It wasn’t too long ago that Megan Gaudioso was an athlete on the East Haven girls’ volleyball team. Now, just two years later, Megan has gone from player to coach as she begins her first season as a member of the coaching staff for the Joseph Melillo Middle School/East Haven Academy (JMMS/EHA) volleyball program.

Megan is a Branford resident who works as a paraprofessional at EHA. Last year, Megan attended numerous East Haven volleyball matches, where she saw Yellowjackets’ Head Coach Craig Brown. Coach Brown had coached Megan for four years and knew all about her abilities and knowledge of the sport. Brown asked Megan if she was interested in coaching at the middle school level.

Megan had thought about being a coach for years. She’s dreamed of having kids one day and being able to coach their teams. Megan knew that she was going to be a teacher and felt that this was a perfect opportunity to begin her coaching career. All of the pieces seemed to fit for Megan, and she decided to take up Coach Brown’s offer.

“I always thought I was going to be a coach. I knew I was going to be a teacher and, teaching and coaching, especially at the middle and high school level, go hand in hand,” says Megan. “When I’m older, I want to have kids, and I’ve always dreamt about coaching my kids’ teams. I didn’t think it’d come at 19, but I love volleyball.”

Megan will be working alongside Head Coach Mark Curcio as she joins the JMMS/EHA volleyball program. Curcio is excited about Megan joining the coaching staff. After having watched Megan play for the Yellowjackets for four years, Coach Curcio understands the type of leadership and experience that she’s bringing to the court.

“We are so excited to have her. I watched Megan play for four years, and she defines sportsmanship and hustle,” Curcio says. “It would not surprise me if she became a head coach very quickly.”

Megan grew up playing softball before joining the EHA volleyball team in 7th grade. Megan played there for two years and then competed for all four seasons at the high school before graduating in 2021. She was a member of the Yellowjackets’ varsity squad for three years. Megan says that Coach Brown and her teammates helped her grow tremendously throughout her tenure at East Haven. As a senior, Megan was selected as the team’s Most Improved Player.

Megan’s senior season taught her a lot about how much it means to be a part of a team. As the world dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and high school sports were adversely affected, Megan and her teammates were unable to play a full schedule under the usual guidelines. It was a difficult year, but Megan learned a lot about resilience and what it means to call someone your teammate. As she transitions into her role as a coach, Megan is looking to convey those same ideals to East Haven’s players.

“I learned about teamwork, patience, and resilience. During my senior year, we could only play about half of the games. We couldn’t play teams we normally played,” says Megan. “It was just about overcoming all of the problems. It taught me that we can overcome it, especially as a team.”

Megan is planning on emphasizing teamwork during her first season on East Haven’s bench. As a senior, Megan was part of a graduating class of seven athletes. The seven seniors grew up with one another, even playing tee-ball together as kids. They always had each other’s backs and always had fun playing. Those types of things will be key for Megan as a coach. Megan wants her athletes to learn how to play effectively together and have fun while doing so.

“Teamwork is my biggest thing. If you don’t support your teammates, and you don’t have your teammates’ support, you’re not going to get anywhere,” Megan says. “Me and my six seniors grew up together. I always had their support, and they had mine. I want to make sure that the kids become friends and have fun.”

Last year, Megan was working in a 5th-grade classroom at the EHA. She told her students that she would be coaching volleyball when they were in 6th grade. Megan’s students spent time outside with her, hitting a volleyball and learning the game. Some of them told Megan that they were going to try out and even asked for offseason guidance. Megan feels proud to now be coaching athletes who are eager to play volleyball and potentially work their way up the ranks with the Yellowjackets.

“It’s really exciting. I think the girls who are going to try out are really going to try and be good,” says Megan. “I’ve had girls come up to me and ask for offseason stuff. They want to join programs. They’re really excited. It makes me proud to coach the next set of kids that Craig will have at the high school.”

While she’s now a coach, Megan still continues to play volleyball. Megan competes in an adult league based out of Woodbridge, playing alongside her mother April. Megan will always love volleyball and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon. As she begins her first year as a coach, Megan is excited to guide East Haven’s players and wants to help them love volleyball just as much as she does.

“I’m really happy to still be involved. I want to play as long as I can,” Megan says. “It’s something I really have fun with and really enjoy no matter who I play with. I’ll play with random people at open gyms, and it’s still so much fun.”