DIRECTOR OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
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John Christmas | JC@EncoreBrand.com
Biography | Coach Christmas grew up in Philadelphia, PA. He attended Lower Merion High School, where he became one of the great players in Pennsylvania prep lacrosse history. He then played at the University of Virginia for Coach Dom Starsia, starting from day one and helping Virginia win the 2003 NCAA National Championship. A two-time college All-American, John went on to play professionally for the Boston Cannons and Chesapeake Bayhawks in the MLL and for his hometown Philadelphia Wings in the NLL. He has coached and developed players at the youth, high school, club, collegiate and international levels, including NCAA Division I experience at the University of Pennsylvania and work with the Uganda National Team. John is a founder of Encore Lacrosse and currently coaches at De La Salle High School in Concord, California.
COACHES
ALEX COLE
Was a standout LSM at De La Salle before taking his game to George Washington University, where he competed in the MCLA. He now serves as Head Coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco.
GIO RICO
Gio is our Faceoff specialist coach. A graduate from De La Salle HS, Gio brings intensity, mentorship and a world of knowledge with him.
GUILANO SANCHEZ
A De La Salle graduate, he continued his playing career at Colorado Mesa University. He now serves as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at The Olympic Club.
HUGH CONRAD
Was an All-American goalie at De La Salle before continuing his career at Yale University, where he played for four years.
JOHN GLESENER
Spent part of his high school career at De La Salle before continuing at West Genesee in New York. He went on to play attack at Army and now serves as an Assistant Coach at De La Salle.
NICK TESTA
Originally from Upstate New York, Nick played goalie at Villanova University for four years. He currently serves as a goalie coach at De La Salle.
STEVE FLANAGAN
Steve has been serving the east bay lacrosse community and wider for more than 15 years. His ability to develop players, hold players accountable and keep them motivated is second to none in youth lacrosse.