Recruiting

I look for certain types of qualities in a recruit. I want student-athletes that want to be here rather than has to. You can’t teach hustle and you can’t teach desire. I look for hungry student-athletes that want to compete at a very high level on the field and off the field in the classroom. Washington College has done a great job with its reputation on the off the field and people know about the rich history of the school and the lacrosse program. Kibler field speaks for itself.  I like to recruit student-athletes that have a love for the game and the school, the desire to win, does not see extra reps as work and does not clock in and clock out. They are open to communicating and are well-spoken.

I am not recruiting the parents, I am recruiting their son. I usually have the talk in the fall to let the parents know if they have any questions about their son’s schoolwork or anything going on in their lives, we can talk about that for hours. When it comes to playing time, that discussion is between me and their son. If the parent wants to get involved, I will gladly send them the hours and hours of film of practices showing why their son is or isn’t playing. I am here to get their son to be better on the off the field.

My greatest reward is seeing how happy and proud our players have grown throughout the short time I have with them. To see them evolve into the man and being well equipped to handle any challenges life throws at them. I love seeing alumni who did not get much playing time on the field yet they still love the team and come back to support every year.

Coaching

I care about them physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Some people say I worry too much about the little things, Isn’t that why I am good at being a coach. I prepare for any situation. I tend to see it offensively and defensively, Good and bad, up and down, yes and no.

I am more empathic and caring but I am also brutally honest. I am not afraid to call guys out if they are not living up to the quality and standards of themselves / their program / Washington College. They are 18-23 years old kids and I understand that they want to make a name for themselves and social media has numbed them to think only for themselves and not others. I want to help guide the young student-athletes that we are a team and not a bunch of individuals. Individuals win games, but teams win championships.

Each one of my players will be taking a personality test to help me better understand/communicate/motivate them on and off the field. It also helps me understand when I see certain emotions in practice to keep an eye out for them or reach out to them after practice.  Like in the army, no one is left behind.

Staff

The coaching staff will be organized. We will talk constantly about recruiting, game plans, practice plans, depth charts, alumni relations, how to help our community, and social media presence.

Assistant coaches can have certain roles (offense, defense, faceoff, goalie, box subbing, recruiting, help with Alumni events) 

If any of the coaches have an issue with me or we disagree on any topics, we will have already discussed this behind closed doors away from the team. We don’t want to show the team that we disagree cause that can also show a lack of leadership and cause issues among the team.

I will hire coaches with the AD’s opinion in mind that I trust to get the job done to help these students athletes physically, mentally and emotionally.

Academic

An assistant and I will be keeping up to date with teachers on a platform of the schools choosing to monitor our players’ grades. I only see them for a certain amount of time on the field and some players tend to hide their emotions of frustration in the classroom on the field. Having open communication with the teachers and having the teachers let me know if a player missed classed, showed up late, struggling with test/papers, or misbehaved; will be sat down and talked to in a private setting. If I have to bring the parents along to get the message across, I will.

Lacrosse has a professional league and very few players are able to get drafted into it, I understand the importance of education here at Washington College and what it can do to help their career in life.

Rules and guidelines:

I have rules and guidelines for the players to respect and behave in the manner of what the College aspects of them. “critical thinking, effective communication, and moral courage – move the world.” - Washington College

If any players break the rules, They will be looked into and talked about with my coaches and the AD to get the guidance and wisdom of what the department and the college want to do proceeding further with the action.