Growing up in New Brunswick, Keegan began playing lacrosse at the age of 8. Beginning the sport at a time when lacrosse was not overly accessible across the province, he was lucky enough to live close to a local rec team where he played box lacrosse from U13 through U16 and was able to represent team NB at the national level. After becoming too old for box lacrosse, he began playing field lacrosse at Mount Allison University (MTA). 

Keegan began his coaching career because he wanted to share his knowledge, and passion for lacrosse. Many lacrosse coaches in New Brunswick have limited experience as athletes. Keegan, having played lacrosse for many years at the provincial and national levels, had a desire to use his experience to grow the sport in his home province. His first taste of coaching came in  11th Grade when Keegan and his friend took over the local U12 team. Not long after Keegan would take on the Mount Allison lacrosse program where he has been a coach/player for the past four years. 

During his time as a coach at Mount Allison, Keegan has overcome lots of adversity. Just last year unfortunate circumstances led to Keegan being the lone coach for MTA’s lacrosse team. At the time Keegan was still an active player on the team and had limited coaching experience, to add to this uphill battle the team was mostly made up of new players, and the lacrosse program had a complete lack of support from the university. Staying true to his passion for lacrosse turned out to be the saving grace during a low point in the program’s history. Understanding that this wouldn’t be MTA’s greatest season, Keegan focused on fostering an appreciation for the process amongst himself and his teammates. Emphasis was placed on having fun and improving, rather than winning. It was a bumpy season competitively, but by the end of the year, Keegan had boosted participation, built his largest team to date, and regained the support of the Mount Allison’s athletic department. 

Keegan’s story of keeping Mount Allison’s lacrosse program alive speaks to his goal of nurturing a love for lacrosse in New Brunswick. His coaching philosophy is based around instilling his passion for the game into his athletes. He aims to lead by example; displaying his love for lacrosse in any way he can. Always being on time, always being prepared, and bringing energy to practice go a long way in creating an atmosphere of passion, and enthusiasm. When speaking about passion Keegan had this to say, “To be passionate gives purpose, and, to me, that’s one of the most  important things you can teach a kid.” 

Upon hearing about the 2022 Canada Games Aboriginal Apprenticeship Program, Keegan learned that Team NB’s lacrosse team would be able to add an additional coach to their staff, and he became interested in applying for the apprenticeship. Keegan claims that a larger coaching staff has been monumental in giving each athlete on the team a greater opportunity to find success leading up to the games.