Cultured success in Franklin
Community at heart of powerful program
The day of a rivalry matchup at Franklin High, a hum of electricity flows through town. Youth players scribble on poster boards with crayons, writing messages to their favorite lacrosse players. Parents dig through drawers of endless blue T-shirts, hoodies, and jackets searching for one fit for the occasion.
Franklin girls’ lacrosse players tie bows in their hair as fans — mostly residents of the 26-square-mile town — begin to fill the stands at Pisini Stadium.
“It’s just a really supportive town all around,” Franklin coach Kristin Igoe Guarino said. “Being in a sports town makes it even more fun.”
In 10 years as head coach, Igoe Guarino and her team have made every state tournament, including three trips to the Division 1 state semifinal and one to the final. The Panthers (5-1), third in this week’s Globe Top 20 after making a run at No. 1 Westwood in a 14-10 defeat Friday, are poised for yet another triumphant season. They own 100 consecutive wins against Hockomock League competition.
That sustained success comes from a number of factors, including high expectations from Igoe Guarino. But the town, which supports its lacrosse programs from the ground up, has established a culture of winning that predates the coach.
“We’re all Panthers. Everybody’s a Panther,” said Kim Carney, the deputy director of Franklin’s recreation department and a mother of two current varsity players.
Since she took over the youth program eight years ago, Carney has worked to make the high school program deeply intertwined with it, and vice versa. About one-third of Franklin’s high school roster volunteers as assistant coaches on youth teams. Many of them become more than just coaches.
“These girls become like celebrities for them,” Carney said.
Her daughters, Emily, a sophomore, and Kaitlyn, a senior, are varsity standouts and both volunteer with youth teams. In exchange, the younger players come to the varsity games and proudly wave handmade signs that say “go Coach Kaitlyn!” and “You can win this!”
When the high school season begins, many players have already been in the system for upward of a decade.
“Seeing those older kids have fun and be successful brings the motivation for the next generation,” Igoe Guarino said.
Igoe Guarino conservatively estimates 20-30 of her former players have gone on to compete in college, including many in Division 1. Six current seniors will play at the next level.
“I have high expectations, and the girls know that,” said Igoe Guarino, who starred at Framingham High and Boston College. “That culture year in and year out is what keeps us going.”
When Igoe Guarino was hired, she inherited a well-established team. Her goal, then, was to take it to the next level. To do that, she focused on building a strong team culture.
“Having a bond with your players, your assistant coaches, and your town goes a long way,” Igoe Guarino said.
“The culture piece is really why we are so successful year after year. The girls and the teams before us carry on this culture of high expectations.”
Her attitude is part of the reason why first-year athletic director Karrah Ellis was initially drawn to the Franklin job. The first time the two met was at the ceremony in which the MIAA named Igoe Guarino a 2022 Coach of the Year.
“I feel fortunate that I get to work with her and you know that she gets to work with the student athletes here at Franklin,” Ellis said.
And, of course, Ellis was drawn to the deep sense of community she, Carney, Igoe Guarino, and the rest of the town work every day to foster.
“Everybody wants to be in the program,” Carney said. “And when you’ve been a little kid and you’ve experienced the high school girls coaching you, when you get to high school you want to give back as well.”
Quick sticks
■ On Thursday, Swampscott secured its first win over Northeastern Conference foe Marblehead, nabbing a decisive 13-6 victory. Swampscott absorbed backto-back one-goal losses to the rival Magicians the past two meetings.
“We’ve been getting closer and closer and just haven’t been able to get over the top . . . the way [the team] stepped up was really impressive,” said Swampscott coach Al Eaton, who earned his 100th career win.
Eaton knew he was on the precipice of the landmark victory, but he chose to hold off on informing his team.
“I just wanted to make it as normal a game as possible,” said Eaton. “One hundred wins was a big deal for me, but I feel that beating Marblehead kind of outweighed it because it was such a huge, huge event for us.”
Eaton is in his sixth year at Swampscott after a three-year stint at St. Mary’s and one season at Lasell University. A 3-0 start, the program’s best in recent memory, is creating a buzz.
“[The win over Marblehead] was a big deal for us,” said Eaton. “We’re doing one game at a time, but 3-0 is a nice way to start your season.”