Beverly High field hockey team members have become quite familiar with Sinclair’s role as a mentor and leader this fall, and they have embraced it.

“She’s always been a natural leader, always a great motivator,’’ Beverly head coach Tricia Brennan said of her senior captain.

“She’s very loud, very enthusiastic, and never hesitates to tell her teammates when they’re doing something wrong or right.’’

Since the start of the season last month, the 17-year-old Sinclair has made the transition from player to an unofficial assistant coach, one whom Brennan has come to rely heavily upon. The transition from varsity starter to coaching staff, however, did not come without a price.

In June, Sinclair tore an anterior cruciate ligament in a collision at home plate during a softball game. Two weeks later the three-sport athlete had reconstructive surgery and was told she couldn’t compete in sports for the rest of the year.

Spending her final field hockey season on the sideline, a year after helping power the Panthers to their best season in program history, has not been easy.

“I hated it. There are still times when I hate that I can’t get out there and play,’’ said Sinclair. “It gets easier though, because coach keeps me involved with a lot. Before the season started, she sat me down and said I was a team captain, whether I’m on the field or not, and she expected me to live up to that title.’’

So far, Sinclair has met her coach’s expectations in Beverly’s 6-1-2 start. Last fall, the team finished 15-2-2 overall, captured the Northeastern Conference title, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division 1 North tournament.

Despite the return of 11 varsity players, Brennan could not overlook Sinclair’s absence.

“Annie’s very passionate, she’s a natural athlete, and she’s very smart when she plays,’’ said Brennan. “Those types of things you can’t teach Annie’s replacement. I knew we’d take a hit without her, but her replacement has done a great job and our offense has stepped up to take the pressure off our defense, where Annie was our anchor.’’

The replacement is, coincidentally, Brennan’s younger sister, Courtney, who has shifted from midfield to center halfback, playing the same position that her older sister played for three seasons at Beverly before graduating in 2002.

A three-year varsity player, Courtney Brennan has worked with goalie Abbey Fleming, a senior captain, to strengthen the defense.

“She’s the one that had the most pressure because she was taking over for me and it’s always hard to step into a former player’s spot,’’ said Sinclair. “But it’s not just Courtney. Everyone had to add more to their plate and everyone had a new roll to fill and I’m so excited to see how they responded.’’

The attack is led by juniors Corrine Woods, a conference all-star last season, and Sinclair’s cousin, Julie Crowley.

Watching her cousin go down with a season-ending injury was especially difficult for Crowley.

“She’s so competitive and just loves playing sports,’’ said Crowley. “I’ve always followed Annie in sports, so she’s the reason I got into field hockey. She just knows me so well. She knows when I’m having a bad game and what to say to get me back into it. I really thought I’d miss that, but Annie’s been such a great coach and is still a huge part of this team.’’

Sinclair is aiming to return to competitive athletics in December, as a guard/forward for the varsity girls’ basketball team. And next spring she’ll return as the starting catcher for the softball team.

She will be joined by the 16-year-old Crowley, an outfielder. Growing up less than a mile away from each other, Sinclair and Crowley act more like sisters, a factor that Brennan sees as an advantage for her team.

“There are a lot of relationships on the team that are pretty cool,’’ said Brennan. “Me and Courtney. You’ve got Annie and Julie, and then you have my assistant coach [Pam Morose], who was my varsity coach when I played here. That might not be a big deal to others, but on the field it’s huge when you have people who know you so well and understand you so well. The closer you are off the field, the more comfortable you are on the field. I think that’s part of the reason we were able to adjust once we lost Annie. That and the fact she’s still making this her team to lead . . . as I expected she would.’’

Sapna Pathak can be reached at sportsgalsp@gmail.com