Playing my Passion

The game of lacrosse has been a part of my life as much as art. I started playing the game as a 9th grader at Calvert Hall. When I picked up a stick, put on the pads and got on the field, I knew this would be the game I would never stop playing. In high school, I played midfielder, meaning I was part of the action every moment of the game. Taking face-offs, being the offensive catalyst and playing defense were all elements of my game. When I entered Loyola University, I moved over to defensive midfielder. At this position I became both a physical and quick "stopper". As I look back on it now, I had a great career from college at Loyola to the professional level with the Baltimore Thunder. I miss the roar of the crowd and the boos as well, especially in Philadelphia. Lacrosse still has an enormous role in my life: I still play at the semi-pro level and as you can see, it is a prominent subject in my artwork

Game of honor, tradition and beauty

Lacrosse is best described by the Native Americans as a gift from "The Creator". It was an exercise to strengthen the body for combat and to strengthen the spiritual center. It is a little known fact that lacrosse is the oldest sport in America. It has been passed down through generations for centuries. It is a game for every man. Size does not play a factor in lacrosse like football. It’s an advantage to be big and strong, but I’ve seen players who were just over 5 feet tall excel at this game by using their speed and wits. It is the fastest growing sport in America. Though primarily played on the east coast, the sport is making its way to playgrounds and colleges on the west coast. Lacrosse is like art; it celebrates and displays beauty and creativity. On the other hand, it can be a brutal and punishing sport. With certain players, the game can resemble a war. But then again, with the right players, the game can play like a symphony

Championship memories

Competitive lacrosse is great but nothing beats playing championship lacrosse. I had the chance to play in the 1990 NCAA championship game as my Loyola University played against the Syracuse Orangemen. I’d like to say that we won the game, but we didn’t. Actually, we got thrashed 21-9, but it was honor to lose to one of the greatest teams ever. Now here’s something a little controversial that still has not shown up in the record books. The Syracuse team we lost to fielded an ineligible player (Paul Gait) and they vacated the title for violating NCAA rules. So why doesn’t the title go to the runner-up? This was done recently in the Olympics and the Tour de France. So why the records books just state the 1990 title as "vacant"? To this day, I don’t understand it but I can look back at that championship game as a special day.

Giving back to the game

I’ve given a lot of my life and my body to the game of lacrosse, but the game gave back more to me than I can ever imagine. I’ve had the chance to play against some of the greatest players of all time and also to play in a championship game. Quite possibly my greatest achievement ever was winning the Choice Visa Scholar Athlete of the Year. In recent years, I coached lacrosse at Harvard-Westlake Academy in Los Angeles. It’s a real fulfilling experience to introduce the game to young athletes, even better to see the game played on the West Coast. Lacrosse just happens to be one of the fastest growing sports in America. Did you know that it was once an Olympic sport? If badminton is an Olympic sport now, shouldn’t lacrosse be one as well? My lacrosse themed art is featured on literature and on advertisements for the Tewaaraton Award Foundation. The Tewaaraton Award is the college lacrosse equivalent to football’s Heisman Trophy. Lacrosse is a sport that has forged my body and my spirit and I am glad to give back everything I can.