Adrian Gilmore's legacy lives on for Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer team

Gone, but never forgotten.

Adrian Gilmore won’t be patrolling the sideline for the Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer team, but her everlasting effect on the program remains at the forefront of everything the Wildcats are doing this fall.

Gilmore led Shoreham-Wading River to six Suffolk Class A titles, three Long Island Class A championships and a state Class A crown while winning 165 games over her 14 seasons as the girls soccer coach. She turned the Wildcats into a perennial power, including guiding the team to the state Class A semifinals after winning its second straight Long Island Class A title last fall.

But on April 22, tragedy struck when Gilmore collapsed on school grounds. Gilmore, 42, died one day later of a brain aneurysm, according to her daughter, Kayla.

This fall, Gilmore remains an integral part of the Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer program. Lydia Kessel, who was a Newsday All-Long Island goalkeeper for Gilmore, takes over as the varsity head coach and plans to keep Gilmore’s traditions and follow a similar coaching style.

The team’s warm-up shirt includes a patch saying, “In Loving Memory of Coach Adrian Gilmore” with an AG embroidered in, along with the phrase, “Play 4 Gilmore” and a quote about legacy on the back. The patch is also on their uniforms.

“She was the glue that held us together,” senior midfielder Olivia Pesso said. “Every practice we had, we were excited to see her. She was an amazing coach and an amazing person, too. She didn’t just know us as players, she knew us as individuals, and I feel that’s a huge thing. She knew us in a personal way and honoring her is something we all want to do because we loved her.”

The players plan to do that the best way they know how, by competing and winning. Gilmore loved winning. She loved seeing her players succeed. And that’s the legacy they plan to continue.

“We’ve always had that motivation, she’s always been a big motivation on the field when she was here,” senior forward Mia Mangano said. “This year, we have banners up for her, and whenever it’s tough, I’m going to look at that banner and remember that’s my coach. She will always be my coach, and I’ll remember everything she instilled in us as players.”

“It’s exciting and sad, but we know we’re going to play our hearts out for her,” Pesso added. “And that’s something to look forward to.”

Kessel, who played goalkeeper at Vermont, returned to the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District in March to complete her capstone project under school administration as part of her doctorate in occupational therapy. Once Gilmore and the Shoreham-Wading River coaches heard Kessel was back, they wanted her to return to the program.

Gilmore, who taught sixth grade science at Albert P. Prodell Middle School, recommended Kessel as the junior varsity coach. Kessel will never forget receiving the text on April 21 that she was going to be board-approved. One day later, the tragedy occurred.

“It’s definitely hard and I wish she was here, ” Kessel said with tears in her eyes. “It was such an honor to have her reach out to me. I could never say no to Gilmore. She was probably my favorite coach, so once the opportunity was presented, I couldn’t say no. And I knew I could learn under someone so great. I do laugh because there are so many moments during this whole process where I look up and say, ‘What do you want me to do here?’ I’m definitely sad and mad that she’s not here to tell me what to do, but I know she’s with us through this whole thing.”

Kayla Gilmore, Gilmore’s oldest child, has been around the Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer program nearly her entire life. Kayla attended practices and postseason runs as a child and even as she grew older to be around her mother, whom she called her best friend. She knew exactly how much the program meant to her.

“She's literally poured her heart and soul into that program,” Kayla said. “I’d say after our family, Shoreham-Wading River has the next biggest place in her heart. She loved it there and she would do anything for those girls.”

Kayla was a three-sport top 100 athlete for Newsday in soccer, basketball and lacrosse. Kayla, a two-time first-team All-Long Island lacrosse selection, enters her sophomore season playing lacrosse at Maryland. Whenever she’s on a field, Kayla feels a special connection with her mother.

Kayla said she and her family were thrilled with Kessel taking over the program.

“It goes so much further than soccer,” Kayla said. “It’s the impact she was able to have on people and the lessons and just everything she taught the girls was always beyond the soccer field. The culture she was able to create at Shoreham will last longer than just the years she was here.”

The Wildcats will host an annual “Gilmore Game” when Shoreham-Wading River plays Floyd, where Gilmore graduated and raised her family. The inaugural Gilmore Game is Sept. 27 at noon, followed by the boys team playing Garden City at 3 p.m.

“It’s a badge of honor knowing we get to play for her,” Pesso said. “It’s exciting and it’s sad, obviously, but I think it’s very motivating to know we have someone looking down on us. We’re always going to play for her.”