While many will be saddened to hear that Doug Kroll passed away on July 7, 2024, the news will surely also cause them to reflect fondly on his numerous contributions to the Herndon-Reston Youth Lacrosse (HRYL) community. 2007 was the first of Doug’s seven years serving HRYL as an assistant (four seasons) and head coach (three seasons). Under Doug’s tutelage, the 2009 Boys U11B team won the Northern Virginia Youth Lacrosse League (NVYLL) championship, becoming only the second HRYL team to capture an NVYLL title at any level. His 2012 Boys U13A team won the NVYLL championship, becoming the first HYRL team to secure a championship at the highest A level of competition. His 2013 Boys U15A team nearly duplicated that feat before falling in the championship game to finish as runners-up.
Doug’s contribution may have started modestly that first U9 pre-season with snapping chin straps in place, moving the heavy goals on and off the field, retrieving errant lacrosse balls from the tall grass, and herding twenty kids to line up for dodging drills in two rows of ten instead of ten rows of two, but by the first game, his commitment to assist had earned him the role of assistant coach. It also didn’t hurt that Doug’s booming voice carried to all corners of the field, which proved very handy not only for quickly summoning the team into huddles, but to alert any distracted butterfly-watching seven or eight year old players the ball was coming their way and that they might want to join the action.
If Doug’s players had collectively been surveyed to describe his coaching philosophy, they’d probably have boiled it down to “everyone has to play goalie at least once!” While that synopsis might’ve rang true to a 9-year-old, it failed to grasp the other lessons that Doug sought to impart. Besides broadening their horizons by having them try a new position, Doug’s desire for everyone to play the “dreaded” goalie position taught the kids that everyone needed to sacrifice and do their part for the greater good of the team. Little did the kids realize that playing goalie also offered them a different perspective of what happens elsewhere on the full lax field, seeing what worked well and what didn’t, and provided them invaluable insights how to modify or improve their respective game to better support their own goalie. And wouldn’t you know it, some kids who weren’t enthusiastic about being goalie ended up liking the position and voluntarily playing it more frequently.
If parents and his fellow coaches collectively been surveyed to describe Doug’s coaching, they’d have summarized it as energized, enthusiastic, supportive, dedicated, committed, observant, gritty, resilient in transforming setbacks into opportunities and improvements, focused on improving the kids’ individual skills and team play, optimistic, and humbly giving credit to others. These characteristics not only defined Doug as an effective coach, but also helped make him a great husband to his wife Kelly and a nurturing parent to his children Katie and David.
Like most sports, lacrosse statistics (goals, assists, ground balls, saves, face-off percentage, etc) offer a glimmer into the sport. But stats always fail to portray what really transpired on the field. Stats never record the practice time, the preparation, the inspiration, the teaching, the mentoring, the focus. Nothing about Doug could be characterized by mere “stats”, but everything about him highlighted the spirit of lacrosse and his distinction in representing the heart and soul of seven seasons of HRYL lacrosse. While we will miss Doug, it’s comforting to know that right now he’s probably busy snapping some chin straps in place, organizing some lines for drills, and encouraging everyone to play goalie at least once.
We hope this recollection of Doug unearths some fond memories and even fosters a few smiles.
In lieu of flowers, we ask those seeking to honor and remember Doug to donate to the Herndon-Reston Youth Lacrosse Scholarship program so that every kid has an opportunity to take their turn in the cage.
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