printwww.ulax.org
ULAX Blog Entry:
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
print