Southwick field hockey players begin a light jog prior to a recent tryout. (Photo by Chris Putz)
SOUTHWICK – Former Bomber, Jordan Baillargeon, had a productive high school field hockey career before graduating in 2007. Since that time, Baillargeon was the assistant field hockey coach at Western New England College and a JV lacrosse coach at WHS.
Baillargeon has taken her talents over the border as the head coach of the Southwick-Tolland field hockey team.
“I have a passion for coaching,” Baillargeon said a recent practice as several field hockey players battled to make the team. “I’ve finally got one team to take charge and see how far I can take them.
Baillargeon said that she hopes to bring stability to the program. For the last several years, the program has seen its fair share of coaches come and go, leading to instability.
Nearly every year, a new offensive and defensive scheme has been installed. Baillargeon said she plans on sticking around for quite a while.
“I just want to show them that not everyone has to leave,” she said. “I want to show them that if they work hard that we can make the playoffs. I want to make them and be competitive.”
It should be an emotional coaching debut for Baillargeon who opens the 2012 regular season against her former team, Westfield. The two teams will square off next Wednesday in Southwick at 3:30 p.m.
Yesterday at practice, Baillargeon said her team is well on its way for getting in game-ready shape for the opener.
“They’ve all been working really hard,” the Rams new head coach said of her players. “I’m expecting really big things for season from what I’ve seen in practice.”
Baillargeon said many of her athletes have displayed good stick skills, ball control, great field awareness with the presence of mind to know where other players are on the field.
“They’re working hard to get in shape,” she said.
Southwick has an interesting schedule through the first half of the season, following up its opener with a game at Franklin County Tech (Sept. 7), home against Turners Falls (Sept. 12), and then four consecutive road games – at Pioneer Valley Regional (Sept. 14), at Mahar Regional (Sept. 18), at Central (Sept. 20), and at Holyoke (Sept. 25).
The Rams close out their regular season with three straight home games – Franklin County (Oct. 19), Central (Oct. 23), and Greenfield (Oct. 25).
