Max Troha heard the applause of parents as he walked onto the field to address the Webster Groves lacrosse team for the final time as their coach.
Amid his fourth season at the helm of the boys lacrosse program, Troha was notified on March 24 that he was being removed as coach, effective immediately, three games into the schedule.
“The Webster Groves Lacrosse Club and Max Troha mutually agreed to part ways on Mar. 24, 2023,” Board president Dave Kane wrote in response to an inquiry from Metro Sports STL. “We have hired five interim coaches – Thomas Harrelson and Jackson Cooley who were our former JV coaches, and Will Tegenkamp, Max Hartrich and Will Hartrich, all former Webster Groves players.
The WGLC remains committed to the remainder of the Woodchuck season and we look forward to the future of our club. We will commence our search and hiring process for a new head coach at the end of the 2023 season.”
Lacrosse is considered a ‘club’ sport in Missouri. It is not sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Athletic Association and does not fall under the purview of a school’s athletic department.
The boys lacrosse team goes by the nickname “Woodchucks,” rather than the “Statesmen” used by the Webster Groves high school athletic teams, and like many club teams, is governed by a parent board – a handful of parent volunteers that control the finances and the hiring and firing of coaches.
After an 0-6 start last season, Troha guided the Woodchucks to eight wins in their final 11 games, including a playoff victory over O’Fallon.
Webster Groves began the 2023 season with a 1-2 record, sandwiching a win against O’Fallon between losses to Chaminade and Summit, which are a combined 11-2 this year.
Troha was preparing his team for a stretch of four games in 13 days when he was informed of his dismissal. He asked the parent board for a final chance to address the team.
Former board president Stacy Bacilek was present for that address.
“It was incredibly upsetting. One of the moms was crying and shaking. People were so upset because (Troha) has done so much for our kids,” said Bacilek, who stepped down as board president the year after her son Jake graduated in 2021.
Hired in 2019, Troha helped secure donations for a weight room, tutored players when school buildings were closed during COVID-19, fundraised to help players purchase lacrosse gear and helped design the Woodchucks logo.
While not given a clear reason for his dismissal, Troha believes it stems from an issue with helmets.
Last season, Troha helped secure donations for the purchase of orange, varsity-only helmets. Before issuing the 26 orange helmets this season, Troha wanted to further evaluate players during the three games prior to Spring Break before finalizing the varsity roster.
“When they got back from Spring Break, they were going to get them,” Troha said.
The Woodchucks opened their 2023 campaign wearing their older, black helmets, which continued to meet National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) safety specifications.
Over the first three games, three different Webster Groves players suffered a concussion. Troha believes the board associated the use of the older helmets with the concussions.
“What the board told me, and what the board is not communicating directly to the parents, is that the reason behind my termination is that I had created a safety risk by not outfitting players in the most up-to-date helmet,” Troha said.
He added, “The kids were never in any danger from wearing those (black) helmets.”
In the first game without Troha on March 29, a 15-3 loss to John Burroughs, the Woodchucks wore their new orange helmets. Five different coaches were relaying instructions to players from the sideline, often simultaneously.
At halftime, the Woodchucks gathered in a back corner of an end zone at Moss Field less than 50 feet from a table where concessions were being sold and near the track that provides a walkway for spectators. In the approximately 10 seconds I was within earshot of their halftime meeting, the f-word was used by a coach speaking to the players.
“I’ve discussed that with them,” Kane said in a phone call. “We’re aware and I let them know.”
Upon the request of parents, a special board meeting was held Monday in the community room at the Webster Groves Public Library in hopes of having Troha reinstated through the remainder of the season, an agreement Troha indicated he would accept.
“It was standing room only,” said Bacilek. “Our whole point to the board was to compromise with us. Bring (Troha) back to finish the season. Keep the (interim) coaches on staff. Right now, these gentlemen who are coaching don’t have a coach mentor.”
Five parents and seven current players, at least one representing each graduation class, spoke on Troha’s behalf.
In a petition distributed among the non-board member parents, 22 out of 31 high school families (71 percent) requested his reinstatement.
“We thought it was really important to have that in writing,” Bacilek said.
On Wednesday morning, the board released a statement to its members that Metro Sports STL obtained. It said in part:
“…After carefully considering all the comments made Monday night and the parent petition, the Board maintains our mutual agreement to part ways with Coach Troha… We believe this was the best decision for the entirety of the Club, however, we recognize and respect the differing opinions and feelings on the issue.
…Our desire is that we can move forward together as a Club with the current interim coaching staff and in full support of the players at all levels as they continue with their season…”
In response to the Troha dismissal, two assistant coaches resigned – Sean Darroch, a National Lacrosse League (NLL) draft pick who played for Team Scotland, and Matt Martyn, a current 5th year player at Maryville University.
During Bacilek’s tenure as board president, many guiding principles of the club were understood and unwritten, but that changed this fall, when board members enacted a lengthy document of bylaws, that, according to Bacilek, was not shared with or approved by non-board members.
“The bylaws allow them to have 100 percent power,” Bacilek said. “They state that by registering a player, you agree to the bylaws, and there is no recourse for parents who disagree with a board decision.”
Bacilek believes that all parent boards should consider putting safeguards in place for the future.
“Where we messed up as a Webster Groves lacrosse club is that we didn’t have any official bylaws in place when I stepped down as president. I should have put in place an impartial, governing body that has oversight over the board,” Bacilek said.
Troha, who has coached with Project Midwest, on the national club level and as an assistant coach with Maryville University, has received inquiries from several lacrosse teams to join their staffs.
While disappointed in his removal from the program he helped grow, Troha also worries about the future for club lacrosse programs and coaches.
“This can happen to any coach. I’m afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Troha said.