Skilled athlete Julie Cross is the newest assistant coach for the women’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse team.
Cross majored in education at Syracuse University where she played lacrosse at the Division I level. Cross was recruited by Syracuse when she was a sophomore in high school.
“Being a student-athlete can be challenging. The biggest thing is understanding balance and time management. I was able to have a good balance of that. I could perform well on the field and in the classroom without too much difficulty and stress,” Cross said.
Head coach Jackie Neary reached out to Cross this summer about the assistant coach position. Cross had a lot of experience to offer from playing on a Division I team, which is competitive and time-consuming.
“I was not considering college coaching before but when she called me she talked about the atmosphere and what Cabrini is about and it seemed like an opportunity that I could not pass up,” Cross said.
Even though Cross is new to the program, Cabrini team members on the women’s lacrosse and field hockey team said they have seen improvement in their work ethics, values, skills and determination.
“Coach has put in so much time helping to develop our team. The best part is that she brings such a better vibe to our practices,” Lily Bonner, sophomore biology major with a concentration in pre-med and forward for the field hockey team, said.
Cross said that she hopes in the upcoming season that she can help the team reach more goals. She is inspired by the job since she gets to see the players grow not only at the sport but as an individual.
Women’s lacrosse and field hockey player Kelly Sweeney said that the team had an instant bond with coach Cross.
“I feel as if we are a lot of work and she is there to push us to be our best. At the same time, she is almost around our age since she graduated last year. With her being our age we know if there is anything we need to talk about we can go to her,” Sweeney, sophomore education and special education major, said.
Cross is proud to be working with Cabrini’s athletics and hopes to help the team thrive.
“I think watching girls’ transition and growth over a season is rewarding both as a player and a person,” Cross, said.
