My name is Michael M. Kutzer and my story is different than most. It began as a kid from Syracuse who fell in love with the game of lacrosse after watching Syracuse University play in the Final Four. A kid who lived the national championship game in his head far before he stepped on the field in a college game. Lacrosse was not always my life though. On pace to be a young high schooler on a highly regarded varsity team in Syracuse, NY, I decided to quit lacrosse and pursue soccer. I played soccer at the highest youth level in the U.S. only to return to lacrosse my senior year of high school. Behind in the recruiting game, I trained night and day and emailed every coach in the division I ranks in order to get myself in a position to be successful and pursue my lifelong dream of playing college lacrosse.
I was a young kid trying to navigate all of this and luckily had the help of my parents and my brother who were all former athletes. We decided it would be best for my personal, academic and athletic development to attend the Berkshire School for a Post Graduate year. From there my path led me to Loyola University where I got to live my dream of playing college lacrosse. While at Loyola, I was a starting Defensive Midfielder, two - time Patriot League Champion, three time Patriot League Honor Roll Member, and a Final Four participant in 2016.
Since college, I decided to give back to the game that gave me everything and made me who I am today so I began coaching club lacrosse in Los Angeles, CA. Recently moving to Dallas, TX where I am actively involved with Iron Horse Lacrosse, TNT Arrowheads, Texas Mustangs, and the Episcopal School of Dallas Varsity Lacrosse team. I am also co-owner with my former Loyola teammate and roommate of Alamo Lacrosse, which is geared towards offering camps, clinics, and events outside of club lacrosse, as well as, Alamo Productions, which offers highlight tapes for all ages and levels of lacrosse.
James Collins grew up in Dallas, TX and fell in love with the game of lacrosse the moment he picked up his first stick at the age of 9. After a storied high school career at the Episcopal School of Dallas, James was recruited as an offensive midfielder to become the first ever Texan to play for the Loyola University Maryland Men’s Lacrosse Team.
After graduating from Loyola with a B.S. in Biology and Communications, James returned to his beloved Dallas, where he has since coached kids from every single lacrosse program in the DFW Metroplex. His goal is ultimately to help grow the sport in DFW and help the area become one of the premiere lacrosse recruiting hotbeds in the nation.
James began his coaching career giving private lacrosse lessons as a 7th grader, and began coaching teams for Eagles Lacrosse as a sophomore in high school. In college, he coached numerous camps every summer. Since being back in Dallas he has coached the Parish Episcopal School’s 7th/8th grade, Varsity, and JV teams, the Episcopal School of Dallas’ 7th/8th grade, Varsity, and JV teams, Eagles Lacrosse’s Kindergarten-2nd grade, 3rd/4th grade, and 5/6th grade teams, as well as numerous club teams for Iron Horse Lacrosse. He has coached with Iron Horse for over 4 years and with Eagles Lacrosse for over 13 years.
James currently coaches the Eagles Lacrosse high school men’s players and 5th/6th grade boys teams, as well as all the high schoolers for Iron Horse Lacrosse. In addition, he has given private lessons to hundreds of DFW area kids through the years and has helped many of them achieve the same dream he once had: to play lacrosse at the college level.