Rod K.

My college coaching resume includes Assistant Head Coach positions at both the University of Denver, and the US Air Force Academy. Additionally, I have been the Head Coach at Arizona State University and at the Claremont Colleges (CA). My high school head coaching positions have been at Air Academy High School (CO), and as Co-Head Coach of the Wooster Lacrosse Club (OH). Predominantly, I work with middle school and high school athletes.

I matured my fundamental coaching techniques when I founded the Air Academy HS program: Thirty-two athletes with no lacrosse experience. We finished the first season with a 7-6 record, defeating many Colorado teams with far greater experience.

I improved my teaching of fundamentals, when I co-founded the Wooster Lacrosse Club (OH). Again, with no lacrosse experience on the team, we lost our second game of the season 11-0, to an established prep school program with a 9-years history of organized play. Later in that season, we met the same team in the Ohio State Lacrosse Championships (Division II) finals, and beat them 11-10 in OT. They are still trying to figure out what happed.

It takes strong fundamentals, dynamic leadership, and a stalwart organization to build a great team.

As a midfielder, I was 1st Team All-State (NJ), 3-years 1st Team All-Midwest, and a two-time, 2nd Team All-America at Denison University (now in Division III). I was privileged to have played against Virginia, Duke, Syracuse, Cornell, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USNA, USMA & USAFA. I enjoyed my club lacrosse experiences—West of the Mississippi (Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Antonio)—where I was either attending graduate school, or stationed as an Air Force Officer. I officiated far more club games than those that I played in. At that time, I was one of only four officials in the Western half of the country, with United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) certification.

My coaching style is both integrative and interactive. I require as much information and feedback from my athletes—as they require of me. I employ positive reinforcement, active listening, and collaborative learning. My doctorate in Communication Psychology, MA in Education, and the camera on my i-phone, are all part of my coaching tradecraft. For younger athletes trying to master lacrosse fundamentals, I strongly encourage parents to also learn the basics of passing and catching with their child. As Director, Phil Alden Robinson suggested, in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams—there’s nothing quite like having a catch with your parent(s).

I try to coach the entire player—from building self-confidence, to learning adaptive lacrosse skills and techniques (both right-handed and left-handed), to developing a dynamic lacrosse I.Q.—and applying these accomplishments to other dimensions of their lives. My objective is to help create the best version of your child that is possible, by employing the life-lessons that can be leaned by succeeding in competitive lacrosse.

For your specific questions or needs, simply click "Message Coach."

A typical coaching scenario for me (depending upon the athlete’s level of ability) would involve:
1. Analysis: A strategic, multi-layered assessment (SMA) of the problem set(s) at hand.
2. Preparation: Stretching & warming up (if applicable).
3. Performance: Biomechanical assessment of the athletic problem set(s) (if applicable).
4. Encoding: Drills and training to improve upon the athletics problem set(s).
5. Application: Coaching through the athletic problem set(s) in game situations.
6. Utilization: Offensive & Defensive issues involving the problems set(s) (Lax IQ).
7. Summation: Player related issues and feedback.

There is the game on the field and the game in your head. Elite athletes dominate on both levels.