The MVP of Field Hockey

Coach Jackson is the varsity field hockey coach, assistant varsity women’s lacrosse coach, and a full-time physical education teacher for Lower and Middle School students. In Grades 5–6 PE, eight full-time coaches rotate and teach four three-week sports each trimester. Coach Jackson leads the field hockey unit in the fall. “These fifth and sixth graders get to learn from the varsity coaches of those sports and build connections with those coaches in fifth and sixth grade. It’s incredible,” she says.  

Coach Jackson credits her mentor, Assistant Director of Athletics and Physical Education Robert Grasso, with helping to build a unified team ethos. “He helps with leadership development for all LJCDS high school sports teams,” she explains. “He meets regularly with coaches and captains to discuss how our program is going and what improvements need to be made. I rely heavily on my returning players to help teach the younger players, and Coach Grasso helped instill this culture.”

For Coach Jackson, the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing her players improve and succeed on the field. She believes that the mental component of field hockey is just as important as the physical component, and hopes her players will take the mental toughness and positive attitude they learn from the program and apply it to their lives outside LJCDS.

“Growing up, I was always part of a team,” she shares. “And here I am, part of one of the best teams that I could ask for. I’m so fortunate to have found our PE team and our athletic department. It is just incredible.”