Mrs. Anna Traggio is the head coach of Girls Varsity Lacrosse. The team has recently started off the season with a long streak of wins, accumulating a re- cord of 7-0. They’ve won these games by wide margins: Westminster 14-3, Andover 16-3, Williston 19-4, Millbrook 18-2, Canterbury 18-1, Choate 20-3, and Loomis 16-6.

What do you enjoy about the team culture?

The girls; I just have so much fun with them. They are funny, kind, su- per dedicated, and we just have a great time. It’s like hanging out with a bunch of friends.

How has the start of the season been?

The spring trip was great. We had a really good time hanging out together, honing our skills, and getting back into the swing of things. As far as the competitive season goes, the girls have been on fire. They have worked really hard to prevent teams from scoring and have done an amazing job putting the ball in the net. It’s been re- ally fun and unselfish: lots of different people are scoring, lots of goals are assisted, and the defense and goalies are playing great.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?

I think a lot of our really good competition is coming up, so we’re just trying to focus on pushing each other and challenging each other during our practices to make sure we’re prepared to play teams who are as athletic and talented as we are. We’re really excited for the competition because I think the girls have been sort of sad that they haven’t been necessarily pushed as hard as they can be. I think that’s the other sign of such a great athletic mind and our intensity. They would rather play a team that’s really hard than blow out an uncompetitive team because you can feel better about yourself and have more pride in your hard work.

What makes this year different from the previous years? Are there any changes being made because of those differences?

Covid certainly has changed things. Our players experienced the season when Covid broke out, and that was really upsetting. Everybody was pretty sad about that, but I think after coming back last year and being able to coach all year while seeing success in our only eight games, we’ve also grown and matured. We’ve gotten some great new players; some of our youth is just outstanding and I’m so excited to be with them for the future. Coming off of not having a full season and being really eager, we have a lot of Seniors who didn’t get to play for many years. I’ve only really coached my daughter for one season and she’s a senior. The Seniors are just so excited to leave their legacy and leave their mark.

Are there any new challenges the team will have to face this season?

Absolutely. We are playing Loom- is, Taft, Greenwich Academy, Sacred Heart, and Deerfield, which are prob- ably the biggest competition we’ll be seeing. I think Sacred Heart might be ranked super high nationally. If so, we’re going to see really good competition, which will be a great test for us. Taft is also really good this year. They have college commits, just like we do, so I think those will all be really great games.

Has the team ever been this successful in past years? Can you talk a bit about the history of the team?

This is my 20th season and we have had a lot of success. We’ve won a number of Founders and some Westerns, and tied for some of them. We’ve al- ways been pretty strong. I think we had one down season, which was just an unfortunate rebuilding year. We’ve always had really great success. To me, this season feels a little different because of the appreciation to be play- ing, which is probably due to Covid. It also feels different because we have a really strong senior leadership. All of our seniors are great leaders; each one of them in their different ways. The younger kids are willing to learn and make mistakes, which we talk about a lot. Also, I think I’ve really matured as a coach. When I first start- ed I only had two kids, but now I have four. My kids are grown and I’ve been through so many different teams, kids, attitudes, and cultures. With my maturity and the joy they’re getting, it’s just really special.

What are some reasons the team has been so successful this season?

The spring break trip is just awe- some for culture. We played a lot of games and had a lot of fun contests involving costumes, singing, or dancing. I think people are always brought together when they’re able to make fun of themselves and feel safe in their environment to be able to do that. It also helps to get to know people away from school in a more relaxed space. I think that’s really led to a successful season. We have incredible athletes, so that primarily gives us an edge. We have a lot of really great lacrosse players as well, I mean there are people who play lacrosse first (as their first/primary sport), so their lacrosse IQ is really good. They’re just super talented and they’re having fun, so when you have fun, good things happen.