Don’t be fooled — the story of Amanda Belichick ’07 is not as simple as that of a daughter following in the footsteps of her father. It is a story of passion for lacrosse, care for the team, and a desire to break free of the mundane.
Belichick grew up in an athletic family with a devotion to lacrosse. Her father, William Belichick ’75, played lacrosse at Wesleyan and is currently the head coach of the New England Patriots. Her brothers, Stephen and Brian, also played lacrosse at their respective schools.
Belichick was initially drawn to Wesleyan for lacrosse camp, but stayed for the diverse options the campus had to offer. “The liberal arts was really appealing to me, just having a lot of options,” said Belichick, “I was really looking for somewhere where I could play lacrosse and have a great college experience. So it just felt really natural.”
Belichick was initially a studio art major because she, “loved the process.” The love of the process is evident in her coaching; Belichick is known for her attention to detail and minute breakdown of the game. Belichick eventually left the studio art major (to be a history major), but through her time in the major understood the importance of finding her passion:
I was really bad at art, that was my problem. But I think it’s passion, I think it’s finding something that you care about. I spend a lot of time watching video and watching other teams and being inspired — which is what artists do. And I’m not going to sit here and call myself a genius or anything special but I do think putting in the time and having the passion for whatever it is that you do is important. And I’m really passionate about lacrosse and I’m really passionate about teaching the game and working with the players. Having them learn the concepts. I think that that’s something that’s really important to me as a coach–to learn the game and not just to follow directions and follow the mold. And so I think as you learn, you find those creative outlets within it. I think that makes it really fun.
Creativity keeps the day interesting, but when coaching, the passion for the game is mixed with love for the players and a duty to the team. Belichick sees this as her motivation to coach:
The players. Being able to make their day better and to teach them something. To give them confidence and to make them feel powerful. I think that is the most exciting part about it. It’s my job to make the game exciting for them and to make practice fun and for me to do my job is what facilitates that. But I think if I constantly push myself to be creative and to be more innovative, I think it makes it more fun for them to learn the sport. And I think to give them that same energy and passion. Because they love it too and I think they just want to be taught. I think, like any teacher, if you can teach your kids something new that day, it’s a good day.