Coach's Corner - Tony Incontrera, Marriotts Ridge Boys Lacrosse
Today we're featuring Tony Incontrera, the boys lacrosse head coach at Marriotts Ridge High School in Howard County! Coach Incontrera spoke with us about a variety of topics, including what it was like to coach Marriotts Ridge to its first ever boys' lacrosse state title!
County Sports Zone:How did you get your start with coaching lacrosse?
Tony Incontrera:I started coaching lacrosse during the summer after my sophomore year at Mt. Hebron High School. We had a staff of five or six guys, depending on summer work schedules, and we coached a youth team in the Hero's Summer League in Howard County. I coached in the league every summer until I graduated college, and then I joined the Mt. Hebron coaching staff in the spring of 2006. In 2007, I came on board at Marriotts Ridge HS for their inaugural varsity season. We had no seniors in the school, so it was a very difficult season, but we won our first of three regional titles that spring!
CSZ:Why do you coach? What about it do you enjoy?
TI:I coach because I love the game. After I finished playing at Salisbury University in 2005, I had an opportunity to coach my younger brother, Tommy (that year he was named player of the year in the county!) at Mt. Hebron in 2006. That same school year, my youngest brother, Danny, was redistricted to Marriotts Ridge, so I moved to Marriotts Ridge the following season to coach him. I had a great time coaching both of them and their friends, and as the years have gone on, that feeling has not subsided. March 1 is a date that I look forward to every year, and I love working with the kids, watching them improve, and seeing new leaders emerge.
CSZ:Specifically Marriotts Ridge- why do you enjoy coaching there?
TI:Competing for a school in the community I grew up in is great. If Marriotts Ridge were open when I was younger, it's the school I would have attended. The families are supportive, and the players have bought into what we are doing both in and out of season and it has begun to pay off.
CSZ:What are some key fundamentals that you like to instill in your players?
TI:Hard work, continual growth as a player, and the importance of teamwork.
CSZ:It was a tremendous season for Marriotts Ridge's boys lacrosse program. Why was this year's group a state championship winning one?
TI:This year's group won a state championship because of the senior leadership. They put forth maximum effort in the offseason and brought along our underclassmen, so that we were in position to be successful. The seniors were very positive leaders, they built their teammates up, and created a very positive culture.
This team also has a core group of players that want to play at the next level, which means they know they'll need to continually grow so that they can be recruited, make a team, and compete in college. This really helps with overcoming the spring time distractions!
CSZ:How does it feel to win the program's first ever state title?
TI:Amazing! I'm very proud of what our players accomplished this season, and I hope it gives our younger players the drive to do it again.
| June 22nd, 2018 | By: Wick Eisenberg |