Wojcik's Gamble Pays Off With Top Harvard Lacrosse Post

A lucrative career could have been Chris Wojcik's – a life as a Wall Street trader, working for Goldman Sachs.

But there was a passion that Wojcik couldn't deny – devotion for athletics, particularly lacrosse and a sense to teach and coach.

"I've been always passionate of sports, and teaching, I've always thought it was something I wanted to do and I was courageous enough to make the move,'' said Wojcik, a 1992 Westfield High graduate. "A lot of people thought I was crazy for giving up a lucrative career on Wall Street. But most people respected me for following my heart.''

His heart has led him back to his collegiate alma mater – Harvard University where he was recently hired as head men's lacrosse coach.

"It's a dream come true,'' said Wojcik, who was the offensive coordinator at Ivy League rival Penn the past two years.

Much of what the 36-year-old will bring with him was learned on the fields of Westfield where he was a lacrosse and soccer star, helping the 1991 soccer team win a state Group IV title.

"The biggest influence I've had are my parents (Randy Sr. and Marie) and brothers (Randy Jr. and Glenn), a very strong ethic to give my best, the commitment, the dedication – those are the kinds of qualities that were instilled in me,'' said Wojcik, a member of the Westfield High School Hall of Fame and New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame. "Westfield is a great sports' town. The pride in the school's hallways was always there, the support in the school and the community rallying around their sports teams.''

Wojcik said that his coaches in high school Shaun Cherewich and Toni Bristol and youth coaches Skip Prybylski and Tom Sprague were among his mentors.
Wojcik brought his focus to Harvard after graduating from Westfield. He became a two-sport standout for the Crimson, earning lacrosse All American honors in 1996.

He was also captain of the Harvard men's soccer team, earning two All-Ivy League honors and leading the team to an Ivy League title in the fall of 1994. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard, and added a master's in secondary education and social studies from Boston College in 2007.

He certainly has a varied background.

After graduating from Harvard in 1996, Wojcik spent a half year in Holland playing semi professional soccer, and then went to Australia in 1997 to play lacrosse. In 1998, Wojcik returned to Westfield to assist the boy's team in the spring, and then started work at Goldman Sachs. He worked two years in currency trading, and another two in equity trading.

But coaching is what he really wanted.

He returned to Harvard at the start of 2003 and spent five years there as an assistant to longtime coach Scott Anderson. He left Harvard in 2007 and coached at Bowdoin in 2008. The last two years Wojcik served as offensive coordinator at Penn where the Quakers averaged 10.2 goals per game. The team also led the Ivy League with the extra man at 53 percent and third in the country.

"My philosophy is an uptempo attack,'' said Wojcik, who will spend the summer recruiting and working camps. "Upbeat and fast pace.''

He finished his career at Harvard with 134 career points on 89 goals and 45 assists, placing him first among midfielders and 15^th overall all-time on the program's scoring list. In 2006, he directed a Harvard offense that contributed to the team's first NCAA berth in 10 years. He is eager to help the Crimson get back there, and also mentor the young athletes he'll be coaching.

"I can tell the players that I was in their shoes,'' said Wojcik. "I know the path, the blue print at Harvard. It might not be the exact same blueprint, but I can relate and mentor and guide them.''