Braun is a standout midfielder for the ADVNC SF ‘21 team, committed to play lacrosse at Bryant University.
Braun is an East Bay native who came to love lacrosse when he was 7 years old. Braun played basketball and lacrosse as a young kid, but chose lacrosse because, “I really liked the fast pace but also liked how you could have contact, which you couldn’t have in baseball,” Braun said.
Braun’s dad, Gus grew up playing lacrosse in Connecticut, and helped coach Cole for much of his lacrosse career. “I saw lacrosse as a great sport for a kid who likes to move,” said Gus. “Cole was always moving, so I said, let’s get this kid with a stick in his hand. I taught him passing and catching and ground balls, all the fundamentals .. we even started getting into dodging early on. I could see his passion for the game since he was very young.”
Passion is a word that sticks to Cole, regardless of the activity he pursues. Braun said he’s had an ‘entrepreneurial spirit,’ and started his first business in 8th grade. “It started with me and a friend in science class,” Braun said. “He knew how to make websites and I knew how to sell websites, so we started a company called Bender Marketing Services. We started selling it door to door.”
“He has always been able to make money,” said Cole’s mom, Gayle Braun. “Since he was a little kid, he kept a notebook next to his bed called ‘The Invention Book.’ Cole is one of a kind. He’s detailed cars, he’s mowed lawns, started a recycling business. He’s a hustler.”
“Cole pays for half of the summer cost for his lacrosse. That is part of what we call “The Braun Value,” said Gus Braun.
“I definitely want to pursue a business career and start a company when I’m young,” said Braun. “I want to take risks early so I don’t take them later.”
Braun played for All West Lacrosse when he was learning the game.
Braun grew up playing for 3D & All West Lacrosse before making the switch to ADVNC. Braun formed a special bond with All West Founder Matt Ogelsby. Gayle Braun recounted how Ogelsby (who played at Duke University for Mike Pressler) introduced Cole to Pressler, who Cole is committed to play for at Bryant University.
Braun stars for Monte Vista High School
“Cole was with Ogelsby at a tournament in Morgan Hill when Cole was just 8 years old,” said Gayle. “Ogelsby introduced Cole to Coach Pressler at that tournament.”
“When I first met Coach Pressler, I was just interested in running around with my friends at the tourney,” Cole said. “I didn’t realize how important he was to the lacrosse community.”
Fast forward about 10 years, and Cole was set to attend a prospect camp that Pressler was running at Bryant. “Coach Pressler saw Cole at the prospect camp and told him Matt Ogelsby had reached out to him and told him to keep a close eye on Cole,” Gayle said. “Ogelsby was Pressler’s very first recruit when he was at Duke, and Coach told Cole he was his very first recruit in the ‘21 class at Bryant.”
“Cole used to come to our Surf City Overnight camps at UC Santa Cruz every year and that’s where our player/coach relationship grew,” said Ogelsby. “Off the field Cole had such an awesome personality. He always had a smile on his face and would go out of his way to make a positive impression on me or the other coaches. He is an outstanding young man with great integrity. Cole will do great in Coach Pressler’s system. I look forward to seeing him making an immediate impact and positively representing NorCal on the national stage.”
Cole and his parents took the recruiting process very seriously. “In my freshman year I knew I wanted to play DI lacrosse,” Braun said. “So we tried to check out every school.”
When Cole says ‘every” he means EVERY. “Cole and his mom stayed on the east coast from June to August the last 3 summers,” said Gus. “His grandparents live in New Jersey, and Cole and Gayle hit basically every DI lacrosse program from the Carolinas to Vermont. We kept checking in on him ... was he burnt out? It was always .. No, no, no. I want more.”
“I’d like one college, but not another,” said Cole. “I’d do prospect camps at lots of schools and I would like some coach’s vibe and not another. And I loved just seeing all those schools. When I started getting to the end, I went to that prospect camp at Bryant. I liked the school a lot. I loved the coaching style. I like a coach that’s go, go, go .. fast and non-stop. I found a perfect fit in Bryant and Coach Presser. It’s just a perfect fit.”
“The recruiting process is crazy,” said Gus. “Coach Rotelli (ADVNC Founder & CEO) always told Cole: just work on your game, when no one is looking. Just be about improvement and that would eventually pay off. And that’s what happened.”
“Every kid wants to get recruited,” said Braun. “You put in the work and it will play out. When you’re out there, have fun. Enjoy yourself. Do it for yourself. You love it so much, it’s not work, cause you have fun. That has played out for me the whole way.”