McKinley Curro Sbordone got her start in the game of lacrosse in the sixth grade, and now the Souhegan girls coach is one of the sport's major figures in New Hampshire. (Courtesty photo)

AMHERST – McKinley Curro Sbordone was driving by a field in the area and smiled.

Girls were running around with lacrosse sticks, working with volunteer coaches.

“It’s so nice to see,” she said. “It brings back memories.”

After all, Sbordone, formerly McKinley Curro, has lived the sport ever since she was in the sixth grade. It’s been a journey that saw her become a college All-American on attack, a member of the U.S. National Team, then a professional in the game and finally a head coach.

The new Souhegan High School girls lacrosse coach took over in the footsteps of one of her mentors in the game, longtime but now former Sabers head coach Maren Petropulos. She was actually set to co-coach with Petropulos last year for a nice transition, but COVID ruined that, and this year, Sbordone was on her own.

New Souhegan girls lacrosse coach McKinley Curro Sbordone played professionally first for Long Island and then for Boston. (Courtesy photo)

But she certainly wants to continue the theme Petropulos had in her 25 years of coaching, resulting in a 332-98 record with seven title game appearances and three titles.

“She came to our game (recently) and was able to watch as a fan, which was pretty cool,” Sbordone said, whose full-time job is as the general manager of Hampshire Hills. “One of the things the new staff and I have established in creating the culture is maintaining that expectation of greatness.

“I think that’s one of the things Souhegan is known for, definitely being a contender. That’s grass roots. … Having a strong program, not just varsity but JV. That was one of the things she did very well, and it’s definitely something we want to continue on. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to learn (from her) as a coach. As a player, she had high expectations.”

She is one of the major figures in New Hampshire girls lacrosse as the director of Granite State Elite. But all of this has its origins.

The incredible journey through the lacrosse world all began for Sbordone when, as a competitive gymnast. But in the sixth grade, she dislocated her elbow, and was told she wouldn’t be able to return to competing at the high level she was at for safety sake.

Enter lacrosse.

“Immediately, it became my greatest passion,” she said. “It was a perfect segue into the sport. Nowadays, girls are starting so young”

But Sbordone made up for lost time with what today she calls, “the fastest game on two feet.” Her mom was involved at the youth level, and her older sister played. So it was a natural switch, as she was always involved in activity – soccer, gymnastics, tennis – and lacrosse was next.

She began playing in Amherst Youth Lacrosse, which she years later volunteered to coach. And the game opened up doors, for Boston University recruited her to play the game at the next level after high school. She was recruited to play a game she loved.

“That was the best,” Sbordone said. “It was quite the process. When you’re going to be playing athletics in college, there’s a lot of outside pressures and factors.”

But BU “checked all the boxes” for Sbordone, who said she wanted to be in the city and play in a program where she could make an impact. She studied communications with a concentration in sports psychology.

And she made a discovery – the college game was not what she was used to.

“It’s a completely different game,” Sbordone said. “From expectations to time management, to the speed of the game, the physicality of the game, the mental side of the game.”

She felt Souhegan prepared her well with the self-driven culture for college, and she took that to BU. The one thing to really adjust to was speed, and she was always an offensive-minded player.

But her career didn’t start out well. One of her first sets as a sophomore, she injured her ankle, something that needed multiple surgeries, after she played the entire season with a broken ankle.

The Terriers and Sbordone knew it was broken, but doctors said she couldn’t damage it any further playing, so she made it through the season. Ouch.

“The timing was not ideal,” she said. “They casted it, but it never healed, so they said, ‘OK, it’s not going to get worse, it’s not going to get better.”

So Sbordone would just play games and didn’t practice to minimize the situation. She had her surgeries after the season, and went on to play all four seasons. The Terriers won the America East title a few times, and Sbordone was able to play in the NCAA tournament, a couple of years in Philadelphia and once in Syracuse.

“It was incredible,” she said. “We weren’t in the ACC or one of these conferences. We played UConn, Northwestern, we got to play some of the best teams and get the whole wine and dine experience, which was really cool.”

But not as cool as going pro, which Sbodone did a few years after college and playing for the U.S. National team. She returned to Amherst, starter her career at Hampshire Hills, but heard of an open tryout for a professional league in Philadelphia. She figured she’d give it a shot, no pun intended.

After all, why not? She had developed into a 40-50 goal, 70-plus point player in college.

“The sport was evolving so fast,” she said. “If you asked me in college if there’d be a women’s professional league, I’d have said no. But there’s been a big push for (lacrosse) to become an Olympic sport, and this really is the way for them to develop the game and create a fan base.”

She played in the United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWLX) for the Long Island Sound beginning in 2016, and scored the franchise’s first goal.

She knew most of her teammates, through college recruiting, playing in college, etc.

“It was good to connect with girls I hadn’t seen in a long time,” Sbordone said. “I was obviously a lot older than a lot of the girls, but it was so much fun. Again, it’s a growing sport, but to be part of something that years from now could be really big, was really cool.”

The league was restructured to become more regional, and Sbordone eventually played for the Boston Storm. She already had her first daughter by then, and then had her second child, and then COVID hit, so that ended her foray into the pros.

Still, it was worthwhile.

“We were doing the grass-roots stuff, growing the game, and it was a lot easier,” she said. “We played all over, high schools, colleges, etc.”

The Storm played in the Worcester area. She never had to move anywhere, as she’d either drive or be flown.

“It was very casual, such an evolving thing,” she said, noting that Athletes United has acquired the UWLX and that should help. Sbordone feels that if the women’s game can grow with the men’s professional league (MLL), lacrosse can eventually be an Olympic sport.

And yes, she was paid, at least travel expenses, and she did have to sign a contract. How did that feel to sign a deal to play her favorite sport, a sport she began playing in the sixth grade? And have young fans wearing her jersey?

“It was awesome” she said. “For me, it was about growing the game. It was so new, and early, but to see young girls going to our games, they’re the ones we were hoping to inspire. Because in years to come, they could have a really big stage. … I wish I had that at that age.”

Thc competition, she said, “was amazing.” And the rules/play, she said, was much different than what fans here are used to seeing at the high school level. There are way fewer whistles to increase the pace of the game, the pros using a lot of the newer rules that the college game was incorporating.

“It was kind of like a trial,” she said, noting fewer players in the draw circle, free movement, etc. during a 10-game season. “We were able to change the way the game moved, and it was more alluring for fans. That was pretty cool. We would try things that would be fun.

“It was nice to just play.”

SABER SUCCESS

Sbordone tasted success her freshman year as a Saber in 2006, as they won the state title.

“It was probably the only year I was there we were not expected to win,” she said, but it was the only season they won the title.

And now, she enjoys coaching at her alma mater.

“When I walk through the school sometimes, it really brings me back,” she said. “It’s really nice to see, because I think I can relate to the girls on a lot of levels.

“There are a lot of faculty members who are still involved. It’s just a tight-knit community, and I feel I get the support and backing. A comfortable transition.”

She had worked her way into the job, as she coached at the middle school level earlier.

“My ultimate goal was to be the head coach at Souhegan,” she said.

Sbordone could have never envisioned all of this when she began playing in Amherst Youth Lacrosse in the sixth grade.

“No,” she said, “but I knew it was something I’d love to do. It’s never felt like a chore to me. I’d say my strongest attribute is my work ethic, which got me to that level.”

Of course, it’s a family sport. Besides older sister Bailey, her younger sister, JoJo, also played, is a former star at UNH, is now the head coach at Portsmouth High School, and her Clippers edged Sbordone’s Sabers in overtime last Saturday. That loss bothered her, given the sibling rivalry, to no end. Sbordone always felt JoJo Curro was the more skilled player.

But it’s all part of the process.

“As a coach,” she said, “the game should always be fun. It’s a game of mistakes, but it’s gotta be fun, otherwise what are we doing here.”

And coaching a game she loves has become natural.

“Definitely,” she said, adding that she and her coaching staff talk all the time about being more high level with plays, concepts and strategy, both at Souhegan and Granite State Elite.

“We nerd out at it,” she laughed, adding it’s nice at the high school to play to win. “But it’s so early in the (Souhgan) season. The Bedford games (both losses) were tough games, but they were learning games. I’d rather learn from it and adapt. I’m very encouraged where we’re at. … That’s how we’re going to get better. I’d rather lose in April than in June.”

Does Sbordone know what type of a coach she’s become?

“I would say I’m always trying to teach,” she said. “The fundamental side of the game is my biggest passion. I love to correct, and I think I’m very compassionate and want to grow a relationship with my players on and off the field. There’s mutual respect. I will certainly hold my girls to a high standard, and it’s a two-way street.

“I’ve always followed the philosophy of ‘work hard, play hard,’ and this team does that very well. When we’re working, we’re working.”

Sbordone has high expectations. As a community figure, she wants to build a program with longevity.

“One-hundred percent,” she said, noting her staff is totally on board and are strong coaches as well, Lindsay Toomey, Sam Devine and noted coach Linda Haytayan, the original girls lacrosse coach at the unified Nashua High School from 1997-2002. There is all sorts of experience for the Sabers to draw from, regarding the staff.

She remembers the conversation with Petropolus about taking the job, and feels the Saber program is a tribute to her 25 years with the program.

An era ended, and a new one has begun. The Sabers know they are in the good hands of a pro, literally.