By Henry Brost

CNU offense gathered up after scoring.

My older brother Michael Brost (‘19) is a college lacrosse coach and former player at Christopher Newport University. Brost attended Collegiate from Kindergarten through 12th Grade, playing football and lacrosse in the Upper School. He went to CNU to play lacrosse for five years, graduating this spring. 

Brost picked up his love for the game of lacrosse at an early age from Geronimo, the lacrosse development program popular around Collegiate, and from Athletic Director Andrew Stanley, who was his varsity lacrosse head coach at the time and who has been an important influence on Brost. In an interview with The Match, Brost talked about how lacrosse has been a large part of his life ever since he was little, providing some great insight into college coaching and playing. 

Brost in action.

CNU hired Brost as an assistant men’s lacrosse coach in August. When asked what it is like going from playing to coaching, Brost said, ”The transition has been interesting, primarily because I’m coaching a lot of guys that I was playing with three or four months ago and went from being coached by Mikey Thompson (’06), who went to UVA and got drafted by the Denver Outlaws, to him being my boss.” Brost talked about how Thompson has been significant in his life for a long time and is someone he can trust, not just as a coach or a boss but as a friend.

Brost said coaching has given him even more information than he previously had, like how much time and effort coaches go through to do what’s best for the team. “Coaching also has forced me to engage with the game on an even more analytical level than I previously would have as a player.”

CNU men’s lacrosse team gathered in mindfulness.

He said the switch “has been relatively seamless, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to be back with the team for another year.” Brost talked about the team and its culture and how close of a bond the team has always had. One thing he loves about the team is their annual trip to the Outer Banks, where they play golf, surf, and hang out as a team, which helps build the team’s chemistry. Asked about a specific memory from his time as a player, Brost recalled coming home on a bus from an away game at Rochester Institute of Technology and not getting back until around 2 a.m., but the laughter and memories from the bus ride were something he wished he could have back.

I asked Brost what he had learned about lacrosse going through this process, and he responded, “Coaching has forced me to consider the game from a lot of new perspectives, because you have to try and understand the different ways in which each player interprets the game and how that impacts their style of play. Understanding what motivates a defenseman can sometimes be very different from what motivates an attackman, from what motivates a goalie, and that can often be reflected on the field.” Brost added that lacrosse is a mental game, and there was nothing that helped him more than five minutes of mindfulness and how it would clear his head and get him locked in for a practice or game, giving him the confidence to compete. 

Brost said his favorite part of his new role is being able to help out the team and still have the excitement of being on the team. He is thrilled to be “getting to be back a part of really a high-level and fun lacrosse program and enjoying the process of becoming a championship-level team.” As a player, “I loved playing in transition and, by extension, the speed of the game. Fast breaks, uneven situations, and subgames always led to the most fun times on the field for me. Also, my teammates; those guys all rocked. ” Brost has always loved lacrosse, and he says it is something that will stick with him forever. 

All photos courtesy of CNU Athletics.