Andrew Roswell, the boys’ lacrosse assistant coach of five years, will be head coaching this upcoming spring season, taking over for Ryan Foringer. 

Foringer led the team through multiple successful seasons during his 6-year tenure with the Vikings, including scoring the most goals per game in the county last year and sending multiple players to play at the Division 1 and Division 3 collegiate levels.

Roswell previously played Big Ten Lacrosse at the University of Michigan while receiving a bachelor’s degree in Arts Economics. After graduating from college in 2017, he moved to the Bethesda area for a job offer and began volunteering with the boys’ lacrosse team at Whitman. As an assistant coach, Roswell specialized in coaching the offensive side of the ball, as he played offense in college.

Although his days as an athlete are over, knowledge passed down to him from previous coaches throughout his career and his own experience playing Division 1 Lacrosse has motivated him to stay around the sport, he said.

“Lacrosse taught me a lot of life lessons, so naturally I wanted to stay close to the game and fill the role of coaching,” Roswell said. “I’ve had a great experience trying to bring the fun in lacrosse to other players.”

Lacrosse is a team game that combines all aspects of team sports, such as playmaking abilities, physicality, and endurance, Roswell said. For him, lacrosse’s culture is special because every player’s effort, not just one, is central to a team’s success.

In the upcoming season, Roswell said he looks to build on the team’s successful past while also having a good time.

“The goal is to win a state championship. We have a great culture in place, and we’re looking to continue and improve upon that,” he said. “We’re going to work really hard, but we’re also going to have fun.” 

As a familiar face in the lacrosse program, many players are excited to have Roswell as the new head coach. Junior midfielder Ben Ersek praised Roswell for his consistency and the positive relationships he has fostered with players.

“I thought hiring Coach Roswell was a great decision because of his familiarity with the boys’ lacrosse program,” Ersek said. “I think Roswell will build off the success we had last year and continually pressure us to get better every day.”

Once the lacrosse season begins in March, Coach Roswell and the Vikes will begin their quest for a Maryland 4A State Championship. Roswell pledges that once the team takes the field, fans can expect to see a fast, physical and exciting brand of lacrosse. 

“We have a great group of guys who are hungry to compete and play as a team,” Roswell said. “We have a great community at Whitman and we look forward to playing in front of a loud and exciting environment at Jerome Marco Stadium.”