In
1636, French missionary Jean de Brebeuf described
to the Europeans the Native American game
of Baggataway, played by the Iroquois near
the Hudson Bay. Each tribe had a variation
on the original sticks: leather thongs bisected
the walls of the rounded end and, because
they looked like the Christian cross, the
game was called "le jeu de la crosse."
Lacrosse has National Games for Men's and
Women's teams from the high school and college
levels. The World
Games feature teams from the Iroquois
Nation, Canada (lacrosse is their national
game), USA, Britain, Wales, Scotland, Australia,
Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Germany and the
Czech Republic. Lacrosse has only reached
the exhibition level at the Olympics so far,
but they have entered the Pro-Lacrosse arena.
The Canadian Box Lacrosse League has become
the MLL.
Founded
in 1995, this organization is dedicated to
educating youth, spectators, coaches and officials
about lacrosse, and helping the sport grow
in Upper Arlington and Central Ohio. Since
1995, they have sponsored the annual UALA
Spring Youth Clinics for boys and girls in
grades 3-6. They have also, since 1995, organized
and sponsored the Youth Summer League for
boys and girls. In 2000, UALA co-sponsored
a new Spring Youth League in the evening for
boys and girls with organizers Dan Hendrickson,
Kevin Olson, Phil Drake and John Bennett,
who modeled it after the HYLA program in Hilliard,
Ohio. UALA honors all UA All-Americans and
National Team honorees with a stipend helping
them with travel expenses to attend those
games. UALA hosted the Ohio High School and
Middle School All-Star Games in 1996, 1997,
1998 and 2001. In 1998, they were honored
to host the National High School Men's All-Star
North-South game (the first time held outside
the East Coast) and the three year old Ohio-Michigan
Challenge. UALA accepts donations to promote
youth lacrosse activities.
UA
HIGH SCHOOL
The
UA High School Lacrosse Club began
in 1972. UA teacher Lee Spitzer took
over as UAHS coach from 1974 to 1986. UA
placed first in the MSLA (Midwest Scholastic
Lacrosse Association) in 1975 and second
in 1979,1980, and 1981. Under Head Coach
Bill Wolford (1987-1991), the 1989
and 1990 UA Varsity teams rose to second
in the Ohio State Championships. Younger
brother Ted Wolford
has been Head Coach since 1992. His teams
have won seven MSLA Championships and eight
State titles in fourteen years. For eight
of the last fourteen years, UA has enjoyed
a National ranking in the top 30 in either
the Lacrosse
Magazine or Face-Off
Magazine polls. The record-breaking
61-game winning streak ended in 1999, but
the high quality of UA play has brought
college recruiters to Ohio and the Midwest,
increasing participation on the collegiate
level. In the 2006 season, more than thirty
boy's alums played on college teams and
clubs. High School Lacrosse is growing nationally:
Ohio boys' high school programs (90) compares
to New York (322), Maryland (193), Virginia
(109), Pennsylvania (169), Connecticut (67),
Massachusetts (140), Texas (62), Michigan
(67), Florida (76), Colorado (42), New Jersey
(133) and California (136) and sixteen more
states with twenty or more teams each. UAHS
players volunteer as coaches in the spring
and summer leagues to share the lax tradition
with UA's youth players.
UA
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
In 1972,
Jones Middle School principal Dave Shelby
gave the first lacrosse gear to George
Close's physical education classes and
started the Jones Middle School Lax Club after
school. In 1975, Hastings started their team.
In the 1970's, the only other middle school
programs were Worthington, Western Reserve
and Detroit Country Day. By 1990, Dan Hendrickson
became the Hastings Middle School coach, and
Brett Diehl took over for Jones. Our
UA Middle School boys' teams have earned five
State Championship titles in the last six
years!
Spencer
Parsons
2010
SCHOLASTIC
ALL-AMERICAN
Joseph
Benedick
ALL-AMERICAN
John
Hardesty
ALL
MIDWEST FIRST TEAM
ALL
MIDWEST SECOND TEAM
ALL
MIDWEST HONORABLE MENTION
Joseph
Benedick
Spencer
Parsons
Daniel
Kloos
Kyle
Cassady
Alex
Powers
Cam
Williams
John
Hardesty
Luke
Treece
OHIO
POSITION OF THE YEAR
Luke
Treece
OHIO
POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR - DEFENSE
Joseph
Benedick
OHIO
POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR - GOALIE
Daniel
Kloos
OHIO
POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR - LSM /
SPECIALTY
John
Hardesty
OHSLA
STATE TOURNAMENT OFFENSIVE MVP
Cam
Williams
OHSLA
STATE TOURNAMENT OFFENSIVE MVP
Joseph
Benedick
US
LACROSSE ALL-STAR GAME
John
Hardesty
ALL
OHIO
FIRST TEAM
ALL
OHIO
SECOND TEAM
ALL
MIDWEST
HONORABLE MENTION
Joseph
Benedick
Timmy
Yuhas
Daniel
Kloos
John
Hardesty
Cam
Williams
Daniel
Kloos
Luke
Treece
ALL-OHIO
CENTRAL REGION
All-OCC
1st
Team
1st
Team
Joseph
Benedick
Joseph
Benedick
John
Hardesty
John
Hardesty
Daniel
Kloos
Daniel
Kloos
Spencer
Parsons
Luke
Treece
Luke
Treece
2nd
Team
Timmy
Yuhas
Kyle
Cassady
2nd
Team
Spencer
Parsons
Kyle
Cassady
Honorable
Mention
Honorable
Mention
Alex
Powers
Alex
Powers
Cam
Williams
COLLEGE
ALL-AMERICAN
Max
Schmidt - Maryland
NAME
YEAR
COLLEGE
Daniel
Gaines
Senior
Wittenberg
Jud
Hall
Senior
Ohio
Wesleyan
Scott
Lathrop
Senior
Ohio
State
T.J.
Powell
Senior
Ohio
State
Max
Schmidt
Senior
Maryland
Adam
Ansel
Junior
Wittenberg
Nathan
Barnett
Junior
Ohio
Wesleyan
Alex
Benedick
Junior
Denison
Cal
Case
Junior
Vermont
Adam
Donahue
Junior
Georgetown
Matt
Ghidotti
Junior
Army
Grant
Oliver
Junior
Maryland
Keith
Olson
Junior
Albany
Kyle
Smith
Junior
Ohio
Wesleyan
Zach
Tulley
Junior
Air
Force
Kyle
Cooper
Sophomore
Kenyon
Mark
Crawford
Sophomore
Ohio
State
Alex
Drake
Sophomore
Lehigh
Phill
Gross
Sophomore
Yale
Joseph
Benedick
Freshman
Penn
Kyle
Cassady
Freshman
Air
Force
John
Hardesty
Freshman
Ohio
State
Daniel
Kloos
Freshman
Bryant
Spencer
Parsons
Freshman
Roanoke
Timmy
Yuhas
Freshman
Roanoke
This site is not sponsored by the Upper Arlington City School District.
2010