SPORTS: Rachel Connerty to Coach Varsity Field Hockey

Rachel Connerty has been named 2013 Groton-Dunstable girls varsity field hockey coach. The former GD junior varsity coach will begin her sixth season coaching and brings several years of experience to the position including two years at the middle school and three years at the JV level.

A 1985 graduate of Arlington High School, Connerty was a multi-sport athlete for the Spy Ponders, playing field hockey for four years, basketball (3), softball (3) and swim team (1). "But my favorite sport was field hockey and I made the Greater Boston League all-star team my senior league," she recalls.

Connerty graduated from Framingham State University and received her Masters degree in secondary education in 2012 from Rivier College in Nashua, NH.

She and her husband Andrew reside in Groton with their five children, Cole (6th grade), Dylan (7th grade), Kevin (9th grade), Erin (11th grade) and Kale (12th grade). "Starting in 2014, I will have five teenagers in the house," she grinned.

"I began coaching varsity field hockey and teaching at Everett HS a long time ago but left after one year to start my family.

After several years away from teaching in order to raise her family, Connerty is back in the classroom and has just completed her second year at North Middlesex Regional HS.

"I'm so excited. I love the opportunity to coach at the varsity level," she smiled.

"I hope the girls will learn to love the game as much as I do, look forward to each game and practice with anticipation and excitement and have fun! I am very competitive.  I want us to win games," she insisted. "We won't win them all but losing gracefully is part of the process."

"We need to communicate both on and off the field, and know that someone has your back. That's what I hope the girls get out of the experience."

Many of the girls are participating in the Fast Break Summer Field Hockey program held at Doyle Field in Leominster. The schedule includes games on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in July and through the first week in August with playoffs beginning on August 12.

Some of the schools the Crusaders compete against have a large fan base. Connerty, who continues to play field hockey, hopes parents, classmates and friends will come out to follow and support the team. The game has changed. It has become faster, the passing is quicker, especially on turf where there are fewer bad bounces than you have on a natural grass field. You've got to take a look!