TwinCities.com – November 15th, 2016
St. Paul native Andrew Lecker has put 12 years into lacrosse, forming and coaching teams to help grow the sport in Minnesota. US Lacrosse recognized his dedication last month by naming Lecker program director of the year.
“He’s probably one of the most committed people I know to the sport,” said Maya Quigley, who plays for Lacrosse Monkey, a local club started by Lecker. “He gives so much of his time and energy to helping us and making us better, and you can tell that he cares.”
The director of lacrosse at the Gentry Academy in Arden Hills, Lecker was Cretin-Derham Hall’s first lacrosse coach, despite having virtually no experience with the sport. Lecker’s background was in hockey.
“We only had about 32 kids in the program at Cretin-Derham Hall,” he said. “What happened was, it was a very tough year. We didn’t score many goals or win many games. I said to myself, ‘I owe it to the kids to try and make it the best program possible.'”
According to US Lacrosse, the program director of the year award “is given to an outstanding administrator who runs a league or program of excellence that upholds the mission and vision of US Lacrosse.”
Lecker’s initial goal is to build a foundation of fundamentals. Kids want to learn and are willing to get better, he said, but they need proper direction. He started Lacrosse Monkey Club so Twin Cities students have more opportunities to play the sport.
“He makes us get creative, which I appreciate,” Quigley said. “He has a good understanding of the game, and he’s good at passing that on to his players.”