U.S. Lacrosse Veterans Give Back to the Game: Help German Team at World Games

The US lacrosse community is a tight knit group. Almost everyone who has played or coached the game appreciates the opportunities to stay involved in the sport by helping to improve the level of competition and by encouraging young players to excel.

At this year’s World Lacrosse Championships in Great Britain, the German men’s team benefited significantly from several American lacrosse veterans who have ancestral ties to that country. His participation helped the team achieve an exciting fifth place finish. They also spurred the growth of the game in Europe and Asia, and helped instill lacrosse camaraderie among a new generation of players.

The Germany team was coached by Jack Kaley, who spent a considerable part of his life playing or coaching the game in New York. He played the game at Hofstra University from 1957 to 1960, and then coached at East Meadow High School on Long Island for 18 years. Kaley spent 17 years, until 2009, at the New York Institute of Technology, where she delivered four national championships and the best winning percentage of all Division I and II schools.

“At this stage in my life, I am America’s Von Steuben going to Germany,” Kaley said, referring to Baron Von Steuben, the military officer from the German-dominated area known as Prussia who came to the United States to help win the Revolutionary War. “Instead of coming here to fight a war for independence, I went there to help coach lacrosse players and raise the bar in international competition.”

Lacrosse in Germany is still in its infancy. This year’s squad consisted of players between the ages of 19 and 34. They competed against some of the best players in the world as part of an ever-expanding tournament that included 30 teams.

“Lacrosse isn’t just the fastest growing game in America,” Kaley said, “it’s the fastest growing game in the world. This year, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan were new to the tournament.”

Long Island supports German lacrosse

All support for the German team this year was linked to Hofstra. The assistant coach, Richie Donovan, was an assistant coach at Hofstra (1986-1995) and the only member of the group without German roots. Chris Bergersen played with Hofstra (1993-1996).

The key financial sponsor was James Metzger, who won All-America honors at Long Island’s Half Hollow Hills East High School, where he won the 1977 Ray Enners Award for Outstanding Lacrosse Player in Suffolk County.

Metzger went on to play for Hofstra during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. He was inducted into the 1980 Division I All-American lacrosse team after his sophomore year. During that season, Metzger set a school sophomore record of 4.9 points per game that still stands. That record also ranked as the second-highest average points per game in Hofstra lacrosse history at the time, and currently ranks as the fourth-best all-time in Hofstra.

As the coaches volunteered their time, Metzger’s financial assistance eased budget concerns. Metzger, along with the others, is about giving back to the game. As the successful business owner of the independent insurance broker Whitmore Group in New York, financial donations from James Metzger recently completed the renovation of Hofstra’s men’s lacrosse locker room and established a new lacrosse office suite for the program. It also funded a permanent exhibit celebrating the history of Hofstra’s men’s and women’s lacrosse programs along with the school’s soccer program.

With a history of supporting the game that he enjoyed at school, Metzger could not deny Kaley’s request for assistance for the German team. Kaley told Metzger that her name was already popular throughout Germany and that it appeared in all cities (“Metzger” means “butcher”). Hearing this, Metzger felt he was destined to help grow the game in the country where he could trace his paternal origins.

“Anyone who participates in lacrosse as a youth or a young adult is told that when they are done playing they have to find a way to give back to the game,” Kaley said. “Some of us can do this with our time as coaches. Others may not have the time, having been successful as business owners, doctors, or in other professions. But they can still help the game grow through their generosity. “.

Successful Germans in the field

At the World Lacrosse Championships, the German team accepted the offer to move up the ranks to play in the highly competitive top division. The opportunity arose when a more experienced team, the US Iroquois Native American team, ran into passport problems and never made it to the UK. The Germans took advantage of the offer to play against some of the best teams in the world. : Canada, USA, Japan, England and Australia, and they did very well. They finished in fifth place.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for German players,” Kaley said. “Now the German lacrosse family has experience competing at the highest level and they have started their preparation for the next tournament in 2014. Now that they have the experience, they will work hard to develop and train to be more physically and mentally prepared for future competition.

A large part of the current and future success of the German team is attributed to those who joined Kaley this year.

“Metzger, Bergersen and Donovan gave back to the sport’s young players,” said Kaley, “and these young players, when they succeed in their chosen fields, will remember their contributions and want to continue the tradition by helping the next generation.” of lacrosse players. “