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Essay by Joseph D Hawes

Throughout my high school career I have played several sports at different levels with different coaches. However the one coach that has influenced me for the longest has been Coach Carter. He has guided me through high school lacrosse, soccer and basketball. During my high school career I have played three varsity sports. I have enjoyed the rigor of sports, in addition to my academic workload. I am also active in community service and playing the alto saxophone with my high school band. As my school demands increased, I considered taking a break from lacrosse during my junior year. I needed to use the time to visit colleges and study for standardized tests. Well, that is what my parents had in mind. I loved lacrosse and I wanted continue my commitment to the team. Coach Carter pushed me like no other coach. He encouraged me athletically, but also to be my own best self. He encouraged me to take on challenges and push past obstacles. He would say “Be that guy that everyone remembers as the three sport varsity athlete with great grades”. He has been the only coach that has listened to what I have said and has really considered my perspective and my potential. His words have motivated me to be a better student-athlete and his actions and his personal story have encouraged me too. Coach Carter graduated from Princeton High School too. He grew up in my town and he has continued to give back to the community immensely. He founded a Club lacrosse team in Princeton called Team Turnpike. This program has helped young lacrosse players learning the meaning of hard work and gain exposure to college coaches. We played in the summer but became a real team that held friendships throughout the year During this time of bonding, I felt the meaning of Coach Carter’s mantra “WE NOT ME”. This phrase has followed me everywhere I go. It is shown in everything I do. It is one of the main reasons that I have participated in so many community service organizations (e.g., Big Brother – Big Sister Program, Princeton First Aid And Rescue Squad, my church, Jack and Jill of America, and Princeton Special Sports). Coach Carter has taught me not only to fight for what I want but also to stand up for others. These are true characteristics of a leader that were given to me by one of my favorite leaders. My leader, my coach, Coach Carter. Respectfully submitted by,

Joseph D. Hawes

#Joseph D Hawes #submission

My lacrosse coach is a man by the name of Charlie Battaglini. He was in the marines and is the epitome of a great lacrosse coach. He coaches for us and himself, not the prestige. He instills values of family and comradery to the team everyday through his pep talks. My coach has helped to motivate me to succeed in life by going above and beyond the title as coach. He put up quotes in the locker room as inspiration. One of them read, “It is amazing how much can get done when no one cares who gets the credit”. This was a constant reminder that we are a family and that we have to work together. The values he taught us on the field were not just for lacrosse, but everyday life. He was not just our coach but our mentor. He conducted study sessions occasionally to ensure everyone was passing their classes with more than the bare minimum 2.0 G.P.A. He always made sure to yell at us (nicely) and always pushed us to strive for the best. If I made ten shots in a row, he would push me on to make fifteen shots, perfectly placed too. He made it a point that we should always be on time because he said when he was late in the marines, he was put on probation. Basically he told us how to avoid making any mistake he had made. Not only was he the first one to practice and the last one to leave, but he also put in countless hours off the field thinking of plays, critiquing our game film, and hosting conditioning sessions. His example of tremendous work ethic inspires me to do the same. He motivated everyone on the team, even the kids who did not play. He would have one on one sessions after practice and would tell players what they needed to improve. Coach “B” as he was called helped the community also. He gave kids opportunities to play a sport and raised money for our school through our numerous victorious seasons. Some people will say that the players make the team, but I think it is the other way around. Our coach lifted us from having a losing record to a winning one. He has the most wins of any lacrosse coach at our high school and under him we have won the district and metro championship twice. He would always say how the team is a family and he has shown me that I must put in effort and work for the people and things I care about.

#michael sesay #submission

“Defense Wins Games, Attack Decides by How Much”, Kirsten LoPrete, Culver Girls Academy

My chosen coach was never my official lacrosse coach, but she motivated me to succeed in life through one simple choice.

In the sixth grade a women came to our school to tell us about the amazing game that is lacrosse. This women was Tressa Mucci, and she taught me indirectly through the game of lacrosse about the game of life. Mrs. Mucci had been a coach for the program in its early days, but as the local program grew she took over the job of spreading the word of lacrosse to our town. I had grown up playing sports, but I was never the best on the team. I didn’t expect much to come of playing this new sport. My first game was a big moment, especially because we were playing on the high school turf. Mrs. Mucci showed up to help coach us that day, and much to my surprise put me in, at starting defense. Now, like all other kids I didn’t want to play defense. I wanted to be the hero on attack scoring points and leading the team to victory. But as I said, that didn’t happen; Mrs. Mucci knew what she was doing, and she saw I had a knack for defense.

The next year I had come to accept my defensive role, and even as one of the younger players on the team, I led our defense. I spent the next two years playing defense, and I soon realized how this related to life, and leadership. By becoming a defensive player on the lacrosse field I learned that to be a great leader and to make a difference in the world you don’t have to be the one in the spotlight “scoring all the goals” and getting all the recognition. No battle in life can be won by just one person, and change cannot occur without the people who work behind the scenes.

In an ironic turn of events I was put on attack when I moved to Indiana my freshman year, but I carry the defense mindset to the offensive end of the field and try never to force shots to raise my stats. I move the ball to get the team in the best position to succeed. Coach Tressa Mucci changed my life by introducing me to the game that has become my favorite thing in the life, and by helping me identify and refine my leadership style.

#Kirsten LoPrete #submission

The Pursuit of Excellence / By Randal A. Collins / Center Grove High School

Coaches come in all different varieties. They are as varied as the sports they coach. Some have never played the sport they coach, and others have won championships in their mentoring field. There are young coaches and salty. Some convey strategy while others emphasize fundamentals. These coaches have different outlooks on life but all share a common thread. Coaches inspire excellence.

As it is for all coaches, such is the case for Doug Aldridge. Doug, having never played lacrosse, began a lacrosse program when there wasn’t one. Slowly, more and more players were attracted to the sport and joined the team. Just like coaches do, practices focused on muscle memory, fundamentals, conditioning, and stick control. The athletes quickly learn that repetition is only a part of the learning method. The true key to success is the concentration and focus that allows a team to be successful repetitively.

Many athletes and parents alike confuse the desired end state with a focus on winning. True coaches do not focus on winning (although sometimes they even say they do), they train their teams for excellence. Doug knew that his start-up team would not be able to compete at the level that established teams would. The true barometer for the team and the individual athletes was did they perform to the peak off their abilities? Did they play excellent? That is the true lesson coaches provide athletes. Focused preparation culminating in the pursuit of peak performance.

Athletes take this lesson, consciously or subconsciously, and apply it to their lives. They apply it to their education, work, philanthropic activities, and family lives. This lesson improves athlete’s quality of lives, as well as other people they are associated with. The lesson is infectious. Because of this lesson, athletes often become leaders. Leaders that inspire excellence among colleagues, co-workers, neighbors, and family members.

Through this lesson, Coaches, like Doug, create change. The team members become missionaries for excellence and improve their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. Only a fool would limit Doug’s contribution to the community and his players to the establishment and provision of a lacrosse program. A wise person will acknowledge that because Doug established a program, athletes have went on to college, pursued righteous careers, have become coaches in their own communities, and continued to pursuit of excellence.

#randal collins #submission

As a boy involved in sports, there is only one person you respect more than your coach, your father. I had the privilege of respecting both at the same time. When I first began playing Lacrosse I was in the 5th grade. My father was my mentor, and he taught me everything I know about the game of Lacrosse. Due to his collegiate-level experience playing the game, and his overall love for the game and the community, he volunteered to become the coach of the team.

My first year I was not good at my father’s game. It took me a while to learn the basics of catching, throwing, shooting, and cradling. My father valued the integrity of competition so he played his best players. I was on the third middie line along with the future captain of the West Milford High School Lacrosse team. That year I learned the game through a man that was both my father, and my coach. The next year I took what I had learned and applied it to a new position. I broke out with incredible stats; I no longer played middie, as I had moved to attack. Still my father coached and I had played as hard as I could for him.

When you have a coach that is also your father, you don’t see him as your father on the field. He is your coach, and no matter what kind of relationship you have with your father, on that field all there is, is trust and responsibility. My father trusted me to score goals, and to assist my teammates in scoring goals. He treated me no different than the others, he made me run when I got out of line, and he gave me praise when I had done something good. As I grew older, I could see the parents of my teammates trust my father with the instruction of their kids. It seemed like our 8th grade season was a run at a state championship title. The parents came to every game, to watch us play, and to watch us win.

The one thing that is most important about my father’s coaching style is that he uses discipline. If we were practicing sloppy, we would run, and it would work. I had always respected whatever punishment we were given for our wrongdoings. I guess you could say that my father was a great lacrosse coach, but he did far more than teach me the ways of lacrosse. He taught me the lessons of life. He taught me that there is no special treatment in the world. That no matter how well you know your superior, you are still to respect and obey them. Lastly he taught me that if you have your heart in something, and you absolutely are determined to achieve that end, then there is nothing that can stop you.

#Dylan Pirro #submission

Commitment From Land To Sea

When I started playing high school lacrosse I was the kid who thought he was the greatest player in the world. Well, I learned quickly that I was wrong. I was actually one of the worst players on the team. I thought playing midfield or attack was the position that would get me on the varsity field and get me college offers. I was wrong. My calling was to play long pole, a position which I did not want to play, but I choose to play because it was what was best for the team. The transition was not the easiest. I struggled during the process but I was lucky enough to have a coach that willing to work with me.

When my junior season started, we added a new defensive coach. His name was DJ Lynch. Coach Lynch had played lacrosse in college and was very young. He was a coach that was ready to share his ideas and talents and work with the team. His knowledge of the game and his willingness to help is what drew me to him. After several conversations with Coach Lynch, he started helping me more and more at practice to become the player I am today. He would also take time out his day during the summer to come work with me and my brothers, so we could improve our skills. He took me several times to play in men’s lacrosse leagues so I could play against former and current college lacrosse players. His willingness to work with me at practice and throughout the year spoke a lot about him. He showed that he wanted to see players succeed in life and he wanted to share his knowledge of the game with people. This has inspired me to help other players like he helped me. I plan on becoming a high school teacher and high school lacrosse coach one day. Coach Lynch showed me the adult and teacher I want to be.

Before my senior season Coach Lynch left to join the U.S. Navy. By joining the navy he showed me about commitment and sacrifice. He inspired me to be like him. He was committed to serving our country and I needed to be committed to my studies and to continue working on everything he had taught me. He taught me that with hard work anything is possible, He also taught me about civic responsibility of a coach, a student, and a citizen of the United States. I feel like I am better person today because of him.

#Tyler Klitchko #submission

Success Through Passion and Commitment (Tom Rogan, Holmdel HS)

There are two words that instantly come to mind when I think of my High School lacrosse coach. Coach Guastella is easily one of the most passionate and committed people that I have ever met. He lives lacrosse every day, but as a coach he is more than just that. He cares about each and everyone one of his players as if they were his own son. He has made everyone who has joined the program a better player and, more importantly, a better person.

Coach Guastella has taught me many things, but he has shown me that in order to be successful, you must truly be passionate about what you do. He has enjoyed lacrosse all of his life and because of this he puts in extra work all the time, and even has fun doing so. It’s a regular thing for him to watch game film every day after our practices. With all of his extra effort and passion, he has enjoyed success at every level, from player to coach. His example has shown me that I need to find something that I love to do and that I am passionate about. This will help me be successful, no matter what I decide to do.

Just as he has inspired me, he has also inspired my teammates. While playing on the field, you can hear how excited he gets, and how into the game he really is. He cares about the outcome just as much, if not more than, all of us out there, and that’s saying something. Coach Guastella is charismatic enough that just by a minute long speech during a time out, he can rile us up and help fuel a comeback.

Coach Guastella never seems to sleep, because when he isn’t at practice or watching lacrosse games, he is working with the town’s youth team. He goes to most of the practices and literally started the program from scratch. He has helped these kids find a love for lacrosse just as I have. Coach Guastella envisioned changing our town into a lacrosse hot-spot, and his commitment to this idea has helped this become a reality. Our town has now produces a few college-caliber players every year.

I cannot stress how import Coach Guastella is for a player’s development both on and off the field. He has changed my life and attitude. If you ask him for a favor, he will go above and beyond for you, and have it done way ahead of schedule. His commitment to this program and his passion for the sport has changed my life for the better, as well as improving our community.

#tom rogan #submission

Hanna Morford, West Linn

My name is Hanna Morford. I am a senior at West Linn High School in West Linn, Oregon. I have had many coaches throughout my twelve years of lacrosse, but one coach in particular sticks out. That coach happens to be my dad. He has been coaching me since I picked up my first lacrosse stick. He taught me not only the fundamentals of ball handling, passing and shooting, but also the importance of being a positive team leader. He taught me to play hard no matter what the score is, and to never settle for anything less than my best.

Having my dad as a coach made life difficult for me at times. I had to go to practice early, stay late, and watch film at home. I was always pushed to do extra work, and because of the extra work I put in I was able to excel. I needed my dad to push me and teach me how to work hard when I was younger so that I will be ready to work hard and push myself in college. Stepping out from the bubble of my hometown and not having my dad by side will be a difficult transition for me. I know that I will be able to make that transition because of the leadership skills and work ethic that my dad has taught me.

#Hanna Morford #submission

Michael Sesay Dr Phillips Highschool

My lacrosse coach is a man by the name of Charlie Battaglini. He was in the marines and is the epitome of a great lacrosse coach. He coaches for us and himself, not the prestige. He instills values of family and comradery to the team everyday through his pep talks. My coach has helped to motivate me to succeed in life by going above and beyond the title as coach. He put up quotes in the locker room as inspiration. One of them read, “It is amazing how much can get done when no one cares who gets the credit”. This was a constant reminder that we are a family and that we have to work together. The values he taught us on the field were not just for lacrosse, but everyday life. He was not just our coach but our mentor. He conducted study sessions occasionally to ensure everyone was passing their classes with more than the bare minimum 2.0 G.P.A. He always made sure to yell at us (nicely) and always pushed us to strive for the best. If I made ten shots in a row, he would push me on to make fifteen shots, perfectly placed too. He made it a point that we should always be on time because he said when he was late in the marines, he was put on probation. Basically he told us how to avoid making any mistake he had made. Not only was he the first one to practice and the last one to leave, but he also put in countless hours off the field thinking of plays, critiquing our game film, and hosting conditioning sessions. His example of tremendous work ethic inspires me to do the same. He motivated everyone on the team, even the kids who did not play. He would have one on one sessions after practice and would tell players what they needed to improve. Coach “B” as he was called helped the community also. He gave kids opportunities to play a sport and raised money for our school through our numerous victorious seasons. Some people will say that the players make the team, but I think it is the other way around. Our coach lifted us from having a losing record to a winning one. He has the most wins of any lacrosse coach at our high school and under him we have won the district and metro championship twice. He would always say how the team is a family and he has shown me that I must put in effort and work for the people and things I care about.

#Michael Sesay #submission

Joseph D. Hawes, Princeton High School

Throughout my high school career I have played several sports at different levels with different coaches. However the one coach that has influenced me for the longest has been Coach Carter. He has guided me through high school lacrosse, soccer and basketball. During my high school career I have played three varsity sports. I have enjoyed the rigor of sports, in addition to my academic workload. I am also active in community service and playing the alto saxophone with my high school band. As my school demands increased, I considered taking a break from lacrosse during my junior year. I needed to use the time to visit colleges and study for standardized tests. Well, that is what my parents had in mind. I loved lacrosse and I wanted continue my commitment to the team. Coach Carter pushed me like no other coach. He encouraged me athletically, but also to be my own best self. He encouraged me to take on challenges and push past obstacles. He would say “Be that guy that everyone remembers as the three sport varsity athlete with great grades”. He has been the only coach that has listened to what I have said and has really considered my perspective and my potential. His words have motivated me to be a better student-athlete and his actions and his personal story have encouraged me too. Coach Carter graduated from Princeton High School too. He grew up in my town and he has continued to give back to the community immensely. He founded a Club lacrosse team in Princeton called Team Turnpike. This program has helped young lacrosse players learning the meaning of hard work and gain exposure to college coaches. We played in the summer but became a real team that held friendships throughout the year During this time of bonding, I felt the meaning of Coach Carter’s mantra “WE NOT ME”. This phrase has followed me everywhere I go. It is shown in everything I do. It is one of the main reasons that I have participated in so many community service organizations (e.g., Big Brother – Big Sister Program, Princeton First Aid And Rescue Squad, my church, Jack and Jill of America, and Princeton Special Sports). Coach Carter has taught me not only to fight for what I want but also to stand up for others. These are true characteristics of a leader that were given to me by one of my favorite leaders. My leader, my coach, Coach Carter. Respectfully submitted by,

Joseph Hawes

#Joseph D. Hawes #submission

"Winning is an Attitude"

“Winning is an attitude.”

Before every game, these were the same words that we would hear throughout the season, especially after we lost two close games in a row halfway through the season. “Every single one of you has to have that edge where you want to win and are confident that you will win, even when we are down a few goals,” my coach would say in the locker room, on the field before the game, and at halftime.

“Winning is an attitude; that’s why it’s painted in the locker room, and that’s also why we didn’t win yesterday or today. You guys didn’t have that attitude when you stepped onto that field to play. You were up by one or two goals the entire time, but then the other team came back and won by two goals. The reason is that you guys didn’t have that attitude – that edge – to win.” Coach Dawn gave us this speech after we lost close games that we should have won, but we didn’t have that edge or that attitude, and that’s why we lost.

Being coached by Dawn this past year, not only did I learn how to play better lacrosse, but I also discovered that games can be determined on attitude and are already decided before either team steps onto the field. Her “winning is an attitude” and “have that edge” speeches have brought my team a long way from those two games. We have grown in skill and confidence. She encourages us to play hard, be confident, and believe in ourselves, even when we are not winning.

All in all, this past year with Dawn has improved my game, my confidence, and my ability to keep the winning attitude alive. “When you have that attitude and that edge, you are unlimited to what you can do and how far you can go as a team.”

#Shannon Bushinsky #submission

Justin Reno Da Vinci Charter Academy

Coaches are your friends and your enemies. They have you complete drills continuously, run constantly, and drill your brain with enough knowledge that you think you might explode, or blow chunks… Even with all the things they force you to do, you will learn so much in the short time with your coach. The coach who has had the greatest impact on my life is Don Aiello, the godfather of lacrosse, as we call him in my town because of his dedication and commitment to lacrosse in my town. Don started the lacrosse program when almost nobody even knew what the sport was. In that first year there was 18 kids, now the program has more than 250. If Don wasn’t to start this lacrosse program in my town I’m pretty sure I would picking my nose in the outfield of a baseball diamond. I first met Don in the 4th grade when I started playing lacrosse. He taught my teammates and I to play as a team by setting up a rule that every player must complete 3 passes before a shot no matter what. Even if there was an open shot, the 3-pass rule was still in effect. If one was to break the rule they would be temporarily pulled off the field to do a couple push ups as punishment. At first I thought this rule was stupid and pointless but I have found it to be a very fantastic idea. This taught me to always play as a team unselfishly. This has continually carried over throughout my high school lacrosse career as well as my academics. Throughout the high school season I knew what it was to be a team player and continually try to get my teammates as much playing time as I could. With my academics I learned to share the load of work in a project and make sure that everyone is doing their part to benefit the group. Without the teachings of Don I don’t think I would be the player that I am today or the man I hope to become in the future. He is an example of true and heartfelt dedication to growing the sport of lacrosse and shaping the lives of the youth.

#justin reno #submission

Sports Are Bigger Than Just Your Team, Kian Reno, Davis Senior High School

My name is Kian Reno and I just completed my freshman year at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My coach, John Galvin has changed my life and others in more ways than just in lacrosse.

The first meeting we had as a team included a video of the 2014 UT commencement speech. In it, the speaker talked about how it is very important to make your bed every morning. It allows you to accomplish the first task of each day and increase your chances of completing more tasks every day. Coach Galvin stressed this and continually asked us throughout the year if we had made our bed that morning. Even on our trips in hotels he would check whether we made our beds because it could help us throughout that day. Since then, I have felt like I have been more productive and have an easier time getting up every morning when I make my bed. Even though this task was not only about lacrosse, it has taught all my teammates and me to make goals and check them off always starting with making out bed. Whether we realize this or not, this skill and strategy will help us in the future and in life.

Not only has my coach motivated my team and me to succeed in life but he has done great things for our community as well. He always has our team volunteer and work at local events near Boulder. One example of this that touched me the most was when our team came out to the local YMCA to coach a large group of the youth in our area. We split up into age groups with about two kids to every one of us and just taught them fundamentals of the sport while having fun. The leaders of the YMCA did this both so that real lacrosse players could coach the kids but also so that they would have fun. If they had enough fun with this sport and see what they could become, they may be encouraged to stay active and more importantly stay in school. This shows how my coach is attempting to create a lacrosse community to connect those involved in the sport.

It was little things like this that makes me appreciate the sport of lacrosse and more importantly my coach. He has not only positively influenced the lives of his players but even the community members in Boulder. He pushes us more to be better people and knows that having the skills to succeed in life will help us to succeed in our sport.

#Kian Reno #submission

"Be like Justin Bieber"

“Katie, go sit on the end-line.”

It was the second club practice during the summer before my junior year, and I had just thrown away the ball while playing 7 v. 7 around the attacking end. I was new to the team and relatively intimidated, as many of the girls had been playing together for a couple years, not to mention realizing that my skills were not up to par with most of theirs. And now, my coach was about to tell me that directly.

“You know why you’re sitting here, making your teammates play a man down? Because in a game, you would’ve made them run down to the other end of the field,” my coach told me as she sat down next to me on the line. I was ready to get up to run sprints. What came next, though, was completely unexpected:

“You need to be like Justin Bieber—”

“What?” I thought she was crazy.

“—or whomever you kids think is awesome these days. You need to listen to yourself, not your teammates. You know when it is the right pass to make; don’t let your teammates tell you otherwise. You’re awesome; own it.”

These are the words that have stuck with me over the past two years, and always will. This coach, a college head coach, who had only seen me play for a practice and a half—practices during which I dropped more passes than the majority of my teammates, many of whom were DI prospects—believed in me, even before I believed in myself.

Being coached by Jaq that year, not only did I learn to believe in myself, I learned to truly love lacrosse.

During a tournament soon following that second practice, our team lost the first two games we had one day. Prior to the third game, our warm-up was cut short by our coaches. We all dropped our heads, expecting to be lectured about goofing off or something of that nature. Once again, we were surprised:

“Does anyone know a good song to sing?” Jaq asked. I thought she was crazy.

Two minutes later, the whole team was gathered singing “The Cup Song” from Pitch Perfect from the top of our lungs, making the beat on our thighs.

And low and behold, we won the next game, playing our best game yet.

Coach Jaq taught me how to have fun. Among all of the pressures of recruiting that the club atmosphere brings, Jaq allowed my teammates and I to have the time of our lives. I also improved more than I ever had, with Jaq right there to tell me so, while at the same time, never letting me settle.

I haven’t seen or been coached by Jaq in 18 months, yet last month, I had an hour phone call with her about everything from lax to my relationship with my twin sister. Because of Jaq, I have not only become a better athlete, but a better person.

#Katie McDonough #submission

Calvin McKenna From Bellarmine Preparatory High School

Value Every Shift Like it is Your Last

Brady Wein is a six year old boy who suffers from a form of cancer known as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. I guarantee that he fights harder than anyone that I know every day. This is exactly why Brady has coached me to be successful in life. He has taught me many things that have been motivating me for the past year since I met him.

One thing he has taught me is to value every shift like it is your last. To me, this means that you never know when your last lacrosse game will be, so play like it is your last. Brady was told that he wasn’t supposed to live after the age of two. He is now six and lives every day with a smile on his face. Treat every day like it is a celebration because you should be happy that you are alive.

Another thing that Brady taught me was family. Brady’s Bunch is a special type of family that all happens on the lacrosse field and in the hotel lobby. It is unbelievable how much energy Brady brings to the team. Brady teaches us to love our parents and for our parents to love us and value us more than they already do. He also taught us to love each other like family. On the lacrosse field, we are all we got so we might as well play like we love each other. The Bunch Nation consists of kids from 13 different states and that is what makes our family so special.

The last thing that Brady has taught me is to be strong. In the life of a lacrosse player, this could mean many things. On the lacrosse field this means to believe in each other even when times are tough. Brady reminds us that we need to fight harder even when the odds are not in our favor. Off the lacrosse field, he teaches us about recruiting. There is a school for everybody, even if it is not a D1 college. If you play well enough in another division, there might be an opportunity to move up.

In conclusion, Brady is a great coach that has motivated me through my past two seasons of lacrosse. He is the reason I wear the number 12 on my high school jersey and wear the colors blue and red whenever I get the chance. Brady has been more than just a coach; he is a mentor, a motivational speaker, and an inspiration. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.

#Calvin McKenna #submission

Leadership and Motivation

“Get on the line”. Four small words are often the most dreaded part of practice for many athletes, especially lacrosse players. It is no secret that as lacrosse players, we run. And by run, that means going full speed for two to three miles a game and sprinting during every drill at practice. Although Girl’s lacrosse has only been a varsity level sport at my high school for three years, we have made more than strides; we have grown leaps and bounds. The secret to any team’s success is motivation and willpower. Motivation and willpower stem directly from leadership, and leadership starts with coaching.

Initially, most of our players had never held a Crosse before, let alone played a game. This season, we beat our biggest rivals and ended with our best record yet. From the beginning, our coach had high expectations for us. Ask any athlete at our school, and they will tell you our team runs more than any other sport, including track. Although we didn’t always like it, conditioning made us better athletes. As we ran in practice, we scored more goals in games. Our transitions got cleaner, and ground balls became flawless. We are approaching the end of our third year, and are graduating a large number of seniors, most of whom are planning on playing lacrosse in college. Our team never would have developed such a passion for the game without our coach pushing us to never be content with less than success.

As our program began, other athletes considered girl’s lacrosse a joke. As our team got better, we gained respect within the community of Tartan High School and other high school teams. Oftentimes, our opponents were foul mouthed and unpleasant to play. Despite that, our coach never let us stoop to their level. We played professionally and with integrity. Many of the referees noticed this and compliment us for upholding the spirit of the game. Within Tartan, we gained respect from our peers. Instead of sneering at us like before, they asked about our season and wished us luck. Fans come to our games, and younger girls are joining the program. Encouragement from our coach provided us with the capability to establish the impressive reputation we have today.

My coach has been the single most important factor in helping me grow as a person. My first year, I was the youngest player, but was named captain. Fast approaching my fourth year of captainship, it is plain to see how drastically my leadership changed me. I am more confident than ever before, and my skill levels have soared. I began to rise to other challenges as well. I ran for National Honor Society president as well as Student Council secretary and won both elections. Had my coach not seen such potential in me, I would never have realized the things I was capable of and would not have the motivation to “do it all”. I’m grateful for her leadership and encouragement.

#Theresa Thomas #submission

Mentor for Life

Moving from Minnesota to Alabama was not going to be good for my love of lacrosse. I knew it when my parents told me we were going. Little did I know, that I would meet a coach that would impact my life so much when I moved.

After being in Alabama less than a month, I had to try out for a travel lacrosse team not knowing anyone. I am writing about a man I met that day at tryouts. Coach Brian Doud made an impact on my life that day and has every day since then.

Coach Doud really cares for his players both on the field and off. He is a great lacrosse coach who pushes you to your limits. He wants you to succeed and pursue your dreams and goals. He found out shortly after that tryout that I love this sport and he is helping me to pursue my dream of playing college lacrosse.

When it comes to being in a game or tournament, Coach Doud is all about keeping us loose and wants us to have fun. He gives each of his players a nickname. I immediately became “10,000” since I moved here from the land of 10,000 lakes. Even when Coach is pushing us, we know he loves us with these crazy names! In between games, he plays DJ to get us pumped. One of my favorite memories was singing “Sweet Caroline” at a tournament and Coach Doud was singing and laughing right along with the team.

Encouraging players off the field is a big part of my respect for my coach. He helps players find opportunities to volunteer whether it is at a lacrosse tournament cleaning up, or helping take money for parking, or encouraging us in philanthropic projects to help those less fortunate. This is the kind of stuff that makes us good players and great men.

Coach Doud has an amazing personal touch with his players. At the end of each season, I always receive a handwritten note from Coach letting me know how proud he is of how I played. He also wrote a note of encouragement to me that focused on the positive impact I can make on others with my lacrosse career and just by being a good, upstanding citizen.

Recently Coach split from our existing travel team to create his own program. He called me personally, along with other players, to invite me to join his team, but also stressed that he understood if I stayed with my original club. I was still one of “his guys” whether I chose to follow him or not. That is an example of the kind of person I hope to be someday.

Coach Doud has been a mentor since the first day I met him. He will continue to shape my life as long as I know and remember him.

#Tate Czeschin #submission

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