Amy Watson, head coach of the Keene State field hockey team, announced she will retire following the fall 2025 season. After 35 years at the helm, Watson has decided that next season will be her last.
In her three-and-a-half decades at Keene State, Watson has held a plethora of roles within the athletic department, serving as associate athletic director, senior woman administrator and sport supervisor for the golf and cheer teams. She said her favorite role was as head coach of the field hockey team. Her decision to leave was not easy, but she said she is confident it is the right one.
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” said Watson. “For years, I said I’m going to keep doing this as long as it’s fun and it just keeps being fun. But I recognize that it’s time to turn it over to somebody younger. It’s time to turn it over to some other ideas, some fresh perspectives, and I’d rather do it now when I feel like the program’s at a good place.”
Watson’s coaching career began in 1990, a time when field hockey—and women’s sports in general—looked much different than it does today. The rules of the game were different and the playing surface was grass, a drastic change from the astroturf playing fields that are commonly used today. However, beyond the change in surface, Watson said she has noticed a much deeper shift in how players approach and develop within the sport.
“When I first started, most players had only played in high school and continued in college just for fun,” said Watson. “But the kids I’m coaching now have been playing since elementary school. It was just sort of unheard of when I first started. The club scene is so much bigger now, so the game in general in that regard has grown quite a bit.”
While the game itself has grown, Watson said she has made sure that after being on the sidelines for 748 games, her attitude and mentality toward coaching have not changed nor faded. She said she continues to preach the values of not just winning but also remaining confident and emphasizing the process of it all.
“It’s competitive, I like to win, but that’s not all of it,” said Watson. “I try to de-emphasize the outcome and more emphasize the process and what we’re doing while we’re out there. I think for the players looking back, they may not remember the wins and the losses as much, but they’re going to remember the way they felt during those experiences.”
Last year, in the Little East Conference (LEC) championship game against Vermont State University Castleton, Watson’s coaching style was what got the team through the nervous moments before claiming their championship win, said senior Captain Hannah Wood.
“The championship game was such a high-pressure situation,” said Wood. “I think that because she’s [Watson] been in that situation so many times, she knew exactly how to calm us down while keeping our energy up. She gave great advice in between quarters and I think that we owe a lot of that win to her.”
Watson said she is no stranger to the high-pressure moments; in fact, she thrives in them. Throughout her tenure at KSC, Watson has captured an Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, 12 Little East Conference titles and 14 berths to the NCAA tournament. She has also coached 17 All-Americans, a multitude of all-conference and all-region selections and four LEC Rookies of the Year. She has also picked up several individual achievements herself, being named LEC Coach of the Year seven times, most recently in 2014.
Watson is on the brink of a historic milestone, sitting at 499-238-11—just one win away from joining the exclusive 500-win club.
“It’s a milestone and has been a personal goal of mine through the years,” said Watson. “I can remember the 100th win, the 200th win, the 300th win. So it will feel good to reach that milestone. It’s something I can sit back and be proud of.”
For her players, they said they are just as eager to be part of the team that captures Watson’s 500th win.
“This will be a huge accomplishment for her,” said junior forward Kalina Piasecki. “She’s been working at this for 35 years and I’m excited to be part of that 500th win because it’ll be something we will all remember for the rest of our lives.”
Although numerically she will be remembered as one of the winningest coaches ever tenured at Keene State, Watson said she wants her legacy to be one of a trailblazer, advocate and leader not only for her players but also for women’s athletics in general.
“The most important thing would be to be remembered as somebody who advocated for my players,” said Watson. “There’s been such a change in women’s athletics throughout my career, and I’d like to be remembered as a coach who really put women’s athletics as a priority and worked hard to make them a priority for the college.”
However, Watson is not done just yet. Despite announcing her decision to retire on Monday, March 24, she still has one final tour de force in the 2025 season. She said she is expecting to compete for the LEC title once again.
“For me, my goal is to be competitive in every single game we play and hopefully win the LEC,” said Watson. “I think the team would tell you it’s the goal for me.”
Her players shared the same sentiment.
“I can’t wait. It’s my senior season too, and I want to go out winning. I’m sure Coach Watson is expecting that from us,” said junior forward Jennifer Erikson.
The quest for LEC title number 13 and win number 500 will begin with a matchup against Rivier University on August 29.
Elías Stowell Alemán can be contacted at
estowellaleman@kscequinox.com
