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FROM THE EDITOR
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As Good as Gold T
New USL program seeks best experience for you and your kids
here’s an old Cherokee legend about two wolves that reside within
us all, a tale of internal strife as told by a grandfather to his grandson.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self- pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside
you — and inside every other
person, too.” PUBLICATION
Managing Director of Communications Bill Rubacky Director of Communications Brian Logue Editor Matt DaSilva ( @mdasilva15) Assistant Editor Corey McLaughlin ( Art Director Gabriella Ferraro O’Brien Graphic Design Manager Heather Hughes
Staff Writers TJ Buchanan, Lucia Clark, Jac Coyne, Lane Errington, Emily Gibson, Paul Krome, Charlie Obermayer Paul Ohanian, Megan Schneider, Bill Tanton
Advertising Sales Keith Scully Chief Photographer Kevin P. Tucker Staff Photographer John Strohsacker
LaxMagazine.com Editor Sean Burns (
LaxMagazine.com Asst. Editor Jac Coyne (
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Wendell Lee first heard
this parable in a presentation made by Sid Jamieson, the longtime Bucknell men’s lacrosse coach of Mohawk descent. Lee, the director of programs at US Lacrosse, could not help but think about the nascent Gold Stick Program that launched in January.
6 LACROSSE MAGAZINE May 2014 >> Lee, who has been involved
in youth and high school lacrosse development from coast to coast (including New Jersey, Texas and Oregon) for 23 years, joined US Lacrosse last summer. His passion for the Gold Stick Program, which seeks to provide the best experience possible for youth lacrosse players by outlining seven standards for leagues to adopt, stems from his experience as a parent, coach, educator and community leader.
It’s kind of like the Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Nothing like that existed for lacrosse leagues until now.
I really can only identify with two of these roles as a one-time youth coach and a fairly new parent. Even though my son has not yet turned 1, I could not help but relate to the Gold Stick mission as Lee avowed his passion for it at our recent US Lacrosse staff meeting. It’s kind of like the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, I thought to myself. That resonated with me especially as I’m in the throes of moving my little family to a new home. Where are the best schools? Luckily, we need not rely solely on word of mouth. There are national and state accreditation
programs and various ratings systems that will guide us in our decision. Nothing like that existed
for lacrosse leagues until now. You want to know that your kid is safe, that he or she is playing for US Lacrosse-certified coaches, that the league employs US Lacrosse-certified officials, that proper safety and risk management protocols exist, that league administrators have a sustainable model built around the players’ best interests, that they use nationally standardized rules, that there’s not a win-at- all-cost mentality and that sportsmanship and life lessons are held in high regard. Twelve pilot leagues affirmed
the Gold Stick standards starting in 2013 before the program’s nationwide launch. Lee said the goal is to have 36 leagues enrolled by the end of 2014. It won’t be easy for them to become accredited. The process, as developed by a committee with more than 100 years of combined lacrosse experience, is rigorous. It’s meant to be that way.
Some well-established
youth lacrosse leagues might balk at that and do things the way they’ve always done them. Our sport is at a crossroads in many ways. There’s something attractive about its provincial past, but that shouldn’t stop us from embracing forward- thinking initiatives, like the Gold Stick Program, that exist to protect the integrity of the sport and its future ambassadors.
Which wolf will you feed? LM
— Matt DaSilva
mdasilva@uslacrosse.org A Publication of US Lacrosse
©JOHN STROHSACKER
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