Friday evening, for about six hours, there was plenty of use of the speakers and sound system at the Ridley Family complex at Loyola University for the pro lacrosse doubleheader featuring a Premier Lacrosse League game and a Women’s Lacrosse League contest.
There were sponsor announcements, DJ’ed music, and even the dedication of the WLL game to the One Love Foundation, the charity organization that seeks to increase awareness of relationship abuse.
The one thing I didn’t hear, however, was an announcement about an event in the women’s lacrosse space that was to occur the next day in a location about 20 miles north of the pro lacrosse event. The event was a lacrosse tripleheader, hosted by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association, featuring a diverse group of players in the annual series of collegiate all-star games held at Bill Tierney Field at U.S. Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks-Glencoe, Md.
In both field hockey and lacrosse, I’ve noticed over the years that games like these have been marginalized. The organizations that run them will invite players and coaches, arrange for field time and umpires, and then, you rarely hear any kind of buildup whatsoever.
And this, even with Final Four talent from Division III (Salisbury, Wesleyan), Division II (East Stroudsburg), and Division I (Maryland, Johns Hopkins).
Yeah, I know I have fallen into that camp where professional all-star games have now become a complete waste of time. But for college sports, especially field hockey and lacrosse, the games serve a purpose. With the growing professionalism of lacrosse, an all-star game could be a place for a good player to gain the attention of a selector for the WLL if there ever was a chance to expand.
But one thing I have also understood is that the senior all-star games for both field hockey and lacrosse have been used by umpiring organizations to recruit game officials for the following year.
Which is not such a bad thing.