Editor's Note: Lacrosse is unique among sports in that players and coaches grow into family...a lacrosse community. No other sport enjoys the bounty of better players and coaches helping others learn to play like "The Creator's Game".

Most MBA students don't come out of their study groups even for Mother's Day. Christian Cook balances his MBA studies with a regular weekend schedule of traveling, often cross country, to teach lacrosse

Christian is right about one thing and perhaps this speaks to the boom in lacrosse. The quality of lacrosse athletes is there across the USA. Its getting coaching tothese players that is the rub.

I know the high school coaches in NC are always eager to see Cook's defensive schemes on paper.

They see something I don't. Unfortunately for me I just don't get it on paper...but I know it when I see it on the field.

I am fortunate to be returning from another wonderful clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. I first traveled to this area this past fall to coach at an outstanding clinic run by Rich McAbee. I came back to help a high school team (Chaparral) install a new defense. I have to admit that traveling around the country to coach clinics gives me a wonderful sense of how the game is spreading and its potential. Young players are striving to be great players and great students in order to prepare themselves to be successful at the next step. What is wonderful about lacrosse is that kids strive to attend schools like Princeton (I am clearly biased) and Harvard and Cornell TO PLAY LACROSSE. They aren’t being offered sums of money and they aren’t going to be treated like royalty – but they are going to play lacrosse at the highest level and learn from some of the best professors in the world.

This desire to work hard and become well-rounded individuals is not only apparent in areas off the beaten path. In fact, there are some programs with a great deal of potential all over the country. I recently spoke at a dinner for the T.C. Williams program (yes, we all remember the movie “Remember the Titans”) – that gained varsity status just last year for its fledgling lacrosse program. The school has very little money, the players have very little experience, the program is just beginning – BUT – rarely have I seen a group of more dedicated players, parents, and coaches. This program will be one to watch in the near future – the athletes available to this program are OUTSTANDING.

This commentary is a good opportunity for me to follow up on a topic that is important to me – coaching. While it is clear from my travels that players in areas like Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California can compete athletically with anybody in the country – they are still lacking the complexity of the game. Fortunately there are some coaches who truly inspire these kids and can give them the coaching they need to take the next step - Chaparral is lucky enough to have several coaches who have experience playing lacrosse at a very high level and are dedicated to the sports and its expansion (sometimes I don’t think the kids know how lucky they truly are).

The sport needs good coaches, not good players who then coach, but good coaches. I don’t know what creates a good coach, that is a subject that could spark a great debate, but I do know one when I see them. I feel like the following quote is true, not only for leadership, but for coaching.
“Great leaders are not made, they are born.”
True or False? I don’t know.

But I do know that I have played for two great coaches - I was blessed. We need more great coaches for the kids. We need coaches like Jon Barocas, Bill Tierney, Mark Flood, Chris Deutsch, Chris Roberts, Mike Allan and others.