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06/08/2017 12:00 AMJasmine Coleman has been an asset for North Branford’s field hockey and girls’ lacrosse squads from the moment she stepped on the field. Jasmine’s aggressive approach on the defensive end of the turf in both sports gives her an edge against her opponents.
“I’m really aggressive. I don’t think. I just do,” says Jasmine, a junior. “It’s good that I’m aggressive and go for the ball no matter what.”
Jasmine enjoyed a natural transition between playing field hockey and lacrosse for North Branford. Girls’ lacrosse Head Coach Lori Connelly also helps out the field hockey team as an assistant, and so Jasmine already had a rapport with her. The fact that many of the same girls play those two sports only makes life easier.
“Because you have to be in constant motion in both sports, the conditioning is the same. You also have to be communicating with your teammates a lot in both sports, which is good, too,” Jasmine says. “Since my freshman year, we’ve all been playing together and built our chemistry. We all know each other’s style of play and we count on each other. We know where everyone will be for a certain play.”
One of Jasmine’s highlights during the recent lacrosse season came when she scored her lone goal of the year. Jasmine netted that goal during a 19-6 victory over Rocky Hill on April 29.
“We were up big in the game and all my teammates wanted me to score, so they put me on offense. I got the ball and shot it to the lower-left corner and scored,” Jasmine says. “It was a complete rush of happiness and joy. To see the sidelines cheering was the best feeling ever. Even though I’m a defender, I love scoring.”
While it was certainly a thrill for Jasmine to get in the scoring column, both she and Coach Connelly know that Jasmine is on the field to be a defensive stalwart for the T-Birds.
“Jazzy has always been a great player, but this year, she worked her butt off in the preseason to come in and show us what she is made of. She made a huge impression on us right away and has never let us down. We call her our ground ball queen, because she can go into any crowd and come out strong with the ball,” says Connelly. “She has a great work ethic and great stick skills. She is extremely consistent and always gives 150 percent. She is a great role model for the younger athlete that wants to work her way to varsity. We are extremely proud of the way she played all season.”
Jasmine’s defensive skills also showed up on the stat sheet this season as she collected 32 ground balls, which was the third most on the team.
“I got two per game. As a defender, I can read when the ball will come down. When I see a girl going for the ball, it makes me want it even more,” says Jasmine. “I always choke up on my stick to give me more leverage and the upper hand to get the ball.”
Jasmine has been thinking about continuing her lacrosse career in college, and she’s already taking the necessary steps to find a home after she graduates from North Branford.
“I’ve been doing a lot of prospect clinics, and coaches have reached out to me as they want me to get a feel for the college and their lacrosse programs. So far, I’ve gone to Framingham State University and Elms College, and I’m going to Fairfield in June,” she says. “It’s not as stressful, but if you take your time and are organized, everything will go smoothly. Since I play in summer leagues, I’ve invited a lot of coaches to my tournaments, so they can see me again.”
Jasmine helped North Branford girls’ lacrosse win 15 games and reach its first Shoreline Conference Tournament final this spring. She feels proud that the T-Birds had their most successful season during her time with the team in 2017.
“This season has been a good one, because we went to the Shoreline championship and to states. We haven’t done that in a long time,” Jasmine says. “North Branford hasn’t had a Shoreline title since about 2010, so it was really good for the lacrosse program, and I was glad to be a part of that.”