Through-the-Box
And what keeps his players succeeding is Shortt’s dedication to respect and honoring the game. “I expect my players to respect their teammates, referees, coaches, parents, and, most importantly, themselves. They will honor the game by allowing it to teach them life lessons and by becoming honorable young men,” said Shortt.
Both Helie’s and Shortt’s extensive lacrosse background has helped them shape the Watertown organization to what it is today in six short years. “Both of them, with their background in the sport, have really laid the foundation for skills and drills,” said Johnson. "Their practices are 90 minutes of skill and instruction, which many other coaches admire and follow suit with.”
In the program’s first year, the U11, U13, and U15 teams only lost three games combined. The parents were shocked. “In [MBYLL] lacrosse, the score doesn't matter. But you keep track,” said Hughes. Today, three boys from that year’s U15 team under Helie and Shortt are now playing in college, one who, according to Johnson, “had never picked up a lacrosse stick until Tom Shortt coached him.”
Parents as well as the Watertown board of directors have been impressed. “We see nothing but higher skill levels from our kids and nothing but good coming out from their participating in the program,” said Johnson. Hughes agreed, “We've had an enormous amount of success on the field and off the field and we are a relatively new program.”
With the original board of directors in 2009, Helie and Shortt have successfully created a lacrosse community in Watertown. “You win or lose, they’re the types of guys that at the next practice the kids are having fun, the kids are learning, they're looking forward to the next time they're going to be together,” said Johnson.
As for Helie and Shortt, the pair does everything they do for the athletes. “Tom and I are very much on the same page. We understand the culture of the game,” said Helie. “Our playing days are over, so it’s all about the kids for us.”
(right) Coach Tom Shortt
in action
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We would like to honor those men and women who go "above and beyond" to promote
the league's philosophy: "To Teach, Grow, and Honor the Game" through their
leadership, vision, and coaching.
The Scoop / Winter '15 15
The Scoop