"As a parent, I felt compelled to share our experience with the RMU women's lacrosse program and Coach Grove’s staff. It’s important to understand the context of the program over the past few years. When Coach Grove took over, many of the players on the roster were not originally recruited by her staff. From our perspective, there were also some strong personalities and a sense of entitlement among certain upperclassmen that created challenges within the team culture. As a first-time Division I head coach, she was working to establish herself while also managing those dynamics. At times, it seemed like she was trying not to disrupt team chemistry too abruptly, even when younger players may have been outperforming veterans. Our experience with the coaching staff has been very positive. Are they perfect when it comes to in-game adjustments or game planning? No, but that’s not the full picture of what a college program should be judged on. What stands out to us is how much they invest in player development off the field. My daughter has grown tremendously not just as an athlete, but as a more confident and resilient person. There was also some roster turnover this past year, which from our understanding was tied to team culture issues, including behavior that crossed the line into bullying. While narratives may differ depending on who you ask, we believe it’s important to recognize that accountability goes both ways, and not all departures tell the full story. It’s also worth noting the direction the program is heading. This year’s freshman class made an immediate impact, with four players earning all-conference freshman honors. That speaks to the staff’s recruiting and the future of the program. One of the biggest takeaways for us as parents is the reality of college athletics. Playing time is not guaranteed, and expectations don’t always match reality. Many athletes were stars in high school, but the Division I level is faster, more physical, and far more competitive. Coaches see what happens every day in practice and ultimately make decisions they believe give the team the best chance to succeed. Our experience with this program and coaching staff has been a positive one, and we believe they are building something meaningful at RMU."

"If there was an option for 0 stars, Courtney Grove and her staff would receive zeros! RMU women’s lacrosse will never be the same as it was 4 years ago. This staff has ruined it in 3 short years. 10-11 girls have left the program because of the nepotism, manipulation, and just made my time at RMU a living hell. She is never prepared for games, her assistant coaches are not qualified to be around young women let alone coaching them on a daily basis . Anybody thinking of coming to RMU and playing for Courtney Grove, DON’T, run far far away. You will be miserable in this atmosphere. She and her whole staff needs to go. She thinks she is a master manipulator, but little does she know everyone knows what she is doing, except maybe for the freshman, but they will learn pretty quick too. "

"I am writing to share my experience within the college lacrosse program under Coach Grove. Unfortunately, it was one of the most negative athletic experiences I have ever had. The coaching environment fostered division rather than teamwork. Players were frequently put against one another, favoritism was openly displayed, and decisions were often made based on the input of only one or two individuals rather than gathering the full picture. Certain athletes were allowed to behave inappropriately without consequence, while others were singled out or targeted, particularly if they were not part of the favored group. This created a toxic and emotionally unsafe environment for many players. From a competitive standpoint, the team was consistently overworked physically yet underprepared strategically. There appeared to be little to no scouting of opponents, and game plans were often unclear or nonexistent. As athletes investing significant time, money, and effort into the program, we deserved structured preparation and leadership. Additionally, the emotional tone of the program was manipulative and unprofessional. The assistant coach engaged in inappropriate dynamics with players, including maintaining separate text message group chats that excluded others. This behavior blurred professional boundaries and contributed to division within the team. Rather than modeling maturity, leadership, and integrity, the coaching staff fostered cliques and “mean girl” behavior that no collegiate program should encourage. Student-athletes and their families invest financially, physically, and emotionally into college athletics with the expectation of growth, mentorship, and positive leadership. Unfortunately, this program did not provide that experience. I encourage families considering this program to thoroughly research and ask hard questions before committing. No athlete should endure an environment that undermines their confidence, well-being, or love of the game. I would never let anyone I know or care about play for Courtney Grove. "

"I played for this coach at RMU last year and the year we won the championship. We won that championship not because of the coach that would put toxicity between players. We won because we played for eachother. She is not fit to coach a division 1 team. She is a mean cold hearted person that says she cares but she doesn’t. She has her favorite players and plays only them She violates NCAA rules all the time along with her assistant coach. So do yourself a favor do not commit to RMU, no matter what they promise. They are sharks , there is no team culture. Her goal is to put players against eachother. I now coach in a travel program and would never ever let any of our players play for RMU at her helm. "

"One of the biggest issues is blatant favoritism. It was clear that certain players got special treatment, while others were ignored or overlooked. This created a toxic environment that hurt team morale and made it difficult for us to grow and improve as a team. There were also serious ethical concerns, including inappropriate relationships between coaches and players. On top of that, the coaching staff frequently talked about players behind their backs to other players, which only added to the negativity. Instead of offering constructive feedback or genuinely working to help everyone improve, the coaches focused almost exclusively on one player, leaving the rest of us feeling unsupported and disregarded. The coaches were very unorganized with gear and film for games, which disrupted our preparation and performance. Their moods were unpredictable, they could be happy one moment and then suddenly turn stone cold the next, which was really scary and unsettling for the whole team. To make things worse, the assistant coach often showered and changed in the locker room, making many of us uncomfortable. They also pushed us so hard in conditioning that people were literally throwing up, and then acted surprised when so many got injured and we kept losing games. Our offense and defense were totally unorganized, no one really understood what the coaches were trying to say, and everyone was confused all the time. Yet, they still blamed the losses on us not being bonded as a team, which just didn’t make sense. Overall, the lack of professionalism, fairness, and organization made it a very unpleasant experience."

"Courtney grove is an amazing coach who took on a tough role back in 2014 and has completely turned the women’s lacrosse team around. Nothing but respect for her."

"Coach grove is an excellent sales woman. She’s able to craft a lovely picture of life at Seton Hill while being part of a “top notch” team. However, once you really get to campus, you’ll find that she pins players against each other, conditions players until they pee or barf on themselves, and belittles any player that suffers from confidence issues. She ruined the sport for me in more ways than one and I hope that whoever reads this takes it into deep consideration before committing. Truly assess what the school offers, and compare with your goals for post graduation. If you like the sport and are a great athlete, I promise you’ll find better opportunities outside of SHU. Please, save yourself the trauma & find a program that will make you feel safe, respected and included."