‘Lisa made it fun’: Longtime softball coach’s legacy transcends wins

This spring, as usual, Lisa McGloin can be found on a softball field, coaching a high school team.

But after 26 seasons at Acton-Carlisle High School, she will be on a different campus.

McGloin, who led the Patriots to 440 wins, 18 Dual County League titles, and six MIAA North sectional championships, will be coaching at her alma mater, Bishop Fenwick in Peabody. It’s about 10 minutes from her home and 15 minutes from her law practice in Lynn.

“It’s very sad to leave Acton-Carlisle,” McGloin said. “I really enjoyed my time there. [Bishop Fenwick] is closer to home, and with work and family, it became very time-consuming.”

Cricket McCaffrey-Clark, a chemistry teacher at CCHS who has been an assistant softball coach at the school since 2003, will be the Patriots’ new head coach.

Acton-Carlisle “will be really good this spring,” McGloin said. “They have a lot of good players coming back, and with Cricket, they’re in good hands.”

‘Not about the trophies’

In addition to guiding the team to so many wins and championships, McGloin also helped develop 40 players who went on to compete at the college level. Three of them — Michelle (Daly) Rooney, Lisa (DeBruzzi) Wisniewski, and Joslin Higgins — are members of the CCHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

“It’s not about the trophies or the championships,” McGloin said. “You get to know so many of the players and their siblings and families. You see them go on to college, have careers and families. I’ve been to a lot of weddings.”

Higgins, a 2003 graduate who was a freshman when McGloin arrived at CCHS in 2000, went on to play at the University of North Carolina, where McGloin played her college softball.

“Lisa and I played for the same head coach, Donna Papa, who spoke about Lisa’s natural leadership, her commitment to her teammates, her relentless competitive drive, and her warm, magnetic personality that brings teams together,” Higgins said in an email. “Her reputation extends far beyond C-C and UNC. During my college recruiting process, I remember coaches from several schools commenting on how lucky I was to play for her. Her excellence and impact in the game are known nationwide.”

‘Such a high level’

Higgins played for the Acton Raiders, a club program that McGloin founded. McGloin also helped develop younger players with clinics in the Acton-Carlisle Youth Baseball and Softball program.

“She played at such a high level,” said Rooney, a 2001 graduate who was that season’s Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year and went on to play at Boston College. “Then you’d see her at youth clinics, working with younger players teaching the basics to them.”

As respected as McGloin is for her knowledge of the game, that’s just a small part of what made her an effective coach. An often-repeated saying in coaching circles is that nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

“I was at a coaching clinic with A-B youth baseball,” said Rooney, who coaches her sons’ baseball teams. “They asked what made a good coach. I said it was someone who believed in you and got you to believe in yourself. That’s Lisa.”

Brittany Busa, a 2003 graduate who played college hockey at the University of New Hampshire, said, “Her level of empathy is second to none. She has a very caring style. She gets to know every single player on the team.”

McGloin also had a way of making the hard work enjoyable.

“Michelle and Joslin’s group would play cards after practice,” McGloin said. “Every year we’d have a mystery trip.”

Higgins said: “Lisa made it fun. We absolutely loved playing for her.”

As McGloin’s former players grew into adulthood, the coach gained friends for life.

“Hers is one of the few phone numbers I have memorized,” Busa said.

Help The Bridge cover CCHS spring sports

Warmer weather is just around the corner, and that means a new season for Acton-Carlisle High School sports. 

We’re looking for parents, schoolmates, coaches, and fans to provide brief recaps and/or photos to The Bridge. There’s an array of sports to choose from: baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track and field. 

Patriots athletes are giving it their all, and we want Concordians to know about it. Get in touch with us today to volunteer.

Our straightforward recap format makes it easy for contributors to pull together written highlights. Photographers, send us three or four high-resolution pictures per game or meet, with captions, and you’re set.

Consistent commitment matters. We and our readers count on our dedicated sports volunteers every week to give Patriots teams the recognition they deserve.

Please email Managing Editor Rob Reinalda at [email protected] to sign up for recaps and/or photography of a team.

Thank you for helping us showcase CCHS athletes’ achievements.