MLL AND NLL IN THE ATL
The birth of professional lacrosse in Atlanta can be traced back to a televised women’s soccer game in 2010. David Gross, the commissioner of MLL, happened by a game played at Kennesaw State University. “I thought it was an amazing venue,” Gross said. “I wanted to have a game there. We called the stadium the next day and they told us the price, and we said, ‘That’s not going to work.”
When the stadium changed ownership, MLL and Kennesaw State started working together. Boston and Rochester played a regular season game there in 2013, followed by MLL championship games in 2014 and 2015, the latter being a final test for the market.
“The place was almost
but he also understands the negatives that can come along with lacrosse’s newfound status in the native Long Islander’s adopted home state. “The future is very bright, but at the same time, people’s expectations need to be in line,” Banks said. “Not every kid is going to get a scholarship. The reason they are playing this game is because it is a lot of fun. We have to have some buyer-beware of what they are being sold, because you can’t promise kids they are going to go to college [to play lacrosse].
“What you can say is, if they do this, they will have opportunities if they get great coaching and if they commit to working on their game. We have to commit to educating coaches and officials, and then the sky is the limit for lacrosse here.”
IN SECTION 106,
laxmagazine.com
JAMESON MEYER WATCHED RATLIFF ON THE JUMBOTRON. Meyer celebrated his ninth birthday with a bunch of friends in the stands at the MLL championship game last August. He returned in February for the Cobb County Classic. He hopes to play at Johns Hopkins someday. He wants to learn how to face off like Denver’s Trevor Baptiste and “have an accurate shot and play as fast” as the best players in the world.
On the screen at the stadium, Ratliff gave an interview with his sponsor, Under Armour, about how he trains for MLL competition, and then he tossed Blaze T-shirts into the stands during a timeout. In the heart of SEC football
country, Meyer dreamed of stardom in a different sport — a dream Ratliff was living right in front of him.
Fifth Third Bank Stadium (above left) in Kennesaw, Ga., has drawn large crowds to numerous college and professional lacrosse events.
Milton (Ga.) grads Annie Ruland (USC) and Lydia Cassada (Northwestern) led a wave of NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse talent out of Georgia.
Joel White (right) stars for the new Georgia Swarm NLL franchise.
completely sold out,” Gross said. “We have established a lot of great relationships in the market, we found the right ownership group and here we are.” Even before the Atlanta Blaze had a chance to take the field, however, Georgia welcomed another pro lacrosse franchise. The Minnesota Swarm needed a home for the 2016 season when their lease became unfavorable at the XCel Energy Center after 11 seasons. The team looked at Nashville, Louisville and Cincinnati before settling on the Arena at Infinity Energy Center in Duluth, Ga. More than 9,000 fans
turned out for the Georgia Swarm’s home opener Jan. 9. “It was our best game in 12-year Swarm history in terms of revenue,” team president Andy Arlotta said. The two venues are 38 miles
apart and the seasons will overlap for two weekends. Is Atlanta ready for two pro teams at once? “We are two different leagues, two different styles and two games that young players should know,” Blaze vice president Liam Banks said. “The more we can support each other, the better off we will be. Maybe we can set a precedent for professional lacrosse.” — B.T.
April 2016» LACROSSE MAGAZINE 25
©MICHAEL SCHWARZ (AR/LC); ©PAUL SASSO (JW)
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