Does good communication between a coach and her/his players lead to success?
Not always, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
And, in the case of the Gwynedd Mercy lacrosse team, it helps. A whole lot.
“Bridget (Beck) makes sure that all of her players are heard and seen,” Gwynedd Mercy senior Chloe Folk said. “And she’s helped me grow so much as a player and a person and we’ve all seen her grow as a coach, and you can see how much she loves Gwynedd lacrosse.
“She went here and played here and just cares about everyone and wants us all to do well.”
That dedication, plus the fact the Monarchs (14-9 overall) reached the quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 2A tournament, earned Beck the Courier Times/Intelligencer Girls’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year honor.
“We have a lot of pure talent on this team and players that are not afraid to work hard,” Beck said.
“The success we had this season comes from them doing what it takes to improve and try to get better every day.”
Beck took over the Gwynedd Mercy program in 2023, when this year’s seniors were freshmen. In that first season, the Monarchs reached the PIAA tournament but did not get back to states again until this year.
“She puts so much into the team and is here to help us out,” Gwynedd Mercy senior Maddie McFadden said.
“She recognizes when we’re down mentally, too, and that’s such a help. I was in a rut during the season, was upset with myself, but I didn’t say anything.
“She recognized that something wasn’t right and pulled me aside and we talked and that helped me so much.”
Beck credits assistant coach and her former Gwynedd Mercy teammate Hailey Durkin as being the glue that helps hold the team together.
“Hailey does so much and we work well together,” Beck said. “And this was my first senior class, and they’ve meant so much to the program.
“What they’ve done as leaders is going to keep helping this tea for a long time.”
Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Gwynedd Mercy Beck PIAA Girls’ Lacrosse Bucks County
