Former Juan Diego Catholic High School lacrosse player Eliana Moreno has been assisting the girls program she played for during the past two seasons. Now, she’ll take the reins as the head coach.

“Watching one of our hardest working players get on the field for the first time and score and watching her light up when she finally caught the ball was something I will never forget,” said Moreno. “I love watching that ‘aha’ moment for players, when everything clicks and they fall in love with the sport too. Because of moments like these, I applied for the JDCHS head coaching job.”

“Eliana is a fantastic young coach with a lot of energy,” said JDCHS Athletic Director Danny Larson. “Being an alum motivates her to continue the tradition of being a strong program.”

The Sandy resident has been playing lacrosse for over a decade and then played briefly at the University of Utah. She has been assisting on the Juan Diego coaching staff the past two seasons and loves “creating a team from the ground up.”

“I went into coaching originally to help out the team because I love the sport,” said Moreno. “I really just wanted to share and pass on my love and enthusiasm for the game, to the next generation.”

Moreno feels a “special bond” with Juan Diego as she attended her entire schooling years on the Skaggs campus. “I have always loved the community and environment,” she said. 

She intends to continue the “T.E.A.L.” saying of “Team is always first, followed by Effort, Attitude and Love,” that has been in the Soaring Eagle program for years. “I believe wholeheartedly that when the team cares about each other, then they care about the game,” she said. “This is why I really strive to make our team bond as close as possible. Our team has a rich history at Juan Diego and has always followed these fundamentals. I am happy to be a part of that tradition.” λ