Judy:		How did you first hear about the NCWLA, and how did you get involved?
Christina:		When I played at Stanford, we scrimmaged the club occasionally during fall ball so I knew it existed when I moved to San Francisco. I became involved after I got to know some people and wanted to contribute more than just showing up and playing.
J:		Where do your players come from? Are they mostly kids who played lacrosse in colleges out on the west coast, or are they from colleges all over the country? Do you have try-outs, or do people just join whatever team they want?

C:		Our players come from a variety of locations as well as levels of experience and ability. While the number of “homegrown” players is increasing, the majority of the players are originally from the East Coast, many of whom played at successful Division I programs in college. For the spring season, which is our main season, players make their own teams. But anyone who wants to play, but does not have a team, will be assigned one.
J:		How many teams do you have in the league? How many players per team?
C:		This past spring, we had 4 teams with approximately 22 people on each team. It is necessary to have so many players on each team because of the many prior commitments people of this demographic seem to have, i.e. weddings, work obligations, etC:
J:		You're an east coast transplant out to San Francisco - how does the lacrosse community in San Fran compare to that in New York?
C:		Since I have been out here for nine years and have never played club in New York, I can only compare it to what I hear from others. I have been told that there are many areas on the East Coast, where lacrosse is traditionally most popular, where it is difficult to find clubs to play for. And if you do find a club, there are typically try-outs, so I would imagine that some players are not able to actually get on a team. We really make it a point to accommodate every player who chooses to be out there.
J:		Why do you think you've been able to have such a successful league in an area that isn't necessarily considered a lacrosse hot spot?
C:		The San Francisco Bay Area is a region that is very popular for East Coasters to relocate to after they graduate from college. Thus, there are a number of East Coast transplants here who played lacrosse either in high school or college. I know that when I meet someone who has played lacrosse, I get excited to tell them about the club as a place to have the chance to play lacrosse again and meet fellow athletic women. I have been told that it is often difficult to move here and make new friends outside of work. The lacrosse club provides that opportunity.
J:		Do your club teams only compete against each other in the league, or do you guys also enter tournaments across the country, i.e., vail, tahoe, mardi gras, lake placid, etC:...
C:		We host the Tahoe Tournament. We typically send a team to the Hawaii Tournament, Western States and the Santa Barbara Shootout. We have also gone to the Las Vegas Tournament. We are open to attending any tournament as long as we have players who are willing to organize the team.
J:		What do you think it takes to establish a successful lacrosse league? i.e., what are the key things that have helped you guys? Field space, strong leadership, support of players?
C:		The key element to the success of any league is certainly the willingness of players to step up and take an active role in the organization. We can always find players, fields to play on, etc, but without player involvement, the league would be non-existent.
J:		Do you have a favorite memory from playing in the league?
C:		My favorite memory from playing in the league is probably my first attendance at the Tahoe Tournament. I was fairly new to the league and didn’t know many people but after spending the entire weekend with the team I came home feeling like I had discovered a whole new group of fun people that I could hang out with in the city.
J:		Any advice for someone/a city who is trying to start up a league? do's and don'ts?
C:		Do find a strong base of people to make it successful. Since players have jobs, families, lives, etC:, it is important to have at least a small pool from which to pull people to help out in a pinch. And most importantly, don’t get discouraged when things don’t get exactly as planned…most people will just appreciate being able to get out there and play again!