MKA Announces New Head Girls' Lacrosse Coach

The Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) is pleased to announce that Catherine (O’Keefe) Schroeder has been appointed Head Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Coach for the upcoming 2010 Girls’ Lacrosse season.  Coach Schroeder will replace Alise Shuart, who was the Interim Head Coach this past season.  Coach Schroeder, who will be teaching Spanish full time at the MKA Middle School, is a graduate of Oak Knoll School ’98 and Roanoke College ’02 in Virginia.
Lacrosse is a family tradition in the Schroeder/O’Keefe household.  Coach Schroeder’s sisters, Colleen and Bridget, play at Loyola College (MD).  Her brother, Kyle will be playing lacrosse next year at Bucknell University (PA).  Her husband, Scott Schroeder, was the goalie at Summit High School and Georgetown University and played for the NJ Pride and Baltimore Bayhawks.  Even her father grew up with the game; he was an All-American and played for the 1978 National Lacrosse Championship Team at Roanoke College.

Throughout her career, Coach Schroeder has done an outstanding job of working with athletes to help them reach their potential both on and off the field.  Her enthusiastic approach and knowledge of the sport of lacrosse and rapport with student athletes made her an ideal candidate for the Head Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse position.  We are excited that she has agreed to take on this position and know that the team will look forward to working with her this summer.
“I am very excited to be a part of the MKA lacrosse program,” Coach Schroeder states.  “I know there is a strong lacrosse tradition at Montclair Kimberley and I look forward to playing a role in the future success of the program.”
With her first-hand experience of what it takes to compete and succeed at both the high school and Division I college level, we are confident that Coach Schroeder will have an immediate impact on our squad and we look forward to an exciting season ahead.  Coach Schroeder’s level of enthusiasm and vision will bode well for the MKA Girls’ Lacrosse Team as we look to build upon what has been a very successful lacrosse tradition over the years.
We would like to thank former Interim Head Coach Alise Shuart for everything she has done for MKA and our lacrosse program during the past year.  Coach Shuart agreed to come on board late this winter after a coaching change and did a great job leading the program this past season.  Her enthusiasm towards our athletes and her knowledge of the game of lacrosse enabled our girls to have an enriching experience this season, which will propel them to success in the years to come.

CATHERINE SCHROEDER BIO:

EDUCATION:
Georgetown University 2006
•    M.S. Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies

Roanoke College 2002
•    B.A. Spanish
•    Graduated Magna Cum Laude
•    Phi Beta Kappa Club Scholar

Oak Knoll School 1998

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
Roanoke College (1998-2002)
•    Played 2 Years on Varsity Team (chronic stress fractures Jr. and Sr. years)

Oak Knoll School (1994-1998)
•    Team MVP and Captain – 1998
•    All-Prep State, All-County, All-Conference
•    4-Year Varsity Letterwinner
•    Outstanding Offense Award Winner – 1997, 1998
•    Selected to the Garden State Games – 1997, 1998

COACHING:
•    Villa Walsh Academy, Varsity Head Coach – 2007-2009
•    Building Blocks Lacrosse Coach – September 2008 – Present)                          
•    Delbarton Middle School Boys’ Lacrosse – 2006-2007
•    Drew University Lacrosse Camp Coach: 1999, 2000