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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will enter its 2026 athletic seasons with women leading both its varsity football and baseball programs—a first for Virginia high school sports.

Rachel Worsham, announced as TJHSST’s head football coach in January, is the first woman appointed to lead a high school football team in the state. She joins Jennifer Hammond, who became Virginia’s first female head coach of a boys’ varsity baseball team when TJHSST hired her in September 2025.

Worsham brings extensive playing and coaching experience to the Colonials. She spent more than a decade on the DC Divas’ offensive line, played for the USA women’s team and entered the Divas’ Hall of Fame in 2024.

She previously served as an assistant varsity football coach at Robinson Secondary School and led Robinson’s inaugural girls’ flag football team in the fall. She has also coached at Marshall High School.

Worsham acknowledged that taking a groundbreaking role brings added pressure.

“To me, being the first in the state comes with a lot of responsibility, of course,” she said. “But it’s not that I’m the first that I really care about, what is more important to me is that I’m not the last.”

She said she expects scrutiny as a woman working in a traditionally male-dominated field and feels pressure to perform well. Two TJHSST players participated in her interview process and supported her selection, giving Worsham an early indication that the team will welcome and trust her.

With a player interest meeting approaching, Worsham is finalizing her coaching staff and preparing to get to work.

“I am just very excited to get started,” she said. “To me, it’s the ability to teach kids who want to learn how to play the sport that drew me to TJ.”

Hammond, meanwhile, is preparing for spring baseball tryouts. She has coached with the Alexandria Aces of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League since 2021 and spent 20 years playing in the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference, where she remains a player and coach. She also continues to coach with DC Girls Baseball.

After Worsham’s appointment was announced in late January, Hammond sent her a congratulatory email.

“I’ve always been careful not to focus too heavily on the fact that I am one of only a very small number of women leading boys’ sports, but representation matters,” Hammond said.

Principal and TJHSST alumnus Michael Mukai, a former varsity football player, called the appointments an “historic moment.” He said Worsham brings strong connections to football and a passion for teaching, while Hammond earned her position through her expertise, leadership and the trust she has established with players.

“Both of these hires are meaningful and worth celebrating because they reflect progress and possibility,” Mukai said. “It matters when students can see what’s possible, and today is one of those moments.”