BALTIMORE – The fourth annual Champion® Challenge – A US Lacrosse event will take place Jan. 30 – February 1, 2009 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The event, sponsored by Champion® Athleticwear, will include the U.S. women’s national team program, Japan’s women’s national team, Duke University, University of Virginia, University of Maryland’s women’s lacrosse teams and Rollins College and University of Florida’s WDIA club team. The U.S. national teams will play exhibition games against Japan, Duke, Virginia and Maryland. Team USA will also offer a youth clinic for girls’ lacrosse players (grades 3-12) on Saturday, January 31 at 9:00 a.m.
“We are thrilled to work with Champion for this annual event,” said Ann Carpenetti, US Lacrosse’s women’s division director. “Our U.S. women’s national team looks forward to this event each year and it’s always a display of high-level athleticism and competitive lacrosse. We’re pleased to have Champion, an innovative athletic apparel company, as the presenting sponsor. Champion is committed to the success of student athletes both on and off the field.”
“We are proud to be a part of this exciting US Lacrosse event,” said Claire Edgar, Champion’s director of brand marketing. “The partnership with US Lacrosse fits perfectly with our ‘How You Play’ advertising campaign and provides new opportunities to bring the Champion brand into the lives of college athletes. Additionally, in partnering with US Lacrosse for this event we’re able to showcase the quality and versatility of our product line, team practice wear and uniform line.”
The U.S. World Cup Training team includes two-time World Cup veteran Quinn Carney (Maryland), former Tewaaraton Trophy winners Katie Chrest (Duke, 2005) and Kristen Kjellman (Northwestern, 2006, 2007), plus current college players Sarah Bullard (Duke ‘11) and Caitlyn McFadden (Maryland ’10). The 23-member U.S. Developmental team includes 15 current collegiate players, including Duke’s Lindsay Gilbride.
The teams were selected from a 48-player pool that competed at the US Lacrosse Stars & Stripes Weekend in Syracuse, N.Y. on Oct. 11-12. The final 18 players for the World Cup Team plus six alternates will be selected following this event. The 2009 FIL World Cup will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, June 17-27.
• Click HERE to see the full list of games.
Disney’s Wide World of Sports Event Ticket Prices
Adult One-Day Admission, $12.75
Child One-Day, $10.00 *
Adult Weekend Pass, $25.50
Child Weekend Pass, $20.00
Infants under 3 years-old are free
* A child is defined as anyone age 3-9
Tickets will be sold at the event at Disney’s Wide World of Sports lacrosse ticket gate.
Clinics
The U.S. women’s team clinic, for girls in grades 3-12, is on Saturday, January 31 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Wide World of Sports Complex. The clinic is $55 with all proceeds benefiting Team USA and participants receive free admission to games on Saturday and Sunday at the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Space is limited. Register online at http://www.uslacrosse.org/events/wnatlclinics09.phtml.
Central Florida Lacrosse Statistics
• In 2007, The Orlando Chapter of US Lacrosse reported that there are 46 boys’ varsity programs and 36 junior varsity programs within its chapter. There are 39 girls’ varsity programs and 25 girls’ junior varsity programs. That is over 3,400 high school lacrosse players total in Central Florida in 2007.
• The Orlando Chapter of US Lacrosse covers essentially the northern half of the state and includes cities such as Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville.
• In the Orlando Chapter area, there are over 141 high school coaches.
• In the Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville area there are 11 college club teams (6 men’s teams, 5 women’s teams).
• In a 2007 US Lacrosse participation survey, the Orlando Chapter estimated that there are over 5,000 youth and high school lacrosse players in Central Florida. That’s up from 2,864 in 2006.
Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are only a week or so away from our next event for US -The Champion Challenge in Florida. This is a huge event that US Lacrosse has put together for the past couple of years. Knowing that this event was sneaking up on us we are all working out and preparing ourselves for an exciting, competitive weekend. The great thing about this team is that we are all so supportive of one another.
