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W.I.N.terview with Denise Wescott

Triad Athletes San Diego womens lacrosse Denise Wescott Cal lacrosse interview

 

 WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUR TRIAD ATHLETES?

Practice "kaizen."  This is the Japanese concept for continuous improvement, or "change for the better."

To do this, you have to do the work.  Practice does not make perfect, practice makes improvement. You can always better your best.
Consistency and continuous improvement comes from sustaining your work habits. This means working hard every season, every practice, every day, every drill, every ball.
My advice is...go into every practice with 1 or 2 intentions. Intentions are 1 or 2 things you want to focus on for that day, like...
  • Use both both hands more
  • Dropping your hips more when playing defense
  • Changing your level or hitching when shooting
  • Tracking the ball better as you make a save
After practice, reflect on how you did in practice...
  • How hard did you work?
  • Did you focus on your intentions and did you see a change?
  • Anything you did well?
  • Anything you struggled with?
  • Any changes you want to make or focus on the next day or week?
Then your practices become more intentional and more productive, which leads to more success.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A DIVISION I ATHLETE?

Passion.  You have to love lacrosse, love playing lacrosse, and love the process.  This means EVERYTHING: getting and being in shape, practicing, studying the game, and learning mental strategies to help your confidence, consistency, and composure.

Ability/Athleticism. Speed is 9/10th of the law in any sport, agility, strength, strong movement technique & efficiency. Skills and Stickwork.

Commitment. Just because you are good enough to play Division I does not mean you have the desire or commitment level to play Division I. Make a conscious choice to decide you want to play in Division I, and understand the time commitment and expectations that are expected of you from the program you are walking into.

Dare to be great. We want players that want to be the BEST player they can be.  Not for fame or awards, but for the team.  Great leaders and great players,  not only set the example of excellence, but also pull the best out of their teammates. 

Gritty/productive. Be physical, be competitive, and play to win.  This means, you need to produce stats:  Goals, Assists, Ground Balls, Draw Controls, Caused Turnovers, Interceptions, Taking charges, Saves.

 

MY 4 PILLARS & 7 COVENANTS - HOW I COMMUNICATE THEM TO MY TEAM

4 PILLARS

Triad Athletes San Diego Womens lacrosse

After one of my seasons, I sat down and thought about what I wanted my non-negotiables to be when working with any team I was coaching. 

I came up with my 7 Covenants. I was very specific when choosing the word "covenant."  My philosophy on coaching is my thoughts, but covenants are how to put those thoughts into action.  

San Diego girls lacrosse 

 

I realized I couldn't work in a silo, so I let the team discuss the meaning behind each of these covenants.

I asked them to describe what it looked like...

...on a field...

...in the classroom...

...in the community.

These sessions were called, "Learning and Listening Tuesdays" and it was a safe space to discuss, refine, and edit so the athletes felt closer to the purpose.

Once we agreed on them, the athletes and coaches signed the documents.

This allowed the staff and players to hold each other accountable.

The rest was all about consistency - what we would accept or not accept on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The coaches and players had to be fully invested. Holding someone accountable was not by punishment or belittling.  It was helping each teammate learn what behaviors were welcome, or not, and then own it.  

If we saw patterns that weren't aligned with our system, then we would stop and talk about it.  We used 20-30 minutes a week to work on mental training in what I called "Wednesday's Wisdom."  I used exercises or concepts from:

The 7 Covenants must be lived every day, on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.
It is a way of life, a team culture. 

 

 

WHY I WANTED TO BE A COACH

I have always wanted to help people, and as an athlete, I thought the best way to do that, was to coach.  I think every coach needs to understand they work with individuals as human beings, as students, and as athletes. I call that the    triangle of success.  Working with students/ athletes in all 3 of those aspects is very important.  

My first, and most important, mentor was my father.  He worked a full time job all week and coached CYO basketball on weekends. I watched him help his players grow on and off the field.

Our job is to not only enhance their playing in their sport, but to prepare them as productive and positive members of society. 

I have also had the unique experience of coaching in different countries, and the cultures have been eye opening.  I enjoyed learning how people live, love and thrive in so many different climates and surroundings.  It has filled my heart in so many ways.  


Denise Wescott

Denise Wescott is in her fourth season as an assistant coach at Cal in 2022. Wescott was a head coach at five schools starting a 26-year run in the role with Drew University before she moved on to Rutgers University, Delaware, Mount St. Mary's, and Monmouth. She also served as the head coach for the German National and World Cup teams. Wescott served as the Director of Lacrosse for the Capital Lacrosse Club before joining the Cal program in the fall of 2018 in her current role. Her long list of coaching accolades include being named the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Regional and Northeast Conference Coach of the Year in 2013. In 2018, Wescott was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame after earlier inductions to Lacrosse Halls of Fame in the states of Delaware and New Jersey. She also won the IWLCA Diane Geppi-Aikens Lifetime Achievement College Coaching Award.

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