Deb Flaherty: The Heart of NHS, On and Off the Track
WOODBURY — An 18 year old Deb Flaherty tightens her ponytail, takes a deep breath, and steps into her blocks lined up on the track. It’s 1988 at Rocky Point High School, a leafy suburb on the bustling arm of Long Island. Despite the swirling of the world around her, she is ready to race the 400m dash.
There’s a striking symmetry to the way teenage Deb Flaherty and now, Deb Flaherty coach and faculty member, prepare for competition: unwavering, unfettered, and laser focused.
“When I raced, I was racing to win, so I definitely was competitive without a doubt,” Flaherty said when recalling her mindset and preparation before a race. Despite offers to run competitively at the college level from universities like Southern Connecticut, Manhattan College, and SUNY Geneseo, Flaherty would ultimately attend UConn where she parlayed her speed into rugby, winning a national title in women’s rugby in 1993. “I tell my kids now the things that I used to do – like how I always warmed up well, and I was always a little sweaty on the line, which is the phrase that I use with my athletes today. I just kept moving, I focused, and then I just took the race as it came. I was serious. I always took competition seriously.”
For Flaherty, her passion for running began before she could even hold a stop watch and document her need for speed.
“It has always been part of my identity from a very young age,” Flaherty said. “Growing up, we had free play, where we were thrown outside and the door was closed, and you didn’t come back in the house until dinner time so we were always running around, and I was fast. I remember on field days, I would win the races and I would come home with a ribbon, so running became something I always did. But at such a young age it was just fun, I didn’t even know what cross country was until I went to junior high – and it didn’t go well. It’s a whole different thing between sprinting down the street and beating your neighbors and running a mile and a half straight through. So I definitely had a learning curve there.”
Despite the fact it took some time for Flaherty to adapt to racing, running has been an essential part of her life, nonetheless.
“I always ran throughout middle school and high school, and then when I graduated, I had the opportunity to run in college but I chose not to because I think I was just feeling a little burnt,” Flaherty said. “But then I would still go for runs on my own, so it has always been there, and I’ve had an ebb and flow with it. It has always been in my life in one way, shape, or form.”
Now, Flaherty brings her adoration for running to Nonnewaug High School athletics, coaching both the cross country and track and field teams, alongside her position as the school’s library media specialist.
Originally a middle school cross country coach and high school track coach in Region 16, six years ago Flaherty made the transition to coach cross country at NHS. Two years later, in 2022, she accepted her position in the library, became the boys track and field coach, and has been the heart of Nonnewaug ever since.
Flaherty was also a special education teacher for nine years in schools across the state and a history teacher for another nine years at Woodland High School before she received her library certification. These experiences have helped shape Flaherty’s warm, trustworthy, and supportive nature and cultivate many relationships across NHS.
“I think the fact that I’ve had so many different roles helps me understand what it feels like to be a teacher in class, what it feels like to be a special ed teacher, and then being in the media center, you get to meet a lot of kids for different reasons which builds connections too,” Flaherty said. “I think that a lot of different experiences I’ve had have helped me connect with kids, like when I first came out of school and I worked at Wheeler Clinic for two years, there are strategies that I learned there and even raising my own children which have helped me make those connections to different people.”
For Flaherty, her passion for running has helped foster a love for coaching, one rooted in her balance of selflessness and competitiveness.
Flaherty traces her coaching philosophy back to her own days as a high school runner. As a senior captain for her cross country team, Flaherty remembers urging a younger teammate ‘Squirt’, to push past her during a crucial race.
“I can remember we were running in a very important race, and I looked over my shoulder to see her just flying there,” Flaherty said. “She wouldn’t pass me because I was her captain and a senior, and I think she was terrified. I said to her, ‘Squirt, if you can pass me, you need to go’. If she could pass me, it was only going to do us better. I knew the importance of it, and it wasn’t about me – it was about winning the meet.”
In that moment, Flaherty wasn’t looking for individual glory but for what was best for the team. Moments like that have shaped the way she now encourages her athletes to put both themselves and their teammates first.
Flaherty’s husband and fellow NHS track coach Joe Flaherty describes how her personality shapes the culture she creates for her athletes.
“Mrs. Flaherty has been coaching at various levels from middle school through high school for a long time,” said Joe Flaherty. “There are a few things, in my opinion, that make her exceptional at building not only a strong, winning team culture but also lasting personal connections with the athletes she coaches. First, she cares about every athlete’s wellbeing above everything else. Her level of empathy toward her teams is astounding and builds trust and genuine connection.”
If one were to observe one of Deb Flaherty’s practices or the way she orchestrates meets, one would see her commandeering an army of her athletes, setting them up to “finish as one.”
“She really knows her stuff for every event she coaches. Sometimes it might seem frustrating when she is making you do a drill over and over but the details matter and they pay off in your times and measures on the track and in the field,” Joe Flaherty said. “She sets high standards for performance and commitment and holds the team accountable to meet them. Teams are only as strong as the athletes on them, their commitment to each other, and the team culture that allows them to thrive.”
In any athletic endeavor, especially in track and field and cross country, the coach is one of the most vital aspects of a successful outcome. For Flaherty’s athletes, they find her as a source of inspiration, confidence, and guidance that helps them maximize their potential not only on the track, but in everyday life.
“She is the most selfless and caring person that I know and truly wants to see her athletes grow not only in athletics, but also learn valuable life lessons to help us become ready for life’s challenges which can be seen in her great amount of wisdom,” said cross country and track captain, Luke Lodice, who has worked closely with Flaherty since his transfer to NHS his sophomore year. “She supports me in every facet to be honest – she is there for me to push me in workouts, talk through race strategies and mindset, and gives me great advice when I am struggling with something. She makes sure my support is where it needs to be so I can perform in races. She has helped me grow so much as an athlete as my training became much more structured and mature and I saw significant drops in my race times and race craft shortly after we started working together.”
From back-to-back boys Berkshire League Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2025 and 2026, along with both boys and girls teams sweeping the outdoor BL Championship in 2025, to consistent top-tier finishers in both boys and girls cross country, track and field captain Sophia Garguilo highlights Flaherty’s crucial role in the teams’ success.
“Mrs. Flaherty is an amazing coach,” said Garguilo. Under Flaherty’s coaching, Garguilo has reached some of the highest peaks in New England track, earning an invitation to New Balance Nationals. “She is always willing to help people out when they are struggling, and constantly gives helpful tips on all events from distance to jumps. I think that her coaching style is a huge part of the team’s success. She has a no nonsense approach to practice and it keeps the team on track during practice which leads to lots of success during meets.”
The resounding success down at Nonnewaug’s track and fields can be attributed to hard work, honorable competition, and team camaraderie that radiates on both teams thanks to Flaherty.
“I love to win and I love competition,” said Flaherty. “I like fair and good competition, and I’ve got plenty of that in my life, but I want a team that is not arrogant. I want a team that wears success well, and I want a team that looks out for one another like we’re one. Actually, if you look under my email, there’s a quote there and it says “finish as one” – and so, we’re one, and we were all going to be different, especially on track. It can be very clicky, because of events and because of a lot of kids and a lot of different friendships. But regardless, we should all be looking out for each other.”
Behind the medals and trophies, there lies a wise woman who is the epitome of selflessness and helps Nonnewaug High School thrive from her desk in the library media center.
“Mrs. Flaherty is like Mrs. Nonnewaug,” said Principal Mykal Kuslis. “Whatever you need, she does it. I can’t think of a bigger cheerleader for the school. Somebody who’s just more uniquely themselves. [NHS coach and science faculty member] Mr. Denman and I sometimes talk about the Mount Rushmore of Nonnewaug and who would go on it. I think she would certainly be a person that would be in that conversation. She coaches three of the biggest teams in the school, and runs the LMC which impacts every kid. She also helps oversee all the NWEA and SAT testing. I’ve seen library media people who are very happy to close the door to the library and only let kids in to check books out – and that is certainly not her.”
A natural philanthropist, Flaherty sacrifices much for the wellbeing of Nonnewaug.
“I see instances where Mrs. Flaherty goes above and beyond on the daily,” said Joe Flaherty. “Everything from driving two hours to pick up a rented Pole Vault pole for an athlete, to scheduling trails runs all summer for both boys and girls cross country teams, to calling college coaches, to reading college essays late at night to meet a submission date, and on and on and on. It’s just how she is.”
For NHS students, Flaherty provides a safe space in the library for students to seek a genuine connection whenever they need it.
“Mrs. Flaherty is always willing to help me in any type of crisis or when I need her,” said Lailia Jones, a senior at NHS. “She’s someone who I know I can always rely on when I need to take a test, or just talk to her about life and our own problems. Mrs. Flaherty in my life is my guidance and someone I go to when I need advice, we are close and I trust her with my thoughts and opinions. I look up to her through her strong mindedness but also how she still cares for everybody at the end of the day and just wants the best for everyone. I look up to her as someone who sets a great example and always looks out for others.”
Jadyn Heron, a junior at NHS, looks up to Flaherty for her dedicated support.
“Mrs. Flaherty is a good person and she’s a friend and she just wants students at school to thrive, and feel better,” said Heron. “I know that she’s always going to be there to support me and, like, help me through good and bad days or even to help me with my schoolwork like preparing for tests. She’s a good role model for what a good person is and what a good caring teacher should be like.”
Many students and athletes alike have found Flaherty to play a crucial role in their high school years, and are grateful for such a person to rely on – knowing she is supporting them every step of the way, even through hardship.
“She has helped me grow personally through having long talks with me on mindset and how to look at hard challenges that lie ahead, and she has also taught me so much about what it means to be selfless, be a leader, and be confident in who you are,” said Lodice. “This has all shown in my athletics as well as personal life.”
Flaherty finds importance in fostering connections and highlighting students’ success through her role at NHS.
“I think that coaching does so much,” said Flaherty. “I think it’s so important because it means so much for so many kids. And even for families, like parents knowing that their kids are feeling success is important. Kids feeling their success is important. I have high standards, I want people to remember that, but I always have lots of love. I want to be remembered not only as a good coach for winning, but I want to be remembered as a good coach for all the other reasons, too. I’m still in touch with so many former students and athletes. I mean, I’m talking about athletes that I coached in middle school. That, to me, is what’s most important.”
Flaherty will always be the heart of Nonnewaug High School with her profound devotion for her community.
“She is amazing,” said Kuslis. “I mean, pretty much anything that’s happening at Nonnewaug is happening because of her.”
