Max Ripple is a standout attack from the ADVNC SF & NDP 2026 teams committed to play at the University of Michigan, starting next Fall.
Max Ripple with a stick at the age of two!
Max’s lacrosse journey began as early as it possibly could. “I first picked up a fiddle stick when I was two years old,” Max recalled. “Both my parents played lacrosse at Hamilton College, and they showed me the game when I was really little. I’m right handed in everything I do, but my dad encouraged me from the beginning to learn to play left handed. I just kept with it, and developed into a left handed lacrosse player.”
Max’s mom and dad (Kate and Zeb) raised both their kids in a lacrosse world. Max’s older sister, Olivia, is an accomplished junior midfielder at the University of Denver. “We lived in San Francisco when both kids were really young,” said Zeb Ripple. “Playing lacrosse here in Northern California, especially at the youth level, was still pretty new at that time.”
“I remember being at the playground with Max when he was in Kindergarten and all the other moms were talking about getting their boys into tee-ball,” recalled Max’s mom, Kate Ripple. “I called Zeb and asked if we should sign Max up for tee-ball, and he said, ‘Let’s get him going in lacrosse!’”
The Ripple family at a Ross Valley Grizzlies game.
Max and Olivia developed their passion for lacrosse together in the backyard. “If you know my sister, you know that she’s the most competitive person you’ll ever meet,” said Max. “We’d be out in the backyard, and she’d be playing defense on me, just whacking me in the hands, and it would be all fun and games, until inevitably, it would turn into some type of warfare. I remember one time, we were playing, shooting with tennis balls because the goal was so close to the house, but even with tennis balls, we shot it so hard, it ricocheted off the pipe, and broke a window!”
Max started playing after school in Kindergarten through Ross Recreation. He enjoyed it and soon started playing for the Ross Valley Grizzlies where Zeb coached his team, and Kate coached Olivia’s team. “Both Max and Olivia just loved lacrosse from the start,” Zeb said.
“We feel really lucky that Max and Olivia got hooked on lacrosse. Did we push it? Not really, but we definitely encouraged them to play. They decided on their own that lacrosse is super fun and cool. It led them both down a great path, and has given them a place to meet some of their best friends, build confidence and learn from some great coaches and mentors. It’s been a great journey so far.” Kate said.
Max and Zeb Ripple with Paul Rabil.
When it came down to choosing a lacrosse role model, Max found Paul Rabil early on. “He was the first lacrosse guy I ever looked up to. He’s obviously one of the best to ever play, and it’s been great to see him grow the game tremendously now with the PLL. For my 11th birthday, my dad got me a signed Paul Rabil photo. I still have it hanging in my room. Under the photo, there was a little ticket to Rabil’s camp. That was the best gift I could have asked for as an 11-year old!”
In addition to the Grizzlies, Max started playing travel lacrosse. He knew around 7th grade that lacrosse was his passion and he wanted to play in college. “My dad would pick me up from school on many Thursday afternoons during the fall/winter season and we’d head to the airport for a lacrosse tournament” Max said. “My friends who didn’t play lacrosse would always be texting me to see if I could hang out with them. I never could. I just knew that I wanted to pursue my passion. I’ve never even been home on Halloween weekend because there was always a tournament and I chose lacrosse over pretty much everything.”
In 8th grade, Max joined ADVNC along with a bunch of his teammates who are all great players and his best friends at high school powerhouse St. Ignatius in San Francisco.
Max is a standout player at St. Ignatius in San Francisco.
“ADVNC, along with West Coast Starz, provided me with better competition and bigger opportunities,” Max said. “It was a step up in all ways. It was harder to earn a spot and playing time with ADVNC. But that made me work harder and focus even more. The ADVNC coaches were great, right from the start. Coaches Tim O’Brien and Chris Rotelli have helped me tremendously on and off the field. All the ADVNC coaches have. They aren’t just great coaches, they are mentors and solid guys. My coaches still text me all the time just to check in and see how I’m doing.”
“ADVNC has been very supportive of Max from the beginning,” said Zeb Ripple. “From the way they coach and improve the players’ skills, to the way they help build confidence as players and people. It is a very professionally run organization. Their communication with the parents is excellent and it helps build a great community of families who all support each other.”
“It was great to meet families from all over the Bay Area and other regions,” said Kate Ripple. “We’ve become close friends with Max’s ADVNC SF and NDP teammates’ parents. It has been a truly memorable experience and a really fun group to travel around the country with.”
Max is a standout attack on the ADVNC NDP ‘26 team.
“ADVNC has helped me off the field too in terms of my communication skills, my confidence and my self advocacy skills,” Max said. “My coaches helped me learn how to communicate with adults in big positions, whether it's with my teachers at school or with college coaches who are recruiting me. That has helped me grow tremendously.”
In the summer of 2024, “the big summer” for college coaches to start recruiting the 26’s, Max went all in. He spent 6 weeks on the East Coast, playing in almost every tournament and showcase event he could. He relied on Chris Rotelli and ADVNC for guidance.
“We spoke with Coach Rotelli going into the summer,” said Zeb Ripple. “Chris gave Max great feedback on his strengths and weaknesses as a player, and how to showcase his talents to college coaches, in order to best get recruited. He also helped us figure out which events to play in and which events were not as important.”
“Going into the summer, I felt prepared, but I was also pretty nervous,” Max admitted. “I’d played in front of college coaches before, but not like that. Not with my college future on the line. I always play for my teammates, but that summer, it did feel a bit like I was playing for myself at the same time. I just blocked it all out and tried to play my regular game and best lacrosse that I could. I believed that if I did that, the college coaches would see my potential.”
“That summer can be stressful for parents as well,” Kate Ripple said. “You’re sitting there watching all their games day in-day out, and as a parent you want the best for your child. Max was out there doing what he loves, but there are a lot of important people watching him. I encouraged him to play loose and have fun because that’s how you play naturally and at your best.”
When September 1st arrived, Max was super excited. He got a lot of calls and texts from college coaches. “It started to feel like my dream was coming true.”
He narrowed his list down to a handful of schools, including Ivy League programs and University of Michigan, then took a week off from school for college visits and to meet with the coaches.
“We visited four of my top schools on the same trip,” Max said. “We went to the Ivy League schools first, and Michigan last. I was really interested in Michigan because it’s a great school and it was different in size and location from the Ivy schools. The second I got to Ann Arbor, something just clicked with me. I loved the coaching staff, the amazing facilities, the players I met and the entire campus. I loved the atmosphere at Michigan.”
Kate, Zeb and Max on their official visit to the University of Michigan, at the Big House.
“I had never been to Ann Arbor before,” said Kate Ripple. “At first I was thinking, there is no way Max would like a school that big, but I was quickly convinced otherwise. Michigan was amazing. The ‘Go Blue’ spirit was contagious. It was just over the top in all the best ways.”
The Ripple Family had a full campus tour and then met with Head Coach Kevin Conry in his office. That night, Max was invited to stay the night on campus with the lacrosse team. The next day they attended a football game with the other recruits, including Max’s ADVNC teammate and buddy, Johan Van Oast, who will also play lacrosse at Michigan. “We were in the Big House and they took us down to the field during warmups, it was unreal!”, Max said.
“When we first saw Max that morning, he had this huge smile on his face,” recalled Kate Ripple. “He didn't say a word, but we knew right then that Michigan was the place for him. Max talked to Coach Conry shortly after that, and committed to Michigan.
“We are so happy for Max and proud of him for his dedication,” Zeb Ripple said. “It’s a long journey for these kids, but thankfully Max had incredible support from his club and high school coaches as well as his teammates to help him navigate this process.”
“To hear a coach, like Coach Conry, say to Max “we want you here” was special. Max was beaming with pride. I will never forget that day and was so thankful to be there to witness it,” Kate Ripple said.
With the recruiting journey behind him, Max has this advice for young players who aspire to play at a high level of college lacrosse. “Just have fun with it. You don’t need to feel any stress until much later in your development. I’ve always just loved playing on the field with my best friends. So focus on that aspect of it. Find your passion and love for the game and let that guide you.”