Jen Adams is the best women's player ever, without question. Her accomplishments as a coach or in any other endeavor will always be overshadowed by her legend on the field, no matter what she achieves. She still leads the world champion Australians and dominates any club team she plays for or tournament she plays in. She is leagues ahead of anyone else and would have to be considered the greatest playing lacrosse player, male or female, right now.
Adams, the primary spokeswoman for STX Women's Lacrosse, was the National Attacker of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the Atlantic Coast Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and a three-time national Player of the Year. The three-time All-America earned the 2000 and 2001 Honda/Broderick Award for women's lacrosse excellence and the very first Tewaaraton Trophy in 2001 while winning four straight national championships at Maryland.
Before taking over as the head coach at Loyola in June 2008, the Brighton, South Australia native served as an assistant under former Terps teammate Cathy Reese at Denver for three years, then at Maryland.
Click here to read today's feature on Adams by The Baltimore Sun's Katherine Dunn.
How is the preseason progressing?
Jen Adams: We have been excited by the progress that we are making as a team. The players did a lot of individual work over winter break, doing stick work and skills. We are seeing a great team-dynamic develop off the field and it is evident when we step on the field, too.
What are your specific goals for the preseason?
Jen Adams: Going into the season, we wanted to be in a constant state of learning, to be able to take something away from every single practice. We have also worked on building a strong team chemistry.
Are there any battles going on for key positions?
Jen Adams: When we came in as a staff, one of our goals was to make every day as competitive as possible. We want to be our own strongest competition. There are personnel who have not received a lot of playing time (entering preseason), and with the competitive nature of our practices, we have seen our depth increase.
Who are your captains and what are their strengths?
Jen Adams: Courtney Burhans is a totally selfless player, maybe one of the most selfless who I have ever been around. She has an incredible spirit and energy, but even though she doesn't see a lot of playing time, she has a complete sense of team. Mary Clare Taylor, or MC, is constantly leading by example, whether it is picking up balls, leading a run [or] going through a drill. She is someone who the team can trust and can go to. She has a magnetic personality. She's a very charismatic person. Meg Taylor is very responsible and definitely one of our mature leaders. She takes a very mature approach to everyone, on and off the field. She has a great personality and can deal with everyone.
What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?
Jen Adams: We are working on our shooting percentage, and we've been working very hard to get it above 50 percent. There were a lot of shots in the fall that were either not good or just not right. We are starting to be a lot smarter and make good decisions when we think about shooting.
Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?
Jen Adams: Ana Heneberry is going to step in on defense and has already become a leader. Ashley Cudmore and Virginia Weber impress me every day as they continue to learn and grow as players. Kerry Stoothoff has also been playing well in goal.
Who's your hardest shooter?
Jen Adams: Abby Rehfuss.
Best stick handler?
Jen Adams: Abby Rehfuss has a very unique style; Emily Gibson is very solid; Colleen O'Keefe has a very smooth style.
Fastest middie?
Jen Adams: Cara Filippelli or Grace Gavin.
Toughest defender?
Jen Adams: Kellye Gallagher or Ana Heneberry because of the pressure they put on people, and [both] are very confident in their abilities.
Unsung hero?
Jen Adams: Tara Gardner or Kaitlyn Fuller. They both work so hard and are stepping into big roles.
Surprise player?
Jen Adams: Mary Heneberry has the ability to shock us all. She is really coming into her own.
What is the strength of your 2009 squad?
Jen Adams: Our core midfielders with their athleticism and speed.
How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?
Jen Adams: We all equally contribute on the field. Kylee White focuses more on defense, but we definitely collaborate as a staff. We sit down in the office and come up with a game plan that is best for our team. All of us, Dana Dobbie, Kylee and I definitely have a big say in things.
How mature is the 2009 team?
Jen Adams: This is a senior leadership group that has been through a lot. They've had a lot of experiences that shaped them as lacrosse players. When you have a change [in the coaching staff] going into your senior year, it can either rattle you or settle you. We are fortunate that the latter has been the case. They are excited and driven for the rest of the team.
How strong is your conference in 2009?
Jen Adams: I think the Big East is one of the strongest conferences, if not the strongest. Coming from the ACC, you think that is the best, but the Big East is right there.
What's your funniest recruiting story?
Jen Adams: Dana Dobbie and I went out recruiting to a tournament this summer, and we didn't realize how far away we were going. By the time the day was over, it was very late and we had to be back at 8 a.m. So, we went to a Marshalls to buy clothing in Loyola colors. The next morning all of the other coaches were looking at us, saying, 'what are you wearing?'
How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?
Jen Adams: It is huge, even more so here at Loyola. There are so many local private and public schools that have easy access to Loyola, and there is a huge amount of players who want to stay close to home. To have such great talent is a great thing. Loyola has a reputation as a great program, and this is a place that a lot of these players were coming to watch games when they were young.
Where's the farthest you gone to get a recruit?
Jen Adams: When I was at Maryland, I recruited from Australia, England and Wales.
Do you do a summer camp?
Jen Adams: Not this year. We made it our focus to come in and really pay attention to our team. When you start a camp, there is so much to worry about with registration, fees, housing -- all of those things. I still work with Elevate Lacrosse. Our whole staff will be at those camps in College Park, Texas and a few places in New York.
How many camps should a kid play in the summer if she wants to play in college?
Jen Adams: I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to it. It depends because there are so many great options. Some of the showcase camps could be enough for some players because they get a lot of time on the field. For others, it is important for them to go to camps at the schools they are interested in so that the coaches can see them and get to know them, to see how coachable they are.
Who were your influences in coaching?
Jen Adams: Definitely Cathy Reese. I am always going back to her approach, the way that she runs a program and relates to players. One thing about her that I didn't realize until I was a head coach was that there was nothing beneath her. I learned that there is nothing I will ask Kylee or Dana to do that I wouldn't do myself. Also Gary [Gait] -- learning to play under him creatively and thinking outside the box. I think that I am really a product of all of the coaches that have worked with me as I came up. I realize even now when I am playing with the Australian team that there are things I am picking up from the coaches that I want to put into use as a coach myself.
Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?
Jen Adams: As a player, I have always loved being the one that others are gunning for. As a coach, I can definitely see where being an underdog has some advantages.
What's the most important trait of a great player?
Jen Adams: I think one of the most important traits is to not realize how great they are, and constantly searching and striving to be a better player. To have a sense of humility, but also have the confidence in their abilities is a great mindset to have.
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