Sports Reporter
Most athletes have a ‘leave it on the field’ mentality, but sometimes the sport goes home with them. Abigail Simpson is no exception.
The CMU women’s lacrosse coach experiences this daily, but it’s not a bad thing. It simply means she cares about the well-being of her players.
“I can never leave work at work,” Simpson said. “I bring it all home with me because I have such a big heart and want the best for these girls.”
From Suffolk County in Long Island, N.Y., also referred to as the hotbed for lacrosse, Simpson is very familiar with the chemistry good teams have and knows how important chemistry is when building a team.
Starting those experiences at a young age, Simpson was a natural athlete, involved in all sorts of sports, including track and field, basketball and soccer.
“Lacrosse was just my favorite,” Simpson said. “It was the sport I focused most of my time on, which brought me here today.”
After finding her love for lacrosse, Simpson climbed through several tough life choices. One of them was the thought of leaving her twin sister after high school.
Though Simpson was given a scholarship to play at Iona, in the midst of signing her letter of intent she backed out and decided to stay with her sister at a local community college.
Having attended the community college for two years, Simpson desired bigger and better things. She then found herself playing lacrosse and studying physical education at SUNY College, a Division III powerhouse in the lacrosse world, in Cortland, N.Y.
Upon finishing her degree in 2010, Simpson was contacted by her aunt and uncle, who are longtime residents of Grand Junction, informing her that Mesa State was kicking off a women’s lacrosse program.
Simpson was awarded the head coach position in 2010 and has been through a tough but amazing learning experience.
“The most fulfilling part of this job [over the past four years] has been watching the students develop as players and grow up into true adults.”
Simpson has also fallen in love with Grand Junction, taking constant advantage of the gorgeous weather Colorado has to offer as well as the numerous vineyards and outdoor activities here in the valley.
The hardest part for Simpson has been being away from her family in New York, and just like her team of young women, Simpson’s family is a very close group of caring people.
Now as Simpson’s group of girls have reached the best record in the program’s history, now guaranteed to finish at .500 or better, she truly believes that the future of this program is going to be more rewarding and exciting than the last few years. She is looking forward to seeing her girls grow as players and people while under her coaching wings.
braber@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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