Lee Strofe knows what it takes to be a winner, considering this last season he led Neumann Roller Hockey to its fifth national championship and third under him as the head coach.
Strofe is now in the midst of his thirteenth year as head coach and plans to lead his teams to many more championships.
He started coaching roller hockey many years ago for his kids. He was very excited to get the job for Neumann because he loves coaching.
Strofe’s coaching style is very simple: “Transparent, open-minded, just being myself.”
He takes pride in being a player’s coach, adding that he keeps in contact with many of his former players. He is also very competitive and believes that rubs off on the players.
“Who wants to play for a coach that isn't competitive?” he asked.
This was put to the test when regionals came around for the Knights last year. Regionals were held at Marple Sports Arena where the Knights won and advanced to nationals in Irvine, California.
“There were many distractions around us, but we used our downtime wisely,” the coach recalled.
This shows how disciplined the team is under Strofe.
By maintaining winning as the main goal, he did not have to do much physical coaching in California. His team knew exactly what to do.
He modestly gives all the credit to the players and assistant coaches, emphasizing that it is important to have great leadership and communication.
“Communication is the key to success.” This approach proved successful as the club brought home the national championship, beating Quinnipiac University in an excessively impressive 9-1 victory.
Interestingly enough, Strofe knew right away that his team last year would be special.
“One hundred percent, I knew right after the first weekend of games,” he said.
He had such confidence in his group that he felt it would be a disappointment to not reach the finals. He could tell by the skill that his players possessed and the cohesiveness of the group all together. Strofe knew he had the right leaders and saw how everyone strived for each other.
Looking forward to this season, he is most excited to coach some new players while also having most of the same roster as last year. It gives him a new challenge and will to win.
This year's nationals will be played in Auburn, Maine, on April 17th-21st.
The Knights are 9-7 this season, following a switch from Division 3 NCHRA to Division 2 NCHRA.
Above all else, Strofe just wants everyone to know how grateful he is for his position, wanting to make sure he gives all the credit to players, coaches, parents, and alumni.
“Go Knights,” he said.
