US Lacrosse Names 2005 Youth Lacrosse Award Winners

BALTIMORE — US Lacrosse and its Youth Council will honor seven individuals from throughout the nation for their service to youth lacrosse, as announced today by Jennifer Allen, director of programs for US Lacrosse. The group will be honored at the fourth annual US Lacrosse Youth Council Awards Breakfast during the US Lacrosse National Convention on Jan. 15, 2005 in Philadelphia. Register here if you would like to attend the convetion.

The US Lacrosse Youth Council solicited nominations from around the country for individuals who have made significant contributions to youth programs over time. The seven honorees represent six states.

The awards ceremony will include a keynote address from three former players—Maureen Duffy, Carmen Piñeyro and Krystin Porcella—of outstanding Loyola College women’s lacrosse coach Diane Geppi-Aikens who passed away in June of 2003.

This year's recipients are:
Outstanding Contribution to the Game (2 recipients):
Bill Hook (Greensboro, N.C.) & Reed Schroeder (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Since moving to Greensboro, N.C. in 1996, Hook has been a leading force behind the growth of the sport in the Triad area. The Triad Youth Lacrosse Association, of which he has been the director of coaching for five years, now has more than 450 participants. He has been active at the high school level, and serves as an assistant coach for the Greensboro Page H.S. Hook started the Greensboro Lax Fest, one of the biggest youth tournaments in the Southeast.

Schroeder has made major contributions to the sport at the local and national levels. On the local level, he started the Greater Cincinnati Lacrosse Association in 1993, served as a coach for several years and served on the board of the Ohio Lacrosse Foundation. An official since 1981, Schroeder first served on the board of the National Junior Lacrosse Association from 1994 to 1998 and since 1998 has served on the US Lacrosse Board of Directors as a representative from the Youth Council.

Program Administrator of the Year: Patty Brooks (Richardson, Texas)
Texas is one of the fastest-growing lacrosse regions in the country and Patty Brooks has played in role in much of that growth. Brooks served as president of the North Texas Youth Lacrosse Association and most recently has served as the Division II Boys Coordinator of the Texas High School Lacrosse League. A member of the US Lacrosse Youth Council, Brooks has been instrumental in developing new coaches and officials through her roles as a member of the national Coaches Education Committee and a board member for the North Texas Chapter of US Lacrosse and the Friends of North Texas Lacrosse.

Exceptional Double-Goal Coach: Erin Blaney (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
Blaney has served as the head girls’ lacrosse coach at Ward Melville High School for 22 years. In addition to winning three Suffolk County and Long Island championships, Blaney has served as an excellent role model for her players, helping them develop on and off the field. She has spent 14 years of the youth coordinator for Three Village Girls Lacrosse and was inducted into the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame in 2000.

Exceptional BRIDGE Lacrosse Coach (2 recipients):
Alphonse Rochel (San Francisco, Calif.) & Kevin Tucker (San Francisco, Calif.)
Alphonse Rochel and Kevin Tucker have both been actively involved with youth sports, but had never seen lacrosse until their sons got involved with Lacrosse for LIFE, an affiliate program of the US Lacrosse BRIDGE Initiative. They quickly embraced the sport, actively seeking opportunities to learn more about it, and coached the Palega Bulldogs 6th-8th grade team to a successful season. Wrote one parent, "Their belief in the players to reach demanding goals gave every player the confidence to grow and achieve more than they knew they could."

Excellence in Growing the Game: Robin Abel (Monrovia, Md.)
Lacrosse is the official team sport for the state of Maryland, but even within the state there are still areas where the sport in relatively unknown. That’s changing thanks to the work of people like Robin Abel. Abel is heavily involved in running the entire Linganore Urbana Youth Athletic Association lacrosse program. It was Abel who started the girls' lacrosse program in Urbana as part of the LUYAA seven years ago. He has coached and worked at virtually every level of the game. His dedication has helped fuel the growth of lacrosse into Frederick County and most recently he has been heavily involved in the establishment of the Western Maryland Chapter of US Lacrosse.

Also being honored at the ceremony will be Jon Frank of Prince Frederick, Md., for 15 years of service to the youth game and Blaney for 20 years of service to youth lacrosse.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse.

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