INDIO, CA // Five awesome ATL members traveled out west to Palm Springs, CA over MLK weekend to play in the Sand Storm Tournament! We had a blast joining forces with our BOUNCE sister clubs :: TEAM OC and loneLAX! It was AWESOME to meet + play with the So-Cal + Texas girls!! Coach Suzette (director of TEAM OC) and Jillian (director of the ATL) were excited to see the girls improvements from game-to-game throughout the weekend. Every player worked hard to set goals and accomplish those goals each time we took the field.
Two of our XTEAMs made it to the finals in playoffs on Sunday!! XTEAM 2013 BLACK, coached by Katy Smullen and the ATL's very own, Angela Brunner, pulled out a win in a sudden death victory to win the PALM SPRINGS division! XTEAM 2014 battled in 2 hard fought play off games, but had a heartwrenching loss in the final game against TEAM 180 2013 (CO).
It was an AHHHHMAZING weekend. From the GORGEOUS backdrop, to the intense lax, to the warm CALI weather - SAND STORM 2013 here we come!
TOURNMANT PRESS RELEASE FROM SYNAPSE SPORTS:
Annapolis, MD — Those famous Santa Ana winds must have pushed further inward than normal because the Sand Storm Lacrosse Festival is absolutely blowing up!
The fifth edition of the increasingly popular winter tournament has reached full capacity, having attracted a whopping 85 teams on the girls’ side and another 50 teams on the boys’ side. The tremendous response forced organizers with Synapse Sports and Lax West to close registration more than a month out - a first for the event held at the Empire Polo Club in beautiful Palm Springs.
“Our goal from the beginning was to make Sand Storm the premier winter tournament on the West Coast. This year’s remarkable growth confirms that Sand Storm has become a can’t-miss event,” said Cathy Samaras, founder and CEO of Synapse Sports. “It’s further proof that a great warm weather location, state-of-the-art venue, top-notch competition and detailed organization are what the players are looking for.”
Participation has increased steadily on the girls’ side since Sand Storm was founded in 2008. However, the 2012 edition has seen a significant spike with the size of the field growing by more than 25 teams, aided by the convenience of being held over the three-day Martin Luther King Holiday weekend. Among the entrants are club programs from Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas. Of course, every region of California from San Diego to San Francisco will be represented as well as teams from Canada. Event sponsors include Gatorade, which will be hydrating the event from the sidelines and STX, who will conduct onsite Pro Player Clinics with Major League Lacrosse star Steven Brooks and former Maryland standout Becky Clipp. As always, there will be plenty of fabulous apparel and equipment available onsite through an expanded Lax Mall vendor line-up.
“Sand Storm has been a really great development for the whole western region. I know it’s nice for our program to not have to travel far to find a quality tournament,” said Theresa Sherry, owner of Bear Lax.
Bear Lax is bringing eight teams ranging from the 2012 to 2017 graduating years and will hold its season-ending banquet during the tourney, being held the weekend of Jan. 14-15.
“Every year, the overall talent and level of competition at Sand Storm has improved,” Sherry said. “More and more college coaches are coming so it is a great opportunity for our juniors and sophomores to be scouted.” Division I programs such as Brown, Colgate, Denver, Marquette, Navy, Oregon, Richmond, Stanford and USC are among 50 women’s programs that have registered to send recruiters to Sand Storm.
Sand Storm introduced a boys’ component in 2011 with Michael Watson of Lax West leading the charge. After a modest start with 14 teams last January, the boys’ tournament at Sand Storm has nearly quadrupled in size. Watson, a 4-time All-America attackman at Virginia, is not surprised by the tremendous growth.
“We got things off the ground last year and the feedback was very positive. It spread by word of mouth that Sand Storm was an outstanding event in every respect and all of a sudden I had clubs contacting me,” Watson said.
Such respected club organizations as Rhino Lacrosse (headed by former Syracuse superstar Ryan Powell), All-West Lacrosse (Matt Ogelsby, Duke), L.A. Mavericks (Sean Lindsay, Syracuse) and FCA SoCal Lacrosse (Glen Miles, Navy) have entered multiple teams at Sand Storm. Burnaby Lacrosse Club, one of the oldest organizations in Canada, will also attend.
“Club lacrosse on the West Coast has really expanded and it’s quite obvious to me there was a tremendous need for a winter tournament like this,” Watson said. “There are more year-round programs than ever before and that creates a demand for competition, which Sand Storm is providing.”
“We are very excited about attending Sand Storm,” said Glenn Miles, Director of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) SoCal Lacrosse. “As a teammate of Michael’s in VaiI a number of years ago, I saw that he was definitely a character guy. He has had a tremendous impact on the game of lacrosse nationally as well as here in California regionally. He runs this event as he has everything in his life- with honor and integrity, which is exactly why we are bringing five teams – we can’t wait!”
For more information about the 2012 Sand Storm Lacrosse Festival visit the event website: www.laxtournaments.com.
SYNAPSE SPORTS
Synapse Sports is the premier provider of lacrosse playing opportunities and recruiting events in the U.S. Founder and CEO Cathy Samaras has been a trailblazer in the sport of lacrosse, working tirelessly for over 20 years to promote the growth and development of the game – from grassroots to global. To learn more about the exciting events organized by the company visit www.synapsesports.com or call 410-573-1414.
