Coaching lacrosse is a form of teaching, and for coach Mike Taylor, his ability to coach lacrosse comes from his experience teaching in the academic setting. Taylor has been a special education teacher for 27 years, and his teaching experience has shaped him as a coach. “I think my teaching helped me become a better coach more than a [being] lacrosse player did,” says Taylor.
Taylor has a different lens through which he appreciates the UA Long Island Games. As a Suffolk coach, he does not always get to see all the talent throughout Long Island, specifically in the Nassau County area. “Kids you heard about but never got to work with or see, you just see how much talent there really is. There is so much talent on Long Island in general,” says Taylor.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a change in the way events like the UA games are conducted, but Taylor praises UA for their adjustment in still making the UA games so special despite everything that is going on. “They have done such a great job, UA games, and some other events, protecting kids and following protocols, but at the same time giving these kids an option of doing something they love,” says Taylor.
Taylor, who is an accomplished high school coach, will be entering his third year coaching the UA games. The ultimate goal for Taylor for the UA games is to win the whole thing, but ultimately to represent Long Island the right way saying “[Us] showing the world what Long Island lacrosse is about.”
