I never expected this deep voiced man who towers over me to be such a teddy bear. Walking into the Arrowhead Lacrosse program as a freshman was intimidating, but Coach Mayer’s contagious smile spread to me making me feel welcome. My older sister had played lacrosse at Arrowhead and told me stories about Coach Mayer and how much she loved him so I was ecstatic when I found out I made his team. 

Throughout the course of the season Coach Mayer had done nothing but show how much he cared about each individual girl on the team. He treated us like his own daughters. He not only wanted us to be great lacrosse players, but also kind-hearted people. He always took time out of practice to have a “pow wow” where he would share inspirational stories that taught us that life is short and to never give up.

Coach Mayer is genuine, thoughtful, and appreciative. After practice one day my friend Kylie and I picked him a bouquet of dandelions and gave it to him. He was so appreciative even though we had given him a pile of weeds. He texted us later that day a picture of them and the text read “Oh no my flowers are dying, we need to pick some new ones!” He made an effort to make sure we knew how much he appreciated what we had done, even though it was something as simple as picking a dandelion for him.

One of the most important lessons I learned from Coach Mayer was how I deserve to be treated and how I should treat others. When Prom rolled around, Coach Mayer had a meeting with our team after practice. He gave every girl a flower and told us “if any boys give you any trouble, you let me know and I’ll have a talk with them, but be safe and have a fun time!” Coach Mayer didn’t only care about us when we walked on the field, he cared about our personal lives as well.  He made sure we knew how we deserved to be treated even at something as silly as a school dance. 

I am no longer on Coach Mayer’s team; however, he still asks me how I’m doing and supports me with lacrosse and my life. Coach Mayer is kind, sincere, and a mentor to all of the girls that pass through the lacrosse program. 

Coach Mayer, I cannot thank you enough for everything you have taught me and I am incredibly grateful to have such a strong person like you in my life.