By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer
Northborough/Southborough – When Southborough resident Joe Kacevich is not working as the New England territory manager for Shaw Sports Turf, he can likely be found on a local lacrosse field. Kacevich founded the Northborough-Southborough Girls’ Youth Lacrosse Program 13 years ago and has since partnered with Holy Cross Head Coach Stephanie Ridolfi to create Central Mass Club Lacrosse. Together, Kacevich and Ridolfi have made an impact on as well as off the field, recently working with athletes and their families to help stock the Catholic Charities Food Bank.
Kacevich, who has a master’s degree in physical education, founded the Northborough-Southborough Girls Youth Lacrosse Program when his daughters Kate and Sarah, both graduates of Algonquin Regional High School, showed an interest in the sport. In addition to coaching the girls himself and, as a way to provide motivated, successful role models for the young athletes, Kacevich arranged for Holy Cross coaches and players to come and run clinics for the girls.
“It was a huge success,” he said. “The Holy Cross players were great mentors for those young girls. We tell our girls all the time that the Holy Cross players are proof positive that you can be a great student and a great athlete, it does not have to be one or the other. It’s not easy, but it can be done.”
After directing the Northborough-Southborough Lacrosse Program for six years and after his daughters graduated from the program, Kacevich realized that he really loved the sport and wanted to continue coaching. It was then, in 2006, that Kacevitch and Ridolfi created the Southborough-based Central Mass. Club Lacrosse (CMass) which serves athletes from throughout the region – including Katie Hartigan and Peri Damico from Southborough and Sophia MacDonald from Northborough. Currently CMass has two high school teams with a total of 43 players.
On the field, CMass offers year-round training with athletes competing in highly selective recruiting tournaments in New England and Virginia. Off the field, Kacevich strives to emphasize to his players the importance of giving back to the community. To this end, CMass has partnered with Holy Cross women’s lacrosse to help stock the food pantry of Catholic Charities in Worcester.
“I believe that a team can accomplish more than any one individual,” Kacevich said. “All of our girls come from very strong, supportive families. They realize that not everyone is in that situation. If you can come together as a team and help those less fortunate, I believe that is a great lesson to learn.”
This is not the first time that the program has given back. Over the summer, CMass participants sold pink ribbons at one of their fall tournaments to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It is an effort that they plan to repeat this summer.
