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The Hampton Bays girls lacrosse team is under new leadership this season with Jules Radin and Bella Recchion as its coaches.
Since its 2013 inaugural season on varsity, the Hampton Bays girls lacrosse team has had strong players, some even going on to play within the college ranks, but as a team, the Baymen have never really been able to put it all together.
Jules Radin and Bella Recchion are looking to change all of that.
The new coaching duo is taking over for the departed Kristen Webber, who coached the girls for one season last year. Radin, who has coached various clubs and teams throughout the county but fancies himself more of a premier strength and conditioning coach, and Recchion, the 2017 Westhampton Beach graduate who turned a successful high school career into a spot on the Syracuse woman’s team, have already started to change the culture by basically starting the season back in December with open gym workouts, and are hoping to build upon that throughout the season and beyond.
“Bella and I have been doing our best to create a different mentality,” Radin said. “This has been a weaker program that hasn’t had enough consistency, so we’re trying to basically create an environment where the girls have fun, they work hard, they do their best, and regardless of the outcome, as long as they gave it 110 percent, they have nothing to be ashamed of. We’re basically trying to rebuild something that never got fully built.”
Radin was an athlete himself who graduated from Hampton Bays in 1991. His daughter, Cat Hall, graduated from Westhampton Beach along with Recchion and played collegiately at Florida Southern. Between both Radin and Recchion, they have a good idea of what it takes to be successful at the varsity level.
“There’s definitely a really good group of athletes and girls here,” Radin said. “They have great athletic ability we just need to make them better at lacrosse, have them work more as a team and make it a good, positive unit. There’s been a great response from the kids so far, there have been no problems in that regard. It’s been pretty exciting. Bella and I really believe in these kids. We’ve found that they’ve had good coaches in the past, we’re just taking a different approach than what they did.”
The new coaching staff will have a good mix of veteran and younger players, led by senior attack Jordyn Meyers, senior midfielder/defense Lily Heavey, junior defense Mia Camey and junior midfield Jamie Moore. First-year senior Isabella Jaramillo, who will be joining the U.S. Navy this fall, will be the team’s starting goalie, and then a pair of eighth-graders, Eden Brown and Taylor Meyers, are the team’s future.
“We’re going to be doing a lot more shooting, a lot more passing. Add in some defensive schemes. These girls can handle it,” Radin said. “We’re going to bring in a lot of positive energy and really teach them what being relentless really is. We’re looking to earn some respect out there and we know there are some teams who are sleeping on us.”
The Baymen will continue to play in a very competitive Division II this season and are classified as a “C” school, along with nationally-ranked Bayport-Blue Point (5), East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton/Ross, Elwood-John Glenn, Harborfields, Islip, Kings Park, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point, Sayville and Shoreham-Wading River.
Hampton Bays will host its season opener this Saturday, March 26, against Center Moriches at noon. Its next game will be at Deer Park on March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
