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05/16/2023 08:00 AMNo matter it being on a soccer pitch, within the confines of the Floyd Little Athletic Center on the high jump, or upon the lacrosse turf, Reagan Doyon has been an incredible leader for a trio of squads–instilling an impact within her peers while producing her own championship-esque character and resolve.
The Valley Regional senior started playing soccer at the age of 3 at the pee wee level before tacking on lax in fourth grade, and later indoor track once she arrived on the Warriors’ campus. After being a center midfielder for soccer, Reagan switched to right midfielder/striker as a senior. She then moved from defense to midfielder for lacrosse this spring. For lax thus far in 2023, Reagan has nabbed 20 goals with more than 150 pass knockdowns/interceptions. More importantly, Reagan garnered the respect of her coaches and teammates to be named a captain for all three clubs.
“It has been interesting to be a captain for all three,” says Reagan. “It is an honor, and being chosen to be a captain means that I can take people who may be newer to a sport and create a positive environment for them to build their skill around and feel accepted. Teams can drive people away from a sport by arguing, so I like to talk things out with everyone.”
When it comes to the mutual benefits between the athletic endeavors, the pitch produced Reagan’s razor sharp field vision, and then while jumping and finding her form through the winter via indoor track, she discovered how to have her head on a swivel with lacrosse.
“Soccer taught me how to see the field for both soccer and later lacrosse,” says Reagan. “Lacrosse taught me how to keep my head up while running. Track taught me about running, form, and composure. Playing all three has helped me learn how to adapt to change and see the bigger picture in almost a coach’s perspective. Physically, I have gotten bigger; my freshman year for soccer, I thought I could not play against the bigger girls.”
On the lacrosse field, Valley girls’ Head Coach Randy Netsch notes that Reagan is a student of the game and is passing down her acquired knowledge to her fellow pupils and playing colleagues. She additionally displays terrific tenacity–leading the charge for her switch in position this spring.
“Reagan stood out to me the first time she walked onto the field to play lacrosse. Her intelligence and self-confidence were immediately apparent. Reagan always asks insightful questions and has great game sense,” says Netsch. “She worked well with her peers, and it was clear that they had respect for her. For all of those reasons, she was named as a captain in her junior year. Reagan is extremely dependable and will do anything for her team. On the field, she has great vision and is excellent at intercepting passes. She has always played defense for us but was moved to the midfield this year because of her aggressive play and endurance. Reagan is the type of team leader and captain every coach hopes for.”
In memorable wins for soccer and lacrosse, Reagan recalls a signature victory against a Shoreline rival in the spring that ended up serving as a strong indicator for that season’s success. Meanwhile with soccer, a momentous tally in states versus a SCC power signaled euphoria for Reagan and the Warriors.
“For lacrosse, when we beat Old Lyme for the first time in program history I believe, it was a crazy moment. It was super important and promising for the season,” says Reagan, whose Warriors went undefeated in the regular season for lacrosse in 2022. “In 2021 for soccer, we played [eventual Class M state co-champion] Mercy in the first round of states and scored the first goal of the game. It was a great moment; everyone was super excited, and it gave us hope at the time.”
In her spring positional switch, Reagan has been on the run a bit more in serving as a dual threat on defense and offense. She savors the challenge, though, while looking to sharpen her striking skills.
“I feel the biggest adjustment from defense to midfielder has been the fitness,” Reagan says. “When you are at midfield, you don’t really ever stop running. It also has been a process to find my attacking side with making cuts and accurate passes after being so defensive-minded in past seasons.”
Warriors’ girls’ indoor track Head Coach Brian Drinkard details that Reagan’s berth in the Shoreline Conference Championship last winter for the high jump comes as little shock given her dedication to her craft and club.
“Regan’s event for indoor track is the high jump, and she had a great season and qualified for Shorelines,” says Drinkard. “She was a captain this year and was a leader at practices and meets. She is a really determined and hard-working athlete, and she has been a pleasure to coach.”
As she winds down a very busy career as a year-round captain for Valley, Reagan reflects that stature in the Shoreline standings are not an accurate barometer of a team’s proficiency as a cohesive and collective unit–it is all in the personal development of each individual piece of the puzzle.
“I have learned that a season’s success is not defined by your record,” says Reagan. “It can be successful when the wins are not there, and it can be unsuccessful even when they are. With lacrosse, we are 1-10, but I have seen so much growth in the girls, which I am proud of. Some girls are doing things they could not do at the start of the season, which is extremely rewarding.”