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Newark Academy names Noelle Shirey Girls’ Lacrosse Head Coach
As Athletic Director John Amosa began the search for Newark Academy’s next girls' lacrosse head coach, his list of desired characteristics was challenging -- a student-first mentor/leader, a proven winner, a culture-builder and, if possible, a person who had enjoyed success in the sport at a high level. The good news for Amosa is a person that checked every item was just down the hall in second-year Field Hockey head coach Noelle Shirey, who was named Girls’ Lacrosse Head Coach today.
Shirey, a lacrosse and field hockey student-athlete at NCAA Division III Fairleigh Dickinson, holds a full-time position at Newark Academy as Assistant Director of Annual Giving. As a collegiate lacrosse player, Shirey led her team as a three-year captain, earning Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Regional All-American and her team’s Most Valuable Player accolades in 2018. Earning leadership awards in both sports, she was nominated by FDU for the NCAA’s Female Athlete of the Year.
Shirey joined Newark Academy as a member of the Department of Institutional Advancement in 2018 and as coach of the junior varsity Field Hockey team. In 2019 she was named Head Coach of the NA Field Hockey program and served as assistant coach for the girls' lacrosse team, working with both the varsity and junior varsity squads. Shirey orchestrated a quick turnaround in the Minuteman Field Hockey program with her team jumping out to 7-0, without giving up a goal, in the first two months of the 2020 season.
According to Amosa, his selection of Shirey as Girls’ Lacrosse Head Coach was bolstered by her collegiate success and solidified by her track record leading the Field Hockey program at Newark Academy. “Noelle looks great on paper of course,” Amosa said, “but I invited her to take over the NA Girls Lacrosse program because of her daily commitment to athletic excellence, in every way. Athletes love her combination of high standards and warm relationships. Parents love her because she is highly organized and is an outstanding communicator. She is a winner in every way and I feel certain she will bring great things to the girls lacrosse program.”
Shirey believes that her familiarity with NA’s girls lacrosse team will be a factor in ensuring a smooth transition as she takes over the reins from 14-year coach Meghan Tavorima. “Working full-time at NA and having served two years under Coach Tavorima, will make this transition smooth. I have strong relationships with the players and they know my standards. I look forward to fostering their growth and developing a stand-out program. While there are lots of good lacrosse teams in our area, I intend for this team to be known for our stick skills and our fierce desire to succeed. We’ll work hard to uphold Newark Academy’s standard of excellence and find joy in working together, every day.”
Shirey grew up in Pine Beach, New Jersey where she was a two-sport athlete at Toms River High School South, holds a master's degree in Communication and a bachelor's degree in Mathematics from FDU.
An independent school for students in grades 6-12