"Lauren called me up one day and said if she could get 10 minutes with the team, she could really motivate them," Helaine Banner said. "She was totally serious. I said, 'Lauren, you can come and sit with me at a game, and I can get you an autograph. I can't get you 10 minutes in the locker room.' "
Friel has had success motivating teams. As the head girls' basketball coach at Lower Merion, she guided the Aces to a tie for the Central League title in 2001-02. She is now in her second year as assistant coach at Catholic League power Cardinal O'Hara (15-1), ranked second in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer.
"She's the ultimate fan," Helaine Banner said. "She's a great person and teacher. She taught Jill to read, and she taught me how to be a parent of a school-age child."
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Friel isn't likely to leave an Eagles game early. No matter how severe the weather, no matter how lopsided the score.
But Friel ducked out of Lincoln Financial Field midway through the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-14 playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. The game had already been decided, and Friel had her own game to coach. O'Hara was scheduled to play Woodrow Wilson at Cherry Hill East at 5:45 p.m.
Friel made tip-off with time to spare, but she continued wearing her midnight-green Brian Westbrook jersey. And the temporary tattoo of the Eagles logo stayed on her face. Inevitably, she worked the Eagles' win into her pregame pep talk. It was a winning weekend all around, as O'Hara topped the Tigers, 49-47.
"She is a crazed fan," O'Hara junior guard Kim Benton said with a laugh. "She always has Eagles stuff and is talking about the Eagles to get us pumped for games."
But Friel is even different from the diehard and devoted fans who jam the Linc, flock to training camp and travel to away games.
