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Chris Goldberg has enjoyed watching the sport he loves grow in popularity around his old stomping grounds. A University of Delaware graduate who has covered lacrosse for a variety of publications in Lansdale and Pottstown over the last three decades, he also coached girls’ youth lacrosse in Coatesville and Interboro school districts for more than 10 years.
A Black Bear midfielder attempts to outrun his United Lacrosse opponent at the 2014 Kick Off Classic Lacrosse Tournament at West Chester University.
“Long Island and Baltimore have always been the top ‘hotbeds’ for lacrosse,” says Goldberg, founder and editor of PhillyLacrosse.com, an online resource for regional lacrosse activities. “Now, southeastern Pennsylvania is right behind, and the growth of the sport in the Brandywine Valley is a huge reason why.”
In 2002, approximately 150 public and private high schools offered boys’ and girls’ lacrosse at the varsity level in Pennsylvania and Delaware combined. Today, the two states boast more than 250 high school varsity lacrosse teams, dozens of which are based in the Brandywine Valley.
High schools such as Malvern Prep, Lower Merion, the Haverford School, Salesianum, Tower Hill, and Radnor have long garnered attention for their successful lacrosse programs, and they continue to send players to NCAA Division I colleges. In 2011, the Haverford School became the first Pennsylvania high school to be named National High School boys’ lacrosse champions after being ranked number one overall by both Laxpower.com and Inside Lacrosse.
Avon Grove Head Coach Eric Jackson (left) addresses the Red Devils at half time.
Meanwhile, other high school programs, such as Avon Grove and Conestoga, are now able to compete with these top programs even though they started out as only club teams a little more than a decade ago.
Avon Grove narrowly lost to Malvern Prep in overtime this past season. Malvern Prep went undefeated, won the Pennsylvania state championship, and was ranked third in the final national rankings by Lacrosse Magazine.
Dan Deckelbaum, a fourth-year assistant coach at Avon Grove, has witnessed the newer programs’ recent success, which he attributes to a growing number of quality youth programs that give young athletes a fast-paced and physical alternative to other spring sports such as baseball.
“High schools such as Avon Grove and Conestoga have had successful programs because of the skilled players coming out of youth programs,” says Deckelbaum, a 2007 graduate of the University of Delaware who played professionally for Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League. He is also the founder of Elevated Lacrosse and a former assistant at Tower Hill High School. “It’s a lot easier to teach players higher-level lacrosse and incorporate college-level offenses when they already have the basic skills.”
Great Tradition for Girls’ Game
Girls’ lacrosse also has a rich history in the Brandywine region. By most accounts, it enjoyed much more popularity than the boys’ game for many years, going back to its competitive roots in the early 1960s.
Garnet Valley girls’ lacrosse team gathers for a team photo after its 13-9 victory over Springfield-Delco in the Pennsylvania (PIAA) State Championship at Hersheypark Stadium.
“Girls’ lacrosse in the area has definitely seen more linear growth, while the boys have seen a huge spike in popularity,” says Jenny Purvis, a former All-American in lacrosse and field hockey at Hatboro-Horsham High School and current head coach at 2014 Pennsylvania State Champion Garnet Valley High School.
Purvis remembers how hard it was to find both travel and youth programs in Montgomery County when she attended high school in the early 2000s. Now, the area is full of programs that play in numerous tournaments throughout the year. “Delaware County had better [lacrosse programs] because of great coaches and high competition at the youth levels,” Purvis says. “Now that Horsham and other places [in Montgomery County] have youth programs, the skill level is getting better.”
Lorraine Beers, who played at Haverford High School and Drexel University and has coached six-time PIAA District 12 Champion Archbishop Carroll for 15 years now, has enjoyed watching the girls’ game evolve. But she offers one note of caution as the sport continues to gain popularity: “The growth actually outpaces those familiar with the sport, in that many are getting involved in the sport without much knowledge about it,” Beers says. “They believe [the girls’ game is] the same as the boys’ game with the exception of contact and equipment. Yet, it truly is a completely different game all the way down to the different lines on the field.”
She commends US Lacrosse for its ongoing effort to educate coaches, officials, and players about the differences between boys’ and girls’ lacrosse without completely disassociating the two.
Showcasing Local Talent
Beers says that the proliferation of club and travel teams has helped the game grow exponentially in the past five years. With the talent of the players increasing, more summer travel teams, recruiting camps, and “showcase” tournaments pop up in the area.
A Black Bear attackman takes on a Top Side Sniper defender at the 2014 Summer Slam Lacrosse Tournament in West Chester.
“Recruiting has always been difficult, since coaches are less focused on seeing high school players play and more on their own spring seasons,” notes Purvis. “So, the summer has really become the ideal time for recruiting.”
College recruiters no longer have time to attend prospective players’ high school games. So, coaches either host their own recruiting camps (a more common approach for girls’ lacrosse) or travel to various summer showcase tournaments to see the best players in an area. Before 2008, southeastern Pennsylvania didn’t have any showcase tournaments. Today, there are around 20 different tournaments in the region alone.
“Travel teams have changed the whole dynamic of recruiting,” says Jon Heisman, a West Chester Henderson alum, founder of Black Bear Lacrosse, and the current head coach at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downington. “We were one of the first in the area to offer travel teams in 2009. Now, there are an overwhelming number of different teams.”
Black Bear, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, initially ran just one overnight camp at Ursinus College. Now, the organization runs 12 camps, supports 10 travel teams, and offers indoor training specifically in the southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware area.
Every year, even more lacrosse clubs like Black Bear are formed. Heisman expects the growth to continue, with additional high school club programs gaining varsity status in the coming years.
As the sport continues to gain followers, there’s the ongoing question of what makes lacrosse so appealing for area athletes. “I think the culture around lacrosse has made it popular and is particularly appealing to the youth,” says Purvis. “Overall, it’s seen as a cool sport to play.”
A SUMMER CAMP SAMPLER
It’s still not too late to get involved in lacrosse this summer. Here is a list of 10 area camps where you can check for openings.
- Malvern Prep (Boys)
Run by Malvern Prep Assistant Coach Todd MacFarlane, this half-day camp is for beginning, intermediate and experienced players ages 10-14.
Cost: $205
Date: July 14-17
Location: 418 S. Warren Ave., Malvern, PA
- West Chester Lacrosse Camp (Boys & Girls)
The West Chester Lacrosse Association and NXT Lacrosse run a half-day and day camp open to all players grades kindergarten to 9th grade regardless of experience. The camp focuses on teaching the campers basic fundamentals such as passing, catching, dodging, shooting, and groundballs.
Cost: Half Day $125 (K-2nd) and Day $225 (3rd-9th)
Date: July 14-17
Location: Kelly & Ciccarone Fields (601 Westtown Rd., West Chester, PA)
Elevated Lacrosse campers gather after a long day of lacrosse at Avon Grove High School.
- Elevated Lacrosse Camp (Boys)
This half-day and day camp for boys ages 6-18 is run by Dan Deckelbaum, a former four-year starting midfielder at the University of Delaware, former professional player, and current Assistant Coach at Avon Grove High School.
Cost: Half Day $115, Day $225 (early registration), and Day $240 (at the door registration)
Avon Grove
Date: July 14-17
Location: Avon Grove High School (257 State Rd., West Grove, PA)
Kelly Field
Date: July 21-24
Location: Kelly Field (601 Westtown Rd., West Chester, PA)
- West Chester University (Girls)
The university’s Women’s Lacrosse program has made it to the NCAA Division II National Championship nine times and won twice, most recently in 2008. The camp is run by Head Coach Ginny Martino and offers both a day and evening sessions.
Cost: Day $265 (Ages 8-14) and Evening $230 (Ages 15-18)
Date: July 14-17 (Day); July 21-24 (Evening)
Location: WCU’s South Campus Athletic Facilities (855 S. New St., West Chester, PA)
- Black Bear Lacrosse Camp (Boys)
Run by founder Jon Heisman, Black Bear offers multiple camps in the area throughout the summer for boys ages 5-15. Camps include daily scrimmages, position-specific instruction, contests, and daily personal interaction with coaches. Campers are grouped according to age and ability.
Cost: $275 (Optional $65 equipment rental offered)
A Black Bear attackman winds up to shoot on a United Lacrosse goalie at the 2014 Kick Off Classic Lacrosse Tournament at West Chester University.
Phoenixville
Date: July 14-18
Location: Phoenixville High (1200 Gay St., Phoenixville, PA)
Upper Merion
Date: August 4-8
Location: Black Rock Park (1286 Black Rock Rd., Phoenixville, PA)
- Rippin’ Rope (Boys & Girls)
Archmere Academy Head Coach Pete Duncan runs a number of camps for players in grades 1-12. All camps are offered to players of any skill level and experience.
Cost: $175-$215
Saint Edmond’s Academy
Date: July 14-18
Location: 2120 Veale Rd., Wilmington, DE
Archmere Academy
Date: July 21-25
Location: 3600 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE
Hockessin Montessori School
Date: July 21-25
Location: 1000 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE
Smyrna High School
Date: July 28-31
Location: 500 Duck Creek Pkwy., Smyrna, DE
- Gamebreaker (Boys & Girls)
Shipley School Boys’ Head Coach Mark Duncan runs the boys’ camp and Girls’ Head Coach Katelyn Taylor runs the girls’ camp. Both camps are daylong and campers have the option of staying overnight throughout the week.
Cost: Overnight $565, Extended Day $425
Date: July 21-24
Location: The Phelps School (583 Sugartown Rd., Malvern, PA)
- Silverback (Boys & Girls)
Silverback Lacrosse Club in Delaware partners with Nike to offer both youth and high school-level instructional camps.
Cost: $140
Location: Ursuline Academy (1106 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, DE)
Girls’ High School (Ages 14-18) and Youth (Ages 8-13)
Date: July 21-25
Boys’ Youth (Ages 8-13)
Date: July 28-August 1
- Millon Lacrosse Camp (Boys)
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame member Mark Millon and current professional players such as Paul Rabil and Scott Rodgers run this overnight/extended day camp in its 7th year of existence.
Cost: Extended day $550, Overnight $665
Date: July 27-31
Location: George School (1690 Newtown-Langhorne Rd., Newtown)
- Philadelphia Wings (Boys)
Wings Captain Brodie Merrill, who was once named the “Best Player in the World” by Inside Lacrosse and has won almost every major award in the NCAA, NLL, MLL, and FIL World Championships, offers a day camp for players of any age “who want to improve their overall lacrosse IQ, playing style, and knowledge.”
Cost: $350
Date: August 11-14
Location: The Shipley School (814 Yarrow St., Bryn Mawr, PA)
