Knowledge is Power

When Ken Levinberg wants to set an example for his Guerin Catholic boys lacrosse team, he does it from the frontlines. Just be careful not to get in his way. At a practice earlier this season, the Golden Eagles' first-year coach was having trouble communicating with team members, so instead of stomping his feet and getting upset, he threw on the goalie's pads and hopped in the net. With no regard for noise violation laws in Noblesville, where the small but growing high school is located, Levinberg screamed instructions, compliments and pointers to his obliging players. "He's preaching fundamentals all the time," said Guerin junior attackman Charlie Glanders. "Sometimes his approach is a little different, but after he explains himself and shows how it's going to make us better, it works in the end." Sweating and tired, the 41-year-old Levinberg was ready for more. "I want to be here. This is what I love to do," he said. "Lacrosse is my drug of choice." It appears Levinberg's enthusiasm and knowledge for the sport is rubbing off on his players. In total, including his time as a high school and college player in Illinois, he has been involved with lacrosse for nearly 30 years. "Coach Ken brings a lot to this team," said Golden Eagles senior attackman Ricardo Aguirre. "His style of coaching is going to increase the skill level of the underclassmen because he knows what he's talking about." At first, however, Levinberg's "style of coaching" was falling on deaf ears with his new players. He was hired in December by Guerin Athletic Director Chris Buhler to replace former coach Chad Taylor, who took over the second-year program in 2006 and helped it blossom the past three seasons. "It was actually hard for people to grasp what he was saying," Glanders said of Levinberg's first couple weeks at Guerin. "Sometimes, he would come out and tell us to do certain things, and we'd be like, 'This is crazy. This isn't like anything we've ever done.' It can be hard because we don't know where he's coming from all the time." Levinberg didn't expect an easy transition, especially since all his previous coaching experience came in Illinois, where he said kids are taught differently from a young age compared with Indiana. But after a few practices with the Golden Eagles and a season-opening victory against West Lafayette March 6, his message was finally getting through. "Once we got our first win, the kids were like, 'OK, now we get it,'" Levinberg said. "Everything we've done here is good, smart lacrosse. We're focusing on fundamentals and trying to get rid of bad habits. Most of our drills I've taken from coaches with winning track records." With an enthusiastic coach, a growing team and a growing school, the future appears bright for the Guerin boys lacrosse program, which was established as a junior varsity club team in 2005 and spent three years combined with players from Lawrence Central. Last year, the team consisted of only Guerin players and was recognized by the school as a varsity sport. The Golden Eagles finished 6-9 and were ranked 16th out of 25 teams in the Indiana High School Lacrosse Association. They advanced to the semifinals of the consolation state tournament before losing to eventual champion Fort Wayne Snider. Considering its finish in 2007 - Guerin was 1-9 and ranked 21st out of 23 teams - it was a major improvement. "Last year showed us we can beat teams we didn't think we could beat," Glanders said. "It's given us a lot of intensity and more courage to get better and start showing people what we're made of." The Golden Eagles' goals include making the state's top 10 and becoming more competitive against the upper-echelon teams. "I would love to make Guerin a powerhouse name," said senior longstick midfielder Neil Weber, who played lacrosse at both Brebeuf Jesuit and Westfield before transferring to Guerin in the fall. "Coming from two schools that were in the top 10, I would love to pursue that." Whether the Golden Eagles accomplish all their goals this season, time and numbers appear to be on their side. Guerin is expecting a freshman class for the 2009-10 school year that could exceed 200 students. "I'm really hoping we get a lot of new guys next year," said freshman midfielder Mitch Renfro, who began playing lacrosse in seventh grade at Hamilton Southeastern Middle School. "There's so much room for potential and growth." Levinberg believes he has found a home at Guerin. In August, he moved to Indiana with his wife, Jaime, who grew up in the Indianapolis area and graduated from North Central High School. "That's one of the reasons I chose this program - there was big enthusiasm here and the guys work hard," he said. "I went to their preseason conditioning, and they were going nuts. That's when I was like, 'This is the right program for me.'" For both sides, it looks like a match made in heaven. -