TOWAMENCIN – After 12 years of coaching the girls’ lacrosse team at North Penn, Coach Jami Behm formerly known as Jami Wilus has decided to step down upon completion of the season and focus on her family and job.
“It was a really hard decision, but I have an 18 month old son at home and he’s in daycare all day, and I think it was just the constant running back and forth from lacrosse to home. I can always go back into coaching, but I can’t get these years of his life back,” explained Behm on her reasoning for deciding to step down. “I want to spend more time with my family and coaching anymore isn’t just in the season. It’s the fall-ball, winter lacrosse, the summer workouts and stuff. If it was just March through May, I might be able to do that but considering all the off season stuff it’s too hard.”
During Coach Behm’s tenure at North Penn, she amassed a 180-56-3 record (including this season’s 10-4 start), multiple Suburban One Titles, and was one of the youngest coaches to reach the 100 win milestone in 2009 at 29 years old. Behm has a lifetime love and passion for the sport playing lacrosse all throughout her high school career at North Penn and then continuing to become a four year varsity starter at LaSalle University. She was inducted into the North Penn High School’s Hall of Fame in 2006 for field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse and the LaSalle University’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
Behm started coaching immediately out of college. While some may have had their doubts on having such a young coach, Behm proved them wrong, immediately turning the North Penn girls lacrosse team into a Continental Conference powerhouse. She always knew she wanted to coach “for the love of the sport…I came back to North Penn to teach and the position opened up. I knew I always wanted to coach and especially at North Penn, so I felt like I was ready I was a teacher, and I was mature enough to take that position and it definitely was a big position at that time and it came with a lot of responsibility. I learned a lot and hopefully the girls have learned a lot through me.” Behm’s influence on her players is demonstrated by the 47 former players who have went on to play lacrosse at the DI-DIII college level.
Coach Behm enjoys coaching because of the “overall being around the girls…teaching is one thing; you see students in the classroom but then going on out to the lacrosse field you get to see them athletically and it’s a more personable relationship – you’re spending a lot of time with them. Reflecting back on memories, Behm said that the run from 2004-2011 was memorable for repeated Suburban One League Championships and PIAA state tournament berths.
The announcement of Behm’s (affectionately known as Wilus by her players) leaving surprised the players.
“Most of them were kind of shocked, when people think of North Penn lacrosse, they just think of my name or associate me with the program. I’ve always been there and now I’m not going to be there, so I think it came as a surprise to them,” explained Behm.
Seniors Kaitlin Suzuki and Gabby DiDomizio have played for Behm’s since they were freshman and both agreed they wouldn’t be the players they are today without Behm. “Without her coaching, I know I would not be the player I am today and would not be playing at a high level of lacrosse next year,” commented Suzuki. “Wilus helped me learn the skills to become a better player and have Division I potential. Without her, I’m not sure what kind of defender I would be,” added DiDimizio. With Behm’s coaching and their commitment, both are playing collegiately next year at Temple (Suzuki) and Iona (DiDomizio).
“Wilus has always put so much time into the team because you can tell she is really passionate about it. Once she had her son, it was obvious how happy he makes her and how busy she became. Before we were like her kids, but once she had her own, priorities had to be switched. We are all very happy that she is happy. Although she is a great coach, it is even nicer to see how much she enjoys being a mom” stated Suzuki.
Behm acknowledged that this first stage of her lacrosse coaching career, while very eventful, has gone by quickly.
“Twelve years seems like an eternity but it did happen really quickly and I am just thankful for all the athletes that have come through our program. My last game coaching will be the last game of the season which will probably be playoffs. So depending upon how far we go, I just want to enjoy these last two or three weeks with the team and being out there on the field and then close that chapter and teach and just be a mom and enjoy watching my son grow up and play sports on his own. When I get that itch or the bug to come back into coaching, I’ll know that there will be positions available,” concluded Behm.