From the Field to the Fairway: A Lacrosse Coach’s New Game

By John Pokorny and Joe Stair Seattle – When the final whistle blew at the state championship game for the Fighting Irish lacrosse team, Coach Will Snider didn’t have to wait long to get back to coaching. This time, instead of turf beneath his feet, it’s trimmed fairways and rolling greens. The same leadership and coaching mentality that guided his lacrosse players now drives him in a completely different sport — golf. 

Snider has a strong background in sports. He played lacrosse at the collegiate level for the University of Maryland and then at the professional level for the Denver Outlaws. He brought that experience back to O’Dea and has since led the Irish to three seasons culminating in state championship appearances. 

Golf, on the other hand, is something newer to him. He played in the past but didn’t have the same skill or knowledge as he does in lacrosse — which posed a challenge in itself. Despite learning a new sport, Snider’s goals remain the same — for both himself and his players: to fail, learn, get better, and win. With this new challenge came plenty to learn, and by the end of the season, he had gained a great deal of knowledge. 

“There was a little bit of a learning curve with the matches, points, and stuff like that,” said Snider. 

He quickly realized that the skills needed to be successful in golf were quite different from those in lacrosse. Lacrosse is a fast-paced, physical game, while golf relies much more on mental toughness — staying composed, having a short memory, and not getting in your own head. As a coach, he had to focus on training his players mentally as much as physically. 

“Golf was a challenge to figure out how to coach the kids to have success because you can’t just be a great athlete and score — in golf there’s a mental side of things,” Snider explained. 

When it came to teaching his players, Snider was able to adjust and learn quickly. As a health teacher at school, he understands that every student learns differently. This awareness enhances his coaching because he can identify what methods work best for each individual. Some players might improve after learning new techniques, while others might overthink and struggle — a key consideration in golf. 

“One kid might be a physical learner, one might be more cerebral, one might need it explained to them more to get it the right way, and some might just need a few extra reps before getting it,” he said. 

Overall, Snider does an excellent job of teaching his players that it’s okay to fail — because failure is part of growth. His philosophy emphasizes effort and resilience: you must give your all in order to be successful. Without personal drive, coaching can only go so far. Snider strives to keep his teams motivated and hungry, giving 100% effort — whether on the fairway, the field, or in the classroom. 

“You know, you’re not going to win every game or every match, but what you learn from it is a win in itself,” he said. 

Looking ahead, Snider has high hopes for both of his teams. In lacrosse, he aims to reach the state championship once again, and in golf, to continue improving and moving up in the Metro rankings over the next few years. Even with those goals, Snider emphasizes that the sport itself isn’t the most important thing to him — it’s the players he coaches and the students he teaches. His true goal is to have a lasting, positive influence on their lives. 

“Bottom line, I want to be a positive impact,” Snider said. “I think there’s a lot going on in the world and in these kids’ lives, and if I can be a bright spot in a kid’s day, that would be great — and that’s my goal.”