Jeff Brameier has been a prominent legend in Darien for the past few decades. It's not just his leadership as the Darien High School Lacrosse Coach that many may know him by, but also the impact he has had on the lives of the young athletes he has coached for the past 40 years. He has led the team to hundreds of wins throughout the years and various State Championship titles. He has not just coached lacrosse to the youth but through his leadership, he is able to share valuable lessons that they can carry through everyday life and into the future.
For Darien Lifestyle's men's issue, we could not think of anyone better to highlight than someone like Coach Brameier, who truly defines the value of community and the importance of quality leadership.
DL: What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership comes from those that possess self-awareness. One of the most important qualities of a good leader is self-awareness and finding ways to get others to follow suit. To lead you have to garner credibility by displaying positive behaviors, actions and results. To lead you need to focus on relationship building and team building. A leader is not always one who needs the “limelight”, but rather one that exhibits humility and allows others to stand in the spotlight and enjoy their moments of success. A good leader empowers the team and its leaders to take control and lead by example. A good leader should be constant and consistent in his behavior.
DL: What are some of the biggest changes in lacrosse over the past 40 years?
JB: The biggest change in lacrosse over the past 40 years comes from the growth of this great sport. The sport has exploded in popularity not only in the town, but throughout the state, the country and even across the globe.
DL: What do you love most about coaching?
JB: I love being part of the process, where I, the coach, get to share the wisdom and passion with the players I'm coaching. This knowledge and information now gets applied in the player’s / team’s lives and they make progress. They become more successful and hopefully, I have had a positive effect on their lives more than just on the field.
DL: Any great success stories?
JB: One of the greatest success stories that come out of the Darien lacrosse program is the story about Logan McGovern. I am very proud and honored to have been a small part of Logan’s success story. He’s a tremendous young man who has persevered and waged a great battle with CF and is a winner in so many ways.
"A good leader empowers the team and its leaders to take control and lead by example. A good leader should be constant and consistent in his behavior." - Coach Jeff Brameier