7/23/2008

Hobart Team Camp Update

Below is a recent email from the Hobart Coach. Be sure to get registrations in ASAP. Also, here is the camp link for your info: http://www.hws.edu/offices/conferences/lax_camp.aspx We will not practice prior as the camp has a practice time allotted and most of you know the drill! Finally, Coach Latchut will be overseeing the team, his email is cced to this email. Please remember to represent yourself, your family and BLA at all times with high character. No fooling around! "I hope everybody is having a productive summer. We are about a week and a half away from the 5th Annual Brine Team Challenge hosted by HobartCollege. Our staff is looking forward to having you and your teams on campus. In preparation for camp, I wanted to inform you all about a couple of items. We will provide reversible jerseys for each camp (I have ordered #s 1-400, so every camper will have a number). Our Summer Programs Office will be putting together the rosters and spread sheets for the college coaches that come to camp. Please have your players get your registration forms in as soon as possible. The Summer Programs Office phone number is (315) 781-3103. Each team will have a practice session on Friday afternoon and your first game will be at 6:00 or 7:15 Friday evening. Your last game will end 10:20 AM or 12:50 PM on Sunday. The first meal of camp is dinner Friday night and the last meal will be lunch Sunday. Player will need cleats and basketball shoes. Our turf is Astroturf. There will be an all-star game on Saturday night which has been great the last two years." (T.W. Johnson Hobart)

7/23/2008

Albany Shootout Recap

The Albany Shootout was quite a success all around. Many thanks to the all the parent who assisted in providing the food and shelter between games for the teams. In extremely hot conditions our athletes should be commended for working hard, playing with class and showing ongoing improvement. A special congratulations needs to go out to the Rising Juniors who really showed improvement, which was evident in the undefeated record.

7/23/2008

Save the Date - Alumni to Play at Lake Placid 2009

Lake Placid is the one of the biggest, oldest and best men's league tournaments in the country. Through the ever growing BLA reputation, we have been promised a spot at the 2009 Lake Placid tournament. All alumni are encouraged to save this date. We hope this becomes a yearly reunion event for all of you. The team will be fielded on a first come first serve basis and as well as need base.

7/23/2008

Dog Days 13u Schedule has been posted

Our first game this Saturday is at 9:00am on Field 8. Please be at the Hamburg Nike Base no later than 8:30am. Our game times are 9:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm and if we make the Championship Game 3:30pm. Please plan accordingly to stay all day. Thank you for your cooperation. Please vist the tournament website at the link below to obtain directions and schedule (we are in the u12 bracket). See you all there!

7/16/2008

Albany Shootout Information

For the latest Albany Shootout information, including the most up to date schedule please go to the tournament website linked below.

7/14/2008

NO ROCHESTER GAME FOR U13 AND RISING SOPHOMORES

Due to circumstances beyond our control there is no Rochester game.

7/10/2008

BLA Annual Family Cookout is Monday July 14th

All BLA team members and their families are invited to our annual family cookout after our scheduled practice on Monday. Please plan on attending it is very important for all players to be present. Please also remember to wear your game shirts, Game jerseys and game shorts along with all other BLA equipment you may have. Thanks and see you there!

7/9/2008

Schedules for Sackets Harbor have been posted for 13u and Rising Sophomores

Please vist the updates page of your sons team and follow the directions. See you this weekend!

7/9/2008

2008 Skill School Pictures Posted in the Photo Album

The 2008 Skill School Pictures are in the BLA photo album. Our sincerest thanks to Mr. Dietsch for spending so much time on this.

7/9/2008

Syracuse Shootout Rising Seniors Schedule

The Syracuse Shootout Rising Seniors Schedule has been posted on the Seniors updates page.

7/9/2008

Syracuse Shootout Rising Juniors Schedule

The Syracuse Shootout Rising Juniors Schedule has been posted on the Juniors updates page.

7/9/2008

13u Game vs Lancaster has been canceled

The 13u game vs Lancaster tonight has been canceled!

7/6/2008

Alumni Game Announced

The BLA Alumni game will be Wednesday, July 23. Past alumni, the more agile coaches and more will suit it up against the current BLA Rising Senior and Junior Squads. We encourage all alumni and current players to attend.

7/6/2008

BLA Family Cookout

We plan on having our BLA Day on July 14th at the home field at UB. Please bring your game jersey and shorts as we will have individual, entire group and team pictures. We will cookout, and the older players will work with the younger teams. Let us know if you would like to volunteer to assist in anything above or beyond.

7/1/2008

3. Blue Bison Sports Offers BLA Athlete Discount

If you are interested in any BLA apparel (hoodie, hats, fleece, etc.) please go to Blue Bison Sports or click on the link to the right. During our season only, they will offer any BLA athlete a 10% discount on any purchase.

7/1/2008

Coaches Eye Offers BLA Athlete Discount

Coaches Eye is offering BLA Rising Seniors and Juniors 6 months for free if they sign up for Coaches' Eye online resource. Therefore, a 12-month subscription to the service is only $120. You can upload your profile and film right to the site and tell colleges you are interested in to go to the site to view you. For more information on Coaches' Eye go to http://www.thecoacheseye.com/. Please contact them with all your questions. If you are interested in their discounted BLA offer, please email the BLA. We have a link to use when registering. We have to submit our roster to them for tracking purposes.

7/1/2008

Kinetic Performance Offers BLA Athlete Discount

The BLA works extremely hard to find the best in practice and provide them to BLA Athletes as part of the overall Player Development Program or as a separate discounted offering. The BLA endorses Kinetic Performance however we DO NOT receive any financial reward from them. Kinetic Performance is offering a Lacrosse specific DVD that includes 35+ drills that include BLA staffer Doug Robinson. A preview of the DVD is at www.KPathletics.com. Included with the DVD is an 18 page electronic manual that accompanies the DVD in all aspects. KP Athletics is offering this at a discounted rate for BLAers for $20 instead of their retail price of $25. Also they will be running a Summer Session Performance Camp in West Seneca beginning on July 7th. BLAers who sign up will receive a $25 discount.

6/30/2008

BLA Elite Team Updates

There is no u13, Rising Junior or Rising Sophomore Practices July 2. Furthermore, there are not any team practices July 7 or 9th due to the 3-day Skill School. Have a great Canada Day and Independence Day Holiday weekend! Be safe and have fun! Buses: The topic has come up on a few occasions, however the BLA did not budget in this summer bus transportation to and from and tournaments as we have in the past. If this is something parents are strongly interested in the future, we can plan it in next summer.

7/3/2008

Host Families Needed for the Skill School

What really makes the summer BLA special is the vast distances players' travel to come together and compete at something they are passionate about. However, this makes it tough for athletes to make the Skill School each day. As of now we are in need of at least one host family, preferably from the Rising Sophomores team for Kyle Bowerman (goalie on rising sophomore team) who commutes from Rochester. Please contact info@buffalolacrosse.com if your family is interested. There may be more so anyone interested please contact us!

7/2/2008

The BLA Adopts Colin Zwickert and his Family, Please Help to Support a Family in Need

This summer the BLA has adopted Colin Zwickert as our inspiration and reminder of the importance of helping those in need. The BLA with your support will make a donation at the end of the summer to Colin overall fundraiser effort.(Specifically, the United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware in care of "Colin Zwickert"). Colin is the son of Wesley (Del.) College Head Coach Christian Zwickert who came during the 2007 summer with the Providence College Mini-Camp. Coach Zwickert was Coach Wright's Assistant Coach at Providence College. Colin's life story was a feature article in US Lacrosse Magazine's March 2008 issue. Colin was a fully healthy baby until his delivery in October 2006. During delivery, he became stuck and suffered a severe brain injury. He has since been diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, along with visual, hearing and swallowing difficulties. Colin was given his last rights on the day of his birth, however as Coach Zwickert states in the US Lacrosse article: "The positive throughout this is that Colin has proven all of the medical professionals wrong." The Zwickert family has many medial needs including a handicapped accessible van, home modifications, therapies, medical equipment and medication. Please take a moment and see if your family has access to anything that can assist the Zwickerts, and consider making a donation. The BLA plans to send a check at the conclusion of the summer. We will be raising money throughtout the summer via donations and raffles at the Lake Erie Showcase, the Skill School, and other BLA events. If you and your family are able to contribute you can either do so at one of the BLA raffles, simply giving the BLA the money to add to the pool of money or you can pay via pay pals directly online at Colin's website at: http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site/home?ID=232234

7/1/2008

Immediate Attention Needed - Syracuse Tournament

Rising Seniors and Juniors Only - Syracuse Tournament - We just learned that this year you are required to complete an online registration form for the SU tournament. This has to be done by Monday, I am sorry for the short notice. DO NOT PAY them! We will take care of that for you. However, print off their waiver and complete that and either mail it directly to them or bring it to me Tuesday at the Skill School. REMEMBER: SU will not allow you to play without the registration and waiver complete!

6/21/2008

Rising Seniors and Juniors June 22 Games CANCELLED

All games for June 22 for both the Rising Seniors and Juniors have been CANCELLED. The fields at both the Hamburg Nike base and West Seneca are not playable. We are really sorry for the last minute notice, we just found out ourselves. Thank you all for your continued patience and understanding in what is one of the wildest June weathers we have ever seen.

6/20/2008

Rising Seniors and Juniors June 22 Games CHANGED

The fields at the Hamburg Nike base are under water and are not playable for this Sunday. PlayersSports has moved the field location to the West Seneca West Middle School on Center Rd in West Seneca. There are only 2 fields so the game times have changed. Both teams should report at 12 noon, games times for the JRs is 2:00 and 3:00 and the Seniors is: 1:00, 4:00 and 5:00. The school's address is: West Seneca Middle, School, 395 Center Road, West Seneca, NY 14224.

6/17/2008

Elite Team Updates

All parents and players should check their teams Schedule and Updates page for just that. We post any changes and major announcements there. Currently, the Rising Juniors and Seniors Teams should note the games this Sunday scheduled at the Nike Base and the reminder to book your Syracuse hotel if needed.

6/17/2008

June 18th Practice Times

We would like to ask everyone to make sure they are ready to go by 6pm for training on Wednesday. We will begin with the formal introductions and expectations and then training. Once training begins, Coach Wright will address any parent needs that were not taken care of prior to 6:00. Also, if you are able to stay, we will probably run to 8:30. Be sure to check here for practice cancellation due to the weather.

6/17/2008

Day 1 June 16th Practice Thanks

We wanted to thank all the parents and athletes for their patience and for allowing day one run so smoothly considering all the variables. We know sign-in, payments, equipment, waivers and more can be a real headache. Please continue to be patient while we wait to get everything in and delivered to you. It was certainly a day to remember having such large hail fall from the sky. We are certainly grateful everyone was ok. Our gratitude goes out to all the parents, players and coaches who offered a spot in their cars for their BLA teammates in need of shelter. Due to the weather we weren't able to properly kick off the season with introductions and more, we hope to do that Wednesday. Again, thank you to all!

6/14/2008

Be Sure to Check for Weather Cancellation

All BLA Elite Team members: Please remember to check the website prior to leaving for any game or practice this summer to be certain we did not have to cancel due to inclement weather. Especially this first week and some of the storms predicted for the Buffalo area.

5/24/2008

Last Call for Jerseys

Rising Juniors and Seniors Players - anyone who for whatever the reasone still needs a jersey, shorts, helmet, gloves or bag needs to email Coach Wright by Monday. Check your email for further information. Include in your email sizes and jersey number

5/10/2008

BLA Hoodies and more

Blue Bison Sports will be carrying BLA apparel. New to 2008 are BLA Hoodie and BLA Fleece Crew Neck. Click on the Blue Bison link on the right.

4/25/2008

2008 Lake Erie All Star Showcase

The BLA's 2008 Lake Erie All Star Showcase will be held June 28-29 at the Hamburg Nike Base. This year the tournament was expanded to two days and added an under-15 division. Coaches' Eye will be present taping teams for recruiting purposes, as will numerous college coaches. Come out and see some great lacrosse as the Adirondack Empire team will join Elite teams from New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania and more. This is the only youth Showcase of its kind in WNY.

4/30/2008

2008 Friendship Festival

In conjunction with numerous area lacrosse groups including PlayersSports, the 2008 Lacrosse Friendship will be held June 29 at the Hamburg Nike Base. Contact PlayersSports or the BLA if you interested in assisting with the event. We are in need of a Womens Tournament Coordinator, sponsors, donors and more. All proceeds to benefit the United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware in care of "Colin Zwickert." Register your team or just come for the festivities.

5/2/2008

BLA Elite Team Alumni

This summer the BLA will field an Alumni team for any graduate from the u17 teams. If you are interested in training or attending tournaments click below.

5/1/2008

BLA Skill School Registration

The 2008 Shooting, Defense, Goalie and Face-off Skill School will be held at West Seneca East High School July 8-10.

5/8/2008

Rising Freshman and u13 Tryouts Dates and Location Reminder

The under-13 tryouts and Rising Sophomores teams will hold their tryouts on Sunday June 8 from 10-12 am at UB Main Street Campus. Please register online ahead of time and send your waiver in. If there are enough players, we will make multiple teams at each age group.

4/29/2008

BLA Elite Team Athletes to Benefit From Coaches' Eye

By the BLA affiliating itself with Coaches' Eye, Coaches' Eye will be coming to the Lake Erie All Star Showcase and film all the teams in the tournament. As part of the agreement, the BLA will be able to provide both the Rising Juniors and Seniors with a game DVD. Even better, BLA will get a major discount if they enroll with Coaches Eye online recruiting website. Coaches' Eye allows you to upload your profile and film right to the site and tell colleges you are interested in to go to the site to view you. For more information on coaches eye go to http://www.thecoacheseye.com/.

4/29/2008

2008 Fields Determined

This summer we will be renting the two fields at UB South Campus. They are on Bailey Avenue across from the Veterans Hospital. Overall, the fields are pretty centrally located for everyone, including those traveling over an hour and half from Canada. The Skill School will be at West Seneca East High School. http://www.bla.buffalolacrosse.com/about_directions.cfm

3/1/2008

Juniors and Seniors Need to Order Equipment

The Rising Juniors and Seniors teams need to order their equipment and send their team deposits ASAP. Go to your teams Update page for more information on the topic.

2/14/2008

Rising Juniors Team Announced

After a great turnout, the Rising Juniors team has been announced via email to each player who made the team. If you did not complete the online tryout registration form there wasn't any way for us to let you know. Please email the BLA if you are still unaware of your position.

2/14/2008

Rising Seniors Team Announced

After a great turnout, the Rising Seniors team has been announced via email to each player who made the team. If you did not complete the online tryout registration form there wasn't any way for us to let you know. Please email the BLA if you are still unaware of your position.

1/18/2008

Rising Juniors Summer Schedule and Pricing

1/18/2008

Rising Seniors Summer Schedule and Pricing

1/3/2008

Elite Team Registration Open

If you are interested in being apart of the BLA summer elite team/player development program registration is now open. If the elite teams are too much committment, you are certainly welcome to register for just the 2008 3-day skill school.

12/30/2007

Change in Summer Travel Team Format

We wanted to give everyone an update on the summer 2008 travel elite teams. This summer we will run a rising seniors (and younger), rising juniors (and younger), Rising Freshman (and younger) and an under-13 team. This is slightly different than the previous 2 summers format.

12/21/2007

BLA Elite Teams Tryouts Dates Announced

Breaking with tradition, the u17 and u15 Elite team tryouts will be held on three consecutive Sundays at EPIC Sports Center on Wherle Drive in Williamsville. This year however, the BLA will run the u17 team as a Rising Seniors and younger team and the u15 team will become a Rising Juniors and younger team. The dates are January 27, February 3 and 10th. The Rising Juniors team will run from 8-10 am and the Rising Seniors will go from 10-12 am. Those times are subject to change pending field availability. Online registration will be available real soon. Please check back soon after the New Year. Winter tryouts will allow the teams to better prepare for the summer. Be sure to pass the word and remember the number one prerequisite is player commitment to improving their ability. We can't wait for another great summer. Rising Freshman and U13 tryouts will take place in early June, keep checking in for the dates and times.

12/15/2007

Dec 16 Winter Warm-up Lacrosse Cancelled

Based on the latest local weather news, we believe it is in everyone's best interested if lacrosse is cancelled. I know it's Buffalo and anything can happen, but it is always better to error on the side of safety. We wish everyone a safe day if the storm the news is predicting comes. We'll see everyone next week.

12/14/2007

Winter Lacrosse Dec 16 Winter Weather Warning

The National weather channel is issuing a winter weather advisory for Saturday evening into Sunday. Although Buffalonians know how to handle snow, the BLA will cancel lacrosse Saturday evening if the storm comes to fruition. Please check back Saturday by 9pm for an update. Your safety is the highest priority. At this time we do not want to cancel knowing that Buffalo weather is highly unpredictable.

11/8/2007

Winter Warm-up to Begin

The Winter Warm-up lacrosse league will begin this Saturday, November 11 for the under 13 and under 15 age groups. The under-17 age group will begin the following Saturday. There is still room, so sign up soon. Playing 5v5 on the boarded field will be a great way to improve your skill and speed.

11/8/2007

Speed and Performance Training

As the sport of lacrosse grows, the playing field gets more competitive, and the level of athleticism on the field will without question continue to rise. To be the best you can be you not only need to improve your stick skills, and mental capacity for the game, but also improve your athletic ability. Only a combination of great athletic ability, along with mental acuity and sport specific skills can make for a great player. I will be running a 7 day speed and performance training program that athletes can expect to: - Learn some basic fundamentals of the physics/kinetics of acceleration - Begin to form better postural and kinetic habits to enhance speed - Be exposed to high level functional training methods - Begin developing training habits to improve explosive output power in the future - Learn proper form for changing direction and momentum - Work hard and have fun! This will take place at Epic sports center. The dates and times are: 11-12 am, 11/18, 11/25,12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23, 1/6. The cost is $80 for BLA athletes and $100 for all others. There is limited space to ensure proper attention so don't wait if you are serious. For more info or registration email Coach Schickling at: schickling@buffalolacrosse.com

10/27/2007

BLA Fall Ball Pics Online

10/26/2007

Winter Warm-Up Lacrosse League For Boys Grades 5-12

The Buffalo Lacrosse Academy (BLA) will run boys indoor 5 on 5 lacrosse leagues open to any interested lacrosse player. Games will be played on Sunday mornings at Epic Sports Center in Williamsville for ten weeks beginning November 11. For more information click on the link below.

10/27/2007

2007 Fall Ball a Success

The BLA wants to thank all the participants, parents and coaches (and mother nature of course) for a really great Fall Ball 2007. The BLA is really proud of the effort and commitment showed by the many athletes who played this fall. Clearly the skill level and commitment increased from last year. The play was unselfish and everyone appeared to work hard. There were over a 100 boys who represented 46 different schools with some even making the drive from Ontario. Go to the BLA photo album to see some pictures from the fall. Many thanks again!

9/5/2007

Coach Kenney's Wilmslow Team Wins Bath 8 Tournament

STYAL are the new Bath Eights champions after they defeated Heaton Mersey in this year's showcase final at the weekend. Styal, is a made up name for Wilmslow LC's Squad.

9/1/2007

Coach Kenney to Play and Coach in England

Following in the footsteps of fellow BLA Coaches Chris Fetter and Chaz Bulera, Coach Jon Kenney will be serving as a LDO (Local Development Officer), better known as coach and player at the Wilmslow Lacrosse Club, just south of Manchester, England. LDO positions serve for 8 months and are excellent opportunities to see Europe through lacrosse. For more information on English Lacrosse go to: http://www.englishlacrosse.co.uk/ or Winslow: http://www.wilmslow-lacrosse.co.uk/

8/17/2007

College Coaches Contact List

In an effort to provide our players the best possible college exposure, the BLA is in need of a volunteer(s) (parent or player) to compile a college coaches list with contact information. If you are interested please contact us at info@buffalolacrosse.com. Many Thanks.

8/15/2007

Benefit in Memory of Derek Falkenbach, a West Seneca East Lacrosse coach.

An unfortunate accident took place on the Fourth of July in which Derek Falkenbach, a West Seneca East Lacrosse coach, was struck by a car. He was then transported to ECMC via Mercy Flight where he immediately underwent brain surgery. Derek's fight for life ended sadly on July 14, 2007. Derek is best known for his great sense of humor and vibrant personality, but most of all as a loyal friend with a genuine heart. He graduated from Orchard Park High School in 1999, received an undergraduate degree in Education from SUNY Cortland, and was currently teaching at the Stanley Falk School in Buffalo. His warm heart has led him to devote his time to helping students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Derek has built a bond with each of his students and was dedicated to helping them become contributing members of the community. His compassion and willingness to help others is further demonstrated through his coaching. Dereks competitive edge combined with his love for sports make him a coach that the players of the West Seneca East Lacrosse team respect and looked up to. He will be remembered as a kind, thoughtful person by all who knew him. For more information on the benefit in Derek's memory

8/2/2007

BLA Elite Team Alumni Page Up and Running

The BLA strives to positively impact young lacrosse players both in skill and character. We hope that Elite Team players who are too old to play on our u17 teams will want to stay in touch with their BLA friends and give back to the BLA community. Alumni are now able to input bio information so that the BLA can stay in touch with them, and if wish, they can post to the Alumni page (see link below) a message to current BLA members from their lacrosse experiences. We certainly will miss the many BLA "graduates" but we plan on never forgetting you.

7/2/2007

BLA 2006 Graduate Phil Wendt Named Senior All Star Game MVP

Congratulations to Phil Wendt, a member of 2006 BLA Blue Team on earning MVP at the High School Senior All Star Game. Phil was the camptain of the 2006 Grand Island high school team. He will be attending Messiah College in Pennsylvania this year.

7/25/2007

Great Chance to See Lacrosse

At PAETEC Park in Rochester on August 25th and 26th are the MLL Semifinals and Championship games. If you and your friends were interested in attending there are group discount tickets available. Contact Ryan Corcoran at 585-454-5425 x.114 or rcorcoran@rhinossoccer.com for ticket information. For groups of 10 the tickets per game are $15 and for the weekend $25.

7/22/2007

Fall Ball Registration Open

The BLA is proud to announce our second season of Fall Ball taking place from 9:00 to 11:00am every Sunday from September 23, to October 28 (November 4 - Rain Date). Sign up before September 1st and receive a $10 discount!

7/20/2007

Family in Need

The BLA community is quite fortunate to be able to enjoy themselves and compete on the lacrosse field for so many reasons. However most in our WNY community are not so fortunate. Recently a 10-year old girl suffered a life ending injury while swimming off Woodlawn Beach. A fund has been set up to assist her family which had recently moved here from San Francisco and do not have insurance. If you were interested in assisting her family visit any Bank of America Branch in the area and ask about the Bethany Rose Morgan Fund. Please keep Bethany and her family in your thoughts during their time of grieving. If you or anyone else in your family knows of anyone in need and would like the BLA Community support please email how we can help.

7/17/2007

Check out Joe Smith, BLA Instructor, Live on ESPN2 July 19 at 7pm

Joe Smith, a member of the BLA Instruction Team, will play live on ESPN2 on Thursday, July 19 as the Rochester Rattlers play at Boston at 7:00 p.m.

7/8/2007

U17 Blue Proudly Represents the BLA in Syracuse

With well over 50 college coaches signing in and against some of the top summer lacrosse clubs, the u17 Blue team had an impressive debut at the Syracuse Shootout I. In all areas of the game the team performed well. For the record the team went 4-1-1, however the greatest outcome was clearly the camaraderie and friendships that were able to grow.

6/26/2007

Lake Erie All Star Showcase a Success

The BLA hosted the first Elite Lacrosse Tournament in Buffalo on June 23rd at LaSalle Park. The Lake Erie All Star Showcase featured teams from Cleveland, Rochester, Syracuse, Detroit and Buffalo. For more information and video interview click below.

5/10/2007

BLA to Host Lake Erie All Star Showcase on June 23

The BLA is working with South Buffalo Lacrosse and together they have partnered with coaches at Sacred Heart University, UPENN, Canisius and Medaille College to bring the Lake Erie All Star Showcase to Buffalo. This will be a highly competitive lacrosse tournament located at LaSalle Park in Buffalo. Teams will be able to face-off against some great teams while being exposed to numerous college coaches.

3/1/2007

First and only Buffalo area lacrosse portal

The BLA re-launched BuffaloLacrosse.com - a new community-based lacrosse portal and apparel company. BuffaloLacrosse.com's mission is to bring together in a common site the many amazing lacrosse attributes in the Buffalo-Niagara region. From professional all the way down to youth, both men's and women's, BuffaloLacrosse.com is intended for anyone and everyone to join and share with the WNY lacrosse community.