We are pleased to introduce our new Watkins Mill High School Head Lacrosse Coach – Mr. Dave Hafer.
Both a player and coach, Coach Hafer started playing lacrosse when he was 19 years old with the Potomac Lacrosse Club in the old United States Club Lacrosse Association (USCLA) as a midfielder. After serving in the Marine Corps as an Artillery Officer, he starting playing with Washington Lacrosse Club in the Central Atlantic Lacrosse League in 1987, where he transitioned from midfielder to attack and defense. And he stayed with that club and the core group of players from that club through Masters and Grandmasters Lacrosse with the Mr. Boh Lacrosse Club until the present day where he plays as a defenseman and long stick middie.
His coaching career began with Montgomery Village Sports Association (MVSA) in 1991 and lasted until 1994. Recognizing the need for more youth lacrosse opportunities in Montgomery County, he founded Rockville Youth Lacrosse Club in 1995 and served as director until 2012. Under his watch, the club grew to 400 boys and girls and won over a dozen Southern Maryland Youth Lacrosse Association (SMYLA) championships. There are scores of players from Rockville Youth Lacrosse who went on and earned All-American honors in High School, even more who played in college, and even the pros.
In 2003, Coach was asked to help build Wootton High School Varsity lacrosse. He served as assistant coach and offensive coordinator. While he was there, the Wootton program experienced unprecedented success winning 5 consecutive regional championships and 2 appearances in the Maryland state title game. To this day, no other Montgomery County High School has come close to the level of success Wootton has experienced in terms of record, appearances in the state tournament and the many Wootton players who matriculated to all levels of college programs.
In 2011, Coach Hafer was asked to take on the Northwest High School varsity program. Before his arrival, this program had never won more than 3 games in a season, and in the 3 years prior to his arrival there, the program won a grand total of 2 games. His first season, NWHS went 5-10. Followed by 9-6 and 8-7 campaigns in 2012 and 2013… these represented the 3 most successful seasons in NWHS boys lacrosse history.
Today, we have the good fortune to welcome Coach Hafer to WMHS. Coach Hafer looks forward to taking on this new opportunity at Watkins Mill High School where there has been a history of success and a core group of highly motivated parents and players are already in place.
