Coaching with Respect: Girls' Lacrosse Coach Aly Dowey's Vision for the Game

By Melina Kyriakopoulos ‘27 Big Red Sports Network Reporter

 Photo credit: Liam Barnosky ‘27, Big Red Sports Network Photographer

As Lawrenceville’s new Head Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Coach, Aly Dowey arrived last fall not only with high-level experience but also with a mission—to nurture a team culture where athletes push boundaries, lean on each other, and grow into the best versions of themselves.

As Dowey put it, “there is a wonderful history of girls’ lacrosse here [at Lawrenceville].” Each year, the program produces high-level student-athletes who not only dominate at the collegiate level but also control the playing field and don’t back down from a challenge.

Dowey, who also serves Lawrenceville as a science teacher and part of the faculty advisory team for Dawes House, brings decades of lacrosse experience to Big Red as both a player and a coach.

She played lacrosse all throughout high school, before continuing to play at Bates College as a starting midfielder throughout her four years with the Bobcats. Dowey then went on to work as both a chemistry teacher and Girls’ Lacrosse Coach at Blair Academy, before transitioning to Iona University. For five years, she was an assistant head coach for the university’s women’s lacrosse team, specializing as both a defensive and recruitment coordinator.

Dowey credited her love for lacrosse as the reason why she has stuck with the sport for so long. After starting lacrosse at seven years old, she noted that she never stopped. “Every time I got to that next level,” she explained, “I just knew I wanted to keep [lacrosse] a part of my life.”

As a coach, Dowey’s philosophy revolves around crafting an environment which fosters kindness and teamwork. She values the mental and physical wellbeing of her players above all, underlining that “every one of these athletes is really a person” who deserves to be treated with respect throughout their career.

Aligning with her coaching pedagogy, Dowey implements activities which develop players on and off the field. She builds chemistry between athletes with the “Little Larries” group program, where Dowey and Assistant Coach Holli Olsen curated specific groups for each player to lean into for support. She also utilizes the team’s Fifth Form leadership (specifically Co-Captains Lexie Koch ’25 and Mia Kincade ’25) to lead drills and conversations between coaches and team members. When talking about the ideal teammate, and the kind she wants to lead, Dowey noted that they “make the tough games and the cold, rainy days a lot more fun [when] you want to be out there and want to be with your teammates.”

She makes sure to challenge her players on the field with game-like scenarios. Dowey explained that she pushes her players outside of their comfort zones by asking them about their weaknesses, to then work on them in practice. Dowey makes sure to highlight the “plethora of tools” her players can utilize, whether those be using a weak hand while cradling, to taking a step back and rekindling love for the game. While feeling the discomfort of growth may discourage some, Dowey “thinks it also really speaks to the players who are true athletes in the sense that they just want to get better, and are driven to get better every day, and have that fun competitive edge.”

Dowey understands that good lacrosse cannot come from one individual; her coaching aims to develop each player beyond their current skill level, by seeking kindness and encouraging love for the sport, and to formulate a community of bonded teammates who can also dominate the field. Dowey’s team creates players for life. While these girls may not continue lacrosse into their later years, their communication skills and respect will last a lifetime.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.