Recently, it was announced that Mr. Charles Ruebling, the Delbarton Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach, would be  stepping down from his coaching position. Coach Ruebling led an extremely successful team, winning multiple Non-Public A Title, most recently last spring. Coach Ruebling is leaving the varsity team in the very capable hands of former varsity lacrosse assistant coach, Mr. Matthew Kovachik.  However, Mr. Ruebling is not leaving coaching; he will lead the freshman team and “coach them up” for eventual participation on the JV and Varsity levels.

One would think that the transition from assistant coach position to head coach would be challenging, but Coach Kovachik has managed it admirably. “The transition to Head Coach has been fun. It has involved a good amount of off-field work that I did not anticipate […] but all of the players have been working hard and have made my transition smoother.” While transitioning to head coach of the lacrosse team, Coach Kovachik had to account for something that nobody could control: the weather.   

March was chock full of snow, which caused many Spring-sport practices to be cancelled, including several lacrosse practices. Spring break tends to be immensely important for spring sports, as preseason is a time of building chemistry and preparation for the regular season. This year, Delbarton’s spring break coincided with bouts of significant snowfall limiting both school days and sports practices. Coach Kovachik was able to deal with this snowy setback, however, and utilized the available practices effectively. “The first few weeks are very important. Losing days of practice over Spring Break has slowed our growth as a team but we were able to make some progress and set the tone and foundation for the rest of the season.” Coach Kovachik handled the weather problems well and found the preseason to be a success; something he hopes for during the regular season.

Taking the reins as varsity head coach is tough enough, but Coach Kovachik is taking over a remarkably successful team. When asked about how he will continue the team’s massive success, Coach Kovachik responded that progress, development, and improvement are what is on his mind. “Our goals for this year are not any different than previous years. We approach every day as an opportunity to work hard and get better as individuals and as a team.” Despite taking over an elite and continually dominant squad, Coach Kovachik finds that the success will come after hard work and improvement.