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The Philadelphia Lacrosse
Association is a non-profit organization and the local chapter of US
Lacrosse—a 501(c)(3) based in Baltimore that serves as the national
governing body for the sport. The PLA supports and promotes the game of
lacrosse at all levels in its chapter area, which includes Greater
Philadelphia, Eastern Pennsylvania and portions of Northern Pennsylvania. The
PLA also maintains the Eastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall
of Fame, which honors the great players, coaches, officials, promoters
and others, both men and women, who have made significant contributions to
the game in Pennsylvania and are deserving of the highest recognition.
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THE
LIFE OF THE PLA...
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The PLA was formed in 1985 and
earned chapter status under the Lacrosse Foundation, predecessor of US
Lacrosse, in 1992. Since that time, the PLA has grown into one of the largest
and most successful chapters of US Lacrosse. In 1998, the United States
Women's Lacrosse Association merged with and into US Lacrosse, and the
USWLA's Philadelphia District, which supported and promoted women's lacrosse
in the area, automatically became a part of the PLA. With this and other
mergers, US Lacrosse and its chapters have helped consolidate numerous
lacrosse constituencies and positioned America's truly native game to break
through in the sports world of the 21st Century.
Lacrosse in the PLA's chapter area at all levels is thriving, dynamic and
increasingly coordinated. The game is played at the youth level, in middle
schools and high schools, at the college level, in post-collegiate clubs and,
since 1986, professionally. Lacrosse and its celebrated history as the
Creator's Game played by indigenous North Americans is also taught in
physical education programs in lower, middle and upper schools in the state.
In 1998, after making an impressive debut the previous year as an exhibition
novelty, lacrosse became an official sport in the Keystone State Games—the
annual summer sports festival that draws the finest youth and high school
athletes in the Commonwealth to venues around Harrisburg for the chance to
compete against the best in the state. Inclusion of lacrosse in the Keystone
Games, which the PLA helped engineer, is just one of the many positive recent
developments for the game in Pennsylvania. School boards, athletic directors,
youth associations, indoor sports facilities and others are increasingly
recognizing the growth and popularity of the "fastest game on two
feet."
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The PLA's role is to encourage,
foster and sponsor these developments and to serve as a resource to help the
game take root and grow. The PLA Board, which includes both a Men's and
Women's Division, is comprised of representatives from major lacrosse
constituencies in the region—youth, high school, college and club lacrosse,
officials/umpires and athletes. This governance structure provides for a
forum in which representatives of organized lacrosse meet and share ideas and
information about the game, upcoming events and other lacrosse-related
matters. Ultimately, the organization fosters the formation and growth of
lacrosse networks among the hundreds of coaches, parents, promoters,
organizers and volunteers in the area who devote so much of their time and
energy for the good of the game at the local level.
Throughout the year, PLA volunteers work to organize youth clinics, coaching
seminars and fundraising events (including the annual PLA Golf Outing), award
camp scholarships, sponsor area tournaments, support travel team, provide
assistance to new programs (through the PLA New Start Program), maintain the
Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame and conduct numerous other activities to
further the mission of the PLA and US Lacrosse. The PLA Calendar of Events
and other pages on the PLA web site are designed to keep the lacrosse
community apprised of what is happening in the chapter area. Please refer to
these other pages to learn more about the PLA and to obtain specific contact
information. Thanks for visiting our site and enjoy the game.
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