Acacia Walker-Weinstein: How Big Can We Think?

Acacia Walker-Weinstein is the head coach at Boston College and of the U.S. Women's National Team now in Japan for the World Lacrosse Women's Championship. She penned this piece for the Powerhouse Women edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine.

I always try to think about the biggest, the best, the most elite version of the sport.

That’s where I get inspiration as a coach: How big can we think? How can we help these athletes feel more elite? What hasn’t been done before? Well, let’s go do it. That’s just how I’m wired.

I’m very comfortable thinking about doing uncomfortable things. I love pushing. I love pulling. I love breaking the ceiling.

Growing up, the Maryland players were my inspiration. Kristin Sommar (Jenney) changed my outlook on life and made me want to play lacrosse. She and Christie Jenkins, who were both just inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, were the pictures hanging up on my wall.

And Cindy Timchal. She changed everything for women’s lacrosse. She changed everything for me.

When this U.S. cycle began, it was leading to this — 100 years of women’s lacrosse in the United States. For where we are 100 years in, I don’t think we could have picked a better group of young women to be the faces of our sport. We are doing it right.

When I got this job, I said in my interviews that my No. 1 goal was to win the gold medal. But I also said that I wanted to elevate the whole operation for our senior women’s team. I want to elevate everything about the experience for the athletes — the way we travel, the way we eat, the way we train, the resources provided to these athletes — because they’re the best athletes in the United States.

It’s about setting the foundation for the next coach and the next team that comes after us. Then it’s their responsibility to push it forward. That’s how the sport grows.

There have been so many people who have helped the sport evolve, and it’s important for each player to remember that. Right now, they may be in the spotlight. But those big names from decades ago? At one point, they were the superstars.

There is a big group of women who have gotten the sport to where it is today — and not just for Team USA. Canada, Australia, Japan, everyone — they’ve put a big fingerprint on the sport. It’s uniting.

We’ve got more work to do. We’ve got to continue growing lacrosse from the ground up. How big can we think?