June 29th, 2021 | Josh Adelman

This past week, Soldiers to Sidelines completed its second Virtual Lacrosse Coaching Certification Seminar of 2021. (Read about the first here) The seminar was free for service members and veterans of every branch of military service.  We had coaches of all experience levels joining in on the seminar and everyone had a great time and learned something new.  

Mike Morrison, US Army veteran had this to say about his experience: “Great knowledge for all levels! Love the program as an Army veteran & how our leadership transitions to the sidelines! Love the brotherhood!”

The Lacrosse Coaching Certification Seminar required a large commitment of time and effort.  We met each weekday from June 21st to 25th for two hours each evening. We gathered for an additional three hours on Saturday, June 26th, and had additional online coursework.  Only the most dedicated and curious completed certification.  Less than 50% of those that registered ended up completing certification. But there are other opportunities to earn certification from STS in 2021 and beyond.

The new Soldier Coaches got exposed to a variety of lacrosse and general coaching content. Of particular interest were an introduction to Pro Quick Draw and how it can help coaches prepare their game plans in far less time than normal. There were also great sessions of instruction with Man up Offense, Faceoff, and Man Down Defense. Presenting coaches were: Brad Ross, Assistant Coach Offensive Coordinator of the US Naval Academy, Will Corrigan, Assistant Coach of Harvard University, and Ryan Wellner, Assistant Coach Defensive Coordinator of Notre Dame University.

This class of Soldier Coaches had the opportunity to spend time with our keynote guest Bill Tierney, Head Coach of the University of Denver’s Lacrosse team.  Coach Tierney has amassed a resume that includes seven NCAA Championships, nine NCAA Final appearances, 15 Championship Weekend appearances, 23 quarterfinal appearances, 14 Ivy League Championships, two ECAC Championships, two BIG EAST Championships, three ECAC Regular Season titles, and seven BIG EAST Regular Season titles. He compiled a career record of 238-86 at Princeton and has a career collegiate record of 420-141 for an impressive .750 winning percentage.   Coach Tierney has also been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. 

Bob McCarthy, USMC veteran summed up his experiences in the seminar with this: This is a phenomenal program that I recommend to all active duty service members and veterans. There is no better way to give back to our communities than being positive leadership figures for our future generations on the fields of friendly strife.