Kate Bayard has coached No. 5 Tufts to its highest ranking in her six years at the helm. And this year she's doing it all while awaiting the birth of her first child.
Bayard is 37 weeks pregnant, due May 2. But she clearly has managed to balance her hectic life as a mother−to−be with her coaching career and has led Tufts to a 9−2 record so far this season.
"I've been lucky enough that I've felt great the whole time. In the last period of time here, I now have to see the doctor once a week and I'm working that into the schedule," Bayard said. "But really I've been doing everything coaching−wise that I was doing before."
With the Jumbos' last regular−season match on April 27 and NESCACs and NCAAs to follow, Bayard realizes that it is not likely that she will be able to continue coaching through the end of the season.
"If I could've picked the exact date maybe it would've been early June," Bayard said jokingly. "But first of all, I'm happy that I've been able to do everything so far, and I'm planning on working right up until I go into labor, assuming I continue to feel as well as I've felt."
"Regarding the end of the season, I'm obviously going to play it by ear. … I'll have to see how I feel," she continued. "Of course I love my job, and I'd like to be there for everything, but this is going to be a priority."
The team's determination to do their best in the NESCAC and NCAA championships will not be affected by Bayard's potential absence. If anything, the team will feel an even stronger purpose to come away on top.
"We haven't explicitly talked about it with Coach, but it's kind of inferred that she's going to miss as much as necessary," senior tri−captain Julia Browne said. "We're going to do our very best to bring back the national championship for her, regardless of whether she can physically be there or not."
After a season of constant baby talk, the team is looking forward to Bayard's daughter's birth. Bayard says that the team has even been helpful in giving name suggestions.
"Everyone's excited to see her in another way because we see her as our coach and a parental figure to us in a way, so it'll be really interesting to see her as a mother," sophomore Lauren Hollender said.
Bayard is determined to keep up with recruiting and coaching even while on maternity leave this summer.
"I love my job and what I do," Bayard said. "The summer is a crucial time for recruiting. I'll be on maternity leave, but knowing myself I'm still going to probably want to do emails and talk to recruits and things. And then come fall, I'll be ready to come back with the team."
The possibility of a baby Bayard gracing a tennis court of her own in a few years is up in the air.
"We'll expose her to a lot of different activities. … If she's interested in sports, then I like the idea of team sports a little better for when she's young," Bayard said. "And if she shows an interest in tennis, we'll obviously support that too."
