LaForce, Mark

Mark LaForce – (2003)

 

For most kids, it is difficult enough to be successful in one sport in high school, let alone three. Mark LaForce isn’t “most kids”. The versatile LaForce starred as an offensive guard for the Lorain High School Steelmen during the 1966 through 1970 seasons, earning All-Buckeye Conference honors during his junior and senior years. After each long football season, LaForce would put in extra time into dropping his weight to a lean 175 pounds because he also wrestled from 1966-1969 for the Steelmen. As if that were not enough, LaForce also threw shot put and discus for the track team during the 1966-1970 school years.

Following high school, LaForce was on the fast track to the U.S. Naval Academy. LaForce even attended the Bullis School to prepare for the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Not one to stay idle, LaForce was Co-Captain of the football team, played basketball, and discovered and played the sport of Lacrosse at Bullis Prep. Unfortunately, after receiving his congressional appointment, a severe ankle fracture kept LaForce from attending Navy and entering military service. As fate would have it however, Head Coach Dave Maurer at Wittenberg University, Mark’s second college choice, found this to be the perfect opportunity to bring a player of LaForce’s caliber into the program.

During LaForce’s Junior year, as a starting offensive guard, Wittenberg finished a perfect 12-0 and won the first ever NCAA play-off system game: the 1973 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, in Phoenix City, Alabama, by a score of 41-0. Wittenberg also won a thrilling 21-14 game against San Diego University in the semi-finals to earn a birth in the finals. During LaForce’s junior and senior years in college Wittenberg won two consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Championships and a NCAA Division III National Championship. Once again, Mark’s outstanding ability was recognized when he was named to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference first team and All-Lutheran College All-American first team. He was also nominated to play in the All-Ohio University and College All-Star game at Ohio State University.

A self-admitted “Frustrated Coach”, LaForce has dedicated the last 14 years of his life to his children and youth athletics. Over the years, LaForce has coached in such areas as: soccer, fast-pitch softball, football, baseball and hockey. He has also watched several of the athletes under his tutelage accept football scholarships, by “simply teaching them the fundamentals of how to block”. LaForce currently serves as President of the Dayton Gems, a traveling AAA hockey association team to which his youngest son Blake is a member.

After graduating from Wittenberg with a Bachelors’ Degree in Business and a teaching degree, Mark has spent the past 28 years working in the field of technology and software for such companies as Xerox, Oracle, and is currently employed by Shunra software. He resides in Dayton with his wife Linda and children, Lauren (21), Johnathan (18) and Blake (12), and has a newborn grandson, Brayden Owen Woods.