Shane Winter | Former Division 2 Lacrosse Player, Coach
When Shane Winter picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time in 8th grade at Texas Military Institute, he didn’t know what a ground ball was. He had been a basketball player like most of his friends. But something about lacrosse called to him in a way that basketball didn’t—and that spark turned into a fire.
From the moment a teammate’s errant pass landed in his stick and he instinctively picked it off, ran 30 yards, and shocked his coach, he knew he had something. “I didn’t even know what I was doing, but I knew I loved it,” Shane recalled. “I couldn’t put my stick down after that.”
Within weeks, he was promoted from JV to Varsity. By the end of his freshman year, he was All-District. The next three years, he was First Team All-State in Texas, despite having no access to club lacrosse, elite clinics, or major recruiting events.
Shane made himself recruitable by outworking everyone else. He studied the game constantly, uploaded film to YouTube, and sent it to coaches across the country. “If you want something,” he said, “you have to take the initiative to make it happen. You can’t wait for exposure—you create it.”
Choosing the Right Path, Not the Popular One
Shane eventually earned 25 college offers. But a conversation with a coach shaped the decision that changed his life: “Go where you’re needed, not just where you’re wanted.”
That mindset led him to Notre Dame of California—a program on the rise, coming off a conference championship but needing immediate impact on defense. He started all four years, captained the team as a junior and senior, and led the NCAA in caused turnovers his senior season.
He could’ve chosen a bigger-name school like Stevenson, but he knew he’d be one of 70 guys—just a number. “I didn’t want to just wear a jersey. I wanted to lead, to grow, to make a real impact.”
Lacrosse Lessons in Life & Business
Now the Director of Marketing at a retirement planning firm, Shane applies the same lessons from lacrosse to his professional world.
“Marketing is just like playing defense,” he said. “You have to understand the field, anticipate, communicate, and compete. The financial industry has heavy hitters, but I stay agile. I make sure I know who I’m up against, and I find my own way forward.”
Working in a 10-person company, he values the same things he cherished on a 38-man roster: tight-knit culture, shared goals, and knowing your effort directly impacts the team.
Advice for the Next Generation: Take the Reins
Shane sees a pattern in today’s players—many want success, but fewer are willing to do the gritty work behind the scenes.
“The kids who ‘don’t work hard’ will tell you they do. But when you love something, the work doesn’t feel hard. Passion makes effort feel natural.”
His advice? Don’t wait for someone to hand you your opportunity. Make a plan, put in the reps, and leave no room for regret.
“Everything happened the way it needed to for me. I wouldn’t have met my wife, had the career I have, or become the man I am if I hadn’t taken control of my path. You can’t leave your dream up to chance.”
