When Junior Margaux Pollock was asked to become a coach for a youth girls lacrosse team, she immediately said yes. In need of a partner, Pollock said she reached out to her friend and teammate Junior Meg Ridgway, who had also expressed wanting to coach younger girls in the past. 

“Margaux and I had been talking about coaching and even before that it was always something that I had wanted to do,” Ridgway said. “Coaching seemed like a great opportunity to positively influence younger players’ lives and introduce them to the game.”

Youth director and high school girls assistant coach, Hayley Savat, expressed how much of an impact Ridgway and Pollock have had, as well as the significance of having a teen coach as a young athlete.

“Having a coach close in age can be a somewhat relatable experience. It’s a young female athlete, which is that kind of representation for them,” Savat said. “They are able to create a unique connection with these athletes and really bond with them.”

Ridgway and Pollock said they finished their first year as coaches on a high note, ending with victory in both their spring and summer seasons.

“Our biggest success as coaches was definitely winning the state championship in the spring season, as well as in our summer season,” Pollock said. “We worked really hard all season and it was great to see that the hard work paid off.”

According to Savat, the parents of these young athletes love the idea of having teens coach and have expressed how beneficial it has been. 

“This year, several parents of players coached by Meg and Margaux came up to me expressing how much fun they had playing Lacrosse,” Savat said. “They often said things such as; their daughter fell in love with the sport, or that their daughter’s confidence completely transformed for the better in the span of a couple of months over the season. Largely in part because of coaches like Meg and Margaux.”

Ridgway said she is looking forward to another season of coaching this upcoming spring. 

“We are both definitely planning on coaching next year,” Ridgway said. “It’s been a very positive experience for both of us and the players as well.”