A Letter to Our Parents

Dear Surf Dawg Parents:

It is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I welcome you and your family to the Newport Beach Surf Dawg lacrosse community. I am excited to begin the 2007-08 youth program and look forward to working with the coaches, kids and parents to make this season a great opportunity to learn the game of lacrosse. Together, we can have a significant impact on the growth and development of the sport in Orange County.

Lacrosse is a great game. The oldest sport in North America, it is rich in both history and tradition. Many historians believe the sport originated among the eastern Algonquian tribes in the valley of the St. Lawrence River and was later carried down among the Huron and Iroquois. Its tribal name was baggataway. In the 14th Century, the French, upon seeing that the sticks with which the natives played the game bore a resemblance to the crosier (la crosse) carried in ceremonies by a bishop, gave it the name by which it is known today - "lacrosse."

The sport has played a significant role in my life. I grew up in Baltimore, where many kids pick up lacrosse sticks before baseball bats, footballs and basketballs. As a young boy, I played in youth leagues that began when I was seven. I continued to play through high school in Maryland and was fortunate to have had the opportunity to play competitive lacrosse in college at the University of Pennsylvania.

Shortly after my college playing days ended, I became involved in coaching. My career began as an assistant coach in 1982 at my alma mater. In 1987, I accepted an offer to become the head coach of men's lacrosse and women's soccer at Franklin & Marshall College. After three years at F&M, I returned to Penn and began a four-year tenure as the head lacrosse coach. In 1994, I left coaching to enter the exciting and more profitable world of college sports television, and began working for ESPN in Charlotte.

Although I was no longer coaching at the collegiate level, I wanted to remain involved in the game. While in Charlotte, I was able to help a small group of transplanted lacrosse players from the northeast establish a youth lacrosse program. With my coaching experience, I focused on establishing the coaching and teaching philosophies, while my "corporate" friends handled the organizational responsibilities. In seven years of involvement, we saw the number of participants grow to exceed 750, the quality of high school lacrosse improve dramatically, and the number of "recruited" players from Charlotte increase significantly among Division I schools.

In early 2003, my wife Mary and I returned to Newport Beach to raise our three boys in the shadows of her childhood home. Shortly after arriving, our two older sons, Ryan and Casey, asked me to take up where we had left off in Charlotte. Within a few months, we began Surf Dawg Lacrosse.

In just four years, I have seen our program grow from 35 kids to over 200. Lacrosse at Corana del Mar and Newport Harbor has become recognized as a CIF sport. Last spring, CDM lost by one goal in the CIF semi-finals to Foothill, the eventual champion. Lacrosse has come a long way in a very short period of time.

I truly believe youth lacrosse is the foundation for lacrosse at all levels. In building our Surf Dawg lacrosse program, we focused on teaching the fundamentals of the game consistently and collectively, while maintaining a high level of respect for the game and each other. This meant making sure the players, coaches and parents had a sound understanding of the skills required to play the game effectively, as well as a commitment to preserving the honor of the game and the true spirit of instruction and competition. The focus of our time and energy will not be on the competition, but on the preparation for it. I further believe the future of the game lies in developing good teachers and respectful ambassadors. Our players, coaches and parents will all play a role in the future of the game. It should be our goal to assure these roles will all have a positive impact.

I hope this letter has given you some insight into my background, experience and dedication to growing the sport of lacrosse. I look forward to working with you and your kids to make this a special experience for everyone.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions. I am happy to talk with you at any time.

Thank you for your time and interest in the Dawgs.

All the best,

G.W. Mix