Nat St. Laurent got too aggressive on defense. When he went for an over-the-head check, his opponent took advantage. Jamarcus St. Laurent, 6, rolled to his right. He found an open lane to the goal then bounced home his shot to seal the overtime win. 

“Let’s go!” he shouted after he tossed his stick and Ohio Northern helmet into the air and sprinted down the street in celebration. Numerous commenters, including Kyle Hartzell of the Atlas, noted that the celly looked a lot like Ryder Garnsey after he scored against the Chaos during the Redwoods’ second-round playoff win last fall. 

Instead of a trip to the championship, Jamarcus won a bag of Skittles. 

The epic one-on-one front yard battle is one example of how coaches are navigating the extra time at home during quarantine. St. Laurent, who also coaches the Redwoods in the Premier Lacrosse League, was gracious in defeat. While taking a break from his PLL college draft prep earlier this month, he offered a message we could all use during this time. 

“We’ve tried to make the most of the situation,” he said. “Don’t sit and dwell on it, but try to focus on the positive.” 

For St. Laurent, that has meant more time with his family. While he felt sorry and disappointed after Ohio Northern’s season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he eventually took a step back and reconsidered the current stoppage as an opportunity. 

“Whoa,” St. Laurent thought to himself. “When am I going to have this much time with my family when my kids [Jaylin, Janessa and Jamarcus] are this young?”

The answer is probably not often. Coaches are creatures of habit and are often locked in on planning for the next practice or the next opponent. The abrupt end to the season across the country changed those plans. Many went from diagramming X’s and O’s to helping tutor their kids in math and English. They’ve tried to balance home life with staying connected with their teams virtually. What does work-life balance even mean with the advent of stay-at-home orders and social distancing protocols?

For Joe Breschi, it looks like daily walks with his family on the trails near their home in Chapel Hill. The Breschi family also got a surprise back in March when legendary UNC women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance stopped by during one of his own walks. A game of “PIG” ensued with Emily — Breschi’s youngest daughter. Dorrance won. The video of the contest that Breschi posted to Twitter has almost 24,000 views. Breschi also joked on Twitter that in light of the NCAA’s decision to extend the recruiting dead period through July 31, he’s amped up his workouts “tenfold” to make a comeback in the PLL.

In light of the NCAA extended dead period through July, I’ve amped up my workouts tenfold to make a push at a comeback in the @PremierLacrosse Hoping @PaulRabil opens the door for one last run #coachonthefield #ONESHOT No cleats since ‘98 World Games.....but the FIREis LIT

— Joe Breschi (@coachbreschilax) May 28, 2020

For Katie Woods, a two-time Big East Coach of the Year at UConn, having children aged 3 and almost 2 has meant devising a routine like daycare with plenty of time outside.  

“The best thing might be the sidewalk chalk, so we made streets and all sorts of designs on the driveway,” Woods wrote in a response that was used in Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA. “We also have gotten into one craft activity each day ... so we made Forky, monster hand puppets, Easter eggs, cards for the grandparents and Olaf.”

For Chaos LC coach Andy Towers, quarantine has offered the opportunity to create a new sport. Rage Ball bears some similarities to racquetball but is played with lacrosse sticks and uses a bounce back, Towers explained in a video he posted on Twitter after he got several requests for the game’s “official” rules. Diving is allowed.  

“I had no clue that it would, but it certainly has,” Towers said earlier this month about the amount of interest his Rage Ball battles against his 13-year-old son, James, have received on social media. “It's been a lot of fun and taken some of the monotony out of this situation. We've made it productive.” 

After each match, the winner interviews the loser. Those roles reversed, however, after the elder Towers prevailed in the third “Holiday Major” this past Monday, three games to one. “You were a little smug in your interview on Thursday and that fueled the focus,” Andy Towers said, tongue firmly in cheek. “It became personal.” 

The next major will take place on Father’s Day. 

For Georgetown women’s head coach Ricky Fried, game days have turned into game nights. He and his wife Halyna — along with their teenage children, Jack and Paige — have tried their fair share of board games and found that Clue and Apple to Apples are their favorites. If they want something a little more elaborate, Risk is the go-to, though Fried noted the strategy board game takes “a good 6-7 hours.” Less competitive activities include movie nights or Netflix. 

“Would never had watched Outer Banks, but just finished that series also,” Fried told US Lacrosse Magazine via email. “Deciding what will be the next binge item, let me know if you have any suggestions.” 

For Gerry Byrne, this time is about trust. 

“My feeling was to provide the structure to empower your leaders and engage at moments, but don't treat it like you're still on the field,” Byrne explained after he noted the Harvard Men’s Lacrosse team has done only a couple of Zoom calls. “I want guys to do it because they love it and they have pride and fidelity to their teammates and a belief in the program. I don't want them to do it because they think I am looking over their shoulder digitally.” 

Bryne has kept up an open dialogue with the team despite their physical separation through frequent book, article and documentary suggestions, whether that’s “The Last Dance” or “Beastie Boys Story.” He tries to send things that might evoke something and help them be better players and better teammates, or even to find their own passions. 

When Byrne is not planning the latest “One Clip / One Drill” for Harvard’s virtual coaching series or running impromptu ground ball drills with the family’s Labrador retriever, Cliff, he enjoys reading — almost exclusively biographies and history. 

“There is a quietness you have to have in reading, and that's a great way to end the day,” he said. 

Last week, Byrne ordered copies of “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing to send to the whole team and foster discussions in the coming months. The book chronicles British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic expedition that turned into a fight for survival. Byrne thinks the book offers an incredible example of leadership and perseverance along with a little perspective on what real struggle is. 

He got the idea from Nancy Koehn, an author and historian at the Harvard Business School, where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. Koehn teaches “Endurance” in one of her leadership classes, and her research, according to her website, "focuses on how leaders, past and present, craft lives of purpose, worth and impact." Koehn also sent Byrne a copy of her most recent book, “Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times.”

“When we get back together, hopefully I can have her come and talk to my team,” Byrne said.