Becca Guethler helped the Rising Sun girls lacrosse team make history during her playing days. Seven years later, Guethler is hoping to guide the Tigers to more success. She was the Tigers' top goal scorer and driving force behind a team that won a region title in 2008. It was the first county lacrosse team to advance to the state's final four and remains the lone Cecil girls' squad to achieve that feat. After graduating from Wilmington University, Guethler spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach, first under Don Barclay and last year with Ryan Crouse. When Crouse became Rising Sun's athletic director in September, the head coaching job opened. "I thought, 'oh, this is my chance to claim that position'," Guethler said. She didn't have to campaign for the job. Crouse reached out to her and she was hired. Less than 10 years after playing lacrosse for the first time, Guethler is now in charge of her alma mater's program. As a freshman, Guethler was a member of the track team. She joined the lacrosse squad as a sophomore. Then-coach Amy Pincock (now Amy Beard) first put Guethler in goal, which didn't suit her aggressive style. "I told Coach Pincock, 'I don't think I want to be a goalie anymore'," Guethler recalls. Pincock agreed to give her a chance. Guethler scored a goal soon after the switch and her goalie days were over for good. After earning team MVP honors and sparking the Tigers to the region title, she was a four-year starter at Wilmington, team captain her senior season, and was named a second team all-conference selection. Guethler said she hadn't considered becoming a lacrosse coach until her senior year at Wilmington. She would come back to Rising Sun to watch her sister, Catherine, play for the Tigers. "It's hard to stay quiet on the sidelines," she said. "After a while, I thought, I'm very knowledgeable about the game. I should put that to use and coach." Guethler is a seventh grade special education teacher at Perryville Middle School. As a coach, she experiences some of the same joys that teaching provides. "As a teacher, when you teach someone to do something and then you see them do it, it makes you feel good," she says. Guethler says former Rising Sun field hockey coach Linda Saubier has a big influence on her coaching style. Guethler, who is also an assistant field hockey coach at Rising Sun, helped the Tigers win a state title while playing for Saubier. Guethler says she learned about building a program with the varsity and JV working together and building camaraderie. Guethler is a fierce competitor but also sees the value of forming friendships through sports. Two of her best friends – Whitney Diehl, who played lacrosse and field hockey with Guethler at Rising Sun, and former Wilmington teammate Kaitlyn Hall – are her assistant coaches this spring. "If I can be a positive influence, I did my job," Guethler said. "If they fall in love with the game like I did, I'll be a happy coach." The Guethler family has been a huge part of Rising Sun sports over the years. The patriarch, John Guethler, was a standout basketball player for the Tigers. Mom Julie Guethler has long been involved with school organizations and is one of the Tigers' most vocal supporters. Becca's siblings – Sam, Andrew and Catherine – each participated in several different sports in addition to being active with the Cecil County Fair. She 's happy to be coaching at her alma mater. "I'm fortunate and very thankful," Guethler said. "I feel like God put me in the right spot." Comments are closed.
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