It is with much pleasure that I have the opportunity to write my coaching philosophy as it has been the foundation that I have built my life around. The role of athletics in the education of student/athletes today has become more complex over the recent years. With the development of the select teams, town clubs and even well organized recreation programs the pressure of colleges to compete with regard to facilities and overall program amenities has raised the bar as to what collegiate lacrosse programs will have to have to attract student/athletes to have a similar or better experience. With that being said it is my belief that recruiting process starts with what the institution is offering from an academic as well as an athletic experience and you must work within those guidelines to build your program.

Lacrosse is a unique sport, “The Fastest Game on Two Feet” and it is where coaches have a major influence on the individual player manipulation during games than most other sports. With that being said I think one of my strongest assets is my ability to prepare a team for the season through hard work and instilling confidence in your team. Most importantly all players have to be treated equally and my philosophy is that you must provide the player with goal oriented tasks throughout training which will carry over into the games that they will play as well as into their every day lives. These individual goals will mesh with the team goals established that will enable the team to be successful. Developing a strong work ethic is paramount in achieving individual and team goals. My former players have described me as a “player’s coach” with strong communication skills. My personality is contagious, I am confident; I am courtesy and most important of all I am a very very passionate man. Since I am a teacher my philosophy is to develop players with an emphasis on fundamentals of playing the game with good stick protection with overall awareness of how we will play the game. For example: In lacrosse there is an enormous amount of substituting on and off the field either during a horn situation or on the “fly” during the transition of play. It is paramount that all team members are aware of the how “the speed of play” is critical in the success of your team. Recognizing this and preparing your team with this philosophy will ensure immediate success on the field. I am on “old school” coach with back to basics as a key fundamental in the development of sound lacrosse players. Coaching is like education, if you prepare properly and practice what you prepare for you will have success in your classroom or on the field.

With that being said a good educator must be able to multi task with the students’ of today. My philosophy as an educator is three fold. Educate – Learn – Achieve. EDUCATE -- As an educator it is my responsibility to provide the players that I am privileged to work with the very best education with the lacrosse as a forum on and off the field. As a head coach I have established a tradition with all of my teams that on the Friday night prior to a Saturday contest that the team was invited to my house for dessert after their dinner. This provided a two-fold opportunity for the team. It provided them a positive social environment to see my family and to interact with teammates off the field. Secondly it provided me an opportunity for me to start the process of preparing for our opponent the next day. LEARN -- Learning is the ability to gain knowledge through an experience or situation and to affix this information in the mind or memory. As a coach I am creating memories of what will be their best athletic experience of their lives. Since our experiences have developed the foundation on how we believe, I am very much a product of influences from the coaches I have played for; Jim Pelcher, Baldwinsville High School basketball coach, Jack Emmer, former head coach at Cortland State University and to coaches I have worked with; Mickey Cochrane, former head coach at Bowling Green State University and Dr. Greg Myers, former head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy to name a few. ACHIEVE -- It is my goal as a head coach that we as a program are preparing to accomplish a stated feat. I have always believed that your program is not just about winning and losing but about how you are perceived as a person or program as a whole. For example: If you demonstrate the ability to work hard, play hard and provide your players with the best opportunity to win, I believe in concept you are an achiever. I believe if you exert the energy and exhibit the passion for success, you are achieving. Don’t get me wrong winning a league championship and striving to go to the NCAA tournament are in the forefront of what your program is striving to accomplish. But achieving individual goals, along with your team goals are also vital in the success of one’s program.

My philosophy is a philosophy of life. Lacrosse is a game if you prepare properly, work hard, play hard and provide your players the passion to believe in themselves this in turn will elevate the play of your teammates which provides them the opportunity to be successful.