Brown Bear Lacrosse is Missoula’s Premier Lacrosse Academy

I have always been passionate about team sports and have dedicated my adult life to building youth and adult sport opportunities.  As a coach and mentor, I understand the importance of building championship-caliber culture as a foundation for any successful team or organization and try to bring that commitment to every youth, high school, and adult athlete I work with.  Opening the Sports Barn and starting Brown Bear Athletics has been a lifelong dream for me.  I fell in love with box lacrosse at a young age and found playing in a tight space with lots of pressure only helped my field game.  This surface and confined space translates to any other sport played here.  I have dedicated thousands of hours over the last twenty-five years growing and developing youth, high school, and adult basketball, lacrosse, flag football, floor hockey, and soccer in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, and New York and can’t wait to continue this next chapter with Brown Bear Athletics at The Sports Barn in Missoula.  As someone who still loves playing, I maintain a deep obligation to give back and share the positive experiences I have had from prior coaches with the local youth and adult athletes in our community.

Notable Experience:

• MHSLA (Montana High School Lacrosse Association) D1 Coach of the Year Award 2023
• Boy’s Director, Montana Youth Lacrosse Association, 2020-Present
• Boy’s Director, Missoula Lacrosse Club (MT), 2020-Present
• Co-Founder and Boy’s Director, Black Bear Lacrosse (NH), 2013-2019
• Head Coach, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy (NH), 2013-2017
• Head Coach, Northern Arizona University, 2010-11
• Head Coach, University of Montana, 2009
• Head Coach, University of Idaho, 2007-08
• Head Coach, University of Montana, 2000

Certifications:

• USA Lacrosse: Level 3
• NFHS Coaches Certification – 2014-Present
• USA Flag Football: Coach and Officials Certification 2018-Present
• US Indoor Soccer: Officials certification – 2021-Present
• US SafeSport – Current
• Abuse Prevention – Current
• American Red Cross First Aid and AED certified – Current
• Concussion Awareness – Current

Coaching philosophy:

I am a firm believer in a “fast is fun” playing style where mistakes are just obstacles we can overcome through teamwork.  I understand that every individual is different and brings something unique to a team setting that we can harness and use as fuel.  Winning a practice through high-rep, high-intensity, small group stations allows us to best prepare for games through character-, skill- and IQ-development.

Catch Ryan on a recent episode of Eat Half, Walk Double!

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