Coach Spotlight: Boys Lacrosse Coach Steve Colfer

Behind the strength and success of the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team is Coach Steve Colfer, whose steady hand and passion for the game fuels both victories and lifelong lessons for his players. Colfer’s career as a lacrosse coach began on the fields of New York City, where he gave solo lessons in his free time. However, it was not long before he realized coaching was much more than just a pastime, which eventually led him to the fields right here at EA.

While coaching in New York, an impulse sparked a change of heart for Colfer. “It just ignited something inside me that I felt like maybe a career change would be in my future, and I decided to go back to grad school. And in that grad school, I had the opportunity to start coaching.” Colfer is currently in the midst of his third season coaching the boys’ lacrosse team, which has even featured a brief stint as the number one nationally ranked program following a major win over Lawrenceville. 

Every player associated with the team emphasizes the culture Colfer sets. Connor Song ’28 elaborates on the “We Choose Hard” motto implemented by Coach Colfer, saying that “it creates a mindset in which nothing will be given, and everything will have to be earned.” Alongside the “We Choose Hard” motto, the “Zero-to-Zero” saying Colfer teaches serves as a lifelong guiding principle for his athletes. Colfer explains, “It’s 0-0, and it’s a new day. It’s a new start, it’s a new period, it’s a new game. And I think that there are things they can take away with them as they go on to be college student-athletes or just college students and eventually young adults with professional careers. It’s a mentality more than a statement.”

Captain of the lacrosse team Keegan Nash ’26 further explains, “I think the program has had a ton of success because of the culture; I think that everybody on the team truly enjoys playing with each other.”

This strong team culture, fostered by dedicated players, is also cultivated through focused coaching, evident in what makes Colfer so successful: preparing each day the same way and keeping his players focused. Whether it’s the number one team in the country or a regular practice, preparation should be the same. Colfer states, “You get ready for Lawrenceville and any other team the same way; our preparation for Lawrenceville should be no different than our preparation for Germantown Academy. And if you do that the right way, and you build the team’s mentality the right way, 95% of it should be similar day to day.”  Along with preparing athletes the same way, Colfer says you should remain focused only on the upcoming game or practice, nothing more. “We only look at the next game. We talk about the season being a series of just one-game schedules, and we never look any further down the road.” His mentality of a targeted focus on the next team is an important part of the culture that prevents overlooking opponents and losing as a result.

Players on the team often reference Colfer’s repeated mantra: “Give an effort worthy of victory.” That mantra encapsulates Colfer’s approach to bringing his team together, leading to a kind of success that is genuinely earned and deserved. Under his guidance, players learn to compete for the team and the school rather than personal stats. As senior Jackson Orcutt ’26 puts it, “He’s always talking about ‘we’ and not ‘me.’ It’s like everyone working together towards one goal, and not playing individually but for each other, always together.”