0:00 - Kristen McDonnell: I think what I got from Stonehill is really everything that I continue to impart on the students I work with at school, but also, you know, the players that I'm lucky enough to coach.

0:12 - Liam Dacko: Hello and welcome to Stonehill Stories, the official podcast of Stonehill College. I'm your host, Liam Dacko, Class of 2016. It's my privilege to share my conversation with Kristen McDonnell, Class of 2003, who leads with inspiration as both a basketball coach and counselor at Norwood High School. During our chat, she talks about playing ball at Stonehill, the impact she hopes to have on students and more. 

0:40 - Liam Dacko: So, Kristen, I wanted to start off by saying thank you so much for joining me today. You know, it's really great to meet you, and I'm excited for the opportunity to get to talk to you.

0:50 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, I really, really appreciate it. I think anytime something comes through the Stonehill channel, I get very excited to jump in. So, thanks so much for having me. 

1:00 - Liam Dacko: I always like to start off with, how did your Stonehill journey begin? You know, what sort of led you to the College? 

1:07 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, I had always known about Stonehill growing up just because of their basketball camps. I think a lot of girls, like little girls I know now, start that way, too, where that was one of the bigger basketball camps around. My brother, Jim, who is four years older than me, played at Stonehill. He didn't play his freshman year, ended up walking on his sophomore year and got scholarship money by the time he was done. And so, I used to…I was a super fan of Jim and the men's team. And so, just through that connection, coming up all the time, and being in his dorm, and being around campus, and seeing the community, and, you know, going to the games, I had fallen in love with Stonehill before. And so, I think it was just a natural translation into what my college life was going to be. So, it became that much easier for me.

1:57 - Liam Dacko: And like Jim, you were a member of Stonehill's athletic community. You played on the women's basketball team. Tell me a bit about your time with the team. Are there any memories that sort of stick out to you as being particularly impactful or influential?


2:11 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, it was really, it was the best four years of my life. I absolutely loved it. I still look forward to going back because of the people that I had met there, and the relationships I have still to this day are some of my best friends. I think just the team in general, when I got there, was so supportive. You know, I was the only freshman, so I had no idea what I was doing. And going from high school to college, anybody will tell you, in terms of playing collegiate sports, is just so much more intense and, you know, so much more time consuming. And you're trying to figure all this stuff out right away in terms of balancing classes and, you know, individual workouts, lifting workouts, team workouts, you know, and then being told to get back to the gym for study halls or whatever it might be. And the team was just so good about embracing me for that and like really showing me the ropes. So, I think that was like such a good part of it.

3:08 - Kristen McDonnell: And then from there, it just became the biggest part of my life. You know, I love the coaches. At the time, I was lucky. I got to have Kelly Hart for two years and for my junior year, Trish Brown, who's still there, came in. So, I got to see that transition a little bit and have two different styles of coaching. And it's just played such a part in like how I've lived my life and through like what these people continue to teach me and mentor me on throughout the years. But my time there with the players themselves, my teammates, like I said, still some of my best friends. We were probably like .500 my first couple years. We were, you know, we were okay. We were average. And I know when Trish Brown came in, I know she wasn't going to accept that from us. Like it wasn't okay to just be above .500 or, you know, right around there. We learned that really quick. I think we learned that the hard way with some workouts. But we fell in line. And because of that, my senior year, we ended up making the NCAAs and getting to the Sweet 16. And so, the greatest memory I have is getting to that Sweet 16 game and just the journey it kind of took to get there personally and collectively for us that season, you know, dealing with some adversity and getting back and being able to compete at that higher level. And yeah, it was a great experience.

4:28 - Liam Dacko: Now, speaking of adversity, I had read somewhere that you had undergone seven knee surgeries by the time you entered your junior year. Is that correct? 

4:37 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah. Yeah, it's wild.

4:41 - Liam Dacko: Now, what was it like, you know, grappling with that? And do you have any advice for current student-athletes who might be facing similar injuries and kind of grappling with the effects of that? 

4:52 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, I was like, I like to describe myself kind of as like this athlete in terms of being pretty good at the skill part of different sports but like in a non-athlete's body. And so, over the years, I think just like my lack of coordination and whatever it was led to a bunch of knee injuries. And so, I had by the time I was a junior, senior in college, I had had three ACL surgery reconstructions. I had, you know, a few meniscus tears.  But I will say as tough as it was at times, especially when I got to college and had to sit out, it was our postseason, my freshman year, I had my last regular season game. So, I got to have my freshman year and experienced all the highs of that, and then miss the playoffs that year, and more just the offseason challenges of like trying to keep in shape and, you know, get back up to, you know, being as athletic as you can possibly be on the court. 

5:54 - Kristen McDonnell: But I did now looking back have so much time to sit and really analyze the game, you know, and I thought that the coaches were so great to me and did such a good job making me like another coach on the bench at that time, and let me be in more film sessions and X's & O's sessions that I wouldn't have been privy to if I was just a player at that time, you know. And so, I think that's where my love grew. So, throughout all of this, at the time, there's really challenging situations for me because it was taking me away from the biggest love of my life, which at the time was basketball. But being able to learn and grow from that and really falling in love with the game behind just being that player on the court itself and like what goes into it. And so, I think there were a lot of positives that came out of it.

6:44 - Liam Dacko: It really does seem like you were given lemons, you made lemonade. 

6:48 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, yeah, a little bit, a little bit, hopefully. 

6:52 - Liam Dacko: Your Stonehill career ultimately came to an end with over 1,200 points and several honors from Stonehill's former conference, the NE-10. For your impact on the program, you were ultimately inducted into the College's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. I'm wondering, what did it mean to you to receive this honor and to be recognized in this way? 

7:15 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, that was probably, to this day, the greatest honor I've had individually in terms of an athletic award was just being in with that group of people, that revered group of people that were at the top of their sport, you know, in every sport at Stonehill and being able to have your name like last somewhere at a place that you adored, you know. So, even now when some of my students will go in and see my name on the board for the Hall of Fame there and like the gorgeous, gorgeous new facilities you guys have. I get a lot of texts with that picture on it, and it really means something to me because it like, there's, there's so much behind that, that name on a wall and behind that experience and it's hard to explain how amazing everything was for me. But  it really does mean the world and even to have had a chance to, that night where you are inducted, to bring everybody else together, not even just for me, but just to bring people together and to be able to chat and tell those funny stories and remember those great times is still one of the coolest things that has happened in my life.

8:30 - Liam Dacko: I'd love to pivot a little bit to your own coaching career. So, after you graduated, you served as an assistant coach at Stonehill College. What was it like making the transition from student athlete to mentor at your alma mater?

8:44 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, it was challenging at times. I think what made it an easier transition is that I was the only senior my senior year, so in terms of like, you know, on the team. So, when I became the coach, it was really, I had kind of been that for them that year before, because I had been captain and because now I was the only one that was there that many years. I think it was a very smooth transition into that role, and I believe those players would tell you the same thing.

9:16 - Kristen McDonnell: It is something where you always have to put up more boundaries, right? Like, you have to know that, you know, okay, these are some of your best friends in the world and at the same time, now you're playing this role where you're trying to get them to reach even more of their potential and push them a little more and you're coming at it from a new lens where you're seeing the coaches aspect and what they're going to be asking for so that they can pull, not just each player, but the whole team in the right direction. I think that's where you just have to be mature and grow. And there was a lot of learning that year. I had really good mentorship from Coach Brown in terms of taking that on and, you know, she's been a huge mentor to me too. So she continues to be like my life coach right now. So, it was easier than it would have been for probably a lot of people. 

10:08 - Liam Dacko: Great. And, you know, following Stonehill, you've held coaching roles at Braintree High School and Norwood High School, where you are now. You know, you've really made a name for yourself as one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Massachusetts. The Boston Herald even named you Coach of the Decade for 2010 to 2020. How has your Stonehill education had an impact on the work you do with high schoolers? Are there any lessons from your time at the Hill that you try to impart upon them or share with them in some way?

10:44 - Kristen McDonnell: I think what I got from Stonehill is really everything that I continue to impart on the students I work with at school, but also, you know, the players) that I'm lucky enough to coach. I had incredible talent, especially really early on in my career at Braintree. And I think when anybody's named the Coach of the Decade, they must've had the horses, right? And I did, I had the horses. So that's just a huge credit to those kids and what they were able to do.  But I do take—the part that I love is that each year you're handed about, you know, maybe 14 kids on your own team, and then maybe 14 kids who are on JV. So, you know, 20, whatever that is, 20, 30 kids, give or take, who are part of your program that you get to lead and decide in terms of like that work balance of really, you know, work hard, play hard, like get after it during the sessions, but have a blast doing it.

11:41 - Kristen McDonnell: And I think Stonehill really taught me that is how to, how to maintain that very healthy balance between the two, you know, where you're going after something with everything you have. And I felt like I did that at Stonehill too, very passionate about it. And then I hope to transfer that love and that passion to my players right now. And at the same time, have a lot of laughs while you're doing it, be able to, to laugh at yourself, you know, and, and just not take yourself so seriously so that you don't lose the big picture aspect. And that's where I felt like having that community around me at Stonehill and those different relationships. Those are the things that teach you that it's, it's way bigger than just this sport. You know, this can be a lifetime of relationships and of mentoring and, having just that impact that you hope to have, you know, as, as you're coaching these kids from year to year. 

12:42 - Liam Dacko: Now, in addition to serving as coach, you're also a school counselor at Norwood High. In what ways would you say one job informs the other? 

12:51 - Kristen McDonnell: Yeah, I think it's, it's very related. I think every coach could be a school counselor. I think every school counselor could be a coach. You know, they're, they're so in tune with each other and have to be in my mind, because I think this way, I feel like all things in life come down to psychology. And I'm so obsessed with finding out how people think and why they're thinking that certain way. And I've coached on the boy's side as well as the girl's side. And even just that aspect of like, what are they thinking? What makes them tick? What motivates them? What gets them there? You know, is it a gender thing? Is it not gender? What's collective and individual?  

13:27 - Kristen McDonnell: And so, I, I do think just the simple idea that it's relationships over everything, no matter whether you're an educator or a coach. Because if a kid's not having a good day, and a kid's not in the right mental space, and or is learning the tools to get through that, to be resilient and to get to a better mental space, basketball is going to mean very little to them that day, you know, and ultimately, that's going to affect our team. And so I think that's where I've been fortunate to have so much experience and training and where you can tell pretty quick who's in, who's out each day, and try to fill those holes, or fill those gaps for those kids that might not be feeling it, you know, and to make sure they understand that you're there for them. And you can, you know, try to help them through and actually really just feel awesome about themselves by the end of the day.

14:23 - Liam Dacko: Well, Kristen, this has been a great conversation. I always kind of like to wrap up with this question. So, we often share with students and prospective students that Stonehill is a place to find your purpose or your calling. You know, reflecting on your life, your career, your journey thus far, what would you say your life's calling has been?

14:42 - Kristen McDonnell: I think my life's calling has been mentorship, you know, in every facet, whether it is being mentored by people that have meant so much to me, and in roles that I have enjoyed doing so much like basketball, or now being able to be in those positions to mentor others—whether it's young adults that are coming into the field of education, or whether it is, you know, students on the court, players on the court that I'm trying to get through to, or students I'm trying to get to college, you know, different in those different roles. But I do say that's something that comes a little bit more natural to me. And I think that's the key is just finding what works for you, and putting your strengths into a certain career, a certain love, a certain interest, whatever it might be, that allows those strengths to really show. I feel like I've been lucky to do that, and I was lucky to find that in what I've been able to do.

15:42 - Liam Dacko: Really well said, and I'm glad you were able to find it. Kristen, I want to say thank you so much for joining me today. And I hope to see you soon at a Stonehill women's basketball game.

15:55 - Kristen McDonnell: Absolutely. Be at as many as I can. I appreciate it.

16:03 - Liam Dacko: Thank you for listening to Stonehill Stories. This podcast is produced by Liam Dacko of Stonehill College's Office of Communications and Media Relations. Intro theme composed by Associate Professor of Music James Bohn. Outro theme composed by Philip Pereira. Graphic design assistance provided by Colin Spencer. To discover more about Stonehill College, visit our website at stonehill.edu.