An excerpt of this Q&A with Colorado women’s lacrosse coach and U.S. U19 assistant Ann Elliott appears in the September/October edition of US Lacrosse Magazine.

Elliott will be among presenters at the US Lacrosse West Regional Conference Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Las Vegas. Click here for registration and other information.

What drew you to take part in the U.S. program?

The opportunity to represent your country in the sport you love is a very unique one. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help coach the next generation of amazing lacrosse players and represent the U.S. Additionally, the opportunity personally for me to work with Kelly Amonte Hiller again is a very special one, and I am excited to again be able to learn and work with one of best coaches in our sport. 

Do you feel a stronger bond as a coaching staff with your Northwestern connection?

The unique thing about the U19 program is that there really isn’t that much time for the actual team to be together and prepare prior to the [world championship]. I believe the connection our staff has will really allow us to take full advantage of the limited time we do have. I believe we have similar core values and styles of play, having played for Kelly. I also believe we compliment each other very well and will challenge each other as coaches with different ideas, and that is an aspect that personally as a coach I am excited about. 

How will you balance your time between Team USA and Colorado?

This is such a tremendous opportunity, and I am excited about being able to coach the Team USA U19 team. I believe all of us collegiate coaches will face similar challenges in time management, but at the same time, most of the responsibilities for the U19 team are outside of the busiest collegiate coaching times. US Lacrosse has been so helpful and supportive already, and Kelly has done a great job managing all we are responsible for while understanding our commitments to our teams as well.  

What value do you see in the U.S. program?

The U.S. program is so special. The ability to represent your country on a national level is such an amazing opportunity for players and coaches. There is so much thought and support from US Lacrosse that goes into everything they do. We always talk about growing our game, and this is US Lacrosse’s mission at all levels. As a coach, this is my mission in being a part of the U19 staff, to help grow our game, mentor the next great generation of lacrosse players and represent the U.S. on the world stage. Whether at U19 or with the [senior] team, this is the biggest stage for lacrosse, and I believe we can continue to inspire younger players to go after their dreams, both here in the U.S. and hopefully across the world as our sport continues to grow.