The cleats of 45 eager lacrosse players crunch the rough turf of Witter Field, the harsh lights illuminating each player’s face. The group focuses on the assistant coach, who stands with a black whistle, about to start the next drill. The crisp, sharp sound of his whistle creates a chain reaction of movement—players sprint energetically into the center of the field, with their sticks gripped firmly in their hands and eyes locked onto the ball. The coach scans the field, and, after a short moment, shouts advice, tips—anything to improve the skills of the team. These lacrosse practices, while intense and serious, do not only form sharper defenders or goalies—for B.J. Grill, they form better people and stronger relationships as well.
Grill is the new assistant coach of the men’s varsity lacrosse team and head coach of the junior varsity team.
Raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Grill said that he found a haven in lacrosse at the age of eight.
“I picked up a stick, [and played] all the way until I finished high school,” Grill said. “[My teammates and I] all became best friends, and that was my community.”
Grill said that his own lacrosse coaches taught him valuable skills, even outside of sports.
“I’ve had three really prominent coaches that have shaped my style,” Grill said. “The conglomerate of the three of them developed a tree of knowledge [for me]. I can’t express how much the people I was surrounded with shaped who I am as a coach and a player.”
Grill said that his youth coach, M.G. Hollingsworth, taught him how to teach his players to take risks and believe in themselves.
“My high school coach, Chuck Apel, taught me about program building—building family, community, and selflessness within the team,” Grill said.
Later on, Joe Amplo, his college coach at Marquette University, passed on a tremendous set of knowledge about lacrosse strategies.
“I was [at Marquette] for five years, and then I was on staff as a coach for my sixth year as I finished my MBA,” Grill said. “I got to see all aspects of the Division I program.”
According to Marquette University, Grill was one of the most decorated players in the history of the program and an integral part of the team’s BIG EAST Championship win in 2016. He was named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Third Team All-American in 2016 and was titled as a Senior CLASS Award First Team Senior All-American for his efforts as a student-athlete and positive impact on his community.
“I had a really great college experience, which led to my passion for coaching,” Grill said. “And that’s where I am today.”
Grill said that he found this love for coaching during his sixth year at Marquette.
“I saw what being on [the coaching staff] was like, and that’s where I was like, ‘Oh my God, I love coaching more than I even love playing,’” Grill said.
Grill said that he was also a professional lacrosse player for two years after college, but then left the sport to pursue a career in construction management in Seattle.
“That year ended up being the hardest one of my life, and I missed lacrosse tremendously,” Grill said. “I decided to move to the Bay Area and pursue coaching full-time because I wanted to get back into lacrosse as a whole.”
Grill was an assistant coach at De La Salle High School last season and is now coaching at PHS.
“[Grill] takes it to another level because he has so much experience,” said varsity lacrosse player and junior Jack Dunlap. “He can teach us things so quickly, and it’s really astonishing how much I’ve grown as a player just over the tryout week.”
Varsity lacrosse co-captain and senior Georgie Brayer also said that Grill’s coaching shows his tremendous dedication to the sport and the team.
“He knows everything there is to know about lacrosse,” Brayer said. “You [could] tell, just after two or three days of practice, how much better we got. It was kind of insane.”
In addition to helping players improve their lacrosse playing, Grill said that he wants to foster character development and strengthen communication skills.
“My priority is to make [lacrosse] a good experience, and in doing that, it’s making our kids love the sport and play with each other,” Grill said. “Being a part of the team automatically has that impact where you [need to] communicate with people.”
Grill said that one activity he did with the team was to have them rank all of their priorities in life.
“I needed to hear what each kid thinks about on a day-to-day basis, so I can coach them appropriately,” Grill said. “But the other part is that they get to think about their priorities.”
Grill has been a welcoming coach by incorporating the players of both the varsity and junior varsity teams in one combined practice session, said varsity lacrosse player and freshman Soren Dixon.
“He’s done a good job making [the freshmen] feel like a part of the team,” Dixon said.
Grill said that he plans on continuing to do activities that will help the team bond and guide each player in becoming more introspective.
“[I am] trying to pull their interests out of them, trying to pull vulnerability out of them, so they play for something bigger than themselves and learn how to develop relationships that are more impactful,” Grill said.
In addition, Grill said that he also wants to focus on making lacrosse a more inclusive sport.
“I want [lacrosse] to be something that the community wants to be a part of,” Grill said. “I don’t want to make it a sport that’s curtailed to a specific demographic.”
As for his current demographic—the players of the men’s lacrosse team—each practice, each drill, and each motion all work to form stronger athletes and greater people—on and off the field. Back on the rough turf of Witter Field, he blows the black whistle again to start another drill, standing firmly under the glow of the LED lights as his players start running, taking big leaps towards his ambitious goals.
“I’m just here to make every place that I am a part of better,” Grill said.
