This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization.
The IWLCA launched Behind the Whistle in 2016 to provide its members with a platform to share their thoughts, experiences, perspective and opinions on issues relevant to our sport. We also hoped the blog would serve as a resource to articulate best practices and to position IWLCA members as experts in their field.
After five years, and roughly 250 blog posts, we wanted to look back on some of the most impactful entries we’ve published. Whether you have followed Behind the Whistle from the beginning, or are a recent fan, we hope you’ll take a look at some of our (and your) favorite entries and appreciate the wisdom, experience, vulnerability, and even the wicked sense of humor our guest authors have shared with the lacrosse community over the years. Enjoy!
Homage to My Favorite Player
With over 20,000 unique page views on the Behind the Whistle site alone, this entry from UVA Wise head coach Meghan Dennehy ranks as the most popular entry we’ve ever published. Dennehy’s admission of “playing favorites” struck a chord with coaches, officials, parents and fans of the game.
First of all, my favorite player understands that playing collegiate athletics is one of the greatest privileges in this world. She knows that my coaching staff had the opportunity to recruit hundreds of young women from her class, yet we chose her. She is grateful for the opportunity to step on the field each and every day, and she is proud to wear the name of her college emblazoned on her chest. She respects those who came before her, and she understands that her ability to play is based on her physical abilities. She cherishes each day that her body allows her to run, catch, and throw, and recognizes that injuries have taken some of the best out of the game.
Read it here.
When Will the NCAA Act to Slow Down Early Recruiting?
When the IWLCA first proposed reforming the Division I recruiting rules, many in the lacrosse community were skeptical the NCAA would even consider the proposal, let alone pass it. However, Kim Simons Tortolani, a former Division I and USA U19 national team coach, expressed the feelings of numerous coaches, parents and observers when she expressed her frustration with the NCAA and their unwillingness to act. Her entry likely moved the needle of public opinion toward support for reforming the recruiting process and added to the public pressure that resulted in the NCAA adopting the lacrosse early recruiting proposal in 2017.
The lacrosse recruiting process is a broken system that fails kids and their families. If the NCAA was truly committed to “academics, well-being and fairness,” it would not only accept the proposed recruiting legislation set forth by the IWLCA, it would do so enthusiastically, publicly and quickly. Now is the time to act, before another cycle of the insanity starts all over again. It is my hope, and the hope of many involved with the sport, that the time has finally come for the NCAA to step up and restore some sanity to the sport we love.
Read it here.
5 Things I Learned in My First Year as a Coach That I Wish I Knew As A Player
As a graduate assistant coach at Catholic University, Grace Presnick quickly realized the reality of collegiate coaching was far more than Gatorade baths on the sidelines after a big win. Presnick’s five takeaways from her first year as a coach was one of our most shared entries, as numerous coaches amplified this message to their own teams.
Needless to say, I have come to realize that the world is a lot bigger than I originally thought it was. Student-athletes are lucky to have someone, like a coach, looking out for them during their college experience. College is a time full of change after high school and in this day and age, your future, as well as that of other people and the organization, can be affected by one player’s actions and decisions.
Read it here.
The Role of Parents
This entry by Karin Corbett, head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, contains some hard truths that many parents needed to (and still need to) hear. Ultimately, Coach Corbett’s no-nonsense reminder to today’s sports parents to stay in their lanes and allow their children to own their experience and support them as they do so, resonated with many facets of the lacrosse community and the larger world of collegiate athletics.
I have coached some kids who are fine with their playing time, but their parents are not. Too often, parents consider it a reflection of themselves if their child is a superstar or if they are not seeing any playing time. What is a reflection of you as a parent however, is how mature your child is, how hard your child works day in and day out, how responsible they are, how polite they are, how they make eye contact when speaking to you, and how good a teammate they are.
Read it here.
10 Things You NEED To Know Before Playing College Lacrosse
Kylie Ohlmiller wrote this entry shortly after she graduated from Stony Brook as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in Division I with 498 points. Her advice to high school players preparing to make the jump to the next level is on brand for a lacrosse personality who’s making her mark as an inspiration, a role model and a consummate professional.
You Are An Example — Remember that now that you are going to be a collegiate lacrosse player, there are lots of little girls out there – some you may know, some you may not – that are going to look up to you for everything you do. Be an awesome role model for those young girls on the field and off the field, because they are going to want to grow up to be like you one day, and that is an amazing gift you should always take pride in!
Read it here.
Beginning and Continuing Uncomfortable Conversations
In a year that saw racial injustice take center stage, Cincinnati head coach Gina Thomas wrote a powerful and heartfelt entry to help both her peers and the greater lacrosse community. Coach Thomas shared her experiences and feelings of being Black in a predominantly white sport. She gives advice toward how to have meaningful conversations to move the needle closer toward creating an anti-racist lacrosse community.
How do I begin this conversation with my team (school, families, or friends)? Now that I am a coach, it is hard to ignore the consistent racism in lacrosse. We have taken the approach of teaching and talking about it with our team via situations that have continued to happen in lacrosse and in the world… We have to stand in our truth and help the movement progress towards change.
Read it here.