DANA LINDSTROM PASSES the TORCH of HEAD COACH to FORMER GRIFFIN BLASE CESARONE ’ 17
By : Lauren Yancer
Dana Lindstrom was hired in August of 2007 to build and lead the GMercyU Men ’ s Lacrosse Program . Nearly 14 years later , he has stepped down as Head Coach to take on a new role as the Assistant Director of Athletics .
“ It was not only about success on the field . The biggest growth you can see in our program over the years is the success in the classroom ,” Dana said of his time as head coach .
Dana was offered the Assistant Director position at a time in his life when he felt ready to take the next step in his career . The opportunity to move into an administrative role at GMercyU was something he felt very comfortable with . Being familiar with the policies and understanding the vision for the athletics program propelled Dana to take the position .
He is most excited to help further the development of the athletics department . More specifically , he is thrilled to be a key player in the development of a new strategic plan for athletics . As Assistant Director of Athletics , Dana will have more interaction with other GMercyU athletic teams and get to know more student-athletes , as well .
“ I think at the heart of GMercyU is the people you interact with . That ’ s what keeps me here ,” said Dana
Surprisingly , when asked what he will miss the most about coaching , Dana said he will miss practice , watching the team struggle and overcome obstacles . He will also miss the daily mentorship he had with his players .
Dana describes the program as “ a very tight-knit family of men ” and he will miss the brotherhood .
“ I ’ d like to thank my players who I ’ ve had the opportunity to work with over the years . They allowed me to grow as a person and as a coach . I ’ m just grateful they chose GMercyU ,” Dana said .
A NEW ERA Finding the correct person to fill his shoes as Head Coach of the Men ’ s Lacrosse team was important to Dana , and when he was approached about who that might be , he knew former Griffin Blase Cesarone ’ 17 strongly would be the perfect match .
From the time Blase graduated , Dana tried time and time again to get Blase to join his staff as a coach . After a couple of years , Blase finally returned as part of the coaching staff . Dana knew that Blase ’ s background in coaching club and high school lacrosse would make him a successful recruiter for GMercyU . What further solidified Dana ’ s confidence is the way Blase is able to communicate with today ’ s generation of lacrosse players and his Griffin pride .
Dana is excited to hand the program
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