Kimmell takes over Warriors' boys lacrosse program

Approximately 45 aspiring Fallbrook High School boys lacrosse players tried out for the varsity and junior varsity teams Feb. 18, Feb. 20, and Feb. 21.

New Fallbrook coach Brian Kimmell kept most of those players; the varsity roster will include nearly two dozen boys while between 16 and 18 players will begin the season on the junior varsity team.

"We've got a deeper roster than we did last year," Kimmell said.

Although this is Kimmell's first season as the high school coach, he was involved in the Fallbrook youth lacrosse program last year as the head coach for the fifth-grade and sixth-grade boys.

"We've got a lot of great talented kids in the pipeline," Kimmell said.

Kimmell also has the historical knowledge of Mike Zinniger, who returns as the junior varsity head coach. The varsity assistant coaches will be Nick Vido and Elijah Zepeda. Tom Gillcrist will be the junior varsity assistant coach.

"I'm really excited for the job," Kimmell said of taking over as head coach.

In addition to coaching the high school varsity team, Kimmell will continue to coach youth clubs even though they play during the same season as the high school squads. Kimmell will be the head coach of the seventh-grade and eighth-grade boys and will also be the assistant coach for the boys in fifth and sixth grades.

"I'm quite busy right now," he said. "It's kind of hectic, but I enjoy it."

In the absence of a game, the youth practice from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the junior varsity practice is from 5 to 7 p.m., and the varsity practice is from 7 to 9 p.m. Kimmell noted that the practice schedule will allow some of the high school varsity players to provide instruction to the youth teams.

Kimmell is originally from Indiana and attended Culver Military Academy as a sophomore. That was his first experience with lacrosse.

"I really fell in love with it," he said.

As a senior, Kimmell attended a public school in Fort Wayne which had a lacrosse club but not a formal interscholastic team. Kimmell then played club college lacrosse for North Central Michigan.

At one time Kimmell expected that his lacrosse career had ended after college.

"I kind of got out of lacrosse for a little while," he said.

When Kimmell's wife obtained a job in Seattle the couple moved and Kimmell began coaching youth lacrosse. A subsequent move to Minnesota included a youth instruction role with the National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm. His role with the indoor professional team included serving as the Native American lacrosse coordinator.

Each US Lacrosse chapter has a diversity and inclusion representative whose objective is to bring players of all backgrounds to the game and to ensure that financial constraints aren't an obstacle for players. When Kimmell returned to Michigan he became the state chapter's diversity and inclusion representative, and he was also the president of a youth lacrosse league in Michigan. Two years ago Kimmell's wife obtained a position with Kashi in Solana Beach and the couple moved to northern San Diego County.

Kimmell is currently the diversity and inclusion representative for the San Diego region of US Lacrosse.