Will Abbott had a stellar collegiate career at Quinnipiac and UMass. PHOTO/ROB RASMUSSEN/QUINNIPIAC ATHLETICS

Will Abbott, a former multisport star at Hopkinton High School and collegiate lacrosse player, is looking to help develop the next generation of local athletes as a coach with the Hopkinton youth lacrosse program.

Abbott, 23, played for HHS lacrosse coach Dan Norton until graduating in 2018 and moving to the college level at Quinnipiac. Abbott played four years with the Bobcats before playing a fifth season at UMass Amherst, but he never strayed far from his hometown team.

“Throughout high school and some of the summers in college, I helped Dan out with his clinics and I enjoyed doing it,” said Abbott, adding that he never really considered getting into coaching before this year.

“It’s been good, I would say that I am enjoying it,” he said. “The kids are fun to work with, and it is definitely cool to see some of the improvements as we go.”

He has been watching his youth players develop their ability in a sport that is replete with different skills, many of which are unique to the sport.

“I can really see the kids improving as we go along,” Abbott said. “But also, with some of the kids, it’s great to see that they are enjoying playing, that they are having fun out there.”

Abbott is working with fifth and sixth graders in town. He also is coaching fourth graders at the club lacrosse level. He said there are not too many differences between the relatively close age groups, and he is looking to impart some of the knowledge he gained from his time playing collegiate lacrosse.

“When I landed in college, I learned to really hammer down on the fundamentals,” he said. “It’s a super important part of the game. When I am coaching, I try to have a team focus and let the kids own the fundamentals. The simple parts of the game are actually the most important.”

A midfielder at the high school and college levels, Abbott graduated from UMass with a master’s degree in business analysis and is in the market for a job in that field.

It remains to be seen whether he will make coaching a significant part of his future in the sport, but it’s something he’s open to pursuing.

“I just finished college and I have been looking for a job in my field, so it’s hard to say, as of right now,” Abbot said. “But coaching is definitely something I enjoy.”