Hometown: West Chester, Pa.
Playing Career:
• Messiah College (2006-09)
Coaching Career:
• Assistant Coach: Haverford College (2010-11), Villanova University (2012)
• Head Coach: Lebanon Valley College (First season)
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” – 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)
Following the commonly traveled player-turned-coach path, Lebanon Valley women’s lacrosse coach Jackie Dando has gone from executing game plans to creating them. In her first year as head coach, the West Chester, Pa., native is drawing from her past experiences—and her faith—to lead the Dutchmen lacrosse program and help athletes develop as self-confident women away from the game.
FCA: How have you handled the player-to-coach transition?
JD: When you become a coach, you look at things differently. I had to learn how to teach the intricacies of the game and break things down to be more understandable for the players. We’re on the same team and working for the same goal, but ultimately this is their team, their accomplishments to discover, and their mistakes to learn from. I try to empower them to take charge on the field because they are the ones making in-game decisions and communicating with each other in those situations.
FCA: What’s your overall mission as a coach?
JD: As a young coach, I want to be a positive role model—someone who is genuine, hon-est, transparent and consistent. I want the players to know what they’re getting from me on a daily basis. From my experience as an athlete, I know it is huge to play for someone who is motivated every day and can be counted upon and trusted. If there's a con-flict, I expect to deal with it openly and honestly, keeping everyone accountable.
I’ve learned that everything is taken to the next level as the head coach. You have to make important decisions for what is best for each player and for the overall program.
FCA: How do you incorporate your faith into your coaching?
JD: Our goals for this season and our team philosophy are all centered on godly principles—being humble, giving everything we have, and being grateful for our talents.
More directly, I have to stay passionate about my beliefs and in my relationship with the Lord. No matter where I go, whether at a secular or Christian school, I have to stay passionate and keep the fire. I want people to be able to see what makes me different because I’m a Christian. I don’t want to be just another coach; I want to be a coach who stands out.
FCA: How does your faith directly impact your athletes?
JD: Female athletes often struggle with self-confidence and self-worth. They think they're not good enough, and they equate their self-worth with how well they do in a game or on a test, usually not giving themselves enough patience or grace.
A huge part of my job as a coach is to give them the reassurance that they’re good enough and loved. I want them to work hard, improve and self-evaluate, but also to un-derstand that their self-worth isn’t earned on the lacrosse field or lost because of one bad test. Their self-worth is found in being a child of God, and we are given grace and forgiveness for the times when we fail.
That’s been a huge turning point for our team. When each player understands their self-worth and has confidence in themselves and one another, we can do amazing things. I want my players to play with emotion, and I want them to feel like every time they step on the field they have purpose—that they are valued and loved unconditionally as an integral part of this team.
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FCA Quote:
“Jackie was a great competitor at Messiah and on the FCA college teams. She’s gone on to make a lasting impact on the world of lacrosse as an assistant coach and now as a head coach. In my opinion, though, her greatest impact has been in the FCA Lacrosse coaches ministry, as she’s encouraged other coaches to step out in their faith and grow in fellowship together. She has represented FCA and her faith well and helped us create a platform for Christian coaches in the world of collegiate women’s lacrosse." – Merissa Bogdanor, FCA Lacrosse Women’s Director
Originally Published: May 2013
Photos courtesy of Charles Grove and Lebanon Valley College