Barbara Tway (Beam) Gibson

Ms. Gibson (or Ms. Beam during her first two seasons) served as the first Kentucky Country Day field hockey head coach. Her coaching style immediately transformed the field hockey team into a consistently winning program, establishing the long-standing winning tradition that KCD field hockey enjoys today. As her coaching technique evolved from tenure as a game official and as coach of a rival program, Ms. Gibson’s Bearcat squad shocked the Louisville field hockey community by winning the first three Apple Tournament championships. In 1974, teamed with new defensive coach Ms. Jean Bade, her squad went undefeated with a 14-win, 0-loss record to take the state field hockey season title, scoring 66 goals while allowing just two opponent goals. Ms. Gibson also coached three state runner-up squads in 1975, 1976, and 1977. As the KCD head coach, she won 78 percent of her games, collecting 70 Bearcat victories against 12 losses and 8 ties. Ms. Gibson’s maiden name, Tway, serves as the namesake for the Tway Trophy, which is the highest individual honor for a KCD field hockey player. Today, Ms. Gibson is married as Barbara Tway Partlow. She lives in Louisville and works as a community activist. Her children and grandchildren are KCD graduates.

<< Back to Athletic Honors page