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10/14/2016 12:00 AMJessica Lynch’s teaching and coaching careers both began at Morgan and now she’s playing a pivotal role in jumpstarting a new era for one of the state’s perennial powerhouse volleyball programs.
Jessica, a lifelong Newtown resident, grew up playing volleyball and basketball. After competing in the latter sport at the College of New Jersey, Jessica came to Morgan to interview for a teaching position in the math department. Meanwhile, Jessica also expressed a desire to coach and this fall marks her first season as an assistant with the Huskies’ volleyball squad.
“I had the teaching interview with [first-year Head Coach Paige Trusty] and, in it, I mentioned also my interest in coaching volleyball,” says Jessica. “She was really excited about that and she reached out to me after I got the teaching position, so I jumped on it.”
Jessica emphasizes the importance of academics as a teacher in the Morgan school system. On the court, she wants her Huskies to unlock their true potential as they develop synergy among themselves.
“I try to make athletes understand that school comes first and playing athletics is a privilege,” Jessica says. “I also want them to have a good time and fun, while building that teamwork mentality to accomplish something together. I also want them to support each other.”
Jessica likes that she gets to see her players in two different lights as student-athletes and enjoys working with them in each arena.
“Volleyball is a great sport with many ups and downs. But for me, it’s also great to see the kids in school and on the court,” she says. “It’s nice to see them in both elements and work even more with them.”
Morgan Athletic Director Kevin Rayel feels excited about bringing Jessica into the Huskies’ volleyball family given her unwavering love for the sport.
“Jessica is a very energetic and enthusiastic coach, passionate about the game of volleyball,” says Rayel. “She loves to teach the game and we are excited about her joining the Morgan athletics program.”
Jessica knows that she’s diving into a new era with Morgan volleyball. Although she wants to help Morgan continue its storied tradition, Jessica also wants this generation of Huskies to make their own mark.
“I feel honored to be in this position with the program because it has a lot of history that even I’m still learning about,” Jessica says. “It’s great, though, because it gives you that motivation to keep that legacy up, but we want to write our own future as well.”
Thus far, Morgan owns a record of 5-8 this fall, but Jessica feels confident that the Huskies can spike themselves up the standings by continuing to build their chemistry, while staying on an even keel.
“We’re really working on coming together as a team and cleaning up the little things. We are also keeping an emphasis on that teamwork,” says Jessica. “We are also working on bringing that energy each game and not getting too high or low on ourselves.”