Katie Trainor is the women's lacrosse coach at Goucher College. In 2008 her squad was 6-10 overall, but 3-1 in-conference, losing to top-seeded Catholic, 21-10, in the Landmark Conference championship game. Her team placed five players on the 2008 All-Landmark Conference team. Trainor is from Rye, N.H., and played high school lacrosse at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine. She played her college lacrosse at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, graduating in 2003. She was an assistant at Goucher for a year before taking the head coaching job in 2006. In her first two seasons, she led Goucher to the conference semifinals and the final.

Editor's note: This Q&A was conducted before the season.

How is the preseason progressing?

Katie Trainor: Our preseason is going very well so far. We’ve had to be somewhat flexible due to the winter weather that came with the start of our season. We’ve been working very hard to improve each day.

What are your specific goals for the preseason?

Katie Trainor: One of our main goals for our preseason is to get everyone on the same page. Goucher has a very long winter break (1 1/2 months) so when we get back we really have to make up for some lost time and get right into training for the season that lies ahead. Preseason is a time when we stress the fundamentals of the game, so as we move forward, all of the players have the same strong foundation to build upon.

Give us a rundown of your probable starting lineup for 2009.

Katie Trainor: At this point with only one week of practice, the starting positions are all up for grabs.

How will the personality of this 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?

Katie Trainor: We graduated three seniors from the 2008 team and while we will miss them dearly, a majority of our talent returns and the 2009 squad is as energetic, motivated, competitive and hard-working [as any] squad that I have coached.

Who are your captains and what are their strengths?

Katie Trainor: Our team voted for senior tri-captains: Brittany Foster, Jenny Lucey and Marlo Tersigni. These three players represent the heart and soul of our team. They are great role models for their teammates and really embody the qualities of captains (dedication, enthusiasm, competitiveness, compassion, etc). They hold themselves and their teammates to high standards on and off the field and make sure that our team is accountable for everything we do.

What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?

Katie Trainor: I do not believe we have a biggest weakness. While we may have areas that need improvement, every team does. I believe that successful teams must continually seek to improve over the course of the season in order to reach goals and have success in tournament play.

What is the strength of your 2009 squad?

Katie Trainor: I think our work ethic is definitely a strength. Our players work hard and push each other every day and it is exciting to see how much we have improved in only one week of preseason.

How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?

Katie Trainor: I am thankful to have two wonderful assistants! Stephanie Janice is our graduate assistant coach and she is involved in every aspect of the program (recruiting, scouting, player development, etc). She is a 2007 graduate of Johns Hopkins and is an energetic, knowledgeable coach who has so much to offer to our program. Our second assistant, Dan Branigan, is entering his second year with the program. While he primarily works with the goalkeepers, he also assists in practice planning, game management and player development. It is great to be surrounded by such enthusiastic coaches who work hard to see our team succeed.

How strong are your seniors?

Katie Trainor: The seniors are the core of the team. They have set the tone for our program since the day they stepped on this campus and they have just continued to grow as students, lacrosse players and young women. I couldn’t be more proud of everything they have accomplished up until now and I look forward to more great things from them this spring.

Which teams are you most looking forward to playing this season? Which teams provide the biggest challenge?

Katie Trainor: All of them. Each game is a big challenge as we are consistently playing strong and talented teams. We are playing some teams this year that we have not played recently and that is always fun. Obviously, league games are always challenging.

Who’s the coach you fear opposing the most?

Katie Trainor: I do not fear any opposing coach; rather, I respect them. We all work very hard to prepare and mentor our teams and it is not easy bringing together a group of 18-21 year olds!

How strong is your conference in 2009?

Katie Trainor: Very strong. Many of our Landmark Conference games in 2008 were decided by less than three goals. Each game was hard fought and displayed the level of talent that our programs have. I look forward for another great year of lacrosse in 2009.

Give us your feedback on any rules changes you think are good or bad for 2009.

Katie Trainor: I think the rule changes are fine. Rule changes always require an adjustment period for coaches, players and refs, but I am confident that these changes were made with the best intentions for the progress of our game. The stick-check rule this year will be interesting as the refs will now perform at least two stick checks per half. I will be interested to see how this affects the game during the season.

Are there changes you’d like to see?

Katie Trainor: No major changes.

How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?

Katie Trainor: Maryland is a hotbed for talented lacrosse recruits and recruiting in this area continues to be very strong. With lacrosse exploding nationwide, the talent pool is starting to grow and we’re seeing athletic and talented players rise from coast to coast. It is nice that the recruiting is becoming more diverse and that players all across the country are getting the opportunity to play at the collegiate level.

Where’s the farthest you gone to get a recruit?

Katie Trainor: We have players from all over the country. While I did not get an opportunity to meet with them all in their hometowns, we have players from as far away as California, Maine and New Hampshire. Our campus is great because we attract students from all across the country. When it comes to recruiting, seriously interested student-athletes typically come to campus to visit, but my staff and I do actively go to recruiting tournaments and camps across the country.

How many camps should a kid play in during the summer if she wants to play in college?

Katie Trainor: I think that is a decision that a player should make with her parents. Obviously camps are expensive and you need to do your research as to what is the purpose of the camp. If you want to be seen by a certain coach or spend time on a specific campus, then you should go to a camp at that specific college if it is offered. I do not think that players need to be participating in camps all summer -- that is an expensive choice and I am a firm believer that the students these days need a bit more free time and fun in the summer. Too many are spending every waking minute of the summer being shuffled to and from lacrosse tournaments and camps, causing burnout.

Are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?

Katie Trainor: Absolutely. I think that multi-sport high school athletes have a lot to offer. It’s important not to specialize too early as it promotes a higher burnout rate and also creates situations of muscle overuse. Single-sport athletes can get sick of the sport when they get to college. Participating in multiple sports in high school is a great way to increase one’s overall athleticism in an organized, competitive environment.

Who were your influences in coaching?

Katie Trainor: I have been lucky enough to have been coached by wonderful individuals in high school and in college. Heidi Godomsky, my coach at Colby, was a great resource and still is. My experiences at Colby were one of the reasons I wanted to stay involved in college lacrosse. Also at Colby, our assistant coach, Tom Austin, who was also the head football coach. While his primary sport was not women’s lacrosse, he was one of the more sincere, enthusiastic, positive and caring coaches I have ever had. My parents definitely also influenced my coaching style. Our program is a family and we hold ourselves to high standards, many of which I learned from my mom and dad. They always encouraged me to be the best student, athlete and person I could be and that is really something I try to stress to my girls. They have so many wonderful opportunities and they really should make the most out of them.

Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?

Katie Trainor: I try not to think about being an underdog or favorite because on any given day you have to go out there and compete at your best. I certainly never emphasize that with the team. More importantly, I stress that our team needs to focus on ourselves and our game so we are prepared to succeed in that big game.

Do your players see you as a friend, mother figure, teacher or boss?

Katie Trainor: Our program is like a family here on campus and it is important that they see the coaching staff as all of the above.

What’s the most important trait of a great player?

Katie Trainor: Personally I think it's competitiveness. If a player wants something bad enough, she will do whatever it takes to accomplish it.

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