South District News

I have announced that this coming 2016 season will be my last to coach the St. John’s Varsity. I have coached the team since 1992, and it has been a passion and a privilege. Each of the twenty-three varsity squads I have led during this time has been unique, but the boys have all shared the excitement for the game. No matter what their experience or talent level was when they came out, they played with heart and left everything they had on the field. I could not be more proud of them if they had been my own sons.

I am excited to see what will happen next in Texas lacrosse, and I know St. John’s will be a major force in the sport’s future. After 343 high school wins, it’s time to notch at least 7 more wins, hit 350 and pass the baton to someone with fresh legs. My enthusiasm for the sport and the way it is played with tenacity and character here is stronger than ever, and I look forward to supporting its continued development in a variety of exciting ways, both at St. John’s and in the larger community.

The upcoming season will be a very special one, a celebration of the achievements of my 24 teams and the 6 that preceded them.  In the early 90s, lacrosse at St. John’s was practiced at night, after the track team went home. We’ve come a long way since then, and I look forward to sharing the memories with you as the team continues to create new ones on the field.

This coming season we will present highlights of the past two decades, during which St. John’s Lacrosse has been at the forefront of the growth of the sport. The list of firsts and awards earned by St. John’s lacrosse players and coaches is a long one. In addition to the Championships the team won at the City, State and SPC level, the program pioneered lacrosse at the youth level in Texas and has been part of a growing community.

From the first youth game played on Skip Lee Field versus Plano in 1995 to the development of the Junior Jam for middle school players and the establishment of Crease Ranch Lacrosse Camp, T-Rex (The Texas Recreational Lacrosse League), the first Team Texas youth traveling teams and the Houston Hawks, St. John’s has provided the opportunity for players from across the Houston lacrosse community to come together, don their pads and head out to the field to make something bigger than just one team happen.

I hope you will come out to Scotty Caven Field this spring and join the celebration of the legends and traditions of St. John’s Lacrosse. Look for details of the events to come. Change is hard, but without change we stop growing. I look forward to growth and opportunity for all of us, and I am grateful to everyone who has been part of this phase of my journey.  

Train and trust,