I Hope You Will Be Very Happy: Leadership Lessons From a Lifetime in Lacrosse

by Dom Starsia

"I first thought of playing lacrosse in the fall of my freshman year at Brown in 1970. Coming up on 50 years in the game, I have had a number of friends and fans who told me I needed to write a book about a life in the game. Never quite convinced that my life was that interesting to begin with, I have become preoccupied with sharing my experience with those who might value and benefit from some practical observations. What you will find within here are letters to players, parents and fans, a series on leadership that applies to both athletes and coaches, essays on the zone defense that carried us to the National Championship in 2011, a family situation that provided an opportunity to make strategic adjustments that led to a Championship in 2003, the language of lacrosse, the value of being a great passer, and many others that recount personal stories and life lessons that have shaped my career. My goal is that you will find something here that will help you on your journey."
— Dom Starsia

270 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2019

Reviews

[Ethan Wickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't been interested in the professional sports world at any stage in my life, and I've never been involved with lacrosse, so I think much of this book was lost on me. Nevertheless, Dom Starsia's collected essays were mostly infused with life lessons that I enjoyed, or offered personal anecdotes that I found interesting. The book is written eloquently with a casual style, and makes you feel as if you were having a conversation with the author. It's also organized into sections with different genres of essays, which means there is something in this book for everyone to learn from.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author spent 40+ years coaching the creators game "Lacrosse". This is a text of Leadership aspects observed adn developed over that time. The historical aspect is he didn't play the game until his first year at Brown after his roommate talked him into playing. Following graduation became an assistant before becoming the HC at Brown for ten years before moving to Virginia. He talks about the numerous players he's interacted with over the years and the competition and how the sport help grow young men into leaders in business, medicine and various other walks of life. Of particular interest most of the text relates to aspects of NCAA DI Lacrosse. However, in one part he talks about some great coaches in general and next to NicK Saban's name was Salisbury Universities HC Jim Berkmen. Later he mention a seven OT game versus SU All-American AlLum Dave Cottle when Dave was the HC at Maryland. Later in a letter entitled "Highlights", he talks about a February game played on turf at UVA's Scott Stadium due to snow between Roanoke and Salisbury where a "short, stocky attackman from Salisbury who had ten goals that day in his first college contest." Coach Dom describes Jason Coffman as tough as nails and couldn't miss. Went on to break every national scoring record and went on to the most decorated career in college lacrosse history. Throughout he brings up great players from all lacrosse schools. One part I like is where he recommends that students continue to play multiple sports as long as possibleand that other sports actually help one better understand aspects of the game of Lacrosse. If you are tied to the sport of Lacrosse in any way this provides a insight of the last 50 years of college Lacrosse. It's agood read for anyone tied in any way to the sport.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never played lacrosse and to be honest I hadn’t even heard about until last year (Around the end of 2019). Right from the beginning it is obvious that Starsia is a brilliant coach. Nearly everything that he says you can take as a quote. The section on leadership especially is very motivating and makes me want to go out and be the leader that I know I can be. When I could understand where the passion behind all of Starsia’s decisions came from, I knew that I was learning from some of the best. Backing out even further, his overall optimistic look on everything adds to his resilience. As someone who strives to do the same, I deeply enjoyed reading everything he had to say, even if it was for something that I had little to no experience with. Much of the lacrosse talk in the book is fairly easy to understand anyway even if you aren’t too familiar with it. To anyone who has an interest in lacrosse, this is for you. To anyone who wants to hear the experiences of a marvelous lacrosse coach, this is for you. To anyone who wants to hear from a real leader, this is for you.

[ALEXANDER DRITZ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good bathroom reader with letters and short chapters about raising a lacrosse athlete. A great book for a Lax Dad to read with his highschool athlete.