Atticus Oliven is a dynamic defenseman on the ADVNC SF & NDP ‘24 teams, committed to play for the University of Michigan.
Atticus was introduced to lacrosse in 1st grade, when he joined the Coyotes along with some of his elementary school friends. “It was a good time but also challenging,” said Atticus. “Lacrosse has different movements from football and baseball. I knew I had a lot to learn.”
Atticus joined ADVNC in the summer after 2nd grade. “When I dropped Atticus off at the Tahoe Camp,” Atticus’s mom, Soraya Oliven recalled, “We met Coach Mo in the burger line, and the rest is history. Atticus and his teammates had a blast together that summer, and fast forward to his senior year, the kids he started playing with when he was eight are his best friends.”
“What stood out immediately with ADVNC was the high caliber coaches,” Atticus said. “So many of the guys who coached me had played for ADVNC and were now playing DI or pro. I was really happy to be a part of the ADVNC family. Guys who loved lacrosse and had a passion for coaching. I couldn’t believe they were spending their summers helping me and my teammates improve. I thought to myself, someday I want to be like them.”
A pivotal moment in Atticus’s lacrosse career came when he tried out for the ADVNC World Series of Youth Lacrosse team. He didn’t make the team the first time he tried out. “I was so disappointed,” Atticus said. “I was determined to make the team the following year. When my dad saw how much I wanted to make that WSYL team, he suggested I track my training and work towards a clear goal. For 4 months leading up to the tryout, I did that. I ran on the track. I hit the wall 6 times a week. I did ladder drills daily. At the age of 12, it was the first time I really put my mind and energy into achieving a singular goal. I made the team. That’s when I realized that I really loved lacrosse and that hard work and discipline pay off.”
One aspect of his game that Atticus consistently works on is his foot speed. “Going all the way back to 3rd grade, Coach Rotelli said ‘Lacrosse is a speed game first.’ That advice always stuck with me, mainly because I wasn’t very fast when I was younger. At all. My foot speed has increased with hours of extra practice, and I still have work to do. If you want to get better at any sport, especially lacrosse, get faster.”
Oliven is an All American defenseman at St. Ignatius.
“In addition to field and strength training,” said Atticus, “I discovered the importance of watching and analyzing my own film.” Atticus dove head first into studying his game film with a film coach over Zoom. “Film sessions changed my game by breaking down my plays, analyzing my field position, and improving my decision making. My film coach showed me how to anticipate the next play, develop off-ball awareness, and overall improve my defense. Film is a big part of why I’m going to college.”
Atticus’s college recruitment was delayed due to a calf injury early in his recruiting summer. As a result of his injury, he did not initially receive the college offers he sought. Atticus recalls, “It was a challenging summer for me to be home resting when all my buddies were playing on the East Coast. I had been preparing for my big recruiting summer, and here I was at home. It took me a while to get back to full strength. During this time, I learned a ton about the importance of taking care of my body, recovery, stretching, and rest.”
Atticus was a standout defenseman his junior season for St. Ignatius. Following his spring season, he played a successful summer for ADVNC, West Coast Starz, and Fog City. “Coach Rotelli, along with Coach Packard at St. Ignatius and Coach Zissi at West Coast Starz worked together to help me realize my dream of playing DI lacrosse. It was a longer recruiting road, but I learned a lot about how to overcome adversity and setbacks.” In the middle of the summer following his junior year, Atticus received the DI offers he sought. “I chose the University of Michigan because I wanted to attend a big school with high academics and an amazing lacrosse program.” Atticus will attend Deerfield Academy for a post-grad year this Fall prior to attending Michigan.
Atticus’s parents shared that “We relied on our coaches throughout the recruiting process. Coach Rotelli was there with us every step of the way, along with Coach Packard and Coach Zissi. ADVNC offers a great platform for West Coast kids to get in front of high level coaches in competitive events. Coach Rotelli definitely put West Coast lacrosse on the national map.”
Atticus gives a lot of credit to many of his ADVNC coaches along the way. In addition to Coach Rotelli, he said he’s learned so much from Mikie Schlosser, who also played at Michigan, BJ Grill, Jackson Ehlert, Joe Reid, Mo Ryan, and Sean Mayle. “All of my coaches are high energy, upbeat guys. They were so cool to me when I was young and all throughout my lacrosse career. I truly appreciate their support of me as a person and a player.” He credits his high school Coach Packard with teaching him the fundamentals of hard work and discipline. Atticus also credits his ADVNC teammates. “My teammates have always pushed me to be my best. Graham Kaestner (Johns Hopkins signee) and I train together before school year round, except for the few weeks during the season before SI and SHP play each other.”
Atticus’s parents have this advice for parents of younger players: “When they are young, the most important thing is to foster the love of the game. If your kids love to play, they will want to go to practice. Both our kids absolutely love lacrosse.” Atticus’s sister, Phoebe, is a sophomore varsity midfielder/attacker at St. Ignatius.
“ADVNC is an unparalleled community of coaches, players and families,” said Soraya Oliven. “Being a part of ADVNC for the last decade has been a blessing for our family. Coach Rotelli’s hard work and the investment he’s made in his coaching staff shows in all aspects of the program. We will always be grateful for the memories on and off the field with our extended family.”
“The on-field learning is terrific, but the camaraderie the players and all the families build through ADVNC is unique,” said Everett Oliven. “These players are all future leaders through the lessons they’ve learned in their hard work and discipline. Every journey is different, and the kids learn that if they put the work in, they will get to where they want to land when it’s their time.”
Looking back at his journey, Atticus has this advice for younger players who aspire to play at the next level: “School always comes first, always. For lacrosse: you have to want to work hard. If you truly love the game, you will want to make the extra time to improve. Lacrosse isn’t a hard game to improve at, it just takes a lot of time, dedication, discipline, and the will to get better. All you need is a ball and a wall and a couple of buddies to practice with.”