Meet Coach Jennifer Pino! -Grace Kasabula

Jennifer Pino is the new girls' lacrosse coach at North Andover High School.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your experience with playing/coaching lacrosse in the past.

A: Believe it or not, I haven’t been playing lacrosse my whole life. I started playing in high school, worked really hard at it, and ended up leading my team to the state championship game my senior year of high school. I then went on to play soccer and lacrosse at Merrimack College and loved every minute of it. During college I started coaching youth clinics which led to coaching club lacrosse. I coached for Storm Lacrosse for about 7 years. I’ve also coached at Framingham High School when I worked in their school district and I had the opportunity to coach at the Division I level at Merrimack but that fell short due to covid. Although I enjoyed coaching at the college level, I believe high school is the perfect fit for me.

Q: I’ve heard you're a multi-talented athlete…can you pick a favorite? And would you ever be interested in coaching other sports as well?

A: I am a three sport athlete (soccer, hockey, lacrosse). It’s really tough picking one, I’ve always had the mentality of “onto the next one” during my high school years because I was always looking forward to playing, no matter the sport. If we lost in the playoffs, I would initially be upset but then get excited for the next season ahead. I currently coach soccer and lacrosse at the high school and I would consider coaching hockey if the opportunity came.

Q: Tell me a little bit about what North Andover means to you. Have you enjoyed coaching in this community so far?

A: I love North Andover and always will. It's such a tight knit community and I know I am lucky to be working and teaching in such a close community. Coaching here has been great so far, I have had many coaches and teachers reaching out to me and checking in weekly. The support I have gotten from other athletic programs and throughout the community has made this transition easier for me.

Q: What approaches are you taking this year with your new team this season?

A: I want our team to become a family. If we can get along and have each other's back no matter the circumstance we can be successful. The lacrosse stuff will come, I am trying to build a program that trusts their teammates and coaches and truly believes in one another.

Q: What does it mean to you to be able to coach young women’s sports?

A: I am honored to be in a situation where I can be a role model for these young women. I was fortunate enough to have high school coaches who pushed me, believed in me, and taught me how to be a good teammate and leader on and off the field. I am hoping to use what I have learned and teach my players how to become better people, not just better players.

Q: What is your dream travel destination/adventure?

A: I would love to go to Italy. I love to cook, specifically Italian food. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the food and atmosphere in Italy. I would love to take a cooking class there, definitely on my bucket list.