Meet Our Coaches
Girl’s Coaches
Rikki Ascani
Rikki is from Ironton, Pennsylvania and started playing lacrosse at 11 years old and into
college. Outside of lacrosse, Rikki is currently getting her Masters in Geography at the
University of Missouri while she works as a Community Engagement Director at a local
transportation advocacy non-profit, Local Motion. This is Rikki's first-time coaching
lacrosse, and she is excited to be on the other side of the sport - working with kids to
learn to love and feel confident in a sport that shaped her own life.
Joe Barnett
Joe began playing lacrosse as a sixth grader (in the late twentieth century) in Houston, TX and
has been in love with the sport since then. He played in high school and played for four years on
the UW - Madison men’s lacrosse club team. After college, Joe played on men’s clubs back in
Texas. Joe started with CYL in Spring 2023 as a girls coach, two of whom are his daughters. He
and his wife, Sarah Barnett, are thrilled to contribute to the growth of lacrosse in the Midwest
and support the development of young individuals through the sport! Joe currently teaches
Biology at Rock Bridge High School and, generally speaking, loves working with young people.
Megan Lilien
Megan started the Hickman Girls Lacrosse team in 1999 and continued to play on the University of Illinois club lacrosse team after high school. Megan began her coaching career in San Diego, California as the Varsity Coach for the Santana Girls Lacrosse team at the same high school where she taught biology and chemistry for eight years. Since moving back to Missouri, Megan has coached the Columbia Girls High School Lacrosse team and worked to grow the youth program. Outside of lacrosse, Megan works as a high school science teacher and enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters. Megan’s goal is to make lacrosse accessible to all players and to help build confidence in girls through playing sports.
Boy’s Coaches
Sam Addison
Hi I’m Sam Addison, I am 20 years old and got into lacrosse after playing baseball because I was looking for a much more active sport. I have been playing lacrosse since 6th grade at Ladue Lacrosse Club in St.Louis, I played until college when life got too busy. I am very excited to come back to lacrosse to help teach the next generation. GO LIONS!
Mike Dianics
Mike started lacrosse in High School for The Columbia Hickman team and then played 1 year with Southwest Missouri State University (Missouri State) and then 2 years with Mizzou at the collegiate level. This is his 3rd year with Columbia Youth Lacrosse and 2nd with League management. Mike has 2 sons, a 4th and 5th grader in CYL and enjoys sharing a sport he played competitively with them.
Cameron Fuller
Cameron Fuller is our newest coach and is excited to begin coaching with Columbia Youth Lacrosse. He began playing lacrosse in the 6th grade with MMLL (now known as Columbia Youth Lacrosse) and immediately fell in love with the sport. He went on to play for a club team in Kansas City and then was a four year starter at Rock Bridge High School. Cameron currently works at The Lodge at Keene Street. He can’t wait to begin teaching the next generation of players about the amazing sport and all of the fun it has to offer.
Bobby Soderstrom
Bobby is currently going to school at Mizzou studying secondary math education. He first started playing lacrosse in 4th grade in St. Louis. Bobby played all throughout high school for Francis Howell. He is excited to be back in the lacrosse world and also to help the next generation of players get started!
Griffin Strong
Griffin Strong is 23 years old and has lived in Columbia his entire life. He began playing lacrosse in the 8th grade at MMLL (now known as Columbia Youth Lacrosse). He then played lacrosse for four years at Rock Bridge High School and for two years at Mizzou. Griffin currently works at The Crossing church. He loves getting to work with students and help them grow their love for the game. Lacrosse has had such an impact on his life that he hopes to do the same in others’ lives.
Jeff Wallace
Jeff Wallace was born and raised in Columbia Missouri. Grew up playing hockey since he was a kid until high school. Wanting to play a school affiliated sport he joined the varsity lacrosse team at Rock Bridge High School and played three years there. After high school, Jeff played a year of lacrosse at Missouri Baptist University. Currently a sales representative with Royal Papers. Has a son on the youth team who got him back into the sport and is excited to teach and help grow lacrosse in the Columbia area.
