By Alyeska Yee-Jenkins, Freshman, James Madison University @JMULacrosse Imagine receiving a call that your teammate and best friend had been killed at the hands of a loved one. For former Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Virginia, Julie Myers, and her team, that was their reality. One of her players, Yeardley Love, was killed by her boyfriend after an argument. Thus, the One Love Foundation was born to teach the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships and help teammates understand how to support each other and prevent family or friends from life-threatening situations. One ..read more

As 2023 comes to an end, some of our member coaches and staff wanted to take an opportunity to reflect upon the lessons learned this past year and what they are most excited about in the year, 2024. Read on to see what they had to say, and please feel free to share any lessons you have learned this past year and what you are most thrilled about heading into the New Year by leaving a reply at the bottom of this post. “I’m looking forward to getting back on the lacrosse field! Taking a year off is hard when you absolutely love what you do!” – Rob Harris, Head Coach, Youngstown State University ..read more

By Jenny Pawlowski, Head Coach, Gannon University @gannon_wlax Photo collage courtesy of Jenny Pawlowski. It was a summer of sharing music with family and friends, disconnecting with time at the beach, and of course… LACROSSE! I attended several concerts this summer including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, P!nk, Jimmy Eat World/Manchester Orchestra, and the Jonas Brothers! It was incredible to be able to share so much love of music with people I love and so many others that love those artists too! We went on a beach vacation with the family at the end of June to Ocean City, NJ and spent so much qua ..read more

By Samantha Ekstrand, IWLCA Legal Counsel @sjekstrand5 Pictured: Sam Ekstrand and daughter Eliza at Half Moon Bay, California. When my kids were really little, I felt like we hardly ever left the house. Now, with five teenagers, I felt like my kids were hardly home. This was a summer of travel and adventures. A friend reminded me that, “memories don’t make themselves.” Summer seems to be the best time for us to make some really special memories. Sports have provided a way for our family to travel and see different parts of the country. The Ekstrand boys played and watched a lot of baseball ..read more

By Nora Fallon-Oben, Head Coach, Hartwick College @HartwickWLAX Pictured: Nora Fallon-Oben and daughter. Anyone who knows me knows that I love the outdoors. In the summer, I make it my mission to be outside as much as possible and I feel so lucky that I get to do this in my job, my home, and on vacation! The summer is also my time to enjoy the outdoors with my daughter, who will be two in November. Every afternoon, after nap time, we get to choose a different outdoor adventure. One of the reasons why I love living where I live in Upstate New York is because of the close proximity to both the ..read more

By Liz Beville, Head Coach, Le Moyne College @LeMoyneWLax In the world of coaching, the passion for guiding and inspiring others often becomes a lifelong pursuit. As fate would have it, my journey as a coach has intertwined beautifully with my father’s, as we both embraced the calling to guide and mentor athletes. While my dad recently decided to retire from collegiate coaching, I feel fortunate to have had the incredible experience of sharing a profession with my father. As a young adult, I looked up to my dad, not just as a parent, but as a mentor in my sporting pursuits. His passion for the ..read more

By Kayla Ifásanmí Àdìgún Manani Rose, Howard University ’24, @hubisonlax I am Kayla Ifásanmí Àdìgún Manani Rose, a rising senior Psychology major and Biology minor, hailing from Uniondale in Long Island, New York. When I was in the seventh grade, I picked up an STX stick (the kind that came with the goggles and matching bag) for the first time, and I haven’t looked back since! I like to think that this article is not only an ode to lacrosse; the game we all adore, but also a thank you to my past self for never giving up on what I knew I could achieve. Photo courtesy of Kayla Rose. In May of 20 ..read more

By Emma Rafferty, Pace University, Graduate Student @PaceWLax The 2023 season for Pace Women’s Lacrosse will call for fresh ink in the history books and to correctly write this story, we must go back to the beginning. We had a special group of leaders and upperclassmen who were ready to break down the barriers that we continued to face each year. These included falling short in our conference playoffs and ultimately missing the NCAA tournament repeatedly. A change needed to happen but determining where to start proved to be slightly overwhelming. Changing a team culture can be an intimidating ..read more

By Anne Moelk, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, DePauw University @DePauwWLax “Why are you going to Maryland in January?” This was the question I received almost every time I described my plans for the new year during the winter holidays. “No Colombia,” I’d say, “the country in South America.” And they would nod, and for some reason that made more sense to most people. I would continue by describing our team trip, planned before all of the COVID shutdowns, to join Lacrosse the Nations in their pursuit of using lacrosse to teach life lessons, improve lives, and just have fun! Photo by Ann ..read more

[Editor’s Note: From time to time, we will feature a short Q&A with an IWLCA member coach. The format will be three random questions relating to lacrosse, future aspirations, and leaving a legacy, with a little added bonus in the end!] Q&A with Tatiana Samuel, Assistant Coach, Kenyon College @kenyonwlax 1.  As a former collegiate lacrosse player and now a young coach, which is worse, failing or never trying? I can say with ease, never trying is the worst thing; hands down, no debate. How could you possibly become someone who is capable of anything if you never try? It is failure t ..read more