ZIP It: 18951 Quakertown, Pennsylvania
by Mark Macyk | LaxMagazine.com
Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley sits at the lacrosse roads. An easy drive to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Long Island and Upstate New York, the area is surrounded by lacrosse in every direction. But until the end of the 20th century, the sport was practically non-existent in the region.
"I had gone to my AD in 1991," said Jeff Geisel, who helped start lacrosse at Parkland High in Allentown, Pa., and is now the school's athletic director. "He said there would never be lacrosse in the Lehigh Valley. Period. Go away. Forget about."
That notion was proved wrong in 1998 when six guys joined forces
at the Quakertown Diner.
Geisel, Alex Bodian and Art Swiatkowski of Pennridge, Ed Egan from
Emmaus, John Marks of Moravian Academy and Shawn Langen of Easton
met in Quakertown because it was a central location for all of
them. Their goal? Bring lacrosse to Eastern Pennsylvania.
The following year the Penn Valley Lacrosse League held its inaugural season, with Parkland capturing the championship. Over the next decade, 28 teams moved in and out of the PVLL, cutting their teeth before eventually being absorbed into local leagues.
The PVLL, which at one time featured teams from 10 different Pennsylvania High School leagues, disbanded in 2008. It had served its purpose.
"We met our goal," Geisel said. "We were designed to be obsolete. It was designed to really fall apart for the betterment of the teams."
The PVLL led to the creation of five varsity leagues comprised of over 30 boys' teams. Area youth league participation now nearly doubles that of varsity. In Easton alone, there are three youth programs feeding the local boys' and girls' teams.
The locals have also embraced the sport. It's a tough time for public education in Pennsylvania. Growing new varsity sports like lacrosse are not a priority when budgets are being cut and teachers are being furloughed. The majority of the area's new teams receive funding from their respective communities.
And about that belief that lacrosse couldn't work in the Lehigh Valley? Parkland had 76 kids sign up in that first season. Today, area teams field varsity and JV squads with upwards of 40 players on each.
As for Quakertown, the town where this all began, its high school does not yet have a team. But every surrounding community does. That anomaly could change soon. In 2010, Quakertown started a youth program for grades 1-8.
Delivered By Sports Authority
Store nearest to ZIP code 18951
751 Horsham Rd., Unit B-1
Water Tower Square
Lansdale, PA 19446
Phone: 215-361-5980
A version of this article appears in the April issue of Lacrosse Magazine, the flagship publication of US Lacrosse. Join US Lacrosse and its 400,000-plus members today to start your subscription to LM.
