Break Us Down - Big Time!
/The greatest legacy we leave behind will not be the games we won, but the lives we changed.
This past Saturday, October 17, I had the incredible honor of being inducted into the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) Hall of Fame.
To say I am humbled and grateful would be an understatement.
First, I want to thank Joe Baccarella, John Kenney, Ren Pettinelli, Chuck Ruebling, and the entire NILCA organization for this extraordinary honor. Congratulations to my fellow inductees in the Class of 2026. To be recognized alongside such accomplished coaches and outstanding individuals is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Part of my speech is intertwined with this Blog Post.
But as I reflected on this special weekend, I realized something.
This honor isn't really about me. It's about the people who have been part of my journey.
A Lifetime of Lacrosse, Relationships, and Lessons
I spent 34 years on Wall Street, where success was measured by production, revenue, and the bottom line.
I've also spent more than four decades coaching lacrosse, where success is often measured by wins, losses, championships, and individual accomplishments.
But as I've gotten older, I've learned that the most meaningful things in life cannot be measured by numbers.
They're measured in relationships.
They're measured by the lives we touch.
And they're measured by the kind of men and women we help develop along the way.
When we began growing lacrosse in Georgia in the early 1990s, we didn't have the facilities, resources, or opportunities that exist today. What we had was a passion for this wonderful game and a belief that lacrosse could change lives.
I've been fortunate to coach at Holy Innocents, Pace Academy, Riverwood International School, Marist, Fellowship Christian, the Atlanta Coyotes and now the University of Georgia. I've also had the privilege of working with thousands of players, coaches, officials, and volunteers through USA Lacrosse and countless clinics and educational programs.
And here's something I've come to understand.
The players have taught me just as much as I've taught them.
They've taught me patience, humility, perseverance, and the importance of relationships.
And believe me, some of them required a whole lot of patience!
Thank You to the Coaches Who Shaped Me
Nobody develops a coaching philosophy entirely on their own.
Throughout my life, I've been fortunate to learn from outstanding coaches, teachers, and mentors who influenced not only how I coach but also how I approach leadership, discipline, teamwork, and life.
I want to recognize my High School Coaches Mr, Don Bohlinger, Mr. Tom Howard, Mr. Rich Krumholz, Mr. John Ehlers, and Mr. Robert Ziegler, Mr. Rich Rowcroft.
Each of these men helped shape my understanding of what it means to be a coach and a leader.
I also want to thank my college coaches, Ted Petersen and Mike Malet, who continued that education and influenced so many aspects of my coaching mindset.
Looking back, I realize how much of what I teach today comes from lessons these men shared with me decades ago.
Some lessons were about strategy and execution.
Others were about preparation, accountability, discipline, and commitment.
But the most important lessons were about character.
Great coaches don't simply teach you how to play a game. They teach you how to approach life.
I hope I've been able to pass along some of their wisdom to the thousands of young men I've coached over the years.
The Shady Acres Crew — Friendships That Last a Lifetime
One of the greatest blessings of this Hall of Fame weekend was celebrating with people who have been part of my life for decades.
My longtime teammates and dear friends Tom Cooney, Roger Coleman, and Tony Luisi, along with their wonderful wives Simone, Margo, and Cathy, have always showered me with love and friendship.
I also want to recognize my great friends and teammates Dave Whelly, John Levy, Rick Baretta, and Vince Ambroselli — the Shady Acres crew! My High School friends and Teammates, Vinny Pariso, Tony Sacco, Gary Ruta, Jimmy Burden, Paul Bohlinger, Steve Bohlinge and Donny Bolinger - I know I missed a lot of folks but know you are in my heart always.
All of my assistant coaches over the last forty something years which are to many to list in this blog.
These friendships are priceless.
We've shared laughter, stories, competition, memories, and the many ups and downs that life brings.
As we get older, I think we begin to appreciate these relationships even more.
The friendships we developed as young men have endured through marriages, careers, children, grandchildren, successes, disappointments, and life's unexpected challenges.
There's something very special about being around people who knew you long before any Hall of Fame recognition.
They knew you when you were just another kid trying to figure things out!
And they still love you anyway.
To all of you, thank you for being part of my life and for the friendship and love you've given me over so many years.
Family — My Greatest Blessing
I also want to thank my brother Perry, who helped develop my competitive spirit through countless one-on-one football games in our backyard and even designed the uniforms for our legendary Fourth Street Vikings. My older brothers Frank and Al for beating me up everyday and using me as an experiment “Let’s get Louie to do it”. These words came out often and I always had to be the first to try something that they concocted on a daily basis. I guess this gave me toughness and it didn't screw me up too bad.
My sister Debbie was practically my second mother growing up, although she was a little more forgiving than Mom, who famously told us not to come into the house unless our eyes were bleeding!
To my beautiful FIRST wife, Mary Jo, thank you for your love, patience, understanding, and support.
Anyone who has coached understands that coaching is never simply a commitment made by the coach. It's a commitment made by the entire family.
There have been thousands of practices, games, road trips, late-night phone calls, and weekends spent on lacrosse fields.
Through it all, Mary Jo has been my greatest teammate and I love her for all of her support.
To my daughter Caitlin, thank you for the love, strength, and joy you bring to our family. I am so proud of you.
I am incredibly blessed to have you both in my life.
"Break Us Down, Big Time!"
Many of my former players and fellow coaches will recognize a phrase I've used for years.
At the end of practice or before a game, I often select a player to break down our team huddle.
And I always say:
"BREAK US DOWN, BIG TIME!"
It's become one of my coaching trademarks.
It's a simple tradition, but one that represents enthusiasm, teamwork, leadership, and the importance of bringing everyone together.
Well, this weekend that phrase came back to me in a way I never expected.
Two wonderful young ladies I had the privilege of working with at USA Lacrosse, Marisa Sergio and Robyn Clary, presented me with a beautiful card that read:
"YOU'RE BIG TIME NOW!"
I absolutely loved it.
But what made that card so special wasn't simply the humor or the connection to one of my favorite coaching expressions.
It was the thoughtfulness and love behind it.
Those who know me well understand that I save every card, letter, and note I've received from players, parents, coaches, and colleagues over the years.
Some thank me for coaching their sons or daughters.
Others express appreciation for helping them develop as coaches, sharing drills, teaching X's and O's, or simply being there when they needed advice.
I save them all.
Not because I need recognition, but because those messages remind me why I've devoted so much of my life to coaching and helping others.
The relationships are the reward.
Marisa and Robyn's card is now sitting on my desk.
Every time I look at it, I smile.
It reminds me of the tremendous love, kindness, and friendship I've been fortunate enough to experience during my time on this wonderful planet.
And it reminds me that the impact we have on others often comes back to us in ways we never anticipate.
Thank you, Marisa and Robyn. Your thoughtful gesture means more to me than you know.
And yes, ladies, apparently I'm BIG TIME now!
Gordon's Legacy — Take Care of Your Crew
As wonderful as this weekend was, there was one person I desperately wished could have been there to share it with us.
Our son, Gordon.
As many of you know, we lost Gordon to suicide in December 2022.
Gordon loved lacrosse. He played the game, officiated at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, and dedicated his professional career to helping others through USA Lacrosse.
He believed deeply in the lacrosse community and the relationships that make our sport so special.
One of Gordon's favorite sayings was:
"Take Care of Your Crew."
Those five words have become a guiding principle for our family and the work Mary Jo and I do through the Gordon J. Corsetti Mental Agility Foundation.
As coaches, we're trained to recognize mistakes on the field.
We notice when a player misses a slide, drops a pass, or fails to execute a clear.
But can we recognize when that same young man or women is struggling emotionally?
Can we recognize when someone needs encouragement, understanding, or simply someone willing to listen?
Through Gordon's Foundation, we've made it our mission to promote mental wellness, suicide prevention, compassion, and the importance of being there for one another.
I believe coaches have an extraordinary opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in young people's lives.
Sometimes the most important conversation you'll ever have with a player won't be about lacrosse. It will be about life.
And if there is one thing I hope people remember from my Hall of Fame induction, it is the importance of taking care of one another.
Yesterday Is Gone. Tomorrow Is Not Guaranteed. Today Is a Present.
For years, I've reminded my players of something I believe deeply.
Yesterday is gone.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
And today is a present — a gift from God.
What we do with that gift matters.
We can spend our lives chasing championships, promotions, financial success, recognition, and accomplishments.
There's nothing wrong with competing, working hard, or striving to be successful.
But when our journey on this earth is complete, what will really matter?
I believe it will be the relationships we built.
The people we helped.
The love we shared.
The kindness we showed.
And the difference we made in someone else's life.
This Hall of Fame recognition is something I will always treasure.
But the cards sitting on my desk, the friendships that have lasted decades, the young men I've coached, and the love of my family are the things that give this honor its true meaning.
A Heart Full of Gratitude
To NILCA, my fellow inductees, the coaches who mentored me, my former players, their parents, my USA Lacrosse colleagues, my lifelong friends, the Shady Acres crew, and especially my family, thank you.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for supporting me.
Thank you for challenging me.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives.
And thank you for the love you've shown me throughout this journey.
I often tell people that coaching is not simply about developing great athletes.
It's about developing great people.
And perhaps the greatest gift of coaching is discovering how much those people have helped develop you in return.
As I said during my induction speech:
"The greatest legacy we leave behind will not be the games we won, but the lives we changed."
And if Gordon were standing beside me today, I know exactly what he would say.
"Take Care of Your Crew."
God bless you all, and God bless this wonderful game of lacrosse.
And one last thing...
BREAK US DOWN, BIG TIME!
With love and gratitude,
Lou Corsetti
Head Coach, University of Georgia Men's Lacrosse
NILCA Hall of Fame — Class of 2026
Georgia Lacrosse Hall of Fame — Class of 2011
President, Gordon J. Corsetti Mental Agility Foundation
