The IWLCA launched Behind the Whistle in 2016 to provide its members with a platform to share their thoughts, experiences, perspective and opinions on issues relevant to our sport. We also hoped the blog would serve as a resource to articulate best practices and to position IWLCA members as experts in their field. After five… Read More Best of Behind the Whistle
By Rachel Smith, Head Coach, Ursinus College @Ursinus_Wlax As of June 2021 (finally – COVID forced a reschedule), I will be marrying my best friend, who also happens to be a girls basketball coach at a private school in Maryland. When we first met, we were both coaching as graduate assistants, grinding our way through… Read More Marrying a Coach
By Kathleen Mirgon, Graduate Assistant Coach, Bloomsburg University @husky_lacrosse I made a promise to myself during my junior year of college, and that promise was no matter where it may take me, to coach at the collegiate level. I have been blessed to have such a wide variety of coaches along my path; each presenting… Read More Establishing a Positive Relationship With Your Athletes
By Anne Moelk, Head Coach, DePauw University @DePauwWLax It was my tenth time attending the women’s lacrosse coaches’ convention in 2019. It was also my first in over 10 years. My journey coaching this wonderful sport has brought me full circle and I am excited to share a few thoughts about what happened along the… Read More Thanks Mom
By Kim Williams, Head Coach, Wesleyan University @wes_wlax On December 17, 2019, I picked up my phone and heard two words that have redefined my life: breast cancer. I remember thinking, “How could it be? I am a young, healthy, active, and strong woman. I am a college lacrosse coach. I am a new mother. How… Read More A New Game Plan: My Breast Cancer Story
By Hilary Duda, Head Coach, Franklin Pierce University @FPUWomensLax People ask me all the time… “you’re 27?” Yes, I know, I look younger than I am, and yes, I know I am a young head coach at the collegiate level, but that doesn’t mean I am not ready to take on this job. What many… Read More Experience Isn’t Always Measured in Years
By Kathi Ricci, Assistant Coach, Mercer University @MercerWLAX Graduating from college and ending one’s lacrosse career is always a bittersweet moment but having the opportunity to give back to the sport you love and grew up playing is a chance to make a difference. College coaches, in all sports, have been granted the ability to… Read More Find Your Mentor
By Kim Russell, Head Coach, Oberlin College @yeo_wlax There are certain times in our lives, for some of us the majority of the time, when… we are always in a hurry. We are rushing from one place to the next… multitasking every moment… wanting to be the best at everything we do… and failing at… Read More The Pursuit, Striving, Impossibility, and Ultimate GOAL of Being “THE BEST”
Becky Carlson, Head Coach, Quinnipiac University Rugby, @TFCoachCarlson [Editor’s Note: This entry was originally published by the author on LinkedIn on June 27, 2017. It is republished here with the author’s permission.] Dear Sports Parents, It’s me, your coach. I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that I appreciate and… Read More The Open Letter to the Sports Parent Who’s Doing it Right
By Kerri Whitaker, Assistant Coach, University of Pennsylvania @PennWomensLax If you’re anything like me, you’ve bristled many times over the years as someone has said to you, “It’s just a game.” With oblivious good intentions: “It’s just a game.” With sympathy after a tough loss: “It’s just a game.” With bewilderment, over why you care… Read More It’s Just a Game… It’s Just a Game?
