The UA women’s lacrosse club is starting its seventh year at the University, poised to make huge strides both this season as well as in seasons to come.
Because lacrosse is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport at the University, the Crimson Tide plays in a league called the Southern Women’s Lacrosse League along with other schools from the Southeast.
The Tide has established itself as a contender in the SWLL and hope to improve from last year when the team starts its regular season in the spring. Much of the team’s recent success is due in part to new coach Brian Stanley.
“He’s just done an amazing job,” President Madison Cook said. “He has really turned us around.”
Stanley is well versed in women’s lacrosse after coaching previously for high school teams in Georgia. Stanley brings more strategy and knowledge than UA coaches in the past.
The Tide has not had any trouble adjusting to its new coach. Stanley’s great attitude and passion for the game allowed for him and the players to hit it off from the start.
“From day one, the players have welcomed me with open arms and have been eager to listen and learn,” Stanley said. “These are great attributes and building blocks for a strong winning team.”
Cook said, “He’s really high intensity, and he definitely tells us what his expectations are. I feel like if anything, it has helped so much more. Honestly, everyone is so happy to have him around.”
Aside from being the team’s coach, Stanley is also a full-time air traffic controller at the Atlanta International Airport. Stanley makes the three-hour trip from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa every Tuesday and Thursday to coach the Tide.
“My driving force is the passion and the dedication, drive and determination of these ladies,” Stanley said. “I feel it is a great privilege and honor to be invited by the University of Alabama women’s lacrosse team. I am honored to give my time and knowledge to help this program succeed.”
Stanley has always been an Alabama fan. As a young boy growing up in Birmingham, Stanley said he dreamt of playing under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. To be able to coach at the University is something he said he enjoys and is grateful for.
“Luckily, two of my biggest passions outside my wife and family were able to be combined: The University of Alabama and coaching,” Stanley said. “For me, being a part of the UA lacrosse program has been a dream come true.”
Stanley said he sees constant improvement and that the team should be able to make big strides this season.
“I see the girls being more competitive in each game they play,” he said. “With constant improvement I see the girls being a force to be reckoned with in the SWLL tournament at the end of the year.”
The Tide also hopes to further the program into the future by eventually going from being a club team to an NCAA-sanctioned team. The team is in its seventh year as a club. Clubs are eligible after their sixth year to be considered by the NCAA.
“We don’t want to stay a club,” Cook said. “We absolutely want to go all the way, eventually recruit and have sponsorships.”
With women’s lacrosse becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, Stanley said he hopes to see the Tide on the next level in the near future.
“I would love to see the University of Alabama take the lead among the SEC Division-I schools and be a pioneer,” Stanley said. “I really feel that once a school like Alabama makes the commitment, the other SEC D-I schools will shortly follow.”
