Despite the challenging season, the school-affiliated lacrosse team stood out by building a culture of consistent effort through “caring more” and establishing leaders among the players.
The Jaguars ended their regular season with three wins and five losses and were eliminated in the first round of the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City (LAKC) tournament by Lancer Lacrosse on Thursday, May 7.
Head coach Connor Dickens, winner of the LAKC Coach of the Year award in 2025, explains that his coaching philosophy was unchanged by any of the outcomes the team faced.
“It’s understanding that no matter what happens, we have to put in the extra time and extra effort if we want to improve,” Dickens said. “We always have to play hard for our teammates, and we always have to just ‘care more’ enough to give our best no matter what.”
The team is already looking forward to the future. Captain junior Grant Livingston recognizes that there is time to develop because many of the athletes were underclassmen this year.
“My goals for next season are to be a top-five team and win some of the closer games that we should have been winning,” Livingston said. “The biggest goal right now is to build up some of our younger guys and get them established and comfortable with our systems.”
Peer mentoring is crucial to improving the program from within, according to sophomore Finn Hannon, who is a member of the team’s Leadership Council. Hannon attempts to lead by setting a good example for his teammates.
“I care more in the sense that I’m working [hard] every day, even at practice,” Hannon said. “I love always showing 100%, and I really care for the sport and want to do my best.”
Livingston’s strategy to help his teammates involves more specific directions.
“My leadership is mostly vocal, teaching guys how to go, how to do things, where to go,” Livingston said. “[I am] quarterbacking while I am on the field.”
The players can learn from one another because they possess cohesion that transcends disconnection, even though the team is a club that is not a part of one specific school.
“We come together from a bunch of different schools, and we play this sport that isn’t as mainstream as football or any of the traditional sports,” Dickens said. “But we really have something special, and the game itself is just so much fun to play.”
At the end of the day, Mill Valley Lacrosse is about “caring more”, which involves intentional effort to improve oneself and those surrounding it.
“We have good morals,” Hannon said. “Even if we’re not winning that much, we’re still energized. We come to each practice with a better attitude and dedication to building the team up for the years to come.”
