Life has a habit of coming full circle; nobody is ever quite sure when the circle starts but someone will always be able to reflect on the small decisions that change the course of a person’s life forever. Sometimes that decision is to join a sport in middle school, or to change courses in college. When some opportunities close, others open, losing the final game of a person’s athletic career does not mean the end of their involvement in the sport. For some people, it is just the beginning.

This past year Revere hired alumnus Emma Harding to be the new head coach for the women’s varsity lacrosse team for the upcoming 2017 season. Revere hired former lacrosse player McKenzie Bell to be the assistant coach for the varsity team as well.

This is Harding’s first year coaching lacrosse, but not her first time coaching a sport. This past fall she was a coach for the girls junior varsity soccer team, and she coached boys’ youth soccer as well. She described the reason coaching is something she wanted to do.

“I remember when I was in middle school, my buddy and I set up a soccer camp and recruited my siblings and their friends to come to it. Though I didn’t realize it, I was meant to be a coach. The past four summers I worked at Camp Y-Noah in Clinton, Ohio as a camp counselor and village leader for the teenager campers. That is what really pushed me to take up coaching. There is just something about working with young adults and helping them become, not just better athletes, but better people. At the end of the day, I want to coach so I can make an impact on other people’s lives,” Harding said.

Revere also hired McKenzie Bell to be the assistant coach under Harding. Bell played lacrosse all four years of her high school and college career at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. This will be Bell’s first year coaching high school lacrosse. She explained the reason why she decided to coach.

“I played lacrosse during college and was looking for an opportunity to stay involved with the sport after graduation. I had a great experience as a player and hope that I can help add to the girls’ experience at Revere,” Bell said.

Every coach has their own style or method for coaching. Harding talked about what she will hope to implement to her team.

“My coaching [philosophy] is have fun but be serious when we have to be. I believe that we will do well as a unit if the team bonds together. That means that we will have to implement activities at practices that allow the team to do that. Some of things are fun games. However, at the end of the day, there are times when we need to be serious and we need to be focused. I think it’s a balance, and that’s how I model my style. We have to work hard to have fun, and the best of times are when those two are hand-in-hand,” Harding said.

Former Revere athletic director Bill Conley was part of the group who interviewed Harding for the job. He explained his first impression of her and what he hopes she will bring to the team.

“Emma seemed very energetic and passionate about lacrosse. She also seemed like a person who student/athletes would look up due to her experiences. I hope she brings a passion for competition, a drive for hard work and a great work ethic, as well a collegiate knowledge of the game,” Conley said.

Harding has high expectations for her team. With a strong group of upperclassmen she expects good leadership on and off the field. Their first game is March 17 against Stow-Munroe Falls at home.