When Jenna Peccia M’25 first met Merrimack women’s lacrosse coaches Jen Fox Sargent and Abby Tepper, she was a Canton elementary school student learning how to play goalie. Now, more than a decade later, she’s one of their colleagues.
Just a year after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in sports management, she served as a graduate assistant coach for Merrimack’s women’s lacrosse team alongside her former mentors.
“I was just in (these players’) shoes a year ago,” she explained. “I get what they’re feeling. And it’s so cool that I get to learn from (my former coaches) again. I get to see this different side of them. They’re so knowledgeable in the lacrosse world.”
Peccia was recruited from middle school to play lacrosse at Dexter Southfield in Brookline, Mass. Unsatisfied playing for just one team, she joined up with the Boston Laxachusetts traveling club league. Finally, after high school, she went on to play for Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
She’s been surrounded by sports her whole life. In addition to her main love, lacrosse, she played baseball, basketball and hockey as a child. All the while, she was agile enough to pursue Irish step dancing for 10 years.
“I’ve never been a big runner, so I’ve usually stuck with being the goalie,” she explained. “I was thrown into the net by my older brother and his friends whenever we played lacrosse.”
While this is the first time Peccia is coaching goalies at the Division 1 level, it’s far from her first experience guiding young lacrosse players. While playing for Boston Laxachusetts, Peccia made sure to stick around after practice to teach players in the program’s younger divisions. While attending Old Dominion University, she helped out with local high school and club leagues as well.
However, this past season marked the first time Peccia didn’t play lacrosse herself while coaching others.
“It was a hard adjustment at first not bringing out my helmet and stick to practice every day,” she said, “but it’s been great to still be involved in sports. I feel like I still have that mentality as an athlete. I always want to win – I want my girls to win at Merrimack. It’s just my competitive nature.”
As a student enrolled in Merrimack’s communications master’s program, Peccia has been taking sports media and marketing classes. She said being a former college athlete gives her a bit of an upper hand on some of the concepts she’s being taught in the classroom.
After graduation, Peccia hopes to land a job in digital and social media marketing. If, however, the opportunity arises to coach lacrosse full-time, she’s all in.
“I love lacrosse and it’s hard to give it up for a little bit,” she explained. “But now, after coaching at the Division I level, I think I’m ready to get into a club team, get a 9-5 and coach at a high school or something.”
