It’s fairly clear that Mike Florenzo enjoys being part of a team. He began playing sports at age five, and remained involved in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse throughout his childhood. After graduating from Saint Vincent Pallotti High School in 2009, the Clarksville-native played lacrosse at the collegiate level—first at Binghamton University, then at Chestnut Hill College after transferring his junior year. In November 2014, five months after graduating with his B.S. in accounting, Florenzo was once again given the opportunity to be part of a team—this time as a coach for Sidewinders Lacrosse Club. The 28-year-old has been coaching ever since.
“Mike is involved in practically every aspect of Sidewinders Lacrosse—from coaching our players to coaching our coaches,” says Sidewinders Director of Operations Tom Haas. “Mike’s knowledge of the game of lacrosse is second to none. But it is his attention to detail and his follow through that makes him so valuable to us. Mike has jumped in and organized our coaches and is implementing a system of player development that we feel will be second to none. We are lucky to have Coach Florenzo!”
Can you tell me about Sidewinders Lacrosse Club?
Sidewinders Lacrosse Club is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2013 by several members of the Crofton community. It has grown tremendously over the past several years, in large part due to the dedication of volunteers and the players of the club. We are family- and community-based, and we do our best to reach back out to the community. Our primary goal is to grow the game by providing an avenue for [athletes] to play competitive lacrosse in front of potential college coaches while not having to spend a fortune.
How did you initially get involved with Sidewinders?
I got involved with Sidewinders in 2014 when my high school lacrosse coach, Chris Lombardi, texted me asking if I knew anyone who would want to coach. I said, “Yeah, me.” There wasn’t anything specific [that drew me to] the club, as it was brand new. I just knew that I wanted to coach, and I didn’t know if I would find another opportunity.
Can you tell me about your role and responsibilities with Sidewinders?
Each year my role has slowly grown. I started off as an assistant coach and worked with one team my first year. The second and third year I was an assistant coach for two teams. In my fourth year, I took over the head coaching role of the high school team halfway through the year. Last year, I assumed the role of director of the high school program [in addition to] being the head coach of the 2020 team. This year, while continuing to run the high school program and [assuming] the head coaching role of the 2022 team, I was asked to get more involved and I accepted a position on the board of directors as the director of player development.
What has kept you involved with Sidewinders? Why is the organization important to you?
The reason I have stayed with Sidewinders is, first and foremost, the players. I want to make sure they have quality coaches and people that are looking out for their best interests. I also really believe in the leadership of the club. The founders of the club are not doing this to make money, which is important to me. I feel that club sports for kids have become similar to businesses by trying to make a living off of coaching players, which inherently excludes families and players that cannot afford to spend that much money on sports.
Sidewinders is important to me because I really believe that coaches can have a significant impact on a player’s life in terms of responsibility and confidence. I know that some of the most influential people in my life were either teachers or coaches, and I want to be able to pass that along to players. The coaching staff and other volunteers are always putting the needs of the players ahead of the wants of the coaches or the desire to be “the best” club. We consider being the best as being a club that players and families can rely on to be honest about their players’ development and what is best for them in the long run.
For more information on Sidewinders Lacrosse, visit sidewinderslax.com
