Assistant coach
Max Silberlicht took over as head coach of the Latvian National Team in the fall of 2016 and recently completed a development camp that served as a tryout for the national team. Below is Silberlicht's journey to his current role and a recap of the August camp.
The Latvians first participated in an international lacrosse competition at the 2006 World Championships in London, Ontario, and they have only missed one major international tournament since. Latvia has competed in the 2008 and 2016 European Championships as well as the 2010 and 2014 World Championships.
I became involved with the Latvians in 2011 when I organized and led an US-based club team to play in Jelgava, Latvia, against the Latvian National Team and the Polish National Team. Ever since, I have been involved with the program as an assistant coach, helping develop the sport in the country and preparing the team for each international competition. I have traveled to Latvia during August of the years there were no championships to be the curriculum director for a national team development camp (2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017). During summers with either a European Championship or World Championship, I have acted as an assistant coach to Paul Dzintars Kalnins, who has been the head coach since the program's inception. Paul, a fellow Hobart alum, has been gracious enough to make my every interaction with the lacrosse orogram a great one. But it was the lacrosse players of Latvia that have made and continue to make my involvement special and extremely rewarding.
My first international tournament experience with the program was at the 2014 World Championship in Denver. Latvia finished 19th (out of 39) coming up one goal short against Wales for an opportunity to play in the 17th place game. This was the highest finish the program had ever achieved. Statistically, the team also set new records, scoring the second most goals in the entire tournament as well as having the tournament's leading assist man wearing the Latvian Red and White.
In 2016, the team traveled to Budapest to compete in the European Championship and was placed in the toughest group with European powers England and Germany. In one of the best games of the tournament, Latvia lost to England, the eventual gold medal winners, 11-9. The previous meeting of England and Latvia was a 26-4 loss for the Latvians in Finland in 2008. Although it was the same outcome in 2016, it was a significant result for the players and the team that solidified the country's standing in the European lacrosse community. The team finished ninth in the tournament (due to Germany and England advancing out of the group), but was arguably the fourth-best team at the event.
People know who the Latvians are because of their fast-paced, passionate, and most of all, aggressive and physical play between the lines. It has been a pleasure to work with these men for six years and to watch them continue to develop. They play the game for the purest of reasons; not to be recruited to a school with the highest rank in the Princeton Review, but because they are passionate about lacrosse, each other and wearing the colors for their homeland of Latvia.
The team is lead on the field by native Latvians Gints Gutmans (midfield), Gadis Zeps (midfield), Jurgis Pucka (defense) and the Stabulnieks brothers, Kaspars (midfield) and Miks (midfield). They are aided by three Latvian-Americans: Chris Zarins (Siena '09, attack), Eli Lasada (Albany '15, attack) and Riley Lasda (Albany '17, defense).
When not training at a national team development camp, there are four clubs around the country that play against each other in the Latvian Lakross League. Druva Dynamite (Druva) have a dynasty, winning eight league titles in a row. Archers LC (Riga), Riga Griffins (Riga) and Mitava LC (Jelgava), the oldest club, round out the league.
My role changed from assistant coach to head coach in the fall of 2016. I also assumed the lead role for fundraising in the United States. Krisjanis Volf, a former defender for the Latvian National Team (Riga - Archers LC) with experience in two European Championships and two World Championships, will assume assistant coaching responsibilities. He is also the Latvian Lakross Federation president and has done a great job leading the lacrosse community in the country during his three-year tenure.
From Aug. 12-20, Krisjanis and I held a national development camp and tryouts in Ventspils. Following the event, the Latvians hosted Norway and the Netherlands in Ventspils for a friendly tournament. The Latvians fell behind during both games, but found ways to win in the end. First, they beat the Netherlands in overtime, 12-10 (international rules call for two full four-minute OT periods). Latvia then beat Norway on the same day, 11-8 (after trailing 4-0 after the first quarter and 4-3 at the half) to capture the Ventspils Lacrosse Open title.
Krisjanis and I are excited about the direction of the program and look forward to the challenge of the 2018 World Championships in Netanya, Israel, with this talented and passionate group of men.
