SWAMPSCOTT — After being hired as Swampscott’s girls soccer varsity coach Jaymie Caponigro came back to her old stomping grounds (Class of 2017) and had a season to remember. Caponigro led the Big Blue to a regular-season record of 8-5-5 and a second-round appearance in the postseason.
Caponigro inherited a young team with seven freshmen and five sophomores, but one that had veteran leadership in six seniors and one junior.
“I couldn’t have asked for it to go better than it did,” Caponigro said. “We definitely were on the younger side, but age is just a number and I feel we competed in every game. It really showed who we are as a program and where we’re headed.”
“I think we definitely had some great results this season. With a squad this young, you’re looking to compete, but we were able to not just compete but be successful,” Caponigro said.
When the Big Blue showed up for a game, it didn’t matter if they were the underdog because everyone they faced struggled to break down Swampscott.
“I think a lot of it has to do with the conference we play in. We play some of the best teams in the area so we always have to match up and show up to play in order to compete,” Caponigro said. “For us, no game was going to be easier or a walk in the park and we had to show up to each game. We had great leadership and they set the tone for what they expected from the underclassmen and what it means to be a part of this team and be a member of the Big Blue.”
Caponigro said before becoming the coach, she stayed in touch with the previous coach and around the program, which she believes helped her transition when she was named head coach.
“I think change no matter what you do in life is hard. I think myself and the rest of the coaching staff set the expectations early and I think it really helped with the transition,” Caponigro said. “Also a lot of the girls were already familiar with us since we’ve been around the program for the past couple of years, which I think helped as well.”
What else helped Caponigro? The seniors.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better senior class to get my coaching career started here. There were six of them and they were all super close, which helped,” Caponigro said. “No matter if one senior played the full 80 minutes and the other did not play as much, they all supported each other. I think that mentality was contiguous with the rest of the team. They set a good example and they definitely left their mark on the program and are leaving big shoes to fill.”
While the season is over, the future is bright under Caponigro’s direction, and she’s already looking forward to fall 2024.
“I can’t believe my first season is already over. It went by so fast,” Caponigro said. “I’m already looking ahead and starting to plan our offseason with a view towards next season. I’m really excited and the girls are also very excited. I hope we can continue to build off of the success we had this year.”
