Tate Sedlachek is an outstanding attackman from the ADVNC North Bay and NDP 2026 team committed to play at Harvard University, starting next Fall.
Growing up in Oakland, Tate watched his two older siblings, sister Quinn and brother Tycho playing lacrosse, and he wanted to play with them.
“I watched them both play for a couple years, and then in second grade, I begged my parents to let me play,” said Tate Sedlachek. “I started playing fall ball with Skyline here in Oakland, and I loved lacrosse right away.”
Tate playing in the early days for Skyline.
“All three kids were just so excited about going out to play lacrosse, it was never a struggle or negotiation to get them to practices or games,” said Tate’s mom, Jennifer Sedlachek. “They just all really enjoyed it. My husband, Dean and I never played and we knew nothing about lacrosse. This was all them. And when they weren’t playing, all they would do is talk about lacrosse. They would talk about their gear, their uniforms, what teams they were playing .. all of it. They have always just really enjoyed everything about lacrosse.”
“Tate, being the youngest of three kids, was probably drawn to it because his older sister was a player and we went to all her games and practices,” said Tate’s dad, Dean Sedlachek. “Tate and his older brother are close in age and at that time they did everything together. They were also pretty rough, so giving them sticks and helmets was like giving them permission to really go at it. Over time I think Tate saw that there’s really no ceiling to how much your lacrosse skills can develop, if you’re willing to put in the work. He wasn’t always the star player but he had a work ethic that set him apart. When he commits to something, he’s going to follow through. So I think he set his own standards for himself to achieve at a higher level. Over time he’s kept ratcheting that up.”
“I was really drawn to the competitiveness of lacrosse,” Tate said. “I played a lot of basketball, but lacrosse always felt even more competitive to me. The physical aspect of lacrosse made it that much more exciting. As a little kid, having all the gear on also drew me in, somehow getting to wear a helmet and pads just made it more fun.”
The Sedlacheks have always been fans of college sports in general. Especially basketball, football and lacrosse. Tate said he has dreamed of playing a college sport ever since he can remember. “I think college sports are even more exciting than professional sports leagues because of how much the players care about their school and team. In my mind college sports allow you to continue to play a game you love, and at a high level.”
With that goal in mind, Tate started playing for the Outlaws in the Bay Area. When he was a freshman in high school, he decided to attend Marin Catholic, and also started playing for the ADVNC North Bay and ADVNC NDP teams.
“I knew I wanted to play in college, and ADVNC was the next step for me towards that goal,” Tate said. “ADVNC gave me the opportunity to play on the highest possible stage. It was great teaming up with other talented players from Oregon and Washington. Those are guys that I normally played against, so it was cool to wear the same uniform as them with NDP. Some of those guys have become really close friends now, especially Landon Johnson (Cornell commit) from Seattle.”
“It was good for Tate to be around other players with ADVNC who were as committed to lacrosse as he was,” said Jennifer Sedlachek. “It challenged him to work hard and also made him feel more confident about his abilities to compete with and against some of the most talented players in the country at the big tournaments.”
Tate is an All-American at Marin Catholic.
“ADVNC attracts the strongest lacrosse players in the Bay Area and across the West Coast,” said Dean Sedlachek. “That, in itself, creates opportunity, playing alongside the best pushes kids to raise their own game. How does ADVNC do this? I think by having some of the best coaches available to teach and mentor our kids. We’ve been fortunate to have that connection with people like Tim O’Brian and B.J. Grill - not only great coaches on the field but also role models for how you hope your kid develops and matures as an adult.”
“ADVNC has some of the best coaches in club lacrosse,” Tate said. “I loved having Coach Tim O’Brien and Josh Peck as my coaches. I’ve also worked with Coach Will Casertano a lot on my offensive game. Coach Chris Rotelli (ADVNC Founder & CEO) and Coach BJ Grill (Tate’s Marin Catholic Head Coach) helped me a lot in the college recruiting process as well. Both Coach Rotelli and Coach Grill have great connections in the college lacrosse world. It was easy to lean on them. They were my biggest supporters going into September of 2024. They gave me a good idea of what to expect and how to handle myself through that process. I was very grateful to have them on my side.”
When September 1st of 2024 came around, Tate had lots of interest from top college programs.
“I was focused on what each school brought from an academic standpoint, but I also really wanted to go somewhere that was able to compete for a national championship,” Tate said. “So, there’s only a handful of schools that meet that criteria.”
Tate visited a number of schools, including Harvard. When he visited Harvard, the Crimson immediately became the focus of his recruitment.
“It soon became an easy decision for me,” Tate said. “With Harvard, you don’t lose anything from an academic standpoint. But the main driving factor was their coaching staff. I felt very supported by Coach Byrne and his staff. They showed me that they really wanted me on their team and they cared about me. Also, the group of guys on the team are awesome. They just love lacrosse, love their team and love playing for each other. That’s what I want.”
“For us this is the best possible outcome,” said Dean Sedlachek. “I could not have imagined a better situation for us to be in right now. The opportunity for Tate to attend Harvard and play lacrosse in the Ivy League was not something I thought possible, even a short time ago. There’s a lot of talk about athletics and competition on the field, but I don’t think there’s enough emphasis on academics and how these two things work in tandem to open doors for kids who aspire to be college athletes.”
“The Harvard coaches took a very holistic approach with Tate, which I really appreciated,” said Jennifer Sedlachek. “They talked a lot about being more than just a lacrosse player there. They want their players to take advantage of being a student at Harvard, and everything that offers. Being around BJ Grill at Marin Catholic, he really cares about the entire person, and not just a lacrosse player. The coaches at Harvard have the same values, and I really liked that for Tate.”
“We looked at a lot of schools and lacrosse programs,” Dean Sedlachek added. “As a school, as an institution for higher education, Harvard is one of the best in the country. There’s not much I can say about it that people don’t already know. But getting to know the coaches at Harvard and learning about their desire to develop young men, the whole person, is equally significant in my mind. That’s one of the things that I’m most happy about. They have high expectations across academics, athletics, and personal growth, and I’m grateful Tate will be in that environment. More than anything, I’m looking forward to watching how he grows over the next four years, on the field, in the classroom, and as a young adult.”
Through his journey, Tate has looked up to college players like Pat Spencer from Loyola, Chris Gray from UNC, and Sergio Perkovic from Notre Dame as guys he has tried to emulate. With his own college recruiting journey now behind him, Tate has this advice for young players who want to follow in his footsteps. “The first thing is, you should have a love of the game; when you love playing lacrosse, training doesn't feel like work. Building off of a foundation of love for lacrosse is going to get you through when you’re not playing your best. Then, building a routine of consistent practice is critical. Whether it’s wall ball, or shooting by yourself or with a friend, or in the weight room, holding yourself accountable and having a consistent routine is key. All of that is going to keep paying dividends down the road.”