BALTIMORE, Feb. 6, 2013 — US Lacrosse has announced Mike Jolly of Clinton, Mich., as the 2012 Gerald J. Carroll Exemplary Coaching Award recipient. Jolly has served in his current coaching capacity for the De La Salle Collegiate High School varsity boys’ lacrosse team for the past 29 years and has coached numerous football, basketball and baseball teams for more than five decades, dating back to 1960.
The Gerald J. Carroll Award was established in 1994 and annually recognizes one boys’ high school coach nationwide. The award measures the success of a coach not in victories but in the care and guidance he gives to the balanced development of the young men who play the game.
“The Gerry Carroll Award is the highest honor that I have received because of the man for whom it is named, what it represents and because it is completely unexpected,” said Jolly. “I accept it on the condition that I do so not only for myself but especially for the countless coaches who may never know the grateful, humble feeling that I’m experiencing but who are equally or even more deserving. A special thank you to my wife, Gay, because without her support and generosity I would have never been able to devote so much of my life to coaching.”
In his nomination letter on behalf of Jolly, Jason Gratson, a former player and assistant coach wrote, “Coach Jolly drives young men to succeed at life. From my first day coaching with him it was clear he was not only coaching and mentoring his players, but he was teaching me to be a positive leader as well. As a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance he gave me some reading material on positive reinforcement, which was used with his team on a daily basis and used regularly with individual players. Coach Jolly allows each assistant coach to pick one young man to make the team, who otherwise may not have…To Coach Jolly, taking a player under our collective wings and helping him through a tough point in his life was always more important than wins and losses.”
“Going into our twentieth season of assisting the Carroll family in giving this award, we are humbled every year by the wonderful individuals like Mr. Jolly whose nomination forms make it to our desks,” said Ann Carpenetti, US Lacrosse managing director of game administration. “The award embodies the qualities and achievements that coaches across all sports should strive to achieve. We were impressed with Mr. Jolly’s accomplishments both on and off the field and are honored to name him the 2012 recipient.”
US Lacrosse is accepting applications for the 2013 Gerald J. Carroll Exemplary Coaching Award starting March 1. For more information about the Gerald J. Carroll Award, please click here.
About US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse and the home of the nation’s fastest-growing sport. US Lacrosse has more than 400,000 members in 64 regional chapters across the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse provides programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the sport.
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I played for Gerry Carroll in the early 90’s. He was a tremendous man that everyone of his players could only dream to be like. He is missed.