New London — Chelsea Phillips may have found something she's better at than coaching lacrosse.

She's an expert at multi-tasking.

On Friday, Phillips was at the center of a beehive of activity at the beginning of practice for her New London youth lacrosse program. She warmly greeted arriving players, provided some one-on-one instruction, handed out green jerseys and kept an eye on a nearby drill, yelling out some encouraging advice.

There is no place that Phillips would rather be than running the program that she started last year.

It's her passion.

"I enjoy it so much and it's so much fun for me," Phillips said while taking a break from practice at New London High School. "I go home and I look forward to the next practice or the next game. I think about how good of a job they do and how hard they work.

"I'm just really proud of them. There's never a day when I even get frustrated because they're all such positive kids. They work together and really cheer each other on. It's something that you rarely see at this age. It's an amazing group of girls."

"... I love these girls and I love the program and it's constantly something that I'm thinking about, what we can do to improve."

Phillips, a 23-year-old Waterford native, lives and breathes lacrosse. The sport has significantly impacted her life.

She starred at St. Bernard School, earning all-state honors three times and graduating with school records for goals and assists. After starting out at Division III powerhouse Salisbury (Md.), she transferred to Emerson College in Boston, where she served as a captain and received all-conference honors.

She wants to give her youth players the same opportunities that she's had.

"I've always loved just giving back," Phillips said. "Lacrosse really changed my life in a lot of ways. ... It's helped me so much that I want it to help other people, too."

Her players appreciate Phillips' positive coaching style.

"She encourages us," said Stefani McGuire, a U-13 player. "She doesn't yell. She just helps us."

Phillips couldn't pull off running a program without help. Fellow Waterford native Adam Grillo is heavily involved and St. Bernard graduate Victoria Fleury also is a dedicated volunteer coach.

The program is already a big success. Participation has doubled from its first season. Numbers are up to about 50, counting both girls and boys.

Count Emilia Skrabacz as one of the newcomers to the sport this spring. She's hooked now.

"I was getting tired of all the other sports and lacrosse seemed very different and new," Skrabacz said. "It incorporates a lot of other sports that I like."

Phillips has two girls' teams, under-11 and under-13, and the boys' program just completed its first season. The girls compete in a local league as well as a few tournaments.

"This year, we've far exceeded our expectations," Phillips said. "Last year, I was honestly really impressed with the numbers that we did have. And we've had a 100 percent return rate with the girls.

"Every single girl that played last year came back, plus they invited their friends to come play. We've definitely grown a lot, a lot better than what I expected."

And it doesn't cost a cent to join the program, except for the $25 fee paid to U.S. Lacrosse for insurance.

Thanks to some generous local businesses, equipment and other program-related costs are covered. Phillips and her small staff of coaches also dig into their own pockets.

"We don't want any financial situation to hold anybody back," Phillips said. "I want everyone to have an opportunity to play. ... Right now, I just want the girls out here. I want as many numbers as we can get."

It's a safe bet that nothing will hold Phillips back from growing her program. She eventually hopes that her players will go on to play in high school. New London High School doesn't yet offer lacrosse.

"I would love for next year to at least get a club (team) there," Phillips said. "That's my dream."

Due to her hectic schedule, Phillips recently had to step down as the Mitchell College women's lacrosse coach after just one season. She's attending graduate school on a part-time basis at Columbia University, enrolled in the master's program for construction administration. She's also holding down a full-time job as project engineer for a construction company in New London.

But she plans to stick with her own construction project, building a strong New London youth lacrosse program.

It's been a rewarding experience.

"I want to keep this program going, this is my passion," Phillips said. "I'm very busy but I love it. I would not change it for anything."

g.keefe@theday.com