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Bloomington and Buffalo looking to join ULAX
2/3/2010 (updated 2/11/2010)
The organization has been contacted by various individuals who are interested in starting a league in their respective areas. Among them, college students in Bloomington Indiana have created a league proposal outlining the growth of the game at IU. Sure, Indiana is not known for its budding lacrosse programs, but Peter and Mac, both IU students, have argued that Bloomington now attracts hundreds of players from the surrounding states; Michigan and Ohio for example are known to be prominent hubs for lax. And then don't forget Chicago.
Together these two IU students have been outlining a game plan to get their league off the ground. The main tactic, as they see it, is to motivate as much of the greek system on IU campus as possible. As is common for certain colleges the number of fraternities in Bloomington make up a vast percentage of the student body. This marketing tactic is similar to the one used by Jason Javer, and Adam Lynn, who together founded the ULAX Ann Arbor league in 2007. Their goal was similar to Peter and Mac, in that getting the Greek system involved was key.
Moving northeast a few hundred miles, Chris in Buffalo is determined to get a league going in upstate New York while working two jobs. His motivation to do this is fueled by the fact that there is no other league offered for college, and post collegiate players. Don't you find that odd? No lacrosse in a city like Buffalo, where the game is historically known. They even have the Bandits indoor team, which attracts some of the most fans for any professional lacrosse city. Or take the former MLL team, the Rochester Rattlers who played just an hour away before the franchise moved north to Toronto last year. No amateur adult lax in Buffalo, am I missing something???
Luckily this is what ULAX was designed for ... to enable people anywhere to build there own league. As long as the prospective league manager has the right drive and vision, the ULAX organization is ready to help. We act as consultants in a sense, helping to guide the development of the league through a step by step process that has proven successful in over fifteen cities. The way we grow at ULAX is through open communication, and collaboration.
We are excited to be in communication with people from these new cities, and like the ideas and energy they are bringing. There is a major buzz for lax in 2010. Maybe it's because we are coming out of a recession and people need some sort of release. Maybe it's a simple matter of timing as the game has been booming for the past twenty years. At any rate, we here at ULAX are looking forward to the coming 2010 season, and to bring lax programs to old cities and new.
- Tim Leonard
ULAX Poised for Expansion in 2010
1/6/2010
At University Lacrosse LLC we are expecting tremendous growth in 2010 with the addition of several new areas. Our foresight is based on data released from various sources citing the overall growth and pervasiveness of the game throughout the United States. Many laxers will agree, the sport is booming.
Joining the ULAX network means that you are building a league of your own, and is best described as a “franchise opportunity” for lack of a better term. People brought into the system are not charged a franchise fee, not paid an hourly wage, but earn a percentage of league profits. The layout is designed to provide incentive and guidance for those interested in working around the sport of lacrosse.
The ULAX system is unique to anything that we’ve seen in amateur sports and essentially creates various branches of separate business owners, rather than a hierarchy of hired labor.
The vision we have at ULAX is not only to provide a cutting edge lacrosse experience for our athletes, but also to enable lacrosse enthusiasts to operate their own leagues. By continuing to add leagues, the ULAX organization is then able to enhance its purchasing power, which allows us to lower costs for jerseys, apparel, field equipment, etc.
In addition, at ULAX we’re delivering an experience unheard of for intramural style play by providing photos, stats, and video. 2009 brought with it the very first ULAX Cup Tournaments in Denver and Manhattan and this has helped greatly to spread the word.
The founding members of University Lacrosse strongly believe in continuing to develop the game, and innovate in ways the amateur athlete never thought possible. To learn more about starting a league, the perks, and benefits contact us through the "employment" link ... and get ready.
THE ULAX NETWORK
12/9/2009 (updated 1/4/2010)
Lacrosse has become the fastest growing sport in America. It combines various aspects of many other sports, like basketball, hockey, and soccer, while at the same time not rewarding only certain characteristics, like height being a definitive advantage in basketball, or size in hockey, but instead size and speed must come in balance in order to be effective, and always paired with stick skills, the ultimate equalizing factor. A good goalie or good offense/defense are advantageous, but they are not any one of them the most essential. Instead it is the team as an entire entity that determines success or failure. A good coach and solid game plan are necessary elements to success.
This idea creates an environment that is nearly impossible to replicate without an organized setting. A “pick-up” lacrosse game is very difficult to organize unless you have a large number of talented players, 2 goalies, a field, and lots of fresh balls. The sport inherently needs organization to be competitive, and only when sport is competitive is it enjoyable to its fullest extent. That’s where ULAX comes in.
One of the main reasons for lacrosse’s recent growth can be seen at the youth to high school level. Teams and youth leagues all across the country have been cropping up increasing the demand for equipment as well as creating opportunities for companies that were never there before. ULAX is a college-aged “intramural-like” league that occupies a rather specific demographic in the lacrosse world, one that has been greatly rising in numbers as the youth of America discovers this ancient sport, and inevitably graduates high school and moves on to college. The NCAA has recognized lacrosse for years, but the mindset of the average lacrosse player is a laid-back, almost “skater” type personality that opposes the extremely strict, rigid structure of a college team’s practice and game schedule. ULAX looks to attract the player that wants to keep playing, but is tired of a know-it-all coach screaming in their face and making them run sprints while their friends all party and have fun.
With ULAX, there are no practices, only games. ULAX was created to allow players the opportunity to continue playing lacrosse while not demanding a military schedule. Players are grouped with friends or ex-teammates at their own request, but beyond that the teams are thrown together mostly at random to try and create the most competitive environment possible. The balance between competition and laid-back enjoyment is a point, which ULAX prides itself on, while at the same time focusing on a level of professionalism and organization not commonly seen in today’s lacrosse world.
The frontiers in which ULAX breaks the most ground involve an unprecedented level of player exposure and an online interface that allows players to check statistics after each game, see photos, and even watch video. The league strives to create an environment for the players that is fun, competitive, and inviting, but the creators of ULAX, Tim Leonard and Neema Kassaii, see the possibilities for the network of leagues as infinite. Their major focus is on creating an environment where players will be looking forward every week to coming and playing. This involves getting lots of players to show up ensuring a competitive game, as well as building crowds to watch the games, a point which is vital to the continued growth.
ULAX was started in 2005 and has since spread to numerous other cities across the US. To see if there is a league in your area, check the ULAX website at - www.ulax.org
- Max L. (Boulder)
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