“They certainly play more games than ever and more games at a higher level of competition,” said Dr. Kevin Walter of the concussion clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. “They extend themselves more than ever. And with all the specialized training, they are bigger, faster and stronger. It adds up.”
Helmets, specialized mouth guards and headbands do not prevent concussions. “There is no known way to prevent concussions,” Stein said. “We love helmets and mouth guards; they protect your skull and your teeth. But they won’t stop a concussion from happening.”
Youth sports concussion clinics operate at the center of America’s heightened awareness and increasing worry about concussions among young athletes. Listening to the hundreds of stories of how concussions have occurred, examining patients and monitoring their recoveries, the doctors and staff members are a repository of anecdotal and medical concussion information.
Female patients are making up a larger percentage of the clinics’ overall concussion patient population, a percentage that continues to rise year to year.“People used to say this was happening because female athletes are more likely than male athletes to report their concussion symptoms, but not many of us believe that is the reason any longer,” said Dr. Cynthia Stein of Boston Children’s Hospital. “Female athletes are just as aggressive about wanting to stay on the playing field, but maybe their sports are getting rougher.“Forty-one percent of our new patients are now female, which is a huge amount when you consider that the No. 1 sport causing concussions is football, and that’s nearly all male.”
Many concussions seem to result from a hit the young athlete does not see coming. It is not just blindside hits in football; it is collisions in which only one party is braced for the collision, as seen in checking sports like lacrosse and hockey. Many soccer players are injured when they are hit in the head by a kicked ball at close range that they did not see coming, especially blows that came from the side or behind them.Doctors again have theorized that girding the neck for a collision or a blow to the head could be the body’s way of protecting the brain. If the blow comes without warning, that layer of fortification is not engaged.“As coaches always say, ‘Keep your head on a swivel so you know what’s going on around you,’ ” said Dr. Michael O’Brien at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It might be good advice for a lot of reasons.”
Team 180 captured the Girls’ 2015, 2016 and 2018-20 titles, a tremendous feat.
There will always be a special connection between the Sand Storm Lacrosse Festival and Team 180. That’s because both the Synapse Sports event and Denver-based club program have enjoyed a similar trajectory. “We’ve been going to Sand Storm since its inception, and as the tournament has grown, so has our organization,” said Sam Bartron, who founded Team 180 in 2004. “The first year, we only had one team and there were about two dozen teams total. This year, we brought five teams and now there are well over 100 girls teams alone.” Team 180 enjoyed tremendous success at the sixth annual Sand Storm, placing four of the teams it brought in the finals and coming away with three championships.
Team 180 Girls Lacrosse Director Sam Bartron started the team in 2004. Now in its ninth year, she has worked with hundreds of girls, traveled her teams all over the USA, and established the top lacrosse recruiting program in Colorado. In 2011, Sam was recognized by “Sportswomen of Colorado” for her contributions to lacrosse.
“I’m so very, very proud of what our girls accomplished. It was so amazing to look around on championship day and see all those yellow jerseys. We had 130 kids out there in yellow like little bees buzzing around,” Bartron said.
Bartron said the key to the overall improvement of the Team 180 organization has been commitment. Coaches front-loaded each team’s training to prepare for Sand Storm, which was held Jan. 19-20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Cal. It also helps that Bartron and staff are now working with players at a much younger age, instilling the skills and team playing style necessary to succeed at a high level. “We want to be the best club in the west, and that takes hard work. We have asked our kids to go above and beyond. Our players and parents have embraced this philosophy and are willing to do whatever it takes,” she said.
Sand Storm 2013, which drew a record 200 total teams – 114 teams in six divisions on the girls’ side and 86 teams in six brackets on the boys’ side -, was a rousing success on every level. Players and their families enjoyed the vacation resort atmosphere of Palm Springs and playing on the lush fields of the Empire Polo Club. Co-sponsors STX and Gatorade contributed to the event’s success through their continued support.
Ted Spencer, president and director of Blue Chip Lacrosse, spent 13 years head coach of the Fairfield men’s lacrosse program. Spencer brought his Blue Chip NorCal East Bay squad, which included sons Ben and Devin, to Sand Storm and came away with the Boys’ High School championship. “I have attended the Sand Storm tournament for the past two years. As a former Division I coach, owner of a very large showcase event, and having attended various events with Team Talon and Blue Chip NorCal East Bay, I can confidently say that Sandstorm is the best Tournament I have been to,” Spencer said. “It is well run, the food and concessions are well organized and the venue is the very best. Palm desert is a superior destination in the winter months. Thank you for a great experience.”
3d Lacrosse, a nationwide organization founded by former Denver University head coach Jamie Munro, captured two championships. 3d Select California 2017, coached by John Clarke and Bill Cummings, took home the Boys’ Seventh-Eighth Grade title. 3d Select California 2019 secured the Fifth-Sixth Grade crown. “All of our 3d Select NorCal teams are showing vast improvement and meshing together the more they play ad adopt 3d’s methodology. We have a collective group of young men who are intelligent, willing to listen, and play for each other,” 3d director John Keysor said. “3d lacrosse would like to thank Sandstorm for hosting such a great event. All of our teams had a great time competing in such beautiful surroundings.”
Kyle Harrison, one of the greatest players in men’s lacrosse history, led the DH Lions to the Boys’ Elite Division championship. Harrison, the NCAA Division I Player of the Year as a senior at Johns Hopkins, founded the northern California organization along with Chuck Dotson. Harrison is head coach at JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano and this DH team is comprised entirely of his high school players. It was an extremely young group consisting primarily of sophomores and freshmen. “Most of these players have been together since middle school so they have great chemistry and cohesion,” said Dotson, whose son Chaz was a starting defenseman for DH. “Kyle has done a tremendous job of coaching and developing these kids.”
DH compiled a 6-0 record and defeated Lax West Mission Red in the final. It was the organization’s first trip to Sand Storm and Dotson came away impressed with the execution of the event by Michael Watson, owner of Lax West and director of the boys’ tournament. “Michael and the Synapse team did a fantastic job. Even if my boys would not have won, I would feel the same way,” Dotson said. “Our players loved it and their parents loved it. The facility itself is simply amazing.”
Bear Lax Blue, coached by Rick Jeffery, garnered the Girls’ 2013 Division on the girls’ side. That squad features players headed to such Division I schools as Hofstra, Stanford, Marquette, San Diego State, Fresno State, St. Mary’s, UC Davis, Ohio State and Brown. Rick Jeffery is a major reason why this group has enjoyed so much success. That 2013 team is made up of girls that have now been playing together for at least six years, and Rick has guided them every step of the way,” said Theresa Sherry, founder and director of Bear Lax. “Sand Storm is a tournament this team has gone to since it began, and has come close to winning a number of times. They lost in sudden death overtime last year, so it was great for them to be able to win it this year.”
X Team Black, which only had 12 players, came away with the Girls’ 2014 title. Liz Connelly (California) and Jess Thornton (Tennessee) coached the club, which featured several four-year members of the X Team program. Team 180 pushed X Team to the limit, but midfielder Riley Eggeman (California) and goalie Rachel Jordan (Oregon) both made big defensive plays down the stretch to preserve a one-goal victory. X Team, founded and operated by Crista Samaras, holds its annual end-of-year gala at the La Quinta Resort and Spa while attending Sand Storm. More than hundred players representing 20 states and the 2013-2017 age groups attended the gala and were inspired by guest speaker Ryan Boyle, a former Princeton All-American and veteran professional standout. “It’s neat to see the growth of lacrosse in the west through this event that has helped foster it,” Samaras said. “The talent level at Sand Storm has really evolved, which makes winning even more special.”
Denver Summit has supported Sand Storm for the past three years and brought nine teams to this year’s event. Denver Summit 2017, coached by Denver University assistant coach Lauren Benner, captured the Girls’ championship of that age bracket. “We absolutely love taking our teams out to Palm Springs to play. There is always great west coast talent that we compete against and it doesn’t hurt that the location is ideal for getting away from our Colorado winters,” Benner said. “The Samaras family does a great job organizing the tournament in such a way that it keeps an intimate feel alongside its competitive atmosphere. In all, it was an awesome weekend full of tough competition, fun and most importantly growth. We are already looking forward to Sandstorm next January.”
Attackman Roy Ward scored the winning goal as Tri Valley edged NorCal to take the Boy’s Ninth-Tenth Grade title. Based in the Conejo Valley outside Los Angeles and founded by former Syracuse standout Sean Lindsay, Tri Valley brought six teams to Sand Storm and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. “It was an amazing event – great venue, great location, great competition,” Lindsay said. “Our parents and kids loved Sand Storm and it was a great way to end the winter season.”
Brady’s Bunch brought home a crown from Sand Storm for the second straight year, winning the Boys’ Third-Fourth Grade division this time around. Ned Harvey coached the team, which went undefeated in the tourney. “We had a great time and the kids loved it. We had a very talented team with lots of experienced players so we seemed a little better prepared than some of the other teams, but that was okay and allowed us to work on some team skills,” Harvey said.
For more information about the 2013 Sand Storm Lacrosse Festival visit the event website: www.laxtournaments.com
SYNAPSE SPORTS
Synapse Sports is the premier provider of lacrosse playing opportunities and recruiting events in the U.S. Founder and CEO Cathy Samaras has been a trailblazer in the sport of lacrosse, working tirelessly for over 20 years to promote the growth and development of the game – from grassroots to global. To learn more about the exciting events organized by the company visit www.synapsesports.com or call 410-573-1414.
LAX WEST
Founded by former UVA 4-time All American Michael Watson, Lax West is committed to helping its participants reach their full potential as competitive lacrosse players and coaches through a variety of platforms including instructional and competitive camps, clinics and events, as well as coaching clinics and seminars, invitational exhibitions, games and tournaments. Visit www.laxwestlacrosse.com for more information.
At the request of US Lacrosse, the national governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, ASTM International Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities is developing a proposed new standard that will specifically cover headgear used in women’s lacrosse.
WK36457, Specification for Headgear Used in Women’s Lacrosse, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F08.53 on Headgear and Helmets.
Ann Kitt Carpenetti, managing director of game administration, US Lacrosse, and an F08.53 member, says that the rules of women’s lacrosse have always allowed for soft headgear to be worn to protect a pre-existing laceration or suture but that this allowance predates by decades the deeper understanding of concussion injury that has recently emerged, as well as any research on the nature of injuries in women’s lacrosse.
Among the possible hurdles in product design of women’s headgear may be integrating it with current protective equipment used in girls’ and women’s lacrosse, specifically, eyewear. Photo by John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com
“There is currently no headgear standard specific to the unique rules, culture and injury mechanism of women’s lacrosse, although we can certainly share examples of soft headgear that is currently allowed by the rules,” says Carpenetti. She also notes that significant differences between men’s and women’s lacrosse, especially with respect to stick and body contact, indicates that the protective equipment requirements for women’s lacrosse should be evaluated and considered independently from the men’s game.
F08.53 welcomes a wide variety of participants in the ongoing development of WK36457. This includes women’s lacrosse players, coaches, officials, administrators and parents who have experience with the sport and its culture. Recently completed and ongoing research projects, including some funded by US Lacrosse, into the nature and mechanisms of head injuries in women’s lacrosse also will factor into the development of a women’s lacrosse-specific headgear standard.
“We are also interested in bringing in sports medicine and concussion experts — researchers and clinicians who have an appreciation for the types of head injuries seen in women’s lacrosse,” says Carpenetti. “We are interested in bringing members of the lacrosse industry who understand the differences between the men’s and women’s game and understand the desire of the governing body to establish a game-appropriate standard.”
CONTACT Technical Information: Ann Kitt Carpenetti, US Lacrosse • Baltimore, Md. • Phone: 410-235-6882, ext. 117 | ASTM Staff: Rick Lake • Phone: 610-832-9689 | Upcoming Meeting: Nov. 14-16 • November Committee Week • Atlanta, Ga.
Despite having a reputation of being a rich white sport, this fall, hundreds of students at Oakland public schools will be introduced to the game of lacrosse. The Oakland Lacrosse Club – which is a newly created, but not yet completed 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation – intends to work with several Oakland schools to introduce lacrosse to students that the sport has not traditionally served. Photo courtesy of Nora Mitchell
“I want every kid in Oakland to have access to play lacrosse,” Kevin Kelley, the boys game director for the Oakland Lacrosse Club, said. “My goal is to expose the sport to 500 middle schoolers and then in the spring create two under 13 teams; one boys and one girls.”
The Oakland Lacrosse Club will provide youth living in Oakland and attending public, charter or parochial schools with the opportunity to play the sport using P.E. classes and after school programs. This month, Kelley has started working twice a week with Claremont Middle School, in North Oakland, and plans to hold clinics next month with a host of other Oakland schools such as the Oakland Military Institute, Brewer Middle School and the Downtown Oakland YMCA.
“The plan is to have 25 kids in the spring for each team,” said Kelley, who also is a lacrosse coach at the University of California, Berkeley, and Oakland Tech High School. “You need 18-20 healthy players to have a functional team. Typically, a P.E. class has 50 kids to a class. To get 50 kids who have never touched the sport … that’s a great start.”
Although the club just formed this month, for the past couple of years, awareness and interest for the sport has moderately increased. In the spring of 2009, a varsity boys lacrosse team was formed at Skyline High School. That same year, work was started to create a boys Junior Varsity and a girls team at Oakland Tech High School.
“Lacrosse is a spring sport and it takes about a year to launch a program and team,” Nora Mitchell, the executive director at the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association, said. “The lacrosse programs at both Skyline and Oakland Tech High School have been hugely successful. Kids get better grades by playing lacrosse. They are motivated and work hard. That’s why I got involved, because I know how positively it can affect them.”
themselves more than ever. And with all the specialized training, they are bigger, faster and stronger. It adds up.”
awareness and increasing worry about concussions among young athletes. Listening to the hundreds of stories of how concussions have occurred, examining patients and monitoring their recoveries, the doctors and staff members are a repository of anecdotal and medical concussion information.
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