Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics

Over the summer, the Department of Athletics hired Liv Dunn as the new assistant coach for the women’s lacrosse program. Dunn, born and raised in New England, attended the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where she played Division I lacrosse. After four decorated seasons of play with 67 goals and 45 assists, Dunn completed her bachelor’s degree and went on to pursue a master’s in Kinesiology and Sport Studies at UNH.

While this is Dunn’s first collegiate job, she has coached youth lacrosse at the Boston Lacrosse Club and the Sua Sponte Lacrosse Camp, a camp for children interested in playing at the highest level of youth lacrosse.

Throughout college, Dunn always knew her future career would revolve around helping others, though she did not know how that would manifest until her junior year of college.

“I realized I didn’t want to leave [lacrosse], so coaching keeps me in it but also gives me that capacity to help people, especially players that have been in my shoes,” Dunn said. “Not just seeing the improvement, but the process that a player goes through is a really amazing thing. It is even more special from a coaching standpoint after sitting around the sport my entire life.”

She also credits some of the coaches she encountered over the course of her lacrosse career, which started in fourth grade, for inspiring and helping her get to her current role.

“I had a couple of great assistant coaches when I was at UNH who totally molded me into not just the player that I was, but the person I am and the coach that I want to be,” Dunn said.

As Dunn begins her career at Bowdoin, she hopes to relate her recent experience as a player to the members of her new team. And while her college experience differed from those of Bowdoin’s current players, some things are universal when it comes to lacrosse.

“The NESCACs are different. Division I is different. Division III is different, but being part of a team, interacting with your teammates and making best friends is always going to be the same,” Dunn said.

Women’s lacrosse player Kate Min ’27 echoed Dunn’s sentiments and expressed eagerness for a new set of experiences to push the team further. Min hopes that the team can also focus on the mental challenges that inevitably arise after facing an obstacle on the field.

“I’m excited to see her be a part of our team. We are really excited to make new connections and have someone provide a new perspective,” Min said. “Going into this season, the mental game is so big, so when you’re down, having someone to lift it all up and continue to stay motivated and help us get past those deficits will be so beneficial.”

Dunn hopes to be a relatable person for the team, but she says it may take some time to reach that level of comfort. Over the past week, Dunn has been meeting the players in small groups over meals to begin forging meaningful relationships.

“I am just getting to know the girls, and I know it is hard getting a new coach. You don’t really know what to expect…. That’s one thing that I want to be: somebody to talk to, making sure they realize that I get what they’re going through as a student-athlete, because it can be tough,” Dunn said.

The lacrosse team begins its off-season training later this month. Aside from coach-led practices where Dunn will witness play for the first time, the team lifts three times a week and will begin strength and conditioning training later this semester.

Dunn is excited to start building relationships to ensure a smooth transition into the spring semester.

“I am eager to meet everybody on the team and very excited for our first practice, so we can hit the ground running in the spring,” Dunn said.