CORTLAND - When Bridget Marquardt decided she wanted to bring Stephanie Rice on to her squad, it turned out that the eighth-grader wasn't the only member of the Rice family she wanted to recruit.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Skaneateles Lakers girls lacrosse assistant coach Steve Rice leaves the field with the team after their 19-4 win over the Nanuet Golden Knights in the Class C semifinal game at SUNY Cortland Friday.
Skaneateles Lakers girls lacrosse assistant coach Steve Rice leaves the field with the team after their 19-4 win over the Nanuet Golden Knights in the Class C semifinal game at SUNY Cortland Friday.
Stephanie's dad, Steve, had just retired from coaching the Jordan-Elbridge boys team, a program he founded in the early 1970s. At first, Steve Rice was going to help out now and then. Five years later he is the Lakers' assistant coach and has shared two Class C state championships and another trip to the title game with his daughter.
“I asked him and his response was he'll come help out when he can, but he ended up being here every day and being as dedicated as everybody,” Marquardt said.
Being the youngest player on a varsity team can always be tough, and the timing was just right for Steve Rice to come aboard. Marquardt believes it made the transition easier for Stephanie, and she agreed.
“It was kind of nice to have someone I was more comfortable with around,” Stephanie said. “He's a funny guy and everyone really liked him, so it broke the ice for me.”
Rice started the Eagles' program in the 1973-74 school year and spent the next 25-odd years sculpting Jordan-Elbridge into a solid program that always seemed to find itself in the playoffs. When he made the switch to girls, he admits there were a few bumps in the road since there are a few differences in the games.
“I had an older daughter that played, so I was familiar with the rules to a degree, but I had a hard time,” Rice said. “I would yell at the refs and they would laugh at me because I was so out of touch with the rules.”
While Stephanie dominates the offensive end of the field - she has scored more 200 goals in the past two seasons - Steve focuses mainly on the defense. Even though he played attack at Irondequoit and later St. Lawrence, Rice has molded the Skaneateles defense into one of the toughest in New York state.
Rice's arrival meant Marquardt could concentrate on the Lakers' offense.
“In the past I had coached the goalies and the defense and wanted a change, ” she said. “I thought with his daughter playing offense it would be easier for him not to have so much coaching on her. We both work together in all aspects, but I thought with him concentrating on (the defense) it would put less pressure on her.”
It helps the father-daughter dynamic that they don't have too much contact during practice. Rice was able to step back and watch his daughter develop into one of the state's best attackers.
He admits he doesn't have to do a lot of coaching where Stephanie is concerned.
“I probably coach her more on the way home from practice or from games than I do at practice,” Rice said.
“She has a good understanding of the game, sometimes she'll say, 'Boy, I didn't shoot well,' or 'I didn't play well,' or 'I didn't play good defense' - I don't even need to say anything.”
“He treats me like any other player,” Stephanie said. “If I do something wrong he tells me, but he's not overbearing about it at practice. You wouldn't know that we're related.”
While the pair hasn't had any squabbles, Rice is still a dad. Even a minor injury brings out the parent in him.
“She's had some issues with shin splints,” he said. “It's always early in the season when we're in the gym or on the parking lots. It's hard to see her be in pain, but she won't step out. She just keeps going.” Instead of the sidelines at Skaneateles, Rice will have to be content watching Stephanie from the stands at Division I Hofstra this fall. He is ending his tenure with the girls team the same time she is.
“I think our team is lucky to have him around since he has such a good knowledge of the game,” Stephanie said. “They're going to miss him next year. I'm going to miss him next year, too.”
Marquardt will miss him, too.“I'd like him to stay; we wouldn't be where we are today with out him,” she said. “A lot of this is owed to him and the things he's done with the program.”
Though Stephanie might be away in Long Island, her younger brother, Kevin, is still a Laker. That being said, Rice hasn't completely ruled out a return to coaching - later.
“I've had some people ask if I would be interested. We'll see,” he said. “I think next year I would sort of not like to coach. That way I can go see Stephanie at college and watch my son play, too. If you're coaching, you don't have much time to do that.”
“I asked him and his response was he'll come help out when he can, but he ended up being here every day and being as dedicated as everybody,” Marquardt said.
Being the youngest player on a varsity team can always be tough, and the timing was just right for Steve Rice to come aboard. Marquardt believes it made the transition easier for Stephanie, and she agreed.
“It was kind of nice to have someone I was more comfortable with around,” Stephanie said. “He's a funny guy and everyone really liked him, so it broke the ice for me.”
Rice started the Eagles' program in the 1973-74 school year and spent the next 25-odd years sculpting Jordan-Elbridge into a solid program that always seemed to find itself in the playoffs. When he made the switch to girls, he admits there were a few bumps in the road since there are a few differences in the games.
“I had an older daughter that played, so I was familiar with the rules to a degree, but I had a hard time,” Rice said. “I would yell at the refs and they would laugh at me because I was so out of touch with the rules.”
While Stephanie dominates the offensive end of the field - she has scored more 200 goals in the past two seasons - Steve focuses mainly on the defense. Even though he played attack at Irondequoit and later St. Lawrence, Rice has molded the Skaneateles defense into one of the toughest in New York state.
Rice's arrival meant Marquardt could concentrate on the Lakers' offense.
“In the past I had coached the goalies and the defense and wanted a change, ” she said. “I thought with his daughter playing offense it would be easier for him not to have so much coaching on her. We both work together in all aspects, but I thought with him concentrating on (the defense) it would put less pressure on her.”
It helps the father-daughter dynamic that they don't have too much contact during practice. Rice was able to step back and watch his daughter develop into one of the state's best attackers.
He admits he doesn't have to do a lot of coaching where Stephanie is concerned.
“I probably coach her more on the way home from practice or from games than I do at practice,” Rice said.
“She has a good understanding of the game, sometimes she'll say, 'Boy, I didn't shoot well,' or 'I didn't play well,' or 'I didn't play good defense' - I don't even need to say anything.”
“He treats me like any other player,” Stephanie said. “If I do something wrong he tells me, but he's not overbearing about it at practice. You wouldn't know that we're related.”
While the pair hasn't had any squabbles, Rice is still a dad. Even a minor injury brings out the parent in him.
“She's had some issues with shin splints,” he said. “It's always early in the season when we're in the gym or on the parking lots. It's hard to see her be in pain, but she won't step out. She just keeps going.” Instead of the sidelines at Skaneateles, Rice will have to be content watching Stephanie from the stands at Division I Hofstra this fall. He is ending his tenure with the girls team the same time she is.
“I think our team is lucky to have him around since he has such a good knowledge of the game,” Stephanie said. “They're going to miss him next year. I'm going to miss him next year, too.”
Marquardt will miss him, too.“I'd like him to stay; we wouldn't be where we are today with out him,” she said. “A lot of this is owed to him and the things he's done with the program.”
Though Stephanie might be away in Long Island, her younger brother, Kevin, is still a Laker. That being said, Rice hasn't completely ruled out a return to coaching - later.
“I've had some people ask if I would be interested. We'll see,” he said. “I think next year I would sort of not like to coach. That way I can go see Stephanie at college and watch my son play, too. If you're coaching, you don't have much time to do that.”
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