Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/7/15
From Press Release
NXTsports is excited to announce the hire of former Garnet Valley and University of California-Davis women’s lacrosse head coach Kate Henwood as its Director of Girls Lacrosse.
In her new position, Henwood will be tasked with developing educational curriculum for girls lacrosse and managing all aspects of the NXTgirls Lacrosse Club. She will also consult with NXT’s events division on the development of elite lacrosse events for girls.
Tryouts for the inaugural NXTgirls Lacrosse Club will be Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30 at the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken. 2020s and 2021s will try out from 1-2:30 p.m., while 2022s will try out from 2:30-4 p.m. Click here for full information.
A Garnet Valley (Pa.) and La Salle alumna, Kate is best-known locally for coaching the 2011-12 Garnet Valley girls lacrosse team to its first two state titles in program history. Her tenure at Garnet Valley produced an overall record of 54-14, multiple All-Americans, and laid the foundation for what has become Pennsylvania’s premier program (four state titles in the last five years). Her final Jaguars squad finished 2012 ranked fifth in the nation according to LaxPower. Henwood was also named the Phillylacrosse.com Coach of the Year in 2011.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join the NXT team,” Henwood said. “I possess a unique perspective of many levels of women’s lacrosse and I decided that running girls’ club and educational programming while working with school-aged players in the Philadelphia area is where my heart is.
“After witnessing the exceptional programming NXT has delivered on the boys’ side, I can think of no better way to make an immediate splash with a top-notch girls’ program than to partner with such an exciting company.”
NXT first tried to hire Henwood as its Director of Girls Lacrosse in the summer of 2012, but during those discussions UC-Davis came calling and a surprise offer to become a Division I head coach was understandably too tempting to pass up. NXT stayed in touch throughout Henwood’s time in California, and both sides were finally ready to make the move.
“Kate Henwood has been on our radar for a long time as somebody that we wanted to work with,” NXT Lacrosse Club Director Marty Kupprion said. “She is a game-changing addition for NXTsports. Kate’s ability to teach and coach the game and her vibrant personality is going to change the girls lacrosse landscape in the Philadelphia region. I couldn’t be more excited to work to help her launch industry-leading educational programs.”
Henwood coached the UC-Davis Aggies for three seasons after winning back-to-back state championships at Garnet Valley. In her initial season at UC-Davis, she led the Aggies to an upset of nationally-ranked rival Stanford, which earned U.S. Lacrosse Magazine’s Best Upset of 2013 award. The average team GPA rose from 2.60 to 3.15 during Henwood’s tenure.
Henwood compiled an 18-30 overall record and a 9-17 mark in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation during her three-year tenure. The Aggies finished 4-13 overall this spring and 3-6 in the MPSF.
Prior to taking over at Garnet Valley, Henwood was the top assistant and defensive coordinator at Villanova University.
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