Don Zimmerman, Lacrosse, on PressBox.com

Don Zimmerman, men’s lacrosse coach, takes a different approach when it comes to coaching. For example, two years ago, instead of having a week of brutal two-a-day practices, athletes were told to bring a backpack and board a bus. “Traditionally, I would do double sessions during spring break. This is our work week, and we’re just going to get better by playing lacrosse. But I decided to do something different. They didn’t know why, but (as we boarded the bus) I told them that this is what they needed.” Instead the players headed to Shenandoah National Park, more specifically Old Rag Mountain, where they all hiked to the summit some half-dozen times. “One of the things we did was have a five-minute moment of silence at the top,” Zimmerman said. “At first, the kids were like, ‘What’s this?’ But when they stopped talking, it was just this wonderful silence that you can’t find in this world today.” This is just one of the ways Coach Zimmerman stands apart. Read more about his coaching tactics in PressBox.com’s story, “Don Zimmerman: Lacrosse Engineer,” which ran in February 2010.