After 23 seasons guiding the East Lyme girls’ soccer team, Redding’s continued drive, passion, and leadership are proof that her drive doesn’t stop when the final whistle blows.
Ms. Redding leaves behind a lasting legacy with a record of 225- 128-33, the most wins in program history.
For girls’ soccer, her teams achieved two undefeated regular seasons, in 2012 and 2014, and brought home four ECC titles. Along the way, she led her teams to seven ECC regular season division championships and mentored nine All-State players, including two recipients of The Day Area Player of the Year award.
Those 23 years only tell part of the story. Ms. Redding’s coaching roots run deeper— back to when she first started coaching at the age of 16. Redding then moved on to coaching youth soccer in college, and then advanced to premiere teams in Boston.
Ms. Redding went to college for graphic design, and subsequently owned a screen printing business. She then sold off the screen printing business when she had kids and became a graphic design teacher in Connecticut. Finally, she bought a liquor store in Old Lyme, which has since been sold. She was asked to be an assistant coach at ELHS, eventually working her way up to head coach.
Ms. Redding’s impact extends far beyond wins and losses. Her coaching philosophy includes having an unwavering belief in her players’ potential.
“She knows the game very well. She can find strength in players that they can’t necessarily see themselves. She’s good at bringing out the best in them,” former assistant coach Lauren Machnik said. “I loved [working alongside Redding]. I learned a lot about coaching. I learned a lot about the game itself. We worked really well together, bouncing ideas off each other. She became my family,” Ms. Machnik said.
That mentorship extended to players as well, many of whom describe Ms. Redding as more than just a coach.
Commitment is huge to Ms. Redding. Captains Julianne Guarraia and Ani Mazzulli both agreed that the team “is in it to win it.”
“She believes in me so much, and she genuinely influences me so much,” Guarraia continued. Throughout her time,
Redding built a culture of discipline, teamwork, and resilience. She taught her players not just to play soccer, but to lead, support each other, and face challenges head-on.
“Everyone is going to miss her. She has been the backbone of the team,” Mazulli said. Ms. Redding reflected on her retirement, saying that she, overall, tried to teach her players to be good people, and have good sportsmanship.
“It’s time to change, and change is good,” Ms. Redding said.
She felt it was her time as a coach to pass it along for others to experience: “It’s time for new blood.”
Her legacy is not only in the championships and records, but also in the generations of players who left her program as confident, capable leaders.
“Watching her exist as a coach shows how many people’s lives she has affected and how many people view her as such an important person,” close friend of Ms. Redding, Molly Goldreich said.
Those who’ve worked with Ms. Redding say her impact is hard to capture in just one word, but if they had to, Ms. Goldreich said “altruistic,” Ms. Machnik said “inspiring,” Guarraia said “invaluable,” and Mazzulli said “transformational.”
It’s clear that Redding’s influence on East Lyme girls’ soccer will be felt for years to come.
Ms. Machnik summed it up: “She’s played a very big role on and off the field with past players. She’s done wonders for the program and made it super successful. She’s left some really big shoes to fill.”
Ms. Redding’s Off the Field Hustles
Coastal Crab – A shop co-owned by Ms. Redding. Coastal Crab has become one of the town’s favorite spots for locals and visitors alike. The shop captures the relaxed, coastal charm of our community, offering a unique selection of seaside-inspired gifts, home décor, and apparel. She has six stores in six states and might open another one in the future.
Redding Design – Ms. Redding also runs Redding Design, her full-service creative business where she handles marketing, social media management, logo design, and website creation. She works with both year-long clients and project-based ones, offering everything from branding to digital strategy. Her work blends creativity and precision, helping businesses grow through strong, thoughtful design.
