After an exciting JV season last year, Navigator Lacrosse looks forward to fielding both a varsity and a middle school team in spring 2026
In anticipation of the spring 2026 sports season, Hampton Roads Academy is excited to announce an expanded boys lacrosse program, adding a middle school team and upgrading last year’s junior-varsity squad to a varsity team, fielding players in Grades 8 through 12.
The transformation will enable the school to offer opportunities to younger student-athletes and dedicate years to developing talented players to compete at the varsity level.
Overseeing HRA Navigator Lacrosse through this period of growth is a new addition to the athletics team: program coordinator and varsity head coach Erik Buckley.
“Coach Buckley is an impressive leader, thinker, and teacher of lacrosse,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “He will be a tremendous leader for our lacrosse program, as he is a champion of cultivating character through sports. Coach Buckley understands the demands and expectations of independent school students and the importance of blending academic and athletic responsibilities.”
Coach Erik Buckley is proud to lead the HRA boys lacrosse program
Coach Buckley comes to his new position with a deep background in lacrosse. During his high school years in Upstate New York, he played the sport in one of the most competitive conferences in the country. He then went on to a distinguished collegiate lacrosse career at Herkimer Community College and Ithaca College, competing in national championship games in 1998 and 1999 and achieving Academic All-American and all-conference honors.
Starting in 2001, Buckley achieved success as a lacrosse coach at both the middle and high school levels. In the process, he established strong ties to the local community, coaching the Williamsburg Warriors youth program, the Richmond Hawks travel team, and the Lafayette High School club team, where he assumed the role of head coach in 2023.
“Our area is rich in talent, which positions HRA for success,” Buckley said. “The coaching staff and I bring years of coaching and playing experience. Our goal is to put a product on the field that the school, community, and alumni can be proud of and continue to talk about for years to come.”
Joining Buckley as varsity assistant coaches at HRA will be two talented individuals with impressive lacrosse coaching résumés: Michael Hurley and Patrick Grizzle. Like Buckley, Hurley has coached both the Williamsburg Warriors and the Richmond Hawks, along with leading the C2C travel program, Richmond’s Team 91, and the Jamestown High School junior-varsity and varsity lacrosse teams. Grizzle, a commissioned commander in the Coast Guard, similarly contributed to the lacrosse coaching staff at several high schools and youth programs in Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia, most recently the Williamsburg Warriors and Lafayette High School.
Coaches Buckley, Hurley, and Grizzle will work alongside a team of dedicated returning coaches, who will remain vital to the heart of Navigator Lacrosse.
“With strong new leadership at the varsity level and momentum behind our expansion, the future of boys lacrosse at Hampton Roads Academy is bright,” said Director of Athletics Laura Stoner. “The Buckley era marks an exciting next chapter for our program, and I’m proud of the commitment shown by our current players, coaches, and families. Their dedication has laid the foundation for all we’re building.”
HRA looks forward to developing a strong, competitive, and connected boys lacrosse program for middle school and varsity student-athletes, and the school community is thrilled to watch both teams take the field next spring.
This story was also featured on WYDaily.com and DailyPress.com.
