Mark Wattenbarger
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- Title:
- Assistant Coach
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- Email:
- mwattenbarger@lakeforest.edu
Mark Wattenbarger joined the Forester men's lacrosse coaching staff before the 2022 season.
Lake Forest was 13-5 overall and captured a Midwest Lacrosse Conference title in 2023 with a perfect 5-0 record in league play. The Foresters also made the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Ten players on the team earned All-MLC honors, including four on the first team.
The Foresters are 21-12 overall and 10-1 in the MLC since Wattenbarger came to the College. Players on the team have garnered 17 All-MLC selections, including five first team acoclades, during that span.
Wattenbarger grew up playing lacrosse locally in Wilmette. Playing club for Team Illinois and high school with head coach Phil Dodson at New Trier. He went on to play collegiately at Butler University. After college Wattenbarger played abroad in London with Team UK and in Australia.
Wattenbarger’s 15 years of coaching experience started when he came back to the Chicagoland area and was the Director of Lacrosse for a lacrosse training company called Sports Made Personal. After six years in the training world, SMP acquired the boys club Team ONE and Wattenbarger seized the opportunity to help start a girls' branch, which has grown to be the top girls club in the Midwest. After four years as the club director with the girls, Wattenbarger shifted back to the boys' side of Team ONE.
Eventually Wattebarger retired from Club Director to pursue a path in education, earning a masters degree and license in teaching from National Louis University. Currently Wattenbarger teaches fifth grade and can still be found on the boys and girls Team ONE sidelines.
