“I got ball!” Madalyn Sima shouts, scooping the ball up into a cradle. She sprints and swerves down the field with excellently taught control, finding herself right at the crease. She spots her opening, winds up her stick, shoots and scores. Cheers erupt, the loudest ones coming from her head coach.

As this year’s lacrosse season approaches, girls on the team are preparing for their sport – with one major issue. McHenry High School has a girls’ lacrosse program that is currently lacking a head coach.

Lacrosse season this year starts up on Mar. 3 and goes all the way through May. The first game is Mar. 20.
“First and foremost, the head coach is the leader of the program,” Athletic Director, Chris Madson said. “You’re a coach 12 months a year, you’re checking in with the girls on the team, you’re doing team activities throughout the year, you’re seeing what other sports they’re in. When it’s your season, you’re definitely in that head coaching role.”

Being a head coach is a big job with many responsibilities. Teams require a responsible individual to successfully coach the team.

“Coaches handle everything from scheduling to picking who they’re gonna play,” says Colleen Kincaid, Second City’s head coach. “Most head coaching roles involve pre-season planning, confirming your game schedule, hiring your staff for all your levels, picking the teams, managing the varsity team and overseeing the JV and lower level teams. It’s a big job.”

Not just anybody can be a head coach; certain qualities are required for a coach to be successful. Coach Kincaid believes that a love for athletics is the biggest trait needed in a head coach. Staying true to who you are, loving what you do and maintaining a positive atmosphere are necessities in the coaching world.

“The best qualities are being a really passionate, excellent educator,” Madson said. “You have to have a motivating influence and be good at building strong relationships.”

Head coaching isn’t work with no reward. Both Kincaid and Madson believe there are many benefits to coaching that make the experience worth it.

“Truthfully, it keeps me young. I love being around girls who love to play the game; it is such a stress reliever for me. I love teaching girls’ lacrosse,” Kincaid said. “It’s very, very rewarding seeing young people’s hard work pay off. Working toward a goal and reaching it as a team is a really great feeling.”

“The most rewarding aspect of coaching that I see our coaches go through,” Madson said, “that I experienced, was watching kids accomplish what they want to accomplish.”

With all of the emotional and social benefits being a head coach brings, there’s one more important motive. The pay for head coaching varies based on your experience and the difficulty of the sport.

The pay for coaching varies based on sport difficulty and experience. Someone with more coaching experience will get paid more when compared to somebody starting their first year.

Lacrosse is a higher difficulty sport, which means the pay will be higher than other coaches. For more information about pay, email Chris Madson ([email protected]).

“I feel like a head coach really brings the team together,” Junior Madalynn Sima said, “and just sets us on that other level that differentiates us between different lacrosse teams, community wise and just overall chemistry with the team.”

Becoming a head coach is a beneficial and memorable experience for all. For those qualified and interested in the position, you can apply on the McHenry High School website.

Madalynn can only think back to that coach. What he taught her, how he brought the team together, and all the games they won because of his coaching. Without a coach, none of this could’ve happened. The team always needs a good head coach, and that coach could be you.