NEW ERA
II. US LACROSSE: THE WONDER YEARS
IN 1998. EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS — THE LACROSSE FOUNDATION BEING ONE OF THEM — MERGED TO FORM US LACROSSE. HOW MASSIVE OF AN UNDERTAKING WAS THAT?
It was massive culturally, not necessarily practically. There was a lot of passion and history in each of the organizations coming to the table. We reached an agreement that a unified national structure was the way to go. But could we generate support from those organizations to make the ultimate sacrifice — to die and be reborn into a new organization? The other interesting component was
women’s and men’s lacrosse being different versions of the sport, having different cultures — and the legitimate concern on behalf of the women’s game that they would be consumed by the men’s game, that the traditions and culture of the women’s game would be overtaken by the men’s game. That’s what happened historically with women’s sport. Many leaders of the USWLA had been through that as athletes and aspiring athletes, had been through the inequities of sport at high schools and colleges and in public recreation opportunities. Title IX had not emerged practically yet. The U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Association leadership took the biggest leap, and embraced the concept, as did the men’s organizations. But it was a horse-trading exercise. It required dozens of meetings, all of which were facilitated by independent counsel. Lawyers were involved. And it was a lot of angst that resulted in the organization’s birth.
ONE OF US LACROSSE’S HALLMARKS ALSO HAS BEEN ITS COACHING AND OFFICIALS EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
The fundamental goals of US Lacrosse were to create national standards, because there were none. The rules were different from state to state. There was no consistency of curricula to educate and recruit coaches and officials. How can you grow the game most effectively? You need to create consistency in how the game is taught and played, and that’s where the educational focus came in.
36 LACROSSE MAGAZINE » September/october 2016
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS?
Just getting the organizations to buy into the fact that we could accomplish more together and collectively than we could independently and separately — and the fact that women’s and men’s lacrosse were not different sports. They were different versions of the same sport.
US Lacrosse employees say goodbye to their home of 18 years on University Parkway in Baltimore.
WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 18 YEARS OF US LACROSSE?
I’m most proud of the people, the professionals that have been a part of our staff and have been the heart and soul of our mission driving it forward. Relative to mission, I would say our impact on growing the game. We’ve invested unprecedented sums of money into the grassroots development of the sport over the last 18 years. Our budget now is just over $20 million, and essentially that $20 million is all invested in advancing the sport. That really is a lot of money, probably pushing close to $200 million over the course of the organization’s history.
Our members are investors in the organization. Generating that type of support from members and donors is something that I’m very proud of, which has enabled us to invest so heavily in the growth of the sport.
WHEN SOMEBODY ASKS YOU, “WHY SHOULD I BE A MEMBER?” WHAT’S YOUR ANSWER?
One of the challenges we have is that we have evolved our membership platform to be a transactional experience. Members feel that they have to be a member of the organization
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©JOHN STROHSACKER
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