Springfield College

Women's LacrosseJennifer Thomas

Women's Lacrosse Head Coach

Springfield College

ACHA M3 • NECHA Colonial South

1.8

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Would Recommend

She knows this is a business. She will sell you this school hard, even put down other schools that are recruiting you to get you. This is true for most coaches, however, she is not as caring as she seems. The moment you struggle (whether it’s academically, mentally, or even physically) she tries to get rid of you. The team culture –honestly the whole school– is built upon cattiness and tends to be very exclusionary. Her coaching can be intense for some depending on which high school, but it’s a classic run everywhere, dropped passes = running, etc. etc.. Overall, she knows a lot about lacrosse and she knows how to get you on this team, but the moment you are there she won’t support you.

Women's VolleyballMoira Long

Women's Volleyball Head Coach

Springfield College

NCAA DIII • NEWMAC

1.4

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Would Recommend

Coach Long initially seems to care about players but quickly chooses favorites. She gaslights players and then will pull you out to punish you. She is self absorbed and expects everyone to give her praise for being an amazing coach that she thinks she is but isn't. When the team is winning she is happy, but if you lose at all she has anger issues that are not appropriate for a coach. She can act immature and passive aggressive. She is not approachable and will not consider your needs if you go and talk with her about any issues. Players secretly talk of being afraid of her and knowing she can be MEAN. I am sorry that I wasted my time playing here.

Men's Cross Country/Track & FieldAnna Steinman

Men's Cross Country Head Coach

Springfield College

ACHA M3 • NECHA Colonial South

1.0

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Would Recommend

I was never an athlete under Coach Steinman, but I had been interested in running for SC and was able to observe her coaching style and recruiting approach based on the few times I spoke to her. During our conversations, I asked for a very simple and reasonable accommodation. One that every other coach I spoke with during my transfer process was willing to make no problem, and I spoke to a lot of coaches. I explained that I could not do certain activities and would need to skip one track season to avoid injury, as I’ve had multiple injuries in the past from that specific activity. I also shared how those injuries had negatively affected my running career and love for the sport. I also explained how hard I worked to get back and the amount of heartbreak I experienced being injured from that track season that I should have skipped. Instead of acknowledging these concerns, Coach Steinman focused almost entirely on how my request might “damage” the team concept because I should be training and racing with them all three seasons. That was the main point she repeated throughout the call over and over “the team” this, “the team” that. While teamwork is important in sports, it is not the sole definition of running at a collegiate level. Prioritizing my physical health should not be viewed as harming the team, if anything, a healthy athlete is far more beneficial to team performance. I’m sure my potential teammates would prefer I stay healthy so I can contribute my best. During our second conversation, she seemed slightly more flexible, saying, “I’ll have to think about it, nobody has ever asked me this before,” despite the fact that many runners take seasons off to stay healthy. She suggested I cross-train sometimes and still race the season I wanted to skip, which dismissed the health concerns I clearly communicated. That should be a no-brainer. An athlete’s well-being comes first! Her responses came across as dry and dismissive to me, and made me cross SC right of my list of potential schools. In my opinion, someone who is dismissive in this way is not demonstrating the qualities of a good coach. At the Division III level, coaches should be flexible, supportive, and understanding of athlete’s needs. I’m sure Coach Steinman is a great coach for runners who are at cross country and track just to make connections. She seems to care a lot about the team concept and for a lot of runners, that is definitely the selling point.

Women's VolleyballMoira Long

Women's Volleyball Head Coach

Springfield College

NCAA DIII • NEWMAC

5.0

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Would Recommend

She has connected incredibly well with young women throughout her career at Springfield College. This is evident through the group of alumni who chose to stay involved and invested in the program. She constantly teaches life lessons through the game of volleyball and cares deeply about those within her program. She will advocate for and defend her players like they are her own children.

Men's WrestlingJason Holder

Men's Wrestling Head Coach

Springfield College

NCAA DIII • NEWMAC

4.8

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Would Recommend

I wrestled at Springfield with Holder as our assistant coach at the time and he was phenomenal. Nothing but good things to say.