LION-HEARTED: Frances Lyons is having fun with herself as she acclimates to the campus at Stuart Nation Day Faculty. Final month, Lyons took over as the brand new director of athletics at Stuart, succeeding Justin Leith, who’s now serving because the AD on the Bullis Faculty in Maryland. Lyons involves Stuart from The Brearley Faculty in New York Metropolis the place she was the affiliate AD. (Picture supplied courtesy of Stuart Nation Day Faculty)
By Invoice Alden
After producing an excellent senior season for the Brooklyn Faculty ladies’s basketball group in 2009-10, Frances Lyons was seeking to play professional ball abroad.
However when potential alternatives in Poland and Puerto Rico fell by way of, Lyons determined to take one other path.
“I saved coaching and signed with an agent,” mentioned Lyons. “But when I used to be not going to go in usually and know that one thing is assured, I might slightly simply cease and go into what I wished to do which is teaching and instructing.”
Lyons, a Brooklyn native who was an All-New York Metropolis performer for James Madison Excessive, began substitute instructing in New York Metropolis faculties and obtained a job teaching basketball with the Asphalt Inexperienced program, a nonprofit sports activities, swim, and health group within the metropolis.
Whereas working with Asphalt Inexperienced, she additionally began teaching center faculty hoops at The Chapin Faculty, an all-girls faculty in New York Metropolis.
Having taken on some administrative duties at Asphalt Inexperienced, Lyons went to The Brearley Faculty, one other all-girls faculty in NYC in 2019, the place she served because the affiliate director of athletics.
Final month, Lyons got here south to New Jersey, turning into the director of athletics at Stuart Nation Day Faculty, succeeding Justin Leith, who’s now serving because the AD on the Bullis Faculty in Maryland.
Lyons discovered a pure match on the all-girls surroundings of Stuart.
“There must be a sanctuary for ladies,” mentioned Lyons, 34. “I knew that’s what kind of college I wished to be at. I would like the ladies to know that this place is for you, you aren’t competing with anyone. You will have the area, the services are right here for you, the help is right here for you and it’s right here so that you can develop as an athlete. That was necessary for me.”
It was two guys, although, Lyons’ older brother and father, who obtained her into sports activities.
“My brother was a giant soccer participant; he was at all times round sport and since I’m the newborn, I wished to be round him,” mentioned the affable Lyons with amusing. “I might see him enjoying so I simply picked it up. Sports activities got here naturally. My father was a giant time baseball participant in Brooklyn as properly. My mother thought I wished to placed on attire and play with dolls however I mentioned no, I wish to go together with them.”
Underneath the affect of her brother and father, Lyons in the end directed her energies to the basketball courtroom.
“I don’t get into organized basketball till I used to be about 11, that’s once I began enjoying journey,” mentioned Lyons. “I simply began getting higher, I began coaching with my uncle and pa. I ended up going to an AAU group in Harlem. Basketball was each day and I cherished each minute of it.”
Rising to five’10, Lyns loved a stellar profession for the James Madison ladies’ hoops program the place she was First-Crew All-Metropolis performer as a junior and senior.
“I used to be a ahead due to what we had on the group,” mentioned Lyons. “I’m a small ahead, I wish to shoot the ball however I additionally wish to get in there within the put up and rebound. The spotlight was the retirement of my jersey quantity, it’s a large factor.”
After highschool, Lyons headed to Monroe Neighborhood Faculty the place she helped it win the Division I Nationwide Junior Faculty Athletic Affiliation (NJCAA) nationwide championship in 2006 and end seventh the subsequent season. Lyons then joined Hofstra’s Division I program however issues didn’t work out and he or she took a break from the sport.
Lyons then got here residence to Brooklyn Faculty, meaning to deal with teachers and never play for its hoops group. However after enjoying some pickup video games with group members, she obtained the bug to come back again to hoops and joined the squad. She made probably the most of her one yr with this system, averaging 15.9 factors and 9.5 rebounds per recreation and incomes 2010 All-Metropolitan Division III Third Crew honors.
“I went to the coach and mentioned, ‘I believe I’m prepared’ and he was like, “Are you certain, there isn’t a stress,’” mentioned Lyons, who helped Brooklyn to a CUNY Athletic Convention (CUNYAC) South Division Championship and a second straight look within the ECAC Division III Metro Match.
“We’d like to have you ever after which I fell in love with it. I obtained again into it, I began coaching once more. I used to be serving to Brooklyn Faculty construct their program, now they’re sort of a powerhouse, successful championships.”
After deciding to not pursue a profession in professional ball, Lyons started teaching center schoolers at Asphalt Inexperienced and with The Chapin Faculty whereas additionally working as an alternative trainer.
“It grew to become pure to show; that’s the place I fell in love with the event of the participant,” mentioned Lyons. “As soon as you bought to the extent the place you realize you might be good and you’ll play, I then handed that on. My focus got here round with the event of the participant as an entire in numerous elements mentally, bodily and giving them that confidence. That’s the place my power got here in. I noticed it for myself as a result of I truly needed to do it myself.”
Diversifying her involvement in athletics, Lyons began moving into the executive finish.
“At Asphalt Inexperienced, I ended up taking a place in group applications,” mentioned Lyons. “I might run sports activities leagues in underserved communities within the Harlem space, that’s when the executive facet got here in. I used to be operating leagues in flag soccer, soccer, and basketball.”
Lyons determined that she wished to vary her profession path to deal with athletic administration.
“The director of athletics at Brearley reached out to me and requested me if I might be all in favour of operating their subject home and being their JV basketball coach and coach the center faculty ladies volleyball,” mentioned Lyons.
“I mentioned completely, that is what I wish to do. I had the chance to study from her. I jumped from subject home supervisor to affiliate director of athletics. I used to be operating the entire operations of athletics, from the hiring of coaches, posting jobs, scheduling the entire video games and the entire practices and the transportation. I used to be concerned in each side of athletics. I began going to the nationwide athletic administrators conferences. It’s nice networking, I met so many new folks.”
On the level, Lyons determined that she was prepared to move a program.
“As soon as I hit my third yr at Brearley, I knew it was time,” mentioned Lyons. “I’m educated, I really feel good, I really feel assured and I knew that kind of college, I wished to be at. It doesn’t matter what, I wished … to be at an all-girls faculty.”
Taking a look at alternatives, Lyons discovered that Stuart was on the lookout for a brand new AD and he or she did some analysis.
“I went on the varsity web site, and I mentioned that is improbable,” mentioned Lyons. “You possibly can see the care they’ve for athletics. They’re into it and it’s all ladies. After that, I see the services and the manicured subject that they’ve for themselves, the opposite fields that they’ve within the again and the 2 subject homes.”
Duly impressed, Lyons put her hat into the ring and utilized for the job. After a Zoom assembly, she had an on-campus interview this spring.
“Coming as much as it and I make that flip, I see that subject and am pondering that is wonderful,” mentioned Lyons. “Then I are available and everyone is so good and welcoming. It was a day of interviewing. I’m assembly mother and father, folks from range and admissions In some unspecified time in the future within the interview, I obtained to satisfy some ladies and I’m like they’re far more into sports activities than they’re at Brearley. The questions they’d for me confirmed that they knew that they wished somebody in right here who was going to take care of this system, take care of them, give them help, and was going to go to bat for them. The questions that they’d have been simply nice. I needed to show myself to them, it was improbable.”
Apparently proving herself, Lyons didn’t have to attend lengthy to find out how the interview went.
“I used to be identical to wow — I felt it was good, I felt at residence,” mentioned Lyons. “I felt that this was place the place I might see myself for a very long time and a spot I can construct. They referred to as me that night time and provided me the job. I mentioned, ‘yeah, that is it.’ I had the identical feeling once I went to Brearley and noticed their faculty. You realize, there may be simply one thing there within the intestine that you realize it’s proper. Once I heard, I used to be ecstatic.”
As she takes the helm of this system, Lyons is seeking to proceed the progress Leith made in getting the varsity’s athletes to take a extra severe method to sports activities.
“I wish to proceed a number of issues Justin was doing, constructing the tradition,” mentioned Lyons. “It’s OK to win and be at an all-girls faculty and wish to be a powerhouse. When persons are trying on the faculty, I would like them to go to Stuart as a result of all of their services go to women, they’re a powerhouse, they take it critically, they’re aggressive, they empower one another and they’re dedicated to what they’re doing. That’s the imaginative and prescient that I wish to proceed to place on the market.”
Working with faculty’s teaching employees is on the prime of Lyons’ to-do checklist.
“I’m beginning to actually hone in on our teaching growth, attending to know the coaches and letting them know that I’m right here for them,” mentioned Lyons. “I wish to be giving them the help that they want but in addition work on the skilled growth with them and what do they should really feel higher and make them really feel extra linked with our college students.”
Noting that Stuart is sending athletes to varsity applications on an annual foundation, Lyons is seeking to assist with the recruiting course of.
“With my background, I’ve the power on that facet and may give mother and father that help,” mentioned Lyons. “I can allow them to know what school coaches are on the lookout for and what the method is. We’re robust on the educational facet which is nice however then there may be one other facet. It’s what are you doing this summer time, what camps are you attending, and who’re you enjoying for throughout that offseason. All these issues rely for getting acknowledged.”
Lyons is set to get Stuart extra recognition because it seems to develop its enrollment and athletics.
“Stuart is dedicated as a college to getting that enrollment up, that’s us actually selling our faculty, getting the phrase on the market,” mentioned Lyons, noting that Stuart is contemplating including soccer and softball applications sooner or later.
“It’s me getting on the market, going to tournaments and introducing myself. I would like them to know what we provide right here. There may be that competitors amongst faculties. It’s actually exhibiting off our facility and letting ladies know, you may have your area. That’s what I would like folks to find out about our athletics program and our tradition. All of that is for you, you may develop as an athlete, you may develop as an individual and develop as a frontrunner and see the place sports activities can take you as a girl.”
Whereas sports activities has definitely taken Lyons to many locations, it seems like she has discovered a house at Stuart.
