By Emily Loux, MASCAC Director of Media Relations

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Younger siblings often want to emulate their older counterparts when it comes to clothes, music, hairstyles and a lot more.

For Kelly Downs, Worcester State women's lacrosse head coach and former Bridgewater State student-athlete, it was her older sister (Nicole) that introduced her to BSU and lead her down a path that would see her in the MASCAC as an athlete and eventually leading her own team.

Downs got her start in field hockey as a freshman in high school. Lacrosse wasn't offered at her school until her junior year which would have interfered with softball. Then it came time to determine her education after high school.

Her decision for college wasn't super clear at first, but a little sisterly influence helped the 18 year old make the choice to become a Bear.

"My older sister actually went to Bridgewater and was a goalie on the field hockey team," Downs said.  "She was two years older than me so I was able to go see some games and hear about her experiences from the school and athletic side of things.  As many high school athletes are, I was very confused on where I wanted to go, what I wanted to study, but when I visited Bridgewater, it felt very much like home."

Beyond elementary and high school, most siblings don't get the opportunity to compete on the same team as a family member. However the Downs sisters were the exception and provided their parents a unique chance to see them both compete.

"My parents were happy when I decided to attend there because they didn’t have to split field hockey games, they were able to come to them all and I am very thankful for all of their support throughout my four years of athletics," Downs said. "They drove hours to Maine or Connecticut, brought sandwiches not only for me but for the entire team, and were the first people I saw coming to the bus, always with a smile on their face and words of encouragement. Playing with my sister was something I will cherish forever, she was the goalie and I was the center back.  Needless to say, I got pushed a few times in the back when I was blocking her view, but it was two special years."

While a field hockey student-athlete, Downs was approached by head coach Erica Smith who served as both field hockey and women's lacrosse coach for Bridgewater. She encouraged Downs to go out for the team which would also help with staying in shape for field hockey. From there, a new love of sport was formed.

During her time on the team, Downs was a three-time All-LEC Field Hockey selection and an NFHCA All-New England selection in her senior year. She was also a recipient of the BSU Student-Athlete Leadership Award at the spring athletics awards banquet during her final semester.

Being a student in college is tough enough but now Downs had to juggle not one but two collegiate sports seasons. Although it may have been tough, the experience gave her a lot of skills she still can use today.

"I loved being not only a collegiate athlete but a two sport collegiate athlete," Downs said. "It taught me so many transferable skills that I use today.  Time management, team work, group dynamics, organizational skills, leadership, overcoming adversity/heartache/defeat, pride, to mention a few. Our teams were very successful as a whole, which inevitably led to some unexpected upsets, and overcoming those upsets was half the battle. Managing playing on two teams was a great experience, instead of 20 friends, I had almost 40 friends, what's better than that? Learning to get along with 40 people from different areas and backgrounds was also an incredible experience."

Earning her business management degree from Bridgewater in 2010, Downs landed at Endicott College to earn her masters in education and graduated in 2012. While she went to school, she still stayed connected with field hockey as the Bears assistant coach and worked a part time human resources job. She also was the varsity Oliver Ames women's lacrosse coach.

Following her second graduation, Downs stepped on Worcester State's campus, this time not as a student-athlete but as an employee. Worcester State received the NCAA Division III Ethnic and Minority Internship grant and she was able to work as part of Student-Athlete Support Services. Fast forward two years and she was hired full-time as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Support Services while also serving as an assistant women's lacrosse coach.

In 2017, Downs was promoted to head women's lacrosse coach for the Lancers. Earlier this year, she led the team to a share of their first MASCAC regular season title while also earning 2021 Champion's Choice Coach of the Year. Being able to serve the student-athletes as both an administrator and a coach is the role of a lifetime in her eyes.

"I love my dual role at Worcester State," Downs said. "I am able to work with all of the athletes and collaborate with many departments on campus.  It’s a win-win in my eyes.  Helping shape not only lacrosse student-athletes but other athletes as well, while working and learning from other colleagues, it’s great. No day is the same, I wake up every morning eager and excited to work. Not everyone has that so I am thankful I am one of the lucky ones. I have a sign in my office that says 'Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.'  I think everyone should strive to accomplish this for their jobs. I love what I do and hope to continue to give back to Worcester State what I got as a student-athlete."

When she isn't busy helping student-athletes on and off the field, she can be found with her rescue dog Maggie exploring new places with her for hikes, walks, runs, dog parks, and beaches.

There aren't many years between Downs and her time as a student-athlete and she uses that to relate to her team on a level some coaches may not. For those who may want to work in athletics or coach, she has a great piece of advice.

"Keep going and put yourself out there," Downs said. "There are going to be times when you want to give up, or think, maybe this isn’t for me but keep at it. Everyday I get to do something I love, with a team and a group of student-athletes that give their all every single day and it's so rewarding to see the smile on their faces each day after they have worked hard as a team.  College athletes sometimes has you up for 6am lifts with your teams or late night 11pm after a night away game.  But if you are doing what you love, it will be all worth it, so once you find your purpose in life, stick with it and don’t stop till you get there!"