Trinity-Pawling’s Varsity Lacrosse Coach and Associate Director of Admissions, Andrew Kirkaldy, has been named Head Coach of USA’s Under 18 Indoor Lacrosse team!
But Kirkaldy isn’t leaving Trinity-Pawling nor losing sight of a Founders League championship title. Rather, this prestigious appointment will commence after our current Trinity-Pawling lacrosse season. Come summer, the selective Under 18 team, under Kirkaldy’s leadership, will be vying for the International Indoor Junior Lacrosse (IIJL) Under 18 World Championship title. “I’m excited. It’s not every day you get picked to coach at a national level,” Kirkaldy said, “when asked, I said yes.”
Kirkaldy has reason to be excited. He grew up in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, where it is common for hockey players to play box lacrosse in the summer when the ice isn’t down in the rink. Kirkaldy quickly found a love for the rink without ice, and box lacrosse became his primary office. He thrived — eventually representing the Province of Alberta in the Minto Cup, box lacrosse’s holy grail. He then went on to play professionally for the Nanaimo Timbermen. He knows his box lacrosse — that’s for sure.
When Kirkaldy moved to the United States to play at the college level, he developed an equal love and fascination for field lacrosse, and he quickly adapted his deft stick skills and shot to the more open game. Now, as a veteran coach with versatility and an abundance of knowledge in both styles of lacrosse — the Canadian will coach the United States towards a global title. “You know, there’s a deep sense of respect for the Canadian teams and the Iroquois Nationals. But with that respect comes opportunity — why can’t we take them?”
Kirkaldy is going to give it his best shot to win, and he’s excited to assemble a team that can contend. “How do we make it work?” he churned through his coaching mind. “Get the small details down. Teach the game. How does the ball spin off the boards? How does the ball move on a second bounce? Getting in the reps. That’s the key — and ball movement too. When you have six guys moving together, there’s nothing prettier to see. It’s poetry in motion.”
Kirkaldy will oversee tryouts in May and August, and the tournament format unfolds from October 9-11, 2022, in Buffalo, NY, where there will be teams from around the world.
Kirkaldy’s passion for box lacrosse coupled with his incredible knowledge of field lacrosse provides the perfect recipe for a victory at the international level. “We’ll be playing in a different way. That’s the fun part,” Kirkaldy said proudly.
In the meantime, though, Coach Kirkaldy’s primary focus is on the current season at Trinity-Pawling. “We’ve got a very talented team here. I like the closeness of this group, and they’ve proven to themselves that they are resilient. My task is to pull that resiliency out of them. It’s fun!”
Good luck on all fronts, Coach Kirks!
by The Reverend Daniel Lennox