By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Christiansburg High School will have a new face on the sidelines for boys’ lacrosse this spring. Athletic Director Tim Cromer has announced the appointment of Matthew Grimes, the second coach at the school in the first three years.
The new coach is no stranger to the sport as he has been involved with the New River Valley Lacrosse Club for the past seven years as team manager, coach, board member, and equipment and field manager
“I applied for the position because I’ve come to truly love the game of lacrosse. I grew up in the Tidewater area where basketball ruled, and football and baseball were the only other true focuses among boys in sports,” he said.
While he has coached and officiated basketball and baseball, Grimes didn’t get introduced to lacrosse until his son started playing the game.
The elder Grimes then started playing in a high school boys’ and men’s summer league.
“I really began to appreciate how challenging and rewarding the game can be. The Native Americans would play lacrosse, or ‘stickball,’ for days and over miles and miles. It was as much a life experience as it was a way to train young warriors. When you pick up a ‘crosse’ and start playing, it’s hard not to fall in love just a little bit,” he said.
The new coach has also assisted in running lacrosse clinics at several local students.
When looking at how high school lacrosse has finally started in Montgomery County, Grimes is excited about the future of the sport.
The Christiansburg program is developing talent in the right way, according to Grimes.
“The talent is there, as long as the guys put in the work. There is no doubt in my mind that the current roster has guys with athletic talent, high lacrosse IQ and incredible work ethics,” he said.
Grimes hopes to build a culture of lacrosse that will draw in more players every year.
“The girls’ coach and I are working side-by-side to make sure all of our players increase their lacrosse IQs and develop the foundational conditioning and stick skills necessary to compete with teams like E.C. Glass and Salem, who find themselves in the thick of the state title race year after year,” Grimes said.
He admits it will take time, but both coaches and players are on hand to make that happen sooner rather than later.
“I chose three words to represent what our team is about: focus, effort, heart. There is no doubt that regardless of stats, record or recognition, this lacrosse team will find success this season,” Grimes said.
The full coaching staff for Christiansburg’s lacrosse program this season is Caroline Boyd: head coach, girls’ lacrosse; Meghan Byrnes: assistant coach, girls’ lacrosse; Matt Grimes: head coach, boys’ lacrosse; Graham Kolf: assistant coach, boys’ lacrosse; ben fernando: coach, boys’ lacrosse; and Carter Morcom: coach, boys’ lacrosse.
