As a man from Canada, coaching lacrosse at a school in Texas was quite a change of pace and a far way from home for Ethan Walker. Despite his nationwide travel and his ever-adapting lifestyle, one aspect of his life remains constant: his love for lacrosse. Going into the spring season, assistant coach Ethan Walker plans to give back to the lacrosse community with his wealth of experience and wisdom alongside head coach Trey Whitty.
Born in Peterborough, Canada, Ethan Walker took up lacrosse at a young age. At the age of 15, he was given a scholarship to play high school lacrosse at Culver Academy in Indiana, leaving his hometown to pursue his passion. While at Culver, Walker would play across the East coast, playing against Whitty when he coached in McDonogh, Md.
After high school, Walker played lacrosse for the University of Denver for five years, improving his game. Due his successful college career, Walker was drafted into both the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
“That’s kind of what I do on the weekends,” Walker said. “You know, you fly out on a Friday, play a game on a Saturday, fly back here to Dallas on Sunday. Playing lacrosse and being able to coach at the same time is pretty cool.”
While playing for the Philadelphia Waterdogs of the PLL and the Albany Firewolves of the NLL as a professional, Walker traveled across the country and coached the younger generation. While living in Kansas City, Walker’s wife, a professional soccer player for the USL Super League, signed a contract with Dallas Trinity FC in 2024. Walker moved, yet again, to Dallas, where he met with some of his former teammates.
“I had never really been to Texas before,” Walker said. “I think that the talent level in Dallas is getting pretty close to some of these other major hubs around the U.S.”
After meeting with his friends, Walker was told about the presence that Whitty, one of his rival coaches as a kid, had in Dallas lacrosse. Walker reconnected with Whitty, helping him with his program over the summer.
“I was fortunate enough to work with Trey (Whitty)all last summer because he runs a club program called ADVNC,” Walker said. “It’s a travel club that plays in tournaments all over the US. I moved here, and within a week, I was in the game of lacrosse in the Dallas area. So that was really special to see.”
Following his help with ADVNC, Whitty offered Walker the opportunity to coach varsity lacrosse for the spring season, introducing Walker to the community here. With 24 years of experience under his belt, Walker plans to impact the players the same way he did when coaching throughout his journey to Dallas.
“I’ve played under a lot of tremendous men who have arguably been some of the best coaches in the game of lacrosse,” Walker said. “It’s only fitting that I help give back and teach these kids all these little things that I’ve learned over the years.”