Jan. 15, 2008
It's no stretch to say Mary Ann Meltzer could have been a head varsity women's lacrosse coach long before now if that's what she wanted to do. Recently hired as the leader of the Detroit Mercy women's program that starts varsity play in 2009, Meltzer is arriving at the NCAA Division I plateau years after her pedigree would otherwise mandate.
Immediately after graduating from Maryland, where she was a two-time All-American helping the Terps reach the title game her senior year in 1990, Meltzer could have used her playing prestige to start a coaching career. Head coaches would have jumped at the chance to add an Offensive Player of the Year, which Meltzer (then Mary Ann Oelgoetz) won after helping Maryland record a 16-2 mark.
Meltzer was also a member of the U.S. National Lacrosse team from 1988 to 1993, a feather in the cap of any prospective coach. She had a resume comparable to all of the great coaches Maryland has produced in the past two decades, including the likes of Kelly Amonte-Hiller `96 (head coach at Northwestern), Kerstin Kimel `93 (Duke), Amy Patton `88 (Dartmouth), Cathy Reese `98 (Maryland), and Michele Uhlfelder `91 (Stanford).
It's not that Meltzer abandoned lacrosse after her playing days. She was the coach at Birmingham Seaholm High School in the suburbs of Detroit where she created a mini dynasty. The Bulldogs posted a 78-23 (.772) mark during her five-year stint, including Michigan High School Athletic Association championships in 1998, '99 and '01. She was named the Midwest Coach of the Year after that second title.
Meltzer's pedigree was further established in her five years as the coach of the University of Michigan, a Women's Division Intercollegiate Associate (WDIA) program. A 93-22 (.809) record, two trips to the national semifinals, one berth in the finals, and national coach of the year awards in both 2006 and '07 crystallized one simple fact: Meltzer was born to play, and then coach, the sport of women's lacrosse.
So what was the obstacle keeping her from joining the ranks of NCAA Division I with all of the other great Maryland products? The reason is a simple one although it is often considered passé by many, including presidential candidates.
Mary Ann Meltzer's priority was, and still remains, being a mom.
For Meltzer motherhood is a sacred duty, one that necessitates a lot of time and energy. Those strong-willed individuals who undertake the task understand it's a full-time job.
"Once I started having kids that was more my focus," said Meltzer, who had has two children, ages 8 and 11.
Working with a high school and club program allowed Meltzer the time to keep her full-time obligation. Her workload increased while serving as the chairperson of the WDIA and on the board of U.S. Lacrosse, however, those task didn't take away the hours from her kids like recruiting trips would. The interest in accepting the challenge of a Division I varsity program was always out there, but very few institutions would have given Meltzer the space and time she mandated for her children.
Then the Detroit Mercy position came open.
Being so close to her suburban home in Northville - about a 20 minute drive from campus - satisfied one the necessities to make the leap. Her family's support provided the catalyst to submit her name for consideration.
"I was always a little nervous about varsity and how much time it would take away from my family," said Meltzer. "But it was time and I was able to talk with them and my kids are very excited."
She also touched base with her friends in the lacrosse world for advice.
"I consulted with [former Yale, and current Florida head coach] Mandy O'Leary and other people who had families," said Meltzer. "I think more and more Division I and varsity coaches are having kids so they have more of a balanced life. But that has always been my biggest concern, the family aspect."
The final piece of the puzzle was Detroit Mercy. Would a start-up Division I program hoping to make a splash take a risk - and it is a risk - on a coach with no varsity experience whose priorities lie at home?
"Detroit Mercy made it easy," said Meltzer, with a touch of admiration. "One of the draws about Detroit Mercy is they have a family atmosphere and they understand the balancing of life. That's why this decision was so much easier."
"We really felt that Mary Ann was the best fit," said Keri Gaither, UDM's athletic director, who said UDM had a strong pool of candidates. "Given our situation as a university - small, Catholic and private - again it just seemed like a real good fit for a variety of reasons."
Gaither was swayed by Meltzer's track record at every level, but the pesky issue that is always present for a coach making a jump to an NCAA program from a non-varsity one is recruiting. Meltzer has plenty of experience in fundraising, the lifeblood of WDIA programs, but recruiting is a whole new ballgame.
Meltzer made it clear she was up for the challenge and UDM was willing to help.
"From the president of the university on down to the other athletic coaches, they all asked, `What can we do to help?'" said Meltzer. "The women's soccer coach said, `Alright, we'll get sticks in the girl's hands in a couple of weeks.' It's like, how can we help each other?"
Whether it's asking her colleagues for advice or utilizing the generosity of other members of her department, Meltzer isn't afraid to seek, or give, help. You learn this raising children. You also figure out how to problem solve, discipline, teach and nurture. In some ways being a mother (or father) is the best training for being a coach at any level.
Whether it's helping out as a head coach of a youth team, taking an assistant job with the local high school, or learning the game with a local club program, Meltzer's career arc will hopefully be an inspiration to the numerous other moms and dads out there. You don't need to have Meltzer's playing or coaching resume, you just need a willingness to teach youngsters as you would your own.
There are plenty of teams with positions to fill.
Contact Jac Coyne at jcoyne@uslacrosse.org.
