Editor’s note: This story appears in the September-October issue of New England Soccer Journal.
Before her first high school season at Bishop Feehan (Attleboro, Mass.) kicked off, Kaitryn Franchino wasn’t sure what to expect.
Franchino played in the Developmental Academy during her first two years of high school, then switched to the Shamrocks when the DA ceased operations in May 2020. The forward quickly learned that the surplus of talent on Feehan’s roster led to extra intensity.
"It’s definitely nothing like I thought it’d be," Franchino said. "Everybody goes 100 percent. It’s not like you just come in and walk on the field and everybody gets even playing time. It’s more competitive, everybody who’s there wants to be there.
"This is honestly the best environment I could have imagined for high school soccer."