Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is making news. But this time, it’s not for academic achievements. The top-ranked high school is the first in Virginia to appoint female head coaches to lead both its varsity baseball and football teams.
TJ announced in January 2025 that it hired Rachel Worsham to coach the school’s varsity football team. Jennifer Hammond was hired in September to lead the varsity baseball program.
“I’m super excited that Rachel is joining us,” Hammond said in a news release. “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.”
Powerhouse Players and Coaches
Hammond has played baseball for 20 years in the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference; she remains a player and coach. She has also coached the Alexandria Aces in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League since 2021 and continues to coach for DC Girls Baseball.
Worsham also has experience both playing and coaching football. She’s played on both the USA women’s football alliance team and on the DC Divas. She was inducted into the Diva’s Hall of Fame Class of 2024. On the coaching side, she was an assistant varsity coach for the inaugural girls’ flag football team at Robinson Secondary School. Prior to that, she was part of the coaching staff at Marshall High School.
“To me, being the first in the state comes with a lot of responsibility, of course,” Worsham 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.”
Worsham also said she knows her appointment may bring her extra attention. “I anticipate a lot of scrutiny because I’m a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field. There is certainly a pressure that I carry to do a good job, to get it right.”
However, Worsham says she’s ready to hit the field. “I am just very excited to get started. To me, it’s the ability to teach kids who want to learn how to play the sport that drew me to TJ.”
Noteworthy Hires
TJ principal and school alum Mike Mukai — a former varsity football player himself — shares in the enthusiasm. “Having a pioneer like Rachel Worsham leading our program brings invaluable connections to the sport and a genuine passion for teaching the game,” he said.
“Both of these hires are meaningful and worth celebrating because they reflect progress and possibility. It matters when students can see what’s possible, and today is one of those moments,” Mukai said.
Feature image of coaches Rachel Worsham, left, and Jennifer Hammond courtesy Donnie Biggs/Fairfax County Public Schools
