Saint Michael's College

One of the longest-tenured coaches in the history of Saint Michael's College Athletics, Jim Laskarzewski '86 enters his 41st season as an assistant with the Saint Michael's field hockey program in 2025. He also coaches locally with the Green Mountain Girls Field Hockey club program.

At his alma mater, Laskarzewski assists during practices and games, and is the squad's goalkeeper coach. A long-time photographer on the sidelines of Saint Michael's field hockey games, Laskarzewski is also a familiar face around campus as a photographer at many Purple Knight sporting events.

Saint Michael's has compiled 19 winning seasons since Laskarzewski started with the program. The Purple Knights qualified for the 2000 and 2001 NCAA Tournament Final Four, won the 2000 Northeast-10 Conference regular-season title and shared the 2001 and 2002 NE10 regular-season crowns. Laskarzewski and the 1988 field hockey team were inducted into the Saint Michael's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 after becoming the first women's program in College history to win a team sport postseason title, taking home the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament crown. During his tenure, the Purple Knights have also been ECAC finalists in 1993 and 1995 among five times qualifying for the tournament. The team's top nine win and shutout figures and lowest eight goals-against averages  have come while Laskarzewski has worked with the program.

Laskarzewski began his coaching career in 1985 while an undergraduate at Saint Michael's. Initially filling the role of manager and game videographer, he also assisted the goalkeeper coach. A 1986 graduate with a bachelor's degree in environmental science, Laskarzewski has filled a variety of roles, including keeping game statistics, team photographer, and using his EMT training to assist the athletic training staff. He also coached the junior varsity team for a few years until the two squads merged their practices.

Laskarzewski earned his USA Field Hockey Level 1 coaching accreditation in 2014. He retired from the State of Vermont as the Assistant Chief of Training for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department in December 2018 after 31 and a half years, including three as interim fire chief. He also previously served 24 years as a volunteer Assistant Chief for Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue.