New Wave Lacrosse founder and coach Andy Thompson, 34, was recently named the Illinois High School Lacrosse Association Person of the Year. Thompson, who has also been involved with the St. Charles North lacrosse program for 12 years and is currently an assistant coach, caught up with Kane County Chronicle sports reporter Chris Casey in the latest edition of the Weekend Chit-chat to talk about what it meant to win the award, his family life, and a particular personal trial he battled. Here’s an edited transcript:

What does it mean to you to receive this honor?

It really is the most meaningful award I’ve ever received. Not just in lacrosse, but in anything. First off, all the coaches in the state vote on this award, so it means a lot to me that enough coaches voted for me. Also, the award is about more than just coaching. It has to do with growing the game of lacrosse at all levels, so it is very cool to me that my passion for this game is being recognized.

Balancing being heavily involved in so much lacrosse and family life must be difficult. How have you managed to do that?

That’s a very good question. To be honest, I probably haven’t completely balanced it, but it all starts with having a very understanding wife. She knows how committed I am to this sport, to my players and families that are involved with the program. So during the spring time, she knows that most of my life is dedicated to lacrosse for high school and the summer is all geared toward the travel program.

So how do you make time for the family?

We take family vacations when we are able to. One good thing is that a lot of the work I put into New Wave can be done from home so I can spend time with my wife, Mindy, my daughter, Brooklyn (5), and son, Tyler (2). Mindy is a nurse, so when she is working, I can make my hours flexible and spend time with the kids.

Your wife told me over the phone that you had battled thyroid cancer. What was that experience like?

I found out last summer that I had thyroid cancer, but it was a very curable type. Every time I talk about this, I say there are three life-changing days that I’ve experienced: The birth of my first child, the birth of my second child and the day I found out I had cancer. It was taken care of with surgery and radiation. It helped that Mindy is involved in the medical field so she knew exactly where to take me. It was a rough summer to say the least, but it made me stronger.

What did you take away from your experience battling cancer?

I think more positives came out of it than negatives. To see what your family and friends are willing to do for you was the most amazing thing. I constantly had people checking in on me, with Mindy being No. 1, first and foremost. She would take care of me and take me to wherever I needed to go or do whatever I needed. I had lifelong friends checking in and stopping by, coaches would stop by from both programs and it really just showed me how much support I have in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without a lot of people helping me along the way.

Do you look at life any differently now that you went through battling cancer?

As cliché as it sounds, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That truly means something to me because after going through everything that I did, I am only more motivated and excited to get out there and coach. Getting the chance to beat this and continue to do what I love doing was something I will never forget.