About Oak City Lacrosse
Oak City Lacrosse Academy is dedicated to providing outstanding youth level instruction in a positive, athlete-centered development environment. We believe that youth sports should be fun, positive, challenging and give players, coaches and parents the opportunity to demonstrate good character, effort, hard work, teamwork and passion. All Oak City coaches are in the US Lacrosse coach development and certification pipeline.
We promote the lessons and philosophy of the Positive Coaching Alliance, which focuses on using youth sports to teach life lessons, hard work, sportsmanship, integrity, personal responsibility and selflessness. All of our coaches have completed at least one Positive Coaching Alliance module and are "Double Goal" coaches.
At Oak City Lacrosse, we strive to provide athlete-centered coaching using the lacrosse athlete development model which stresses overall athlete development and recognizes that the age and physical development of children requires coaches to tailor their trainings to the age and physical literacy of the players they have. We aren't trying to implement college-level lacrosse to 3rd graders and we aren't asking experienced players to do drills that teach skills they have already mastered. Oak City coaches are striving to implement high-level lacrosse concepts to experienced lacrosse players capable of understanding them. Our coaches meet the players where they are, from beginner to experienced, travel-level youth players hungry to learn advanced concepts.
Oak City provides a supportive coaching environment and uses competition in training and games to challenge, motivate and improve player skills. We believe that players improve the most when they are playing and training with other players that have a similar skill level. When possible, we will group players by age AND skill in trainings and place players on teams by both age and skill to provide every player with the best experience possible.
Coaches BiographiesAll Oak City Lacrosse coaches are in the US Lacrosse coach certification pipeline and are in the process of advancing their coaching knowledge through continuing education.
Matt Peterson - Director Coach Peterson played at UC Santa Barbara from 1986-1989 and then played post-collegiate lacrosse for Washington (DC) Lacrosse Club, was a founder and team captain for Team AOL/Arlington, VA Lacrosse. Coach Peterson was a member of the Vail Lacrosse Shootout tournament staff for 17 years and has played in national tournaments (Vail, Ocean City, Lake Placid) and international tournaments (Amsterdam). Coach Peterson continues to play for Raleigh Lacrosse Club and in national tournaments.
Coaching Experience -
US Lacrosse National Coach Trainer for Level 1 and Level 2 trainings.
[email protected]
US Lacrosse Level 3 certified coach
2003-2007 NC State University Men's Team Head Coach
2014-2016 Carolina Cannons U9 Travel coach
2011-Present - Youth recreation coach for K-2, Grade 3-4 and Grade 5-6 teams
2018-19 Team91 2025 Coach
George Francis
George is in his second season as a lacrosse coach at Oak City and holds a US Lacrosse Level 1 coaching certification and a US Soccer coaching certification. George coached the Oak City Mohawk Grade 5-6th team last season and will again be one of our Grade 5-7 coaches. Alex ReynesAlex is returning for his second year of coaching at Oak City Lacrosse Club. Alex played college lacrosse at Montana State University and still plays lacrosse in the Triangle on a men's club team. Alex coached youth club and recreation lacrosse at the middle school and grade school level in Scottsdale, Arizona before relocating to Raleigh in 2018.
Dave Shuma Originally from New Jersey, Dave has over 38 years of experience playing, coaching and holding administrative positions in the lacrosse community. After his career at Hunterdon Central High School in Flemington, NJ he played collegiately and graduated from West Chester University of PA (NCAA DIII), starting over 20 games in goal during his 4 years. After college, Dave continued playing competitively for a number of club lacrosse teams in the Central Atlantic Lacrosse League (CALL) and Philadelphia Men’s Summer Lacrosse League. He coached in Tampa, FL for 8+ years and served as Vice President and President of the Board for New Tampa Raiders Lacrosse Club. His family relocated to Raleigh in 2019 and is excited to continue helping grow the game
Recent Experience:
Youth Lacrosse Coach (assistant and head coach) for 6 years at U8-U12.
Goalie Coach, New Tampa Chill Lacrosse Club – 2013 to 2014
Goalie Coach, Wharton High School, Tampa, FL – 2011 to 2014
Team91Carolina 2028 Coach (travel)
Robert Morrison
Robert Morrison was a 4 year midfielder and was selected as team captain Catawba University's lacrosse team in 2019. Robert played all four years in college and was 4th on the team in points as a midfielder in 2019. This is his first year coaching lacrosse after playing in college. He is currently in the process of US Lacrosse Level 1 Coaching Certification and lives in Raleigh.
Matt Wimsatt
Jonathan Batsel
Eduardo JimenezCoach Jimenez grew up in NJ and was introduced to Lacrosse late in HS. Coach Jimenez played in college as a goalie at Stevens Institute of Technology. After college, Coach Jimenez played club lacrosse and practiced with the Wesleyan club team in Rocky Mount, NC.
Coaching experience:
2017-Present (1st-4th) Parish Athletics Soccer (North Raleigh) Co-ed community league that focuses on skill development, team work, and sportsmanship.
2016-1019 (5th-8th) Rival Rage Girls Lacrosse (Ravenscroft). Assistant Coach 5th - 7th and Coach 8th grade. Assisted during Fall Clinic 6th-8th.
Tom Walton Coach Walton is a former D-III player; he played post college lacrosse with the Atlanta Lacrosse Club and has coached for various Raleigh Area youth and middle school teams. Coach Walton's son was a top HS player in the Triangle.