US LACROSSE ANNOUNCES CREATION OF NORTH TEXAS REGIONAL CHAPTER

BALTIMORE — US Lacrosse has teamed with lacrosse enthusiasts across northern Texas to further develop the sport there by officially creating the North Texas Chapter of US Lacrosse, the 51st regional chapter of US Lacrosse, as announced today by Beth Reisinger, director of chapter relations at US Lacrosse.

The announcement formally recognizes the efforts of several volunteers to combine resources and organize lacrosse activities in Dallas, Fort Worth, Mesquite, Sherman, Waco and other communities throughout the northern part of Texas. Tom Fitzsimmons, a former player and coach and current 24-year official, will serve as the inaugural president of the North Texas Chapter.

“We are excited and grateful to welcome the North Texas Chapter to the US Lacrosse family,” said Reisinger. “It's a tribute to the lacrosse volunteers in that area to be able to come together and organize to develop lacrosse in northern Texas. We're looking forward to working with them to further the growth of the sport.”

The North Texas Chapter becomes the second US Lacrosse chapter in the state. The former Texas Chapter of US Lacrosse, presided over by Andy Garrigan, will now be known as the South Central Texas Chapter.

“Creating this chapter is an indicator that lacrosse is booming down here,” said Fitzsimmons, a three-year defenseman at Army who played in the 1973 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) North-South All-Star Game. “The only thing holding us back is the number of coaches and officials. There are a lot of kids and teams here that want to organize. Hopefully by bringing the chapter affiliation in, we'll be able to bring everything together to support those teams and provide resources and guidance for them to develop.”

Among the chapter's initial goals are to pursue the formation of a US Lacrosse BRIDGE (Building Relationships to Initiate Diversity, Growth and Enrichment) program in Dallas, establish training and development programs for area coaches and officials, increase playing opportunities, and provide greater promotion of local high school student-athletes that have the potential to play college lacrosse, said Fitzsimmons.

A local lacrosse development effort must go through an application process and meet several minimum requirements to be recognized as a US Lacrosse chapter. Official chapters provide services to local US Lacrosse members, bring together lacrosse constituents within their geographic areas, equally represent men's and women's lacrosse, and establish a central source for lacrosse information, programs, and events within their areas. One of the many benefits chapters receive from US Lacrosse headquarters is the return of a portion of all local US Lacrosse membership fees for use in the further development of lacrosse in their communities.

Joining Fitzsimmons on the executive committee of the North Texas Chapter are Patty Brooks, vice president, Mark Harrison, secretary, Crickett Griffin, treasurer, and Lauren Smeds, at-large member.

For more information on the North Texas Chapter of US Lacrosse, contact Fitzsimmons at 214.533.9547.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse. To learn more, visit its web site at www.uslacrosse.org.

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