracted with a placement service for teachers. I received a call to take an interview at “a small school in Coconut Grove” with no other details other than they were seeking a Health and PE teacher interested in coaching. I remember walking through the breezeway at RE, seeing the bay (before the gym and pool) and thinking to myself, “This is a beautiful mini-college campus.” I met Frank Hogan and Owen Paris, and we sealed the deal. I will always remember the interview at that “small school in Coconut Grove” and how it changed my life. 

PM: The best parts of coaching were the relationships that developed and observing improvement. There were so many aspects involved in taking a team from the asphalt court on campus to the Southwest Boys & Girls Club to the Anderson Gymnasium to the FHSAA Finals. Witnessing the desire and dedication of each member of the team to become better every day and work together for a common cause was always the most fulfilling. The pride the players exuded was contagious and spread throughout campus. It was from their efforts and success the “Bad in Black” evolved. Their work helped the program grow and flourish. I mentioned earlier in this article about how much I love team sports. The teams at RE were multi-layered. There were so many teams within a team - managers, scorekeepers, peer tutors, assistants, parents, friends, faculty, staff, administration and the media. 

Now I can say my favorite part of coaching are the long-lasting relationships that were forged during those endless hours we spent together. I love coming back to campus and seeing former players who are now parents in the stands watching their children learning the team experience. I am watching my “grandplayers” from the bleachers now. 

PM: There are so many moments! There are hundreds of stories from our volleyball adventures together. Classes on Biscayne Bay set the stage for some hilarious times. One afternoon a manatee was close to shore and a student in the bow of the canoe spotted it and was terrified. Her partner in the canoe, who was an accomplished paddler, decided to play along saying it was probably the “killer zombie manatee” known to inhabit the waters close to RE. I heard a blood curdling scream and thought there had been some awful accident. I approached and realized they both were safe and then witnessed the continuation of the creation of the legend of the killer zombie manatee. Fortunately the terror was replaced by laughter and we spent the rest of the semester keeping an eye out for our favorite killer zombie manatee. 

PM: I have lots of favorites from various times and roles during my three decades. If I had to pick one, it was the home volleyball game with the stands packed and the match going down to a third game two point advantage for the win. The parents in the stands may have been more exhausted than the players. The pure joy and pride that exploded from the stands was priceless. 

PM: The students and all of their energy. I always found it fun and challenging to try to stay one step ahead and keep their interest piqued. I had the opportunity to be in many different venues - PE class in the gym, field and waterfront, Health class, coaching, class meetings, advisory meetings, to name a few. I also miss my colleagues who helped me more than they will ever know. I am forever grateful and you know who you are. 

PM: Retiring in the midst of COVID was surreal. We made a decision to move from Coconut Grove to our other home in Port St. Lucie. Within a year we sold and purchased another home in Port St. Lucie and have been busy with remodeling and finally settling down a bit. Now I spend much more time reading and enjoying working in the yard and garden. There are two Border Collies in my life, Max and Ripley, that keep me busy with their favorite activities - frisbee and sheep herding. Ripley and I are a certified therapy dog team with our sights set on finding and volunteering at an athletic rehab training facility. I hope to finally get on the golf course and chase the little white ball around as soon as my new titanium knee allows.