Ever wanted to ask a sports personality a question? Now’s your chance. They will answer readers’ questions in The Denver Post’s “Fan Mail” feature. In this installment, University of Denver lacrosse coach Bill Tierney talks about why he left Princeton, why he thinks kids love lacrosse and the joys of playing at Peter Barton Stadium.
Keep an eye out for the next week’s installment when ESPN college basketball broadcaster and analyst Jay Bilas takes questions as March Madness starts to head up. Send your Qs in an email to fanmail@denverpost.com.
Coach Tierney, I love watching DU lacrosse at the Peter Barton Stadium. It’s a first class facility. How would you rate it compared to the stadiums out East? Also, you won a bunch of games at Princeton, including 6 NCAA Championships. Is DU committed to giving you the tools you need to bring that level of success to Denver?
— Tommy, Denver
Bill Tierney: Tommy, great questions, glad you asked them. Peter Barton Stadium is one of the few lacrosse-only stadiums in college lacrosse and is much nicer than most of the places we play.
Interestingly enough, Princeton, too, has a wonderful stadium for lacrosse, which is called the Class of ’52 Stadium. It is very much like Barton Stadium, with comparable seating and beautiful brick and stone work. Notre Dame’s brand new lacrosse stadium, Arlotta Stadium, is a wonderful venue and is named after and was funded by a great Colorado gentleman, John Arlotta.
I was very blessed at Princeton to be a part of six NCAA Championship teams, and cherish my time there very much. I would not have come to DU, however, if I didn’t believe that Chancellor Robert Coombe, Vice Chancellor Peg Bradley-Doppes and the rest of the administrators, were willing to give me anything I need to be successful here.
From our venue, to our wonderful support staff, my assistant coaches, our faculty, and our alumni group, everyone is onboard to help make us great.
It seems lacrosse has always been very popular on the East Coast. Why has it taken so long for that popularity to travel West?
— Nancy, Englewood
BT: Nancy, you are correct that lacrosse is well-entrenched out East, but that is only from a longevity standpoint. When I think of the growth of the game, I consider it from two angles: players and fans.
From a player’s perspective, we now have young men and women playing from the time they are in second and third grade, just like back East. Hence, the immense growth in popularity, both in participant numbers and quality of play here in Denver, throughout Colorado and from Ohio to California.
One of the main reasons the players are getting better is that there are so many high-quality, dedicated coaches in Denver, who themselves have played in many different college, club, and pro leagues.
From a fans’ perspective, lacrosse is an exciting game to watch whether it be inside like the Colorado Mammoth or outside like the Outlaws, the DU Pioneers, or the many great high school teams in our area.
Many of those Easterners (I still find that funny to say, after far too many years out there) have “seen the light” and moved to our area, which spreads the passion for the game. We are one of the fastest growing lacrosse areas in the world, and Denver was recently named the No. 1 lacrosse town in America (by Inside Lacrosse Magazine).
Lacrosse is an up-and-coming sport in Denver and I was wondering if you are looking at local talent when you are recruiting? Also, are there any clinics or lacrosse camps that you would recommend to increase a high school player’s chance of making a college team?
— Lettie, Highlands Ranch
BT: Lettie, we currently have 10 young men from Colorado on our team. These players are as good as any group in the country. As mentioned previously, the growth of the game in Colorado has produced much talent and we continue to search our area for more great players.
Our Denver Elite Club team allows me and my staff to get a closer look at area players. With our DU summer camps and team tournament, our fall and winter clinics, and our box lacrosse program, any young man who wants to learn how to be a better player can take advantage of those many opportunities.
As far as a high school player making a college team is concerned, he must do two things:
No. 1, work very hard on his game both individually and within his high school and club team setting. There are amazing high school coaches out here, along with many good club programs, that provide these opportunities. Most of the mistakes made by young men come becausethey forget how much individual hard work and dedication it takes to play college lacrosse.
No. 2, get seen. There are nearly 300 NCAA colleges playing lacrosse and nearly that many playing collegiate club lacrosse. Coaches scour the country looking for players. In fact, all of the top programs are recruiting in Colorado. We always recommend that high school sophomores and juniors take part in at least one individual recruiting camp and one team tournament. Yes, a lot of these opportunities are still out East, but there are many great ones right here as well.
I’m 13 and have been playing lacrosse for three years as a middie. I just started taking face offs last year and I was just wondering if you had any tips for winning face offs? I’m on the smaller side and I am wondering if size or speed is more important in high school and college? Because I have speed!
— Max, Littleton
BT: One of the many beautiful things about lacrosse is that you do not have to be 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds to be a great lacrosse player. So, if you happen to be a little smaller, do not dwell on that. If you are fast, you can definitely use that to your advantage in many ways, especially at the midfield. The key to lacrosse success, as mentioned previously, is your willingness to spend hour upon hour working on your stick skills, picking up ground balls and shooting. Good coaches will take care of the rest.
As far as facing-off is concerned, there are many ways to win the draw. Hand speed and learning one or two moves (clamp, rake, plunge, jam, etc.) and perfecting them will help a lot. There are also many great YouTube videos, and DVDs out there that can help. I work with a company called Championship Productions. We have many lacrosse DVDs available, and they have some great face-off ones. I especially recommend Paul Cantabene’s. You can find them at .
DU is one of the few Division I lacrosse schools west of the Mississippi River. Does this put DU at a disadvantage due to the increased travel times and lack of top-ranked competitors in our area? Also, do you see any additional Division I schools adding lacrosse as a sport out west?
— Dave, Englewood
BT: Dave, after just returning from a tough trip to Syracuse, N.Y. (DU lost 13-7 to the top-ranked Orangeman) I might be tempted to accept that we have a disadvantage. On the other hand, I have come to realize that many of our players come to DU looking forward to traveling to many of the great places we visit each year.
The Air Force Academy has a wonderful program and is our partner in playing and promoting Division I lacrosse in the West. Ohio State, Bellarmine (Kentucky), and Notre Dame also have big-time programs for Midwesterners to see. I believe we actually have an two-fold advantage when it comes to travel. First, the thinner air allows our players to get in better cardiovascular condition, so that when we go back East to play, they feel like they can run all day. Second, when opponents come out here, they feel disadvantaged because of the altitude and because they aren’t as used to the travel as we are.
The sport is growing rapidly. We hear that Michigan will be coming on board very soon and Marquette (Wisconsin) has added a program that will begin play in 2013. I am confident that there will be other Division I schools adding in the coming five years. In the meantime, there are some great Division II, III and club programs in our area. Guy VanArsdale is in his second year at Colorado College and I know he will produce championship teams there.
I’m very interested in helping to “steer’ my son (now 6) toward at least giving lacrosse a fair shot. I have no lacrosse background whatsoever, but it appears to be a great sport — mixing elements of soccer, hockey, basketball. My question is how and when to start him in lacrosse? How can I get up to speed enough to play and practice with him at home? Are sticks made to fit little guys? What else should I know to explore lacrosse with my son?
— Gary, Colorado Springs
BT: Gary, thanks for observing the qualities of our game, which do make it one of the most exciting and fun-to-play sports there is.
In this world of specialization, I am always careful to advise parents to continue to let their children play as many sports and games as they like. As for “steering” him toward giving lacrosse a try, I like that thought as well! There is one word that is taken out of the vocabulary in youth sports today, and that is FUN. Most importantly, remember that he will not know if you have ever played or not, or if you are good or not. He will remember that you spent time with him.
My sons started at around 6, but of course they were around the game at a younger age. When starting, keep it simple and set little goals. Catching is the most difficult skill to learn, and the most important skill, as players move on to higher levels. So, just playing catch with him or helping him learn how to pick up ground balls, will be a great introduction. Some years back, my son and assistant coach, Trevor, and I did a couple of father-son DVDs. You can email me for more information on them.
Sticks are about the same for little guys as they are for big guys, but the handles should be cut down to a comfortable level for him — maybe a 32- or 34-inch stick, where a normal one would be 40 inches. Also, find a good cement wall or purchase a lacrosse wall, or pitch-back, so he can go outside and play by himself.
Do not worry about him playing in organized games at such a young age, as long as he is having fun with learning the skills. There are youth groups that start at 8 years old, and I believe that is way early enough. Have little shooting and catching contests with him. Come to a DU, Air Force, or Colorado College game and let him see how much fun it is for the players and fans. He’ll catch the fever!
When it comes to lacrosse, I’m a novice, although I must say that I like the games I’ve attended. My question for you: What skills do you look for in a first-class lacrosse player?
— Andrew, Parker
BT: Andrew, what I love about lacrosse, is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages, sizes, and skill levels. So, as previously mentioned, the most important skills are the stick skills. Throwing, catching, shooting, and picking up ground balls can be learned and improved on with a lot of hard work. Like basketball, lacrosse skills can be mastered while working on your own. That is why there are some small, slow, skinny, but great lacrosse players out there. Anyone willing to put the time in, can become great with the stick.
Of course, to play at higher levels, we are looking for the better athletes in high school lacrosse, to come to our team. Therefore, playing other sports, working out in the weight room, extra conditioning, and studying the game will help one rise above the rest as they compete to become a first-class player.
I’m sure you’ve been asked this question a million times, but why did you leave the East Coast and all of that tradition at Princeton to coach at DU? Also, how do you like Denver and the Rocky Mountain West?
— Amy, Fort Collins
BT: Amy, thanks for your question. Although I have been asked many times why I would leave a place where I was comfortable, happy, and successful, I always enjoy giving the answer. I would never trade my 22 years at Princeton for anything in the world. We were in 10n Final Fours, won 14 Ivy League titles, and won six NCAA championships, and I got to coach my two sons, Trevor and Brendan there. How could I not be happy?
On the other hand, the opportunity to come to Denver and coach at a place where they want to be great in lacrosse, was too inviting to pass up. I am reinvigorated, excited and proud to coach at DU and do so at places named in honor of such great men as Dan Ritchie and Peter Barton.
I have had the opportunity to help programs get better from the time I started coaching high school lacrosse, through my time at Princeton, and now at Denver. There is nothing like the excitement and challenge of being a part of something very special and rising to loftier heights than anyone thought possible.
I love Denver, I love DU and all the people I work with. I love my players, and I love the fact that there are so many people who believe in what we are doing. It will not happen overnight, but the Denver Pioneers lacrosse program will soon be on par with the eastern powers who currently dominate our game.
Bill Tierney is the John Wooden of college lacrosse. So it’s no overstatement to say that the University of Denver scored an impressive coups when it lured the coach away from Princeton in 2009.
In his 22 years at Princeton, won six NCAA national championships and 14 Ivy League titles. Tierney’s record at Princeton was 238-86. In 2002, Tierney was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Tierney began his career building high school programs from the ground up. When he moved onto the college game, he did the same. In his first college head-coaching job, he took the Rochester Institute of Technology to its first NCAA tournament within two seasons.
When Tierney went to Princeton as the lacrosse coach in 1987, the Tigers had not won an Ivy League championship or played in the NCAA tournament for 20 years. But he made Princeton the gold standard of college lacrosse.
Last year, in his first season at Denver, Tierney led the Pioneers to the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship and their third NCAA Tournament appearance.
In 1998 and 2001, Tierney and his sons Trevor (a goaltender) and Brendan (midfield/attack), became the first father-sons combination to win a NCAA men’s lacrosse championship together. His daughter, Brianne Tierney, is currently the head lacrosse coach at Pennsylvania’s Lebanon Valley College.
Sunday, the 16th-ranked Pioneers look to rebound from a 13-7 season-opening loss to top-ranked Syracuse when they host Vermont in their home opener at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Game time is set for noon.
