Get to know Founder of BFF Lacrosse Crysti Foote
As the founder of BFF Lacrosse, I am also Director of Center Court Lacrosse & Head Coach of Ridgewood High School Girls Lacrosse. Below is a “Fireside Chat” with Mark Kossick (owner of Kohort).
Building trusting relationships has always been the key to my coaching style and how I live my life. Being able to connect with each individual player is so important in seeing true player development (as people and players).
I have always been known as more of a “private” person. However, in building my business I know that sharing who I am and what this all means to me is important in my quest to reach players across the country. If I can help make an impact on just ONE person, then I know I am continuing to live out my purpose in life. Mentor, Train, Prepare -young female athletes to become strong, articulate, polite, confident, people and players. This is my goal, my purpose. I hope you enjoy!
-Crysti
K: Let’s start with some background. Your father, grandfather, & siblings all played lacrosse growing up in Canada. Is this where you developed your love of the game?
CF: We grew up in Mimico, Canada which is outside Toronto. My whole family grew up playing lacrosse. I was thrown a stick at a young age. I started playing box lacrosse with the boys. That’s where I really learned the game. At first, I didn’t really have much stick skills. It was much more about the physicality of it. That’s how I grew up with the sport.
K: Do you remember watching your father or grandfather play growing up?
CF: Unfortunately I didn’t get to see them play much, but I definitely took the #18 from them. That was something passed along through the generations. It was always our number, 18.
They were tough coaches. My dad coaching my brother, I remember them getting into shouting matches, which back then was a little more acceptable than now. It was tough love. I know my grandfather was the same way with his kids, expected a lot out of you, held you to a high standard, and high accountability. That’s how I grew up with that work ethic of hard work, discipline, obviously being a good person and a good teammate was really important. Anything you want, you have to put in the work, and then anything can happen.
K: You were raised in Canada but moved to Suffern, NY in middle school. How would you compare lacrosse in Canada with lacrosse in Suffern, NY?
CF: When I left Canada, I had been playing box for four years, and I had to transition to the women’s game which I hated at first. The sticks were different, it was a bigger field, and it was all girls. I was used to being the only girl on the team. So I really didn’t like it at first. I said to my mom ‘They’re wearing skirts!’ I was very confused about the transition. You could typically find me trying to get a deeper pocket on my stick… Luckily, I had really good coaches at the time: Mary-Lynne McKee was the Suffern Coach at that time, John Callanan, Bonnie Conklin, John Sullivan, just a lot of good mentors to push me to love the game.
K: You went on to play at Notre Dame, eventually becoming Captain and 2X All-American. You were also a Tewaaraton Finalist, an award given to the most outstanding college lacrosse player. Not a bad college career, eh?
CF: I had a great experience over my four years. Actually, my junior year we were 3-12. That was the worst season we had. Going from that season into the summer, being a senior and captain, we were like this is never going to happen again. We ended our senior year going to the Final Four which was the first time Notre Dame had been there and they’ve never been back since. Obviously, we want them to go back, but that’s something we put our mark on. That’s a memory I’ll never forget.
K: But let’s talk about Ridgewood Girls Lacrosse… You’re entering your second year as Head Ridgewood Coach after coaching college lacrosse at Drew, Columbia, Notre Dame, Louisville, & Florida. How’d you end up at Ridgewood?
CF: After coaching for over ten years at schools that were far away from where my friends and family were, I was missing out on births, marriages, family time. So I really wanted to be back in this area so I didn’t miss out on those opportunities. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, I started with a company called Center Court where Kim Christos coached me and I started the lacrosse programming for them. Along with that, I started my own business, Best Foote Forward, which is a recruiting and player development company. But I didn’t have my own team and that’s the part I really missed from college. Seeing your players evolve over the season, the mentorship of that, really developing people at the end of the day. The competition too, the schedule, the rivalries. I definitely missed that part of it. When the job opened up, I decided I really want to get back into it, I can add to what I’m doing now. It just fit in. I was really excited. I don’t think I would have gone back to coach just any high school. For me, Ridgewood was one of those schools... Prior to me, Coach Mixon had been there a long time, and there was only one other head coach before that. It’s definitely one of those jobs that doesn’t open often. The timing was right, the opportunity was right, so I jumped on it and here I am.
K: One year ago you were awarded the game ball after your 1st win at Ridgewood, a 10-9 win over national powerhouse Georgetown Visitation of Washington, D.C. (then ranked 6th in the country). What are your memories of that first game?
CF: It was a night game. At the time, I knew how good they were but I really didn’t know they were #6 in the country. I didn’t really prepare my kids for that. It was more so preparing them for any opponent. I knew it was going to be a battle. After the game, when the girls ran out to me, I did not expect that at all. I think that’s a tribute to the kind of program I walked into, the tradition, the culture of family and we’re all in this together. It was really exciting for me to know that everyone is onboard, we’re building something and that was exciting to see.
K: Do you have a favorite memory or moment from your first year as Head Ridgewood Lacrosse Coach?
CF: I think last year that senior class was a really special class. Obviously talented, but it was who they were off-the-field that really made the transition easy for me. I don’t think for any senior it’s easy having a new coach. But they really welcomed me and were onboard with everything. I think overall, that class will always have a special place in my heart. This year, they’re starting their new seasons at the college level. I’m always in touch with them, checking in with them. It’s a really special class. It’s one of the nicest things about the whole season.
K: How are you feeling heading into the new season? Are you excited to get going March 6th? What message do you have for your players in these final weeks leading into the season?
CF: I’m really excited about going into year two. For me as a coach, I’m always analyzing personally what I did well, what I need to improve on, as a team and coaching staff. I’m always assessing where we are and where we need to be. In talking to the players, over the next month, the message is ‘You’ve had time to prepare but this is your time to focus in, no excuses, all the things you control - your fitness, stickwork -- find the time to daily invest in preparing for March 6th’.
K: How would you describe your coaching style?
CF: For me, it’s always been about relationships and building trust from the beginning. I care about all my players as people more so than the Xs and Os. When you couple that with my experience and my knowledge of the game, together those two things bring out the best in the players. I’m constantly teaching, mentoring, and helping prepare them for games but also for the bigger picture of life. I’m not a yeller. If I do yell, you’ve really made me mad. Teaching and mentoring the game and life lessons are my go-to.
K: Do you lean on your Captains and Seniors to lead by example?
CF: Going into the season, it’s always the Captains and seniors who help with organizing the off-season stuff, their first push to leadership.
I meet with them, I constantly mentor and help them. I don’t think it’s an easy role to step into, especially at the high school level. I do expect a lot from them… Your senior season is a special season and you only get that once. They need to understand they all have to be on the same page, let the little things go, be a united front, and inspire them to have the best senior season they can have.
K: Obviously, there were many special players on last year’s team. But two that stand out are 2019 National Player of the Year, Jackie Wolak, and All-American Goalie, Kara Rahaim. How great were they and how do you begin to try and fill those positions?
CF: I was lucky to have such a special group. There were those two, but really from top to bottom, any one of those players was exceptional. I never try to replace players, it’s more figuring out the best roles for our players.
K: In your first season, you went 23-2, winning league, county and group 4 state titles only to come up a hair short in the TOC Semis in a 11-10 loss to eventual Champion, Moorestown. That’s an impressive rookie campaign. What are you looking forward to most this season?
CF: Every season is just about what this team can bring and how far we can go, really enjoying the process. You can get caught up in the wins and losses but I really try to keep the team grounded, the everyday grind of what we’re doing. If we’re doing that, the end result will come. And I think when you go through a season and you look back at last year, are there things we could have done differently? Yeah, sure. What could we do better? How much more can we give? How much more can we learn? So that we don’t feel this way at the end of the season.
K: You had a great quote after that Moorestown game, you said "They compete and always put the team ahead of themselves. To not come out on top in this game is tough, but there's so much more to it. There's life lessons that they can take for the rest of their life." Is this what you hope your players walk away with from their time playing under you?
CF: I always try to make them understand and see that life is too short and it’s really about the experiences you walk away from. Luckily in college, my sister was two years younger than me, we all have the same best friends. The same group of people for the rest of our lives. If everyday they come and give all they have, they walk away saying ‘These are the best friends I’ve ever had. This is the best experience I’ve ever had.’ Then to me, as a coach, I feel I’ve done a good job. The wins and losses are a byproduct of what we’re doing and who we are becoming as people. I really believe that.
