By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
Superintendent John Antonucci and Athletic Director Nick Schlierf recently announced the hiring of two new varsity coaches at North Attleborough High School—Armindo Rocha as the girls varsity tennis head coach and Michael Barresi as the boys varsity lacrosse head coach.
“North Attleborough High School’s Athletic Department is pleased to welcome Armindo Rocha and Mike Barresi as our spring head coaches,” Schlierf said. “They both bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their respective sports, and we look forward to watching our athletic programs flourish under their leadership.”
Rocha respects the discipline that comes with tennis
Rocha brings with him years of experience coaching young tennis players, most recently coaching children and teen tennis players at Brockton High School’s Brockton After Dark Program. According to Rocha, coaching high school tennis wasn’t something he intentionally set out to do, but came more naturally after having his own children and coaching privately.
“I’ve always appreciated how tennis teaches discipline, focus, and resilience, qualities that have stayed with me throughout my life,” said Rocha. “My favorite part about coaching is seeing players grow – not just in their skills, but in their confidence and character. There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone push past their limits and realize what they’re capable of.”
Rocha began playing tennis at 11 and was chosen to represent his country, Cape Verde, on its National Junior Team from age 14 to 16. He won the national title in 1999 and went on to play for Bridgewater State’s tennis team and was named the Attleboro Men’s Tennis Open champion in 2023. Rocha works full-time as a community program manager at Old Colony Elder Services, overseeing its volunteer and healthy living programs.
Looking ahead to his first season as head coach, Rocha hopes to build a strong and resilient team culture in North Attleborough, where players support one another and prioritize their development, both on and off the court. Rocha noted that selection for this year’s team was especially challenging, with 36 girls trying out for just 18 spots.
“That part of the process was difficult for me, personally, because I truly respect the effort every one of those girls put in,” said Rocha. “Once the team was finalized, I was able to shift our focus to preparation. I’ve been really proud of how well they’ve listened, taken feedback, and applied it during matches.”
The varsity girl’s tennis team is currently undefeated as of April 14, and Rocha is excited to continue building momentum and see how far his hard-working team can go. Rocha also expressed his appreciation for the passion and strong sense of community North Attleborough brings to its sports programs, calling it “such a special place to coach.”
“The support from the school and the parents that come to all of our games is incredible, and the girls on the team are not only talented and respectful but also hard working and genuinely enthusiastic about the sport,” said Rocha. “There’s a great sense of camaraderie here, and I feel lucky to be part of a program that values both competitiveness and character.”
Barresi hopes to take North to conference title
Barresi, a fifth grade teacher at Roosevelt Avenue Elementary School, has loved the sport of lacrosse for as long as he can remember. He started playing at the age of 8, and said the fast-paced, high-intensity nature of the game is what drew a “hyper kid” like him to it. Baressi played for Mansfield High School, serving as captain his senior year before going on to play club lacrosse at Coastal Carolina University.
“I never really thought about coaching until my playing days were over,” said Barresi. “I started at Mansfield (as an assistant lacrosse coach) in 2021 and fell in love with coaching.”
Along with coaching in Mansfield, Barresi also brings with him experience from Norton High School, where he assisted in developing training programs to hone players’ skills and coordinated practice sessions. While coaching at Norton High School, Barresi helped the team obtain its first varsity win in the program’s history.
Despite competing against North Attleborough in sports for most of his life, Barresi said his love for the town developed when he was hired in 2020 as a paraprofessional at Community Elementary School.
“It’s funny to think that North Attleborough was a heated rival of mine in every sport I played for, and now I am the head coach of the lacrosse program,” he said. “I think having worked in three of the five elementary schools in the town has built my connection deeper within the community and has made North Attleborough feel like home.”
When asked what he’s most looking forward to in his first season as head coach, Barressi mentioned the upperclassmen on the team and the examples they are setting for the future of the program. Barresi and his team are committed to competing for the league title in their conference, one of the best in the state, and to make the postseason tournament in hopes of being seeded high enough to host one or two home games at Beaupre Field.
For Barresi, watching his players grow is one of his favorite parts of coaching. He noted that for some members of the team, he could be the last coach they have in their high school career and takes pride in the role he plays in sending them off to the real world as better, more coachable human beings.
“The first couple weeks with the team have been great and I am excited to see how far we can take this thing,” said Barresi. “We are currently sitting at 4-3 going into a small break and know as a team that we did not play our best in those three losses, but we have the opportunity to play two of those teams again and plan on coming away with a different outcome. We are an extremely talented and deep team who will continue to fight for our spot in the postseason.”