‘A Better, SAFER By Emily Gibson and Paul Krome


US Lacrosse Coaching Education Program gives coaches what they need to teach the sport, provides comfort level for parents


Six years ago, Sean Duritsa, a father of two, sat in a meeting with his daughter, Gabrielle, and 17 other fi rst-year lacrosse players and their parents when the director of the Ashburn (Va.) Youth Lacrosse Club announced they would have the opportunity to play. Just one catch: They needed a parent to volunteer as coach.


“I took my daughter to the local lacrosse team tryouts


that fi rst year,” said Duritsa, a purchasing manager for Iron Workers International. “I didn’t realize I’d be coaching her team by the time I came home later that day.” Duritsa grew up around basketball, football and track. These days he indulges in Ironman competitions. He had never touched a lacrosse stick, let alone played the sport, but now was responsible for providing a positive experience for 18 eager girls.


“I tried the ‘Coaching Lacrosse for Dummies’ book, searching the Internet for answers, and none of it was working,” Duritsa said. “So I turned to US Lacrosse. I’m the kind of person who likes to do everything right.” During the sport’s unparalleled growth in participation since the 1998 inception of US Lacrosse, such tales of unsuspecting parents thrust into coaching duties have occurred countless times. That fueled the 2005 debut of the US Lacrosse Coaching Education Program (CEP), the fi rst national, sport- specifi c curriculum for teaching adults how to teach youth how to play lacrosse. Eight years later, more than 20,000 people have completed at least one online course or instructional clinic through the CEP.


22 LACROSSE MAGAZINE February 2013 >>


“We knew investing in the development of coaches would go a long way toward sustaining the responsible growth of lacrosse,” said Erin Smith, director of education and training at US Lacrosse, who worked with many of the game’s top coaches to develop and implement the CEP. “To have a kid get involved in the game and then leave because of a bad experience with a coach was a scenario we wanted to eliminate. Making sure players have a high-quality lacrosse experience remains a main focus of ours at US Lacrosse, and educating coaches is a huge component of that.” Duritsa completed the CEP Level 1 online course and went to a Level 1 instructional clinic in Leesburg, Va. He recalled the lunch break where he met an older female participant that shared tips about goalkeeping. She played at Maryland. Since then, Duritsa has obtained certifi cation as a coach from US Lacrosse through Level 2 of the CEP. Certifi cation includes completion of CEP courses, Positive Coaching Alliance’s Double-Goal Coach workshop and a background check through the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI). “You can always learn something new, not only from the


different instructors US Lacrosse provides, but also the different people you meet at these clinics,” said Duritsa, now the girls’ lacrosse coach at Broad Run (Va.) High. “It is fascinating to hear the different tactics people use to teach different parts of the game. Nothing is too small.” Duritsa’s investment in US Lacrosse resources became apparent to his players and their parents. “Because of the training he went through, I could defi nitely tell a difference


A Publication of US Lacrosse Environment’


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