Lacrosse to expand in New Mexico

[John Westfall]

The creation of a Company called Lacrosse Southwest will help start Lacrosse in High Schools and Middle Schools in the Albuquerque Metro area. We have the backing of the New Mexico Activities Association that helps structure Varsity Sports with APS. It is much modeled after the success of Lacrosse in the Denver area almost 20 years ago. We will have our first Camp this summer and will then focus on starting a High School League for Metro Albuquerque. The response has been tremendous. This will also help us develop a feeder system for the University of New Mexico program and start other programs at New Mexico State, College of Santa Fe and maybe even New Mexico Highlands University. This will develop the expansion of the sport at several other Colleges and Universities in the state of New Mexico along with the expansion of High School, Middle School, Youth Teams and Girls teams in the State of New Mexico.

I have traveled half way around the World and back and I can tell all of you that the growth of the sport in a wonderful place like New Mexico is truly exciting. It wont happen overnight but look for some great Lacrosse coming out of New Mexico in the near future. There are already Youth Teams in Santa Fe and across the border in the four Corners area of nearby Durango, Colorado. My Son played on the Team in Santa Fe and I was really impressed about the skill level of the 9 year olds that were on his Team.

Some of the recognition and exposure will very much benefit the UNM Lacrosse program. This company will eventually develop our future to compete with the growth of the game with regards to competition with our neighbors in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Texas. One of my Players Michael Mooney and our Team Captain is the Guy running the show. You can E-mail Michael Mooney at seniormooney@yahoo.com or call Michael for more info at (505)261-9169. The New Mexico Camp has sponsorship by at least one major Lacrosse equipment Company and Michael recently got his certification as a Dealer. Our program will benefit from this. Michael is a great salesmen and is at the top of his Class in the Anderson School of Business at UNM. If I had a Team of Michael Mooneys we would have more money then Johns Hopkins. We still have a lot of kinks to work out but the future looks bright for Lacrosse in the State of New Mexico and for the UNM Lacrosse program. Michael told me they are working on a website and when that is up I will pass that info on. Again these are real exciting times for Lacrosse in New Mexico.

All the best,

[MinesGoallie45]

Good Luck John, they will need it...

[John Westfall]

Mines Goalie :

It is coming together. Lacrosse Southwest will sponsor two Camps in July. One being a Boys Camp and one for the Girls. The response has been tremendous. This will help set up a High School League for Albuquerque next year and develop a youth League for the kids my Son's age and the Middle School Kids. I am taking the program at Rio Rancho High School and Jeff Eichman my Assistant is taking the program at La Cruava High. Mooney I think is going to work with Eldorado. I believe that there will also be a program at Albuquerque Academy and Monzono High. This will do great things for building Lacrosse in the one of the fastest growing Cities in America that being Albuquerque. It will also be great to have a feeder system for UNM.

On the UNM front we have signed on a High School Goalie from Texas a Defenseman from Dover, Delaware along with an Attackman from
New Hampshire. Rome is not built in a Day but we are on the move. I am just thankful to be alive and be home. I traded my Grits and Fried Chicken for Breakfast Buritos and Taco's.

[laxfan25]

Good luck John! Sounds like things are heading in the right direction in terms of developing player interest. Now you can work on getting the coaches and officials too!
Be sure to take advantage of any help available from US Lacrosse. With the nice bequest they were given, hopefully we'll see some benefit here in the field.
I think another person to chat with is Mark Hellenack up in MN. He coached St. John's this season to a tourney berth, but in the past was very, very instrumental in the growth of lacrosse up there.
When I moved to MN in '96, I was not expecting to find a lot of lacrosse, and was pleasantly surprised at the number of colleges playing club ball. HS was just getting started up, there were probably a dozen or so schools playing. It has grown tremendously since then, and I know Mark was doing lacrosse development almost as a full-time job. It may be worth a conversation to share ideas.
Anyway, best of luck, and if my travels ever take me out that way maybe I'll bring my ref gear!

[MinesGoallie45]

John,

Have you talked to Arrie who used to run the Youth program in Santa Fe? It might be worth it to give him a call.

[John Westfall]

Laxfan 25 and Mines Goalie:

I have talked with the Folks in Santa Fe because my Son played up there this Spring. For the most part their effort up there is separate from us. There is also another Guy here in Albuquerque that has gotten funding for a Camp from US Lacrosse and it is a little bit on a smaller scale then what Lacrosse Southwest is doing. Some where here we are going to have to all come together.

We do need help with Officials and maybe some more folks to help with planning along with the help of parents. Storri who runs the Girls Youth program up in Santa Fe and is an Administrator at Santa Fe Prep has mention some interest in putting together a Women's Team at UNM. There are a bunch of Girls that have gotten in contact with me and want to put together a Women's Team at UNM. With me doing double duty with a College Team and a High School Team my plate is full and if I do anything else my Wife will have my head. It is all coming together like a puzzle but we have to take Baby Steps with it. With the High School Team we have a lot of transplants from New York and California here in Rio Rancho so a lot of the kids have played before. My Assistant Jeff Eichman and I will have a good rival thing going between Rio Rancho and La Crava. Those two schools already are rivals in Football, Basketball and Baseball along with all sports here in the Albuquerque area.

We are excited about UNM. We are in process to order the same Uniforms as Duke wore and we are going with a Silver Helmet with a red Brim and the Lobo on the side of it. Along with that like I had mention before we have several solid Players coming in this year from the East Coast, Texas,California and Colorado.

When I get a chance I will chat with Mark from Minnesota.

All the best,

John

[John Westfall]

We will have Photos and info up this week. The camp started Monday and it is exciting to see so many kids in New Mexico learning Lacrosse. Michael's Brother will have Photos up in the next day or so.

All the best,

John

[John Westfall]

This link should work to look at Photos from New Mexico's First Lacrosse camp.

Click below,

John

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/twinville ... r=/6129re2

Or try this link and click on
the photo album named:
Lax Camp Pics

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/twinville2/my_photos


Yes... that is my 9 year old Son Jackson in a few of those shots. He told me he wants to play at Colorado School of Mines and be an Engineer like his Granddad.
His Twin Brother Jeremiah on the other hand is all Baseball!

We will have some more photos up in a day or two plus two Television Stations in Albuquerque are doing a piece on this Camp and the growth of Lacrosse in New Mexico.

[John Westfall]

Here is a short TV Story about the Camp and building the College and High School programs along with Youth Lacrosse in New Mexico.

Click below:

http://www.krqe.com/video/expanded.asp?ID=4666


John