By Chris Goldberg
ToplaxRecruits.com, Posted 10/7/13

Eastside Catholic (WA) has named Luke Christiansen as its boys’ lacrosse coach.

Christiansen formerly coached as an assistant at Utah State University and the past two years was head coach at Camden Military Academy (S.C.).

Christiansen inherits a program that has made three straight trips to the Washington Lacrosse Boys State Championship Tournament. Last year the Crusaders went 13-3, falling to eventual state champion Bellevue in the state semifinals. Eastside Catholic finished as the state runner-up in 2012 and advanced to the state quarterfinals in 2011.

Christiansen, who also runs an online lacrosse recruiting resource center and database called LaxPath, gave this interview:

Can you list your coaching experiences?

Christiansen: “My coaching career began while I was working in real estate development, and in the evenings I coached the defense at Utah State University. It was a great opportunity to get my feet wet, while going up against top club programs like BYU, Colorado State, and Westminster. From there I made the move to Camden Military Academy (S.C.) where I served as the Head Coach. Camden Military was a great experience for me focusing on the character development of my players.”

Where did you play HS and college lacrosse?

Christiansen: “I grew up in Southern California where I played football and soccer, but it was not until I moved to Utah during my junior year of high school that I began to play lacrosse at Cottonwood High.

“From there I was recruited to play football at Southern Virginia University, and I choose to go there because of the opportunity to also play lacrosse. During my time at Southern Virginia I became very active in the development of the lacrosse program, and have taken great satisfaction in seeing the program join the Capital Athletic Conference and bring on Head Coach Jason Lamb.”

What drew you to Eastside Catholic?

Christiansen: “I was drawn to Eastside Catholic by the school support, community involvement, and the quality student athletes. It’s a rare opportunity to develop a program centered on the core values taught at Eastside Catholic.”

What are you short-term goals for the program?

Christiansen:: “My short-term goal is to put this team in a position to succeed immediately, and let our talented group of seniors go out on their terms.”

What are your long-term goals for the program?

Christiansen:: “I envision Eastside Catholic becoming a pipeline to top D3 Lacrosse programs. We want to develop quality student athletes with high moral standards.”

How does your business interest (LaxPath) tie into being a HS coach and advocate for the kids?

Christiansen:: “The LaxPath site cultivates the growth of lacrosse by giving players free tools to take control of the recruiting process. Coaching High School lacrosse gives me an opportunity to have boots on the ground, and to be tuned in to the recruiting needs of high school players. Our ultimate goal is to help student athletes be successful at the next level, and being a high school coach emphasizes that point.”

Anything else you wish to add?

Christiansen:: “Thank you for the opportunity to share about Eastside Catholic and LaxPath. Anyone with questions please feel free to contact me at luke@laxpath.com.”