Don't Play Small: Addie Dieckmeyer on Coaching Girls Lacrosse the Right Way

 

Don't Play Small: Addie Dieckmeyer on Coaching Girls Lacrosse the Right Way

Guest: Addie Dieckmeyer, Head Girls Lacrosse Coach at Barrington High School, Club Director of Second City Lacrosse, and IGLCA Coach of the Year. A former attacker at Webster Groves High School (St. Louis) and North Central College, Addie coached at Saint Viator High School before taking the helm at Barrington.

In this episode, Addie traces her path from multi-sport kid to college lacrosse player to head coach, and unpacks how she builds a program around the whole athlete — not just the scoreboard.

In This Episode

Addie starts in youth softball and multiple sports before falling for lacrosse, a game she'd never even heard of growing up. She talks about how the sport gave her a social home, how she's learned more as a coach than she ever did as a player, and an early experience with a male coach that left her uncomfortable — a moment that shaped how she thinks about representation and safety in girls' sports today. Her take: an all-male coaching staff isn't good enough, transparency matters, and athletes need to externalize their feelings and get an outside perspective rather than sitting alone with self-doubt.

She explains how coaching found her — through D3 coaching and travel teams — and why leading a girls' program specifically appealed to her, including the importance of bringing in mental health professionals to support her athletes.

On coaching philosophy, Addie draws a hard line: failure isn't about losing, it's about not competing. She recalls facing a #1-ranked York team and how her players stayed focused on effort and their own game rather than the outcome, playing with confidence and mutual respect.

"You will win, or you will learn."

Her honest admission: the kids often motivate the coaches more than the other way around.

FIT — Female Integrated Training

Addie walks through her twice-a-week training structure (one strength day, one speed day, plus lacrosse skills), how her performance staff supports the coaching team, and how training is adapted around growth, puberty, and the menstrual cycle. She also addresses the lingering resistance some girls have toward lifting weights.

EAT — Energy, Appetite, Timing

A team nutritionist talks fueling, hydration, and timing with the athletes. Addie describes practical tools like team snack bags and hydration routines (including "N-2" hydration prep), and how she approaches conversations about under-fueling without making it about weight.

REST — Recovery, Enrichment, Sleep, Technology

Sleep is priority number one — Addie targets 9 to 10 hours a night and sees the impact on both physical and mental performance. She talks about building recovery into the season rather than treating it as optional, and how she pushes players to find identity and value outside lacrosse. A core theme: every player has a role, not just the top scorers, and understanding that role — cheerleader, accountability partner, teammate — is what creates real buy-in.

"Not everyone is the top scorer. But all roles matter."

Leadership & Team Culture

Addie addresses how she handles competition for playing time — clear roles and firm boundaries take the politics out of it, leaving work ethic as the deciding factor. Team bonding plays a big part in making that culture stick. She also shares a moment of watching a player grow up right in front of her.

Closing Thought

"Confidence to be themselves, don't play small. Women are taught to be people pleasers — please yourself and make your mark."