Ryan’s Mike Lake
comes home to La Salle

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

Growing up, you could always find Mike Lake on the baseball diamond.
The outfielder and pitcher spent his high school and college days playing for Archbishop Ryan and La Salle University.
Well, not much has changed.
Except now he’s on the sidelines.
After graduating from Ryan and leaving the Raiders behind in 1977, Lake attended La Salle University, where he joined the Explorers and earned a degree in Business Management.
But it wasn’t too long before Lake returned to his alma mater.
In 1983 he accepted a coaching position for the junior varsity baseball team at Ryan.
Lake stepped up as head coach for the varsity squad in 1991 and led the Raiders to the Catholic League Northern Division championship in 1991, 1996 and 1999 and a championship victory in 1998.
Also during his time at Ryan, Lake was named the City of Philadelphia Coach of the Year in 1994, 1996 and 1999.
"I love being around baseball," said Lake.
"I always tried to teach the kids to respect the game, the teammates and coaches. I wanted to give the players the best athletic experience they could have."
Throughout his 17-year venture instructing the Raiders, Lake had an opportunity to work with some of his own mentors, such as George Todt and Rich Papiro.
"They were big influences in my life and taught me a lot — not just about baseball either," said Lake.
"Ryan prepared me very well. I was very fortunate. Ryan taught me how to mentor the kids. We were not just preparing them for baseball but for the outside world after high school."
After almost two decades with the Raiders’, history repeated itself when Lake decided to coach his other alma mater.
In 2003, the Explorers alumnus took a job as assistant coach for the La Salle baseball team. And since then he has played a vital part in the team’s recruitment and performance.
"It’s a pretty big change from high school to college," said Lake. "The speed of the game is where the jump is big. The bat speed, the leg speed, the arm speed. It takes time to adjust. It’s always a learning experience."
And for Lake, it’s time for another adjustment. As of late June, he was named the head coach of the Explorers.
"It’s exciting," he said.
"It’s a big jump. But I know the administration and I know the kids really well. It’s going to take a little time for the change, but I feel very fortunate and very proud for this opportunity."
Although most people may not have baseball on the brain this time of year, it’s another story for the coaches.
"There’s a lot of hard work ahead," said Lake. "La Salle is a very good school — academic and athletic. Right now we’re preparing for the freshman coming in. All of the paperwork and scheduling is very time consuming. With the NCAA rules, when kids come in for official visits, you need to fill out the appropriate form.
"There are forms for everything," he laughed. "The easiest part of the job is on the field."
Now that his time on the Explorers field is limited due to the off-season, Lake is spending his time with his three children Ashley, 18, Kristyn, 16, and Michael, 12, and his wife Arleen.
But as any true baseball fanatic knows, guys like Lake can’t stay away from their team for too long.
"We do everything as a team," said Lake. "We’re trying to make sure there’s a good team chemistry and camaraderie. We want the players to develop good relationships and good friendships."
Throughout his 24-year coaching career, Lake has been able to develop relationships as well, both with players and fellow coaches.
"I miss the coaches at Ryan and the administrators and especially the kids," said Lake. "You grow fond relationships with them and you miss that. But I always go back and watch the games, and I keep in touch.
"To me, that’s the important part," he continued. "It’s not the championships. Don’t get me wrong, I like to win. But when you have players call you and want to stay in touch and reminisce about success stories — then you know you’re doing something good." ••
There will be a baseball game on La Salle University’s Alumni Day, held at 1 p.m. on Sept. 22 at Hank DeVincent Field. The baseball team is also hosting a golf outing fund-raiser on Oct. 22 at Westover Country Club in Norristown. For more information, call 215-951-1995.
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com