By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/3/14
Former Germantown Academy and Widener standout Harry Sankey Jr. has been named the first head boys’ lacrosse coach at Williamston (N.J.).
Sankey, a four-year starter and two-time captain at Widener, was the defensive coordinator for the Rebel Elite club program and assisted in the Duke’s L.C. clinics in the fall. He also has coached with the Warrington Warriors youth program.
Sankey gave these answers about his new job:
Why did you want to coach a brand new program?
Sankey: “I recently returned from North Carolina, where I taught 5th grade for two years. I accepted a middle school math position this past year at Williamstown Middle School. I’ve been involved in start-up programs, such as the club team Rebel Elite, and have seen the challenges associated with starting a program when my father, Harry Sr., headed up the Central Bucks South High School lacrosse program. I see the job as a challenge to instruct newer players and an opportunity to make a mark in South Jersey lacrosse. The area has an established youth boys’ lacrosse program, as well as a wealth of athletes in the area. The coaching staff of the youth program has done a great job of preparing these boys for high school lacrosse, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to take their skills to the next level and compete at the varsity level.”
What are your short-term goals?
Sankey: “Being that our season starts March 7th, there isn’t much time to work with the players to get ready for the season. I plan on working with the players that are available and getting some pre-season workouts in prior to the start of the season. I need to see what specialty positions will need to be filled and how the number of players coming out will translate to the numbers we will have for the varsity and junior varsity squad.
“The short term goal will be to put a representative team on the field for the inaugural 2014 season, and have them be competitive in every game we play this season. We will work to be fundamentally sound and develop a sense of team camaraderie.”
What are your long-term goals?
Sankey: My long term goal is to develop a team that can contend with the top teams in South Jersey. With the athletes we have here in Williamstown, coupled with the strong youth program that is in place, I feel we have the resources to eventually be a force in the area.”
What is your coaching philosophy?
Sankey: “I have been raised with the belief that strong fundamentals are the core of sustaining any strong athletic program. My plan is to work on the lacrosse basics every day. I also want to instill the mental part of the game within my players. Having good field IQ, as well as an understanding of the rules of the game, will be highly beneficial to the growth of the players’ games as well as to the Williamstown High School lacrosse program as a whole. The things I will stress most to my players are to just play hard and play fast.
“Being that we’re a new program, I expect the offensive side of the game to take longer to evolve. I hope to implement several defensive schemes to off-set our goals against. If we can keep the goals against down, I believe it will be to our advantage in the outcome of games.”
Any other comments?
Sankey: “I would like to thank the Monroe Township Public School Board and especially Ron Becker, athletic director at Williamstown High School, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this program. I would also like to thank John Trimble, President of the Monroe Boys Lacrosse Youth Organization, for alerting me to this position and recommending me for the position. I’m very excited to be a part of this program and can’t wait to see the progression of these boys as we move through our season.”
