April 27, 2026 By Liz Woodard (Photos by Megan Whoriskey)
On April 24, the Notre Dame Academy girls lacrosse team celebrated Coach Meredith Frank McGinnis and her 300th career win at the helm of the NDA girls lacrosse program. Hard work, determination and the will to win were evident as the NDA girls won a close game against Longmeadow High School with a final score of 8-7.
Meredith Frank McGinnis began coaching at Notre Dame Academy in 2011. As a Massachusetts native from Westwood, she was returning to her home state after playing lacrosse and winning four Division 1 women’s lacrosse national championships at Northwestern University where she graduated in 2009. Coach Frank McGinnis brought that same competitive spirit to coaching at NDA where she has won 300 games as head coach.
Of this achievement Frank McGinnis shares:
“This milestone is not really about me, it’s a credit to all of the student-athletes who have embraced my expectations and poured their hearts out day in and day out. I am beyond blessed to have coached such hardworking and dedicated student-athletes. It truly is a testament to my love for this community. The support of the administrators, my athletic directors, my assistant coaches, have made my experience at NDA so rewarding and I’m truly humbled to still be here after all of these years.”
Assistant Varsity Coach Ali Winslow has worked beside Coach Frank McGinnis since 2013 and shares that “Coach Meredith Frank McGinnis’s 300th win is a reflection of something far deeper than numbers—it’s a testament to her relentless dedication to her players and the entire NDA program. She has a rare ability to outwork, outthink, and outlast opponents, consistently finding creative ways to win—especially in the toughest moments, on the road, and when counted out. What sets her apart most is that she does it all with humility and grit. She is, without question, the most influential coach I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”
Coach Frank McGinnis has positively impacted players of all levels through the NDA girls lacrosse program. Jon Hilsabeck a long time parent whose daughters- Kate (2019), Ellie (2020) and Jane (2024) played lacrosse and graduated from NDA shares that
“When we sent our first daughter to NDA, we didn’t know a ton about the school and nothing about the lacrosse program. After three girls and eight seasons of NDA lacrosse, the thing that I appreciate most about Meredith and I think the thing that so many parents also appreciated were all the meaningful lessons she taught my girls that they will carry forward with them for the rest of their lives. They learned the importance of preparation, of setting high expectations and working as hard as possible to exceed them, of understanding your role on the team and doing that job the best you possibly can for the sake of the greater good. Of winning with class and losing with grace. It is always about the team with Meredith, there are no individual awards, no 100 point game balls. Nothing is given, everything is earned, including compliments, which are treasured.. Meredith is respected and adored by her players, and appreciated by those players’ parents, for her character, values, discipline, drive, competitiveness and her success. 300 wins is an incredible accomplishment and that makes Meredith a winner, which we all already knew. But the real winners are all the girls who have had the experience of playing for her and being the beneficiaries of everything that comes along with that.”
Coach Meredith Frank McGinnis and the NDA girls lacrosse program are currently mid-season competing in the MIAA division 1 girls lacrosse league.
