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Christian Cook: My Transition Into Coaching
January 23, 2003
Head Lacrosse Coach at The Potomac
School, McLean, Va. 3 time National Champion (Princeton),
2002 Warrior/MLL Defenseman of the Year rolls up his sleeves
I
have to admit that now that I am spending more time
coaching and less time playing – I have a
new found respect for both my high school and college
coaches.
My high school coach, Jon Barocas, turned a dismal
public high school program (with no funds, no field,
no locker-room) into a perennial powerhouse in the
Colorado high school lacrosse scene. He instilled
discipline in his players AND a championship feeling
in EVERY team he has coached. He has won 7 State
Titles and coached almost 20 high school All-Americans.
I remember how difficult it was as a freshman and
how glad and appreciative I was of his style when
I showed up at Princeton my freshman year. I had
already worked VERY hard in high school and was
as prepared as I could be for the rigors of Coach
Tierney’s style.
Coach Tierney and Jon Barocas have both turned programs
around – just at different levels. Tierney
also instilled discipline and a sense of team unity
to a horrendous program on the verge of extinction.
He took a program from 1-12 to 5 national championships
in 7 years (I was fortunate enough to enjoy 3 of
them).
Now that I am coaching at the high school level,
I have tried (actually, it is a constant process)
to coach the way I was coached and teach the lessons
I was taught. It is difficult. Those two coaches
have so much knowledge and experience – the
depth of which is astounding. Personally, I learned
a great deal, but am finding that it just scratches
the surface of what is possible.
While they were able to nimbly respond and react
to all situations possible with players, parents,
games, officials, etc. I still need time to think
about my reaction, how it will affect the team and
its chemistry and so many other factors. There is
no substitute for experience and these coaches not
only have the knowledge, but the experience to do
great things, make great teams and create great
players.
I am trying and hopefully succeeding in some areas,
but I know I will make mistakes. I am sure I will
yell too loud at times and not loud enough at others.
I know I will criticize when I should be praising
and vice versa. I am trying. I am trying to take
the lessons I learned and create a tangible example
in my high school team. I am striving for perfection.
I am striving for that unattainable goal that both
Bill Tierney and Jon Barocas made me believe was
possible. |
Editor's
Note: Christian Cook has been writing a column for
YLUSA
for over a year and serves on our Advisory Board.
When Christian told me he would be the Head Lacrosse
Coach at the Potomac School in McLean, Va. this
season I just could not resist asking him for his
thoughts on transitioning to high school coaching.
Currently he is also studying for his MBA at Georgetown
University.
Few players have had Cook's degree of success in
lacrosse, yet remained as relatively unheralded.
3x National Champion (Princeton), 2x All-American,
Princeton's Howard Trophy recipient in 1998, co-captain
in 1998 with, Jon Hess, Jesse Hubbard and Chris
Massey. The 1998 team holds the second longest winning
streak in lacrosse, 29 games. In the 2001 MLL season
he held Casey Powell scoreless in Casey's best MLL
season. In 2002, he was awarded the Warrior/MLL
Defenseman of the Year.
I have seen tapes of his 1998 national championship
season. He was awesome. I've seen him take a game
into his own hands against the Baltimore Bayhawks
in their MLL championship season and make 2 goals
coming from one end of the field to the other.Fuel
Magazine calls him the prototype defenseman of the
future. He is known for beating his opponent more
with footwork than checking.
Christian can be a determined fellow. But the idea
of Cook now trying his hand as a real coach, well,
I just had to read more about this.
Gerald Goulder |
The
Cook Files
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