Ex-Ashland High Athlete Surprising Vote Earns Simeone Coach of Year Award

It’s rare when a coach is honored for compiling a 3-11 record. But, that’s what happened to Nicole Simeone, who graduated from Ashland High in 2011 and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nichols College.
The 23-year-old Simeone, who played on two state championship softball teams and was a Tri Valley League all-star in softball and field hockey at Ashland, completed her first year as varsity field hockey coach last fall at Bay Path University in Longmeadow. Her squad won only three matches, but that number didn’t stop the five opposing coaches in the New England Collegiate Conference from voting her as the circuit’s coach of the year.
They saw an admirable tenacity and a desire to improve in spite of huge odds. Bay Path finished with a league record of 3-7.
Simeone had only 11 players, just enough to field a starting team. There were no players on the bench, just her assistant coach. And, with only two timeouts a game, she often had to coach and instruct players while they were battling for possession of the ball or adjusting in transition. Luckily, no player suffered a major injury until the last match of the season.
“Our goalie fractured her wrist in warm-ups and we had to move a midfielder to goal and compete with only 10 players,’’ Simeone said. “It was difficult to coach the players while they were on the field but we had no choice. At times I had to alternate players to different positions where they had a chance to catch their breath.’’
Simeone said she was “surprised, honored and touched’’ to be named coach of the year but believes her colleagues voted for her because “we kept matches competitive.’’
Simeone’s team bounced back from starting 0-4 and surrendering 32 goals during that stretch while scoring only once. “Our confidence was low but we managed to win three games and make the rest of our matches competitive,’’ she said. “My players seemed pleased with the way I managed our situation and how we finished. The goals for next year will be to have some substitutes on the bench and improve our record.’’
Simeone is not only Bay Path’s field hockey coach but she works fulltime as the university’s coordinator of recreation and athletic recruitment. Her only previous head-coaching experience came last year when she directed Bellingham High’s junior-varsity girls’ basketball team.
The 5-foot-8 Simeone was a capable and talented athlete at Ashland, always willing to learn and to absorb the advice of her coaches. She played as a defender in field hockey and was an outfielder in softball. She competed on the varsity in both sports all four years.
“My top thrill in high school was playing on two state champion softball teams that posted a 54-0 record for two seasons,’’ Simeone noted. “I was a freshman and sophomore when we beat Hudson both times. It was a great ride, nothing like it. Our team had it all — pitching, hitting and defense. And, playing with a teammate like Nicki D’Argento was great. She was our star pitcher who later excelled at Boston College. She was confident and inspiring. Those teams are memorable because there were no forced friendships; everyone was positive on the field; we bonded and played hard.’’
A .300 hitter who had power, Simeone remembers hitting one home run in each of her four years. “My first home run, as a freshman, came in a victory against Medway,’’ she recalled. “That’s was memorable.’’
In field hockey, defense was Simeone’s strength but her desire to score a goal was realized in a contest against Dover-Sherborn. “We were losing, 3-0, but I scored close in on a corner,’’ she said. “I remember that because it was a great to experience scoring a goal.’’
An admirer of Brooke Perry, her Ashland field hockey coach, and Steve O’Neil, her softball coach, Simeone considers both quality mentors who helped her develop in the sports roles she’s now involved with. “Brooke showed me the ropes, she had great qualities and was a mentor,’’ Simeone said. “Steve taught me a lot about softball and made me a better player.’’
Now, Nicole Simeone is coaching and working in an administrative role at Bay Path. And, she’s enjoying both positions, especially after being selected as coach of the year in field hockey after enduring and adjusting to plenty of adversity in her first season as a collegiate head coach.