About Us
Why Team Michigan
If you are looking for lacrosse club that doesn't require off the field work and is going to run a team through as many games as possible in a summer, there are many travel lacrosse clubs to choose from. However, if you are looking for a community of players and coaches dedicated to maximizing their on-field success, driven to achieve academic excellence, and holding each other accountable for pursuing their goals...then you need look no further than Team Michigan Lacrosse.
Who Are We
Alex Radandt (co-founder)
I moved to West Michigan with my wife, Rachel, and son, Rhodes, the week before the season started leaving behind the Flathead Valley in Northwest Montana where we had lived the past three years. During our time in Montana, my wife graduated from Northwestern and found a home at Spot to Talk where she gained her license as a Certified Mental Health Counselor with a focus in Child Centered Play Therapy. I stuck to what I know best, having fun, and started 406 Lacrosse with my friend Nate.
Lacrosse is such an incredible sport for so many reasons and one of my favorites is that it opens doors to participate in things outside of typical opportunities while teaching life lessons. Our mission with 406 Lacrosse was two-fold. First, teach our athletes how to be men of good character; and second, develop their lacrosse skills and abilities so that we could help them get recruited to whatever college or university best suited them. We took kids to the Denver Shootout, Oregon Lacrosse Classic, flew in my old coach and players from PBAU for a camp and really started to build a strong culture.
Then along came Mr. Rhodes and suddenly having to make several flight connections just to see Grandma and our cousins for a weekend in Chicago, or Grand Haven just wasn’t making sense. So, we started looking for homes and found a wonderful place in Rockford. I didn’t want to just disappear from lacrosse so I shot a few emails out including one that made its way to Chris Gervat. A beer turned to two and suddenly what was going to be just a coaching gig quickly developed into a friendship that led to bigger thinking on what we can bring to the community together.
I am proud to be a part of bringing to you Team Michigan.
- Bakersfield, CA Native
- Married to Rachel who is a therapist with a focus in Child Centered Play Therapy at Spot To Talk Rockford, father to Rhodes (1)
- Played LSM/FOGO at Palm Beach Atlantic
- Founded 406 Lacrosse in Kalispell, MT
- Rockford Youth Lacrosse U14 Coach
-Long Island NY Native
-Lives with wife Alison and 2 Boys Brooks (10) & Blake (7) in Rockford
-4 Year Starter and Captain at UMass
-Ranked in the top 10 in NCAA DI 3 out of 4 years
-Northport HS - NY - Asst. Coach 2005-2007 (nationally ranked HS program)
-Michigan State Assistant Coach 2008-2010
-FHC Assistant Coach - 2011
-Davenport University Head Coach 2012-2015
-True Lacrosse National Director of Product and Development 2012-2016
-Rockford Youth - Director of coaching and player development DK-8th grade - 2018-present
-Over 35 years of Coaching and Playing Experience
Chris Gervat (co-founder)
I made Michigan home 16 years ago and never thought I'd be here now with Alison, Brooks, and Blake. I absolutely love everything about this state, this area. I made the move from Long Island New York, and as much as I miss the pizza and the bagels, you can't beat a Michigan summer.
I've been hitting the ground running with lacrosse in many different ways over the past 20+ in coaching. From coaching on Long Island, Davenport University, Michigan State University, and a couple of HS in the mix, I now oversee the player and coaching development for Rockford Youth Lacrosse, where my two boys currently play.
Travel sports and travel teams are broken. They're broken in what they are trying to accomplish. Once you figure out this isn't about lacrosse, everything else falls into place. This is about the growth of the young man. This is about building confidence, setting goals, and feeling what success feels like. Being a part of something bigger than yourself. This is about holding the coaches and the players accountable and being intentional with our time and energy.
My life was changed by great teachers and mentors. It's our job to pass the torch, help raise these kids, help train the next generation of coaches to change someone elses life. To make them smile. We have the chance to impact the next generation, and we will not take that responsibility lightly.
We truly care about Grand Rapids and the state of Michigan. We want to put Grand Rapids back on the map for great lacrosse. This why we created Team Michigan.
This doesn't stop with just our kids in our programs. We'll continue to outreach to improve lacrosse to GR and the state of Michigan.