SOUTHINGTON, Conn. - Southern Connecticut State University field hockey and women's basketball alum Kathleen "Cookie" (Blodgett) Bromage '62/'64, '63 was a recipient of the Gold Key Award given by the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance on Sunday, Oct. 17. The Gold Key Award is given to recognize men and women who have made a significant contribution and/or have achieved excellence on the field of athletics as a player, coach or administrator.

Bromage was selected and honored for her contributions as the head field hockey coach at Enfield High School and five state championships during that time.

Bromage, who coached for 52 years, all at Enfield, won state titles in field hockey in 1983 and 1984 and again from 1992-94 and is one of the state's all-time winningest coaches in the sport. She also coached basketball for 18 years and cheerleading for 10 years. But her greatest success came with the field hockey program she helped build. After a Class M runner-up finish in 1982, the Raiders won back-to-back championships the next two years. Enfield later won three straight championships from 1992 to 1994.

The Hartford Courant selected her as the Coach of the Year in 1993 and in 1994.  She was selected as the All-State Field Hockey Division M Coach of the Year three times,  the CT High School Coaches Association Field Hockey Coach of the Year in 1995, and the CT Sportswriters Alliance High School Female Coach of the Year in 1995.  Also in 1995, Kathleen was a charter inductee into the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame.

Bromage has also been inducted into the New Agenda Northeast Women's Hall of Fame (1998), the Connecticut High School Coaches Association HOF (1999), the Suffield Athletic Hall of Fame (2003), the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame (2007) and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2013).

About the Gold Key Award
Regarded as the highest sports award in the state of Connecticut, the Gold Key has been presented to more than 200 men and women including baseball manager Connie Mack (1940), boxer Willie Pep (1961), Walt Dropo (1975), President George H.W. Bush (1991), NHL legend Gordie Howe (1992), Hall of Fame basketball coaches Geno Auriemma (2001) and Jim Calhoun (2003) and U.S. women's soccer star Kristine Lilly (2012).