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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is making Virginia sports history with women simultaneously leading its varsity football and baseball programs.

Rachel Worsham will take charge of the Colonials football team this fall, while Jennifer Hammond has begun her first season managing varsity baseball. The Fairfax County school is the first in the commonwealth to appoint women to both positions at the same time.

Although each coach brings extensive experience to her role, they see the milestone as larger than their teams’ records.

“The hope for both of us is that even though we’re the first, we won’t be the last,” Hammond said. She called the appointments an opportunity to show women and girls that careers remain possible in areas of sports traditionally closed to them.

Worsham realizes a football ambition

Worsham, 43, spent 12 seasons playing for the D.C. Divas women’s football team and USA Football. The former offensive lineman later worked as an assistant coach at several Fairfax County high schools and led Robinson Secondary School’s girls flag football team last year.

She had wanted to become a head coach since her playing career ended. When the Thomas Jefferson job became available, she applied immediately.

Junior cornerback Luke Brazie said Worsham’s preparation quickly impressed him. When they met after her hiring, he noticed a binder filled with detailed offseason plans for the Colonials.

“Even beyond gender, she has had to go through so many more trials and tribulations to be where she is today, and it speaks to how good of a coach she is,” Brazie said.

Junior Andrew Haydon described having a woman lead the football program as both rare and exciting.

Before the fall season begins, Worsham is maintaining contact with her players. Many of them are also members of the school’s baseball team.

Hammond takes command of varsity baseball

Hammond, 45, has worked on the Colonials’ coaching staff since 2019, making her promotion to manager the latest step in a long baseball career.

She played the sport through high school and has spent 20 years in the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference, where she remains active as a player and coach. Since 2021, she has also served on the coaching staff of the Alexandria Aces in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League.

As manager, Hammond said she now has a “bird’s-eye view” of games, allowing her to oversee strategy while delegating smaller responsibilities to her assistants.

Her first game in charge came March 18, when Thomas Jefferson opened its season at Mount Vernon. Hammond allowed herself a brief moment to appreciate the milestone before turning her attention to competition.

“I wanted to take a few moments and be present,” she said. “Kind of take it all in, but we got down to business pretty quickly.”

Haydon, the team’s third baseman, called Hammond “the heart and soul of our team.” He said her steady approach helped him return from a torn labrum and helps players refocus on baseball after demanding school days.

“She definitely understands the way the team works,” Haydon said, adding that her calm style prepares players for their next opportunity instead of dwelling on mistakes.

A new coaching sisterhood

Hammond participated in the committee that selected Thomas Jefferson’s football coach, but she did not know Worsham had been chosen until the school made its official announcement.

The two soon began exchanging text messages, including updates about athletes shared by their programs. Hammond said they have formed a coaching “sisterhood” at the school, even as each continues to rely on her own mentors.

Women entering groundbreaking roles do not necessarily seek the additional scrutiny or responsibility that comes with them, Hammond said, but they are accepting that burden and supporting one another.

Both coaches also recognize the challenge of leading teams at a school known for placing academics ahead of athletics. They intend to help players manage responsibilities in the classroom and on the field while embracing their own visibility as examples for other women in sports.

Worsham said she was especially interested in joining a program eager to celebrate women and remove barriers.

“Knowing that TJ is a little bit different, they are interested in breaking that barrier and having me involved in the program,” she said.