Being in a family filled with lacrosse coaches can give its youngest member a shadow to work themselves out from under as they start their careers. Mike Bowler doesn’t believe he is in that situation.
“I think the good thing is there is no pressure because I know way more about women’s lacrosse than they do,” the Staten Island Academy girls lacrosse coach said. “I don’t have any expectations to live up to.”
Bowler’s family is littered with coaches on the boys side. His father Mike has coached at Rocky Point in Suffolk County for more than 30 years and won a Class B state title in 2008. His oldest brother Brandan, who had been coached youth lacrosse and just got an assistant job at Cherry Creek (Mass.), Kavan is the head coach at the Berkshire School (Mass.) and his other breather Sean, who passed away five years ago from Lou Gehrig’s Disease coached at The Salisbury School (Conn.).
“When we get together we are supporting each other and sharing different things, different schemes and what would help,” his father said. … “When we get together it is pretty neat.”
Bowler, 28, has been teaching and coaching at SIA for six years, five seasons as an assistant under Joe Paone. He had to take over the head coaching duties in May of last season, right before the playoffs began when Paone was suspended for his alleged inappropriate interaction with a 17-year-old senior at the school. The transition though was seamless during such a troubling time.
“It’s not like we had a new person,” senior attack Sydney Avis said of Bowler. “He was a familiar face. … It was not like, ‘Oh no, what are we going to do, a new coach.’ It was just the same.”
Added senior defender Karisa Cernera: “He was always there. He was always our coach.”
He helped lead the team to a Staten Island Lacrosse League title over PSAL power Tottenville in overtime. SIA though would stumble in its private school playoffs, getting upset by Marymount in the first round of the AAIS postseason. Still Bowler was proud of the way the team finished.
“I think it is a testament to the type of student-athletes we have that they stepped up and won a championship game in overtime,” he said. “That’s all them. I think they quickly moved on and put it behind them.”
Bowler, whose wife Emily is the girls coach Hunter in the PSAL, is the one leading the program forward now with Paone no longer at the school. He has the credentials to do so. Bowler played his high school ball, like all of his brothers, at St Anthony’s (L.I.) and then went to Amherst College. He joked that his zoned public school would have been his father’s rival Comsewogue. He has a strong background in the boys game, but the private school does not have a boys lacrosse team.
“He decided he will help with the girls, it was lacrosse,” his father said. “I’m sure he has added a little bit of his boys knowledge to the girls game.”
Bowler’s SIA players said he has stressed the fundamentals, the importance of sharing the ball, and worked on correcting individual mistakes and not overly punishing players for them.
“He is more about coaching, telling you how to improve than yelling at us and scaring us,” Avis said.
The Tigers long-term goal is a simple one. They want to erase the memory of last season’ loss in the AISA playoffs, win the league and qualify for the NYSAIS tournament. Bowler said they had big wins over Long Island Lutheran and Horace Mann, but he has stressed the importance of league games.
“We are a really strong team and I think we will make it to the states,” Cernera said.
SIA can be dynamic on offense with Avis and Briana Calcagno. The duo seemingly takes turns at who scores and who feeds. Avis has excellent instincts and nose for the goal and Bowler described Calcagno as the most well rounded player he has ever coached. She takes the team’s faceoff, gets the most out of her abilities and is the Tigers’ leading scorer.
“We are usually able to find each other, even in practice,” Avis said. “We have a little thing.”
Junior midfielder Sarah Valero could become the squad’s third scoring option. Cernera is the long starter returning to what is an inexperience defense. Sophomore Bridget O’Hara, one of the JV’s best players, should bolster the defense.
“I have a lot of players I’m really excited about, but we have seven new starters,” Bowler said. “So this is a lot uncertainly there. I think we are the most athletic we have been, but we are also a little unseasoned.”
That same thing cannot be said about him, even though he is in his first season as a head coach. Lacrosse is woven through the fabric of Bowler’s life, upbringing and family. He just has not taken the same path as his father and brother.
“I am the last piece to this puzzle and I am doing it a little different,” Bowler said. “I am doing it on the girls side of things.”