StrongsvilleLacrosse.com

History

The Strongsville Lacrosse Association has quickly become one of the leading lacrosse programs in the North Coast Chapter of US Lacrosse. The Association was founded in 2008 by Geoff Belz and Scott DeLisio thanks to support and encouragement from the Medina Lacrosse Association. Six youth boys’ players who previously played for Medina were the core of the first Strongsville Youth Boys team. In our first year, the association totaled 35, 5^th and 6^th grade boys who competed in the Youth Division. In 2009, the program expanded to 3^rd/4^th and Middle School (7^th and 8^th) grade teams represented by over 85 boys. 2009 was highlighted by a 3^rd place finish in the Ohio Youth Cup by our 5^th and 6^th grade team. The 3^rd/4^th and Middle School teams also had key victories against some of the most established programs in Northeast Ohio.

In 2010, we expect over 120 boys among these three age groups. The program is also adding a girls’ 5^th and 6^th grade team for the upcoming season, and we expect expansion into other girls’ age groups in the near future. We expect that our success at the Youth and Middle School divisions will be a building block for a high school level club program for 2011 and beyond.

Philosophy and Objectives

The Strongsville Lacrosse Association was found with the following objectives:

1. Build interest in the sport of lacrosse within the city of Strongsville that would act as springboard for future expansion to all relevant boys and girls age groups.

2. Offer the youth of Strongsville an alternative to other spring sports.

3. Develop player understanding of the sport of lacrosse and teach the fundamentals of good sportsmanship and fair play.

4. Develop a program that will allow Strongsville to compete at the highest level with other programs in the state of Ohio who already have established youth and middle school programs.

Coaches

Strongsville Lacrosse coaches are comprised of volunteers who do not receive compensation for their time. The organization has been fortunate to find qualified, committed volunteer coaches to lead our teams, all of whom have completed Level 1 coaching certification by US Lacrosse. Listed below is the current coaching roster, with their respective bios:

Matt Takavitz – Matt Takavitz has coached defense for all Strongsville Lacrosse teams since the inception of the program. Matt has over 8 years of lacrosse playing experience after beginning his career at Olentangy High School in Columbus. He then went on to play college lacrosse at Bowling Green, starring as a defense-man for all four years.

Geoff Belz – Geoff is a co-founder of the Association, and has coached the youth and middle school teams since the inception of the program. He played four years as a defense-man at the College of Wooster, and was named to the all-conference team during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. He also coaches youth football in the Strongsville community.

Scott DeLisio – Scott is a co-founder of the Association and has coached the youth and middle school teams since the program began. Scott wrestled in high school, and received a scholarship to the University of Utah and later attended The Ohio State University. He has coached baseball and football in the Strongsville community.

Greg Finnegan – Greg will coach our Youth A team in 2010 after serving as an assistant last year. Greg has 15 years of football coaching experience at the Professional and Division 1 College level. A Cornell football alum, Greg also has expertise in coaching youth sports and is in the process of writing a book on the psychology of coaching youth athletics.

John Massa – John will coach our 3/4^th grade team in 2010. John grew up in Syracuse, NY and started playing lacrosse at the age of 6. He played lacrosse from elementary school through college and excelled at the attack position. John will instill strong basic lacrosse skills as well as a history of the sport to our young players. John has coached football and baseball in the Strongsville community.

Joe Bluemel – Joe will help introduce Girls Lacrosse within Strongsville, specifically overseeing the 5^th and 6^th grade team. He has coached baseball and soccer for over 10 years, and is also a member of US Lacrosse and is level 1 certified. Joe enjoys working with youth athletes and providing a healthy atmosphere in which to compete.

The Strongsville Lacrosse Association is a non-profit organization, and all fees are used to cover operating expenses such as referee fees, tournament entry fees, field maintenance, goals, balls, and other expenses.