Kevin Walker cannot remember a time where he was not surrounded by lacrosse. From playing competitively in Maryland to coaching in England, he has spent his life navigating every dimension that the sport has to offer. Now, Walker is making his mark at Masters as the new head coach of varsity boys lacrosse.
“In Baltimore, you have a stick in your hand from the womb. My dad played, and I always idolized him and wanted to play as well,” Walker said.
As he developed a passion for lacrosse, he began to play competitively. Walker was recruited to play Division 1 lacrosse at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) for the 2015-2019 seasons. Walker was a member of the team when UNC won the 2016 NCAA Lacrosse Championship.
After he graduated, he attended Durham University in the United Kingdom. This created the opportunity for Walker to discover his passion for coaching.
“England was the first time I did real coaching. There were a lot of kids who were picking up a lacrosse stick for the first time because the sport’s not very popular there. So that trained me for Masters, because there are a lot of kids here that are picking up a stick for the first time as well.”
While coaching players in England was something new to Walker, he expresses that he has found a unique spark in the players at Masters that he has not seen elsewhere. Walker said, “It’s actually really exciting at Masters to meet kids who are excited about lacrosse. They want to do sprints, and they want to practice on Saturdays.”
He continued, “They actually have a passion — a true passion that just stems from their own internal experience and isn’t placed on them by parents, or coaches or college recruiters; It’s a really pure passion that’s been so fun to work with.”
Etienne Millet ‘27, one of the team’s captains, has been playing since his freshman year. “I think [Walker’s] really emphasized trying to be a more cohesive team, working together with everyone, trying to build that team spirit outside of just the field. Because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to motivate other people to do better,” Millet said.
This season marks Lorenzo Zapata’s first time on the team. Though he is new, he recognizes that Walker’s uplifting attitude inspires him to have a growth mindset on the field. “Coach Walker has taught me that if you’re in a game and you are discouraged, at least put your all into it.”
Zapata continued, “I think Coach Walker really supports the sense of community that we have here, which is one of our best qualities. And seeing my peers do great on the field motivates me to do great myself.”
