Dwayne Stewart is a former Albany Dane and current head coach at SUNY-New Paltz. This week, he spoke with us about his coaching career and the mentors who have shaped his lacrosse journey.
DWAYNE STEWART – GOING OFFSIDES
Coaching Through Covid
Building a program isn’t an easy task, and it’s a task made more difficult in the face of a global pandemic. Coach Stewart believes relationships between players and coaches are built primarily on the field and in the locker room, two places where contact has been severely limited this year. To combat this, he’s placed an increased importance on communication. Whether it’s through email, text, or Zoom, he’s making sure he is a constant presence in his players’ lives.
Cant Play? Study
In the face of great adversity as athletes, the Hawks players have doubled down on academics, achieving an impressive 3.12 GPA this past semester. While Dwayne values the experience of an in-person class, he’s proud of what his team has achieved virtually.
Mentorship
Dwayne has been blessed by being surrounded by many great lacrosse people throughout his time in the sport. He worked as an assistant for Going Offsides podcast co-host Ryan Kuhn, he played for and learned from Albany head coach Scott Marr, he leaned on Paul Carcaterra to help get recruited, and others have also been helpful in his journey within the sport of lacrosse.
DIII Options
Coach Stewarts team, SUNY- New Paltz, proudly plays in NCAA Division III. For more information on Division III lacrosse, click here.
