Thomas Tufts

Successful head lacrosse coach of Robinson HS, coach of seven Virginia state champions, 1994 Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year, University of Massachusetts graduate, tri-captain of undefeated 1969 team, All-America midfielder, post-collegiate club MVP, USCLA all-star, career U.S. Army officer, dedicated school counselor, active promoter of boys’ and youth lacrosse in northern Virginia.

When Tom Tufts first picked up a lacrosse stick in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1966, he developed a lifelong passion for the sport. His determination and tenacity combined with his supportive and even-tempered demeanor invariably explain his remarkable lifelong success as an athlete, coach, counselor and role model.

As an assistant at West Point, as head coach of the championship-contending Alexandria Lacrosse Club, and as the record-setting mentor of the Robinson High School varsity, Tom infused his passion for competition and lacrosse into his players. At the same time, he used lacrosse to form his players into young men of character.

Under Tom’s direction, Robinson has been a dominant lacrosse force in Virginia. He was named Northern Region Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992. With typical modesty, Tom deferred all nominations in subsequent years to other coaches. During his 14 years as head coach at Robinson, Tom amassed an impressive win-loss record of 185-36-1 (.837). He coached 16 players to high school All- America honors. His squads have yielded dozens of players who have gone on to play for top NCAA lacrosse programs. From Tom’s 1994 team alone (ranked 14th in country), eight players were subsequently selected as college team captains.

As chief architect of Robinson’s rise to regional lacrosse prominence, Tom has managed his success on the field with appropriate perspective. He developed and implemented the All-Region Academic team concept for northern Virginia high school lacrosse in 1996 as well as two regional sportsmanship clinics. He has conducted numerous coaching seminars and coaching clinics for fellow coaches throughout the region. Providing further perspective, Tom recovered from a heart attack during the 1991 season and open-heart surgery during the 1996 season before helping to coach his team to regional championships.

Following the 2004 season, Tom retired as Robinson’s head coach. His passion for the game that once motivated him as a player and subsequently shaped him as a coach will surely excite him as a fan in the future. Tom and his wife Sue reside in Woodbridge, VA. They have four adult children: Scott, Thomas, Kimberly, and Rebecca.