Not many people find themselves in Courtney Breen's shoes. Even though she's just 28 years old, the former North Andover field hockey star is already entrenched in her dream job.
Breen, who is entering her first season as head field hockey coach at North Andover High, has the colossal task of replacing the legendary Dianne Freiermuth, who Breen played for from 1994-98. But for a young coach, her resume is extraordinary, with a stint as an assistant at Stonehill College as well as spending three years at St. Anselm where she served as head coach.
Last season, she left St. Anselm to come back to North Andover and work under Freiermuth as an assistant
Some would say she took a demotion, but she is quick to assert the contrary.
"This is what I always wanted," she said. "Coaching in college was a great experience, don't get me wrong, but this is a dream job for me. It's such a different dynamic. I've always wanted to do more teaching, and that's what the high school level allows you to do.
"When you get college players, they're already defined. I enjoyed it, but I wanted to teach young players, and that's why I originally came back as an assistant last year. To have it be here is so surreal, too. This is the program that made me fall in love with the sport."
Breen had always aspired to coach at North Andover, but she never believed the chance would come so quickly.
Over the course of last season, Breen says that the team knew that it would be Freiermuth's last.
"It's sort of been a whirlwind for me," said Breen, a teacher in the Lawrence Public Schools. "I came back as an assistant last year not having the slightest clue that Dianne was thinking of leaving. Then, as the season progressed, we all sort of knew it was her last year SEmD we were celebrating every win. It's a case of great timing, really."
In her 15 years at the helm, Freiermuth posted a 160-72-65 record, including a 62-5-2 mark over the past three seasons, and won two Division 2 North titles (2003, 2006).
Needless to say, the pressure is on the new boss.
"I knew that I was going to apply for the job, but I never really thought I would get it," she said. "There is a ton of pressure to do well. Dianne took this program to such heights, living up to that 'it isn't going to be easy.' There are always peaks and valleys and right now North Andover field hockey is certainly at a peak. Dianne got us to the peak, and it's my job to keep us there.
"There's pressure because I know that Dianne didn't have to retire. We all know that she could have coached for another 15 years and had so much success. But, she has young kids and felt like she was missing too much. This isn't a situation where the program is at an all-time low and a new coach comes in, which usually happens. We are at an all-time high."
The Knights' program is in a much different place than when Breen played, which is a tribute to her predecessor.
When Breen grew up in the town, she played soccer because field hockey wasn't an option for area youth. Now, thanks to the booster club and summer camps, girls in North Andover can pick up the sport as early as fifth grade.
"The program was still in the developmental stage when I was playing," she said. "It was still relatively young. There wasn't a lot of interest in it yet. There was no booster club when I played.
"Now, thanks to the boosters and thanks to Dianne running a camp in the summer, we have girls who are coming in and have been playing and they know the basics. Now we can really mold players and develop and teach them, and that's something I was missing coaching at the college level."
The differences between the high school and college levels are such that it could feel like an entirely different sport. Breen's time will be budgeted differently than when she was in the college ranks, as will her players'.
"Well, first off, there is no recruiting, and I love that part of it," she chuckled. "There is still scouting players and scouting teams which is a part of the job that I really enjoy. And, of course, there is a lot more teaching involved here.
"I had a lot of great coaches when I played and I think I have my own style, but it's certainly a mold of all of theirs together. I know it can sound cliché, but I really just want these girls having fun. I subscribe to the philosophy that if you can play in college, great, but don't let it run your life. Go play basketball and other sports while you're in high school because you don't want to be field hockey'ed out."
