Max Silberlicht, Head Coach of Israel Lacrosse
Max Silberlicht has played lacrosse in Berlin, Prague, Madrid, Winsor, & Jelgava. He’s coached on the first-ever lacrosse-specific field in Europe and the Middle East and worked with a crease attackman who didn’t speak a word of English. But his story starts like many others — as a kid who fell in love with sports.
He grew up in upstate New York playing soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, swam, and eventually lacrosse. “I was always a big kid,” Max jokes, crediting his early goalie skills to his size and love of competition. “I wasn’t fast by any stretch of the imagination. So if I wanted to play, it better be in a position where open field speed wasn’t needed.” Lacrosse didn’t come into the picture until the summer going into his seventh-grade year, when the older brothers of one of his friends handed him a stick. From there, he and 4 buddies rode out to Syracuse with his mother every morning for a full week of lacrosse camp at Lemoyne College with Coach Dan Sheehan and staff. After that, he was hooked.
In 9th grade, he gave up baseball and committed to lacrosse full-time. The New Hartford Varsity coaches saw potential and pushed him to pursue it seriously…or at least seriously enough to give up baseball. Even as a 3-year Varsity starter, he still wasn’t heavily recruited. He followed a friend on his official overnight college visits and eventually earned a walk-on spot at Hobart College. He didn’t get a scholarship. He didn’t initially have the spotlight…much the opposite, actually, he was the second goalie recruited in his class. But by the 7th game of his freshman year, he had worked his way to become the starter, and eventually that turned into four years of having his name called in the starting lineup for the Statesmen.
From Hobart to Europe
After college, Max found himself playing in tournaments across Europe with a group that was “friends of friends, playing under the name, “Team Gatorade.” In Berlin, he met the head coach of the Latvian national team — who was wearing a Hobart Lacrosse hat. That connection led to a friendship, which turned into coaching invitations to Riga, Druva & Ventspils Latvia. Ultimately leading to Max becoming the head coach of the Latvian National Team for the 2018 World Lacrosse Championships.
“I’m just a kid from New Hartford, New York. Next thing I know, I’m coaching The Latvian National Team on the International stage.”
Latvia was special. Not because of medals or rankings, but because of players like Chippy — a full-time auto mechanic who didn’t speak English but was one of the best crease attackmen in Europe. “He fell in love with wall ball and stringing sticks. It changed his life. And he helped us nearly take down England in 2016.”
Joining His Brother in Israel
After years with Latvia, Max was invited to become the head coach of the Israeli National Team. He hesitated. Latvia had become family. But the opportunity to reunite with his younger brother, Yakov, sealed the deal. Yakov had moved to Israel years earlier and was now the Director of Youth Development for Israel Lacrosse.
The national team is just the tip of the iceberg. The heart of the program lies in the work being done on the ground: coaching kids in underserved communities, offering structure and purpose, and giving them a safe outlet through sport.
“In Ashkelon, kids practice on a field with concrete bomb shelters nearby. It’s not theoretical. The sirens go off, and they have 15 seconds to get to safety. That’s their reality. And still, they show up to practice.”
What’s grown out of that field is remarkable. In 2018, only one player on the Israeli national team was a Sabra — someone born and raised in Israel. In 2023, there were two. And in the European Championships this summer (July 2025) there will be at least four, if not five.
And those Sabras are not just playing. They’re coaching the next generation of National Team players to represent Israel on the Lacrosse field.
The Heart of the Story
Max’s story is about more than lacrosse. It’s about believing in people when no one else does. It’s about seizing an opportunity and giving kids a shot at the one he fell in love with in 6th grade — whether in New York, Latvia, or Israel. It’s about building something that lasts.
And it’s about the people who made it possible. His New Hartford teammates, Hobart teammates. His high school & college coaches. His coaching colleagues. His Latvian and Israeli players. His brother.
“I’m just proud to be part of it. And lucky to have been given so many opportunities because of lacrosse, and seen what it can do for people who treat it with the respect it deserves.”
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Because growing the game means growing the people in it.
About Israel Lacrosse
The Israel Lacrosse Association (ILA) is the official governing body of lacrosse in Israel. Founded in 2011, the ILA is dedicated to growing the sport at every level—from grassroots youth programming to elite international competition.
Their mission goes beyond the field. Through school partnerships, community-based coaching, and player development initiatives, Israel Lacrosse aims to create more access to the game and strengthen ties between Jewish communities worldwide.
