A Coaching Tree Grows

Across the lacrosse fields of Oakton High School and rival Madison, the coaches share more than a love for the sport. They share a surname.

Jean and Amanda Counts, sisters-in-law, are each leading two of the best girls lacrosse teams in the Northern Region, but they keep their competition low key.

“It’s not a contentious rivalry, I don’t think,” said Amanda, who took over as Madison's head coach in 2007. “We force our girls to be friends.”

Amanda took the once-dormant Madison program to the AAA state quarterfinals a year ago.

Jean has had a successful 14 years at Oakton, including a three-year run as state champs from 2006 through 2008.

Because Madison is in the Liberty District and Oakton is in Concorde, the teams don’t play each other every year. But they still cross paths.

Since Amanda took over at Madison, the Warhawks and Cougars have made trips, together on a charter bus, down to Florida for lacrosse tournaments.

They faced each other this week, and though the Cougars started the game up 2-0, the Warhawks prevailed with a final score of 23-15.

And they could meet in the playoffs, “which stinks, because then someone has to go home,” Jean said during an interview with the two.

“Our matchups end up in the second round, which is a single-elimination round,” Amanda said.

“Oh gosh, you know that already?” Jean asked. “See, she knows this stuff. I can only handle what’s right in front of me.”

Jean, 37, is married to Amanda's brother Justin, who is an assistant coach with Madison’s baseball team. She lettered in lacrosse as a student at George Mason University.

Amanda, 29, was a star at W.T. Woodson High School and Virginia Tech.

She began her coaching career as Jean's assistant for two years at Oakton before making the move 2 miles north to Madison.

Jean called Amanda "very intense and passionate."

"She gets her team to want it as badly as she wants it, and I don’t think you can fake that. She’ll wear her emotions on her sleeve,” Jean said.

Both share a methodical approach to analyzing performance.

“I call it the Bible,” Jean said. It's a notebook charting every detail from every game and practice.

During the interview, Amanda revealed her notebook, with diagrams that break down a lacrosse field into mathematical precision. A game can take up a few pages. A practice, depending on the drills, can take up even more.

Amanda is getting married in September, so the two will no longer share a last name. But they will continue to share leading roles in a rivalry worth getting excited about.