June 5th
I am sitting here struggling what to write since this is such an awkward thing for me to do. So I figured I would just introduce myself………..Hi, my name is Eric Boyer and I am a Coach. So far it does read pretty weird but hey, I am not English Major. I guess I will start with a little bit of my background, actually it will probably be more rambling. As most of us get into coaching, I started off trying a bunch of different sports when I was young. None of them really stuck with me mainly because I didn’t fit the typical “Athlete” look or have the the athletic friends. I was a bigger kid, little bit of shut-in, and a nerd at heart. When you are 7th grade back in the early 80’s that equalled to be picked on quite a bit!!!!!! Then all of sudden I was invited to a BMX race. It was sport of Rebels who were athletes and didn’t conform to anything. The best part about it was they excepted everyone from any walk of life. Once, you started riding you were part of the family and family supported family no matter if you were fast or slow. In a way, BMX helped me become the person I am today. It gave me self conifdence, discipline, self reliance (My Moms helped with that as well), and most of all how we should treat and except one another….you always felt like you were part of something bigger than riding a bike. Because of this new found confidence, I started trying other sports and enjoying them. Basketball became a huge passion for me, so much I tried out for my High School team as a junior. I tried out and didn’t make varsity twice but the confidence I gained from BMX didn’t stop me. When I graduated from High School I got asked to help our with the Girls Varsity team over the summer, partly because I became a gym rat and second I kept bugging the coach because I wanted to be involved in the sport. That was my first taste of Coaching. In hind sight I wish I took it more seriously than I did but I was fresh out of high school and had other priorities in life. That fall I joined the working force and started going to college when I was introduced into the next sport that would change my life. I was doing my laundry at the local laundry mat (yes a laundry mat. My mom drove home everything I needed to take care of myself) when ran into one of my moms friends, Jeff Emery, where a Hillsdale College Lacrosse sweatshirt. We started talking and Jeff asked me if I was busy doing anything. I just stated I was working and going to Jackson Community College. Jeff mentioned I should come up to the field house and play some Lacrosse with him and the guys. Of course the first thing out of my mouth was I wasn’t a student at Hillsdale. “Don’t worry, its a club sport and half the team is from the community” he stated. Once I put that bucket on and grabbed a stick I was sold for life. It only lasted about 3 years but I had no idea the impact that chance meeting in a laundry mat would have on my life. After lacrosse I married the love of my life, started a family, and worked. Yeah, I picked up a stick for a season to play with a mens team when I could make it but it wouldn’t be for a few years before I would really get back into lacrosse. Then around the early 2000’s I reconnected with some long time BMX Friends and started riding again. At that time USA cycling started a BMX coaching program in preparation of the BMX being introduced into the olympics and I said what the heck. I went thru the program, got certified and started up my own racing team, Samurai Project. What a blast that time was!! I had got ride with some the greatest people I have ever met. I designed and sold shirts with one of the greatest friends anyone could ask for but most importantly, I was enjoying coaching. Well the knees started to go and my daughter was finding a love for lacrosse so I decided to hang the bike up and watch my daughter play a sport I loved. Yes, I was the typical parent that was a coach on the car ride there and home. I cheered my heart out and loved every minute of it. I remember my daughter getting some training with another fantastic person (Allie Brouchex-I am sure I just destroyed her name). my daughter loved working with her and I got to know her dad. I mentioned I used to play which brought up that the high school was looking for an assistant coach. I ran it by my family, especially KB and they said go for it. I wasn’t even planning on getting an interview but I could imagine being on that sideline again. Low and behold, Coach Deb took a chance on me and I was hired in 2013. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into but I couldn’t wait to get started. I started studying the women game and started to actually fall in love with it. The precise skill level had to be much higher in order for the game to flow, while in the mens game if I missed a slide or got beat I would just lay them out and hopefully get a ground ball. The more I got involved the more I loved being a coach. A year later after a practice, I was approached to help coach field hockey. Not only was I flattered I was so in love with coaching I said yes. After I got home I sat down with my daughter, told her about and the first thing out of her mouth was “field hockey is mine and what the hell do you know about field hockey.” She was absolutely correct, what the hell did I get myself into. Once again I had a wonderfully patient and great teacher in Erica Reilly. We took every practice and game one step at a time. Next thing you know we won a state championship. Coaching started taking on a new meaning in my life, it had me wanting more! Then in 2017, another chance meeting got me to where I am today….being an Assistant Coach for a college program. As you can see, I am an unconventional coach that took an unconventional path. I need to give some huge props to the individuals that took chances on me: Brian Clark, Heath Ries, Geoff Ssengoba, Will at C and W cycle, Deb Elliot, Erica Reilly, Dan Tesky, My Family, My Mom, and Jeff Emery of whom I would of never been introduced to the sport I am coaching to this day.
