SALEM — Saugus native and former St. Mary’s softball star Ariel LaRosa is quickly building an impressive coaching career.
After helping the Spartans win two state championships under the tutelage of former St. Mary’s coach Colleen Newbury, LaRosa returned to the team in 2013 as an assistant on Newbury’s staff for two seasons.
LaRosa then became the head coach of the softball program at Wheelock College in Boston in 2015, where she led the Wildcats for two seasons. Now LaRosa’s taking her coaching career one step further, and she’ll be doing so a little closer to home.
Last week it was announced that LaRosa has been tabbed as the new head softball coach at Salem State by Peggy Carl, the school’s Athletic Director. LaRosa takes over for former coach Leanne Doviak, who had been at the helm of the program since 2007.
“I was overwhelmed with excitement,” LaRosa said. “I’m excited to be able to step up to another level in my coaching career. It’s my third year as a coach and now I’m stepping into a great program.”
With two seasons of experience as a head coach under her belt, LaRosa has learned what it takes to lead a college program. The importance of teaching the game to athletes at different skill levels has been one of the key takeaways for LaRosa through her two years at Wheelock.
“It’s not always about who’s the best player or who performs the best during that game or that practice,” LaRosa, who still resides in Saugus, said. “It’s more of who wants to be there and what girls want to work hard. I learned how to deal with teaching every athlete and how to work basic fundamentals to help those athletes shine. It’s about learning the game as a whole through different situations and different talent levels.”
Having grown up on the North Shore, LaRosa has always heard positive remarks about the softball program at Salem State. LaRosa acknowledged that the Vikings have established a winning culture, and she’s hoping to continue that.
“It’s a winning school,” LaRosa said. “It’s a very well put-together program. The team only graduated two seniors from last season’s team. They were players who really helped the team, but there’s a great recruiting class that’s coming in. My expectations are very high coming into the program and the athletes also have high expectations.”
As the Vikings’ new coach, LaRosa’s main goal is to help place her players in positions where they can succeed both on and off the field. She’s also looking to establish a culture where players can look back on their careers as Vikings with positive memories.
“I just want to make sure that every individual reaches her highest potential,” LaRosa said. “Whether it’s in being athlete or being a student. After four years of playing for me, my hope is they can leave the program saying ‘I was a great teammate, I had great teammates and I played for a coach I respected.’ Whether we win or not, I hope they always remember the program they came from.”
LaRosa, who played six years of varsity softball at St. Mary’s as a designated hitter and catcher before playing at Curry College as a catcher and third baseman, added that she’s excited to be leading a program that’s close to her hometown.
“I think it’s really nice to be at a school that’s local to me,” LaRosa said. “It’s a school I know a lot about. They recruited me. I was taught by a great Salem State athlete in Colleen Newbury. From St. Mary’s to Salem State, we both share that special bond now. It’s really nice to a local and interact with the high school coaches around me.”
“I’m very excited to be at Salem State,” LaRosa added. “I’m happy to call this place home for the next couple years and hopefully we win something big.”
