Lacrosse is more than just a sport to me and will forever be a major part of my life. I didn’t keep playing for 12 years just because I felt like it. It has allowed me to make the best of friends, experience and persevere through success and failure and taught me more about myself than I thought I already knew. Even though I said my goodbyes to the game of lacrosse as a player, that does not mean I still don’t love the sport. However, when I was as a player, I became very unhappy, and that made me forget about why I love lacrosse so much. I have so much passion toward lacrosse, and I could never kick it out of my life forever. So, when presented an opportunity to coach, I almost always accept immediately because on top of staying involved, it allows me to be a part of something bigger than myself. Being a coach not only reminds me why I continued to play for so many years, but also allows me to continue to put my heart into something I love and the ability to share the wealth of knowledge I have accumulated over the years. Not only do I enjoy coaching for my own pleasure, but also to be able to grow the sport in my hometown, as well as the love, passion and competitiveness of the game within the young girls.
This summer, I have had the opportunity to coach a fifth and sixth grade team for the second summer in a row as well as a travel team of rising freshman for the first time, and I have never been happier. Spending so much time in practice continuously building on the foundations such as passing and catching, shooting, 50/50 balls and settled offense and defense pays off when you see that light bulb moment in a player when they finally grasp a concept. It is a truly amazing and rewarding moment as a coach. However, it’s not always fun and games. Being firm and hard on the girls is never fun, but it is part of the job in order to keep order, focus and discipline. Being on the other side has made me reflect on why coaches acted the way they did when I played. I have had fantastic coaches and some not so amazing coaches in my day, and having had different experiences with different coaching styles and philosophies, I know what qualities I need to exude and or portray when I coach. The challenge of finding this balance is something I love and strive for in order to push me out of my comfort to grow as a person.
When I stopped playing collegiate lacrosse, life opened up so many new doors. Now that I am no longer consumed every day with workouts, practices, meetings and travel, I have so much time to focus on myself and be able to take on new challenges and experiences I have always wanted to but may have never had the chance to. This summer has been a summer dedicated to myself, which, in return, I spent giving back to old programs I was involved in as a young lacrosse player. I have made new friends, new discoveries and new dreams all from the opportunities being involved in the lacrosse world has brought to me. I hope to continue to inspire the girls I coach to follow their dreams, help them discover their talents and passions and be a leader and role model for young girls. By doing so, I have never been happier because I’m able to put my time and energy into something I love. While it’s not an easy job, it is more than worth it because I’ll never stop loving the game.
