Lacrosse programs revamp with new players and coaches
BOYS VARSITY COACH RICARDO Williams coaching seniors Nate Meyer and Max Peters and freshman Oliver Eisenberg in the 14-7 defeat to Wooster.
May 27, 2022
Returning to the field after being disrupted by the pandemic, both the boys and girls varsity lacrosse teams are back full of energy, looking forward to a strong season.
“Of course the goal is to win, but aside from that, cultivating team spirit and cooperation and just simply seeing personal growth from each of our players matter more to me as their coach.” Rico Williams, the new head coach for the boys varsity lacrosse team, commented on his goal for this season. Williams has coached Masters lacrosse as an assistant coach for five years and has his full-time job running the lacrosse program at the nearby House of Sports. He enjoys working with the Masters team and witnessing the personal development in each player.
Baird Hruska 23’, a member of the boys lacrosse varsity team commented on what his head coach brings to the team. Hruska said, “Rico is an amazing guy. He has been coaching the team for almost three years so he knows everybody on the team and everyone does trust him because he teaches lacrosse at a college level, so we all know how smart he is.”
The girls varsity lacrosse team also welcomes their new head coach, Alexis Di Domenico, whose joining sparks confidence in the team. Before coming to Masters, Di Domenico coached at the Trinity School in New York City for almost eight years. She also coached teams at different levels, including college varsity teams, international teams, and clubs outside of Masters. “I think what’s special about the Masters teams is that there isn’t a lot of collective lacrosse experience here. So the really exciting thing for me personally is teaching them the game and seeing how quickly they are growing and developing,” Di Domenico said.
Most of the senior players on the girls team graduated last year, so the squad faced new challenges in integrating new players into the team. Megan MacWilliams, who has been coaching the girls lacrosse team for more than four years, looks forward to working with the new members. “We have only four returning players, so a big piece for this year is to cultivate a sense of unity,” MacWilliams said. The boys lacrosse team, with fewer senior players last year, did not experience the same amount of turnover inside the team, however. Williams said, “We are all working together and trying really hard as a team and we are definitely heading in the right direction.”
The coaches also set substantial goals for this season. “It’s really about team learning and understanding the game and just getting better each day and developing a passion for the game and wanting to be here together,” MacWilliams said. Although the season just started, the girls lacrosse team already took two wins, both being home games: a 7-1 rout over Hopkins School and an 8-3 victory against Spence School. The team is scheduled for 8 upcoming games and the next home game will be on May 4 against Marymount. The boys varsity team, also starting off the season with full energy, has their next home game on May 13 against Harvey School.
Although the pandemic temporarily disrupted the lacrosse training, the team is able to regroup and keep high energy during each training. For a sport in which collaboration among teammates is key, the lacrosse team is on the right direction to a successful season.
Williams said, “The Masters team is so unique because the kids are so educated and working with so many highly intellectual kids makes coaching easier because they understand what I’m saying and most important of all, they trust me.”
