In this final episode of The Game Plan for Growth, host Cally McSweeney sits down with Coach Annie Lahey, the architect behind Assumption University’s remarkable turnaround field hockey program. Over her 13-season tenure, Coach Lahey has taken a team that once struggled to win and transformed it into a perennial Division II powerhouse built on resilience, grit, and community. Throughout their conversation, Coach Lahey explains how she channels every setback into motivation for the next challenge, why she believes “we’ll laugh as hard as we run,” and how she balances high expectations with genuine care for each athlete’s wellbeing. She discusses her passion for continuous learning—adapting to new rules, innovating practice drills, and embracing feedback—and describes the human-first approach that keeps her players motivated, confident, and ready to face whatever comes their way. Tune in, trust your game plan, and keep pushing past your limits.
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In collaboration with Assumption University. This content is used for educational purposes.
About the Project: For our second Student Podcast Collaborative series, Communication & Media majors will produce an all-new, three-episode, 90-minute podcast capstone. These students move from theory to practice—pitching ideas, writing scripts, recording and editing episodes, and finally publishing their original shows. Each series tackles both personal and societal topics, allowing hosts to flex their storytelling, research, and production muscles. By working in a long-form audio format—one of the fastest-growing areas in media—students gain first-hand experience with the creative possibilities and practical challenges of communication technology.
