The importance of a coach cannot be measured.  A coach can be a friend, a mentor and a teacher, but the most important job of a coach is to lead a team to victory, while having fun on the way. 

            This spring season, Pikesville High School’s lacrosse team will have a new coach for the first time in many years.  A new coach means a changing of the guard, and will hopefully lead to continued success of Pikesville High’s lacrosse program.  Coach Jack Rose comes to Pikesville after four years as an assistant coach at Baltimore Poly-technical Institute, and five years as an assistant coach for CCBC Baltimore.

             “With a new coach, there’s a lot of opportunity. You know for the last 8 years we’ve made it to the regional championships.  To go back would prove we still have it, and that we have a bright future,” Matt Kirshner (‘14) said.

            Coach Rose comes into PHS with a very positive attitude.  The goal of the season is to win a championship, but the coach recognizes the important role of sports in life.  Athletes learn lessons about teamwork cooperation, along with the value of competition and diligence.

            “I believe sports build self-esteem, integrity, and strong bonds with the community.  Pikesville has always had a proud lacrosse tradition and I jumped at the opportunity to become a part of it, “ Coach Rose said. 

            The outlook for the 2012 lacrosse season is very positive.  With the addition of Coach Rose players are pumped for the season and ready to compete and win a championship.  They all respect their new coach and feel excited to play for him; prepared and disciplined, they are prepared to have a great season, and Coach Rose will most certainly fill the role of the coach as a friend, mentor, and leader for the season.  He recognizes the value of sports to a high school student, and the importance of teambuilding, and he has a clear vision to build the lacrosse program and win a championship.

`           “I feel like coach recognizes the talent in the defensive end of the field and the strength in the cages [goal].  We’ve become a more serious, defensive-minded team,” Jesse Fidel (‘14) said. “They say defense wins championships, we want to win regional [championships], bring home some hardware.”