With the spring season officially upon us comes a new boys lacrosse season for Bishop Fenwick.
Dave MacKenzie, new head coach of the team, is incredibly excited for this upcoming season and getting to work with these kids, but he knows there is going to be some pressure being the new guy in town, so to speak.
“I’d be lying if I said there weren’t nerves,” said MacKenzie about the upcoming season. “I like being good at what I do. I definitely don’t want to let these kids down.”
Outside of just being excited to coach, MacKenzie is excited to be back in the Catholic Central League. He played lacrosse for Austin Prep during his high-school years and has faced off against Fenwick numerous times, so it’s also exciting for him to be on the other side — this time as Fenwick’s ally.
Fenwick lacrosse has been very successful in recent years under former coach Steve Driscoll — who is now the head man at Salem State University — and MacKenzie knows that he’s stepping into a big role, especially with the interest in lacrosse growing. However, MacKenzie doesn’t just want to see growth on the field; he also wants to see their growth in their academics.
“I told the kids, wins and losses are important but my job is to make sure they’re better players and people on and off the field,” said MacKenzie. “I want to make sure they’re growing as athletes and people, academically speaking.”
While MacKenzie isn’t new to the coaching scene, having coached hockey for a number of years, this will be his first year coaching lacrosse.
But that won’t hinder his coaching philosophy. He’s been drawing parallels for the kids on his team that also play hockey to show them the similarities between the two sports.
Between the changes MacKenzie is planning to bring and the returning upperclassmen from last year’s tournament team, the season is bound to be an exciting one. What will make this season successful for MacKenzie is if he can prepare any of the kids he coaches for their future, whether they pursue lacrosse in college or just overall help them for when they graduate and are ready for the real world.
With the season fast approaching, Fenwick will face off on its home turf at Donaldson Stadium against Bedford on April 4.
