A standout athlete from Pope John XXIII High School, Lucia Robinson-Griggs has built an impressive coaching career.
At the NEWMAC Conference Tournament in Springfield, MIT women’s basketball associate head coach Lucia Robinson-Griggs displays the championship trophy alongside family members: cousin Maureen Lee, cousin Nickolette Mauch, father Leo Robinson, uncle D. Bruce Mauch, aunt Gail Mauch, and aunt Arlene Robinson.
This past season proved highly successful for Robinson-Griggs in her role as associate head coach of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) women’s basketball team. The Lady Engineers secured the NEWMAC Conference Championship for the second consecutive year.
In NCAA Division 3 Tournament play, MIT faced St. Joseph’s of Maine in the opening round, falling 68-61.
Supporting Lucia at the NCAA first round game in Ithaca College were her father, Councillor-at-Large Leo Robinson, mother Linda Alioto-Robinson (REACH Executive Director), uncle D. Bruce Mauch (Chelsea Clock Company Vice President), and aunts Gail Mauch and Arlene Robinson.
Robinson-Griggs launched her basketball journey through the Chelsea Youth Basketball League before excelling with the Pope John Tigers. Her promotion to associate head coach at MIT came this season, and she reached her 100th career win at the institution in November.
The MIT coaching environment
What does coaching at MIT, a world-renowned academic institution, entail?
Robinson-Griggs explained: “Coaching at MIT is incredibly rewarding and
inspiring,” “The women on the team are able to balance their heavy course work, research and internships and are still able to be “all in” for basketball. They spend time being dedicated to watching film, working out in the weight room and doing their best on the court.”
According to Robinson-Griggs, the student-athletes’ demanding academic schedules require the coaching staff to maintain thorough preparation for daily practices and strategic planning.
“As a coach, our players’ schedules really
force you to be prepared in order to maximize your time with the team,” Robinson-Griggs noted. “We only have a two-hour window for practices, so our plans
for skill development and planning for opponents needs to be all encompassing
and ready to go. Knowing after graduation, the players will go on to have their
pick of careers makes you feel a sense of pride and awe that they also chose to
play basketball as part of their collegiate experience.”
Before joining MIT, Robinson-Griggs served as head coach of Lesley University’s women’s basketball team, guiding the Lady Lynx to two conference championships.
Path from player to coach
Robinson-Griggs played college basketball at Bentley University under coach Barbara Stevens, a perennial Division 2 powerhouse. She earned her undergraduate degree from Bentley and a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Lesley. Currently, she teaches mathematics at Revere High School and has coached in the football program there. She is also a former women’s professional football player for the Mass Militia.
Throughout her career, Robinson-Griggs has participated in various summer basketball camps, including programs directed by Brown University head coach Sarah Behn, a former BC and Foxboro High School standout.
Robinson-Griggs’ father, Leo Robinson, played basketball for Chelsea High School and Burdett College. He expressed pride in his daughter’s basketball accomplishments, attributing her coaching success to her dedication and strong grasp of fundamental skills.
Leo stated: “Lucia is a sound coach who understands the
fundamentals,” “She is a good strategist who watches a lot of game
film.”
In January, Robinson-Griggs delivered the keynote address at the city’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The 31-year-old scholar-athlete, role model, and coach gave an inspiring speech that drew a standing ovation from attendees.
Robinson-Griggs and her husband, Michael, reside in Chelsea with their two children, Kaia, 4, and Kellan, 2.