Lacrosse is one of the most popular and competitive sports at Le Moyne College. Recently the Le Moyne College Women’s Lacrosse Program welcomed a new head coach, Beth Hewitt. While Beth may be new to the Le Moyne College community she is no stranger to the game. She is possibly one of the best women’s lacrosse players to ever come out of Central New York and is taking the LMC Women’s Lacrosse team to new heights.
Beth Hewitt a two-time all American, a three-time MVP of the Liverpool High School, ALL CNY Player of the Year as a senior in high school and a four-year letter winner and all-state soccer player. In college, Hewitt lead UNC in goals for their 2004 season, was one of the top players in the Atlantic Coast Conference and was an All-ACC and All-American candidate as well as a captain for the program.
According to Beth’s father, Ed Ames, Beth was a unique child growing up because most kids her age wanted to stay inside during the summer months to play Nintendo games. However, Beth was the kind of child that always encouraged her friends to get outside and play more active games like soccer, football and street hockey. Hewitt said that what set her apart as an athlete was the fact that ever since she was a little kid, she has always hated losing more than she has enjoyed winning. “I am such a competitive person that even when I was just picking up the sport of lacrosse, I would never let myself just go through the motions; I always had to be the best at everything I did,” said Hewitt.
She claims that her competitive edge is what made her into such a stand out athlete and player, more so than any other talents or natural abilities she has in sports. Hewitt first began playing lacrosse when she entered high school as a freshman. However, by her junior and senior year, Hewitt became a captain of the Liverpool team as well as and an All-American. She went on to play for the University of North Carolina. While Hewitt played there the school won their first ACC Championship, she played in the Final Four, and she received an All-American award. The year that Hewitt received her All-American award, UNC was ranked number ten.
“Usually it is your top five teams that receive all of those awards, so to be recognized by my opposing coaches like that was pretty unexpected and one of my most rewarding moments,” said Hewitt.
After Hewitt’s college career came to a close, she was asked to move to the University of Oregon to help their lacrosse program. Hewitt became the university’s graduate assistant and was in charge of coordinating the defense.
Now Hewitt is currently in her second season as head coach of the Le Moyne Women’s lacrosse program, headed into their 2011 season. With the Le Moyne division just recently dropping from a DI school to now a DII school, Hewitt couldn’t be more thrilled. “Now we are playing for something and have the opportunity to play for a national championship in the NE-10,” added Hewitt. “I know we’re going to have a successful season because failure is not an option.”