December 2023
It’s with mixed emotions John Sullivan and I have stepped down from our co-commissioner roles at Sandy Spring Falcons Lacrosse.

Running this program has brought us unexpected joy that’s largely due to the amazing community of families that comprised Sandy Spring Falcons lacrosse – great friendships for our boys and ourselves have resulted. That has made this decision one that pulls on our heartstrings; however, our boys – like many of yours – have moved on to play club lacrosse and that consumes a significant portion of our weekends.

This program was the start of a love for lacrosse for many of our families. For that, we are eternally grateful to Kevin O’Leary, Marc Yamada, Brian Schuster, Earle Brown, the late Phil Sardellas, and the late Casey McNamara who founded the league more than a decade ago. Likewise, Bob Pergolini was instrumental in the league’s success…he leaned in even further (coaching, at times, two teams) to take on commissioner responsibilities when Casey needed to focus on his health. And for those of us who know Bob, we know he always gave more than he got – especially when he moved to Atlanta, and John and I were still contacting him with questions.

In addition, we’ve had so many talented and dedicated parents who’ve supported the league by coaching, supporting league operations, and field maintenance. It truly takes a village, and the Sandy Spring Falcons lacrosse village is a passionate and dedicated group.

For those of you looking to keep your boys in rec lacrosse, there are several great programs in the area and I’ve included details at the bottom of this post. For the boys who are looking to play year-round at a more competitive level, club lacrosse tryouts are typically in June and July. Sandy Spring players have joined Next Level, Rebels Maryland (locally based), True Lacrosse, Zingos, DC Express, Bethesda Lacrosse Club, and others.

While John and I stepping down does not necessarily mean the league has to fold, it does require someone else to take the lead. John and I have documented many of the processes and are happy to help any interested community members in getting off the ground. If you are interested in leading the program, please contact the SSAA Board at info@sandyspringfalcons.org. 

Keep your boys playing! Lax for life :) 

Best,
Jackie Schaffer

1. Closest to home is OBGC. OBGC Rec plays slightly different age groups: U6, U8 and U10, U12  OBGC plays in WMYLC (western maryland youth lacrosse conference) and game locations are a similar distance to what you would have experienced with Sandy Spring -- anywhere 25 - 45 minutes away usually. One key difference though is U6 (the kindergartners)  is a scoopers program that is only in-house (no travel, scrimmages across the boys). Registration occurs with the standard spring sports registration.
   
   
2. Also a good option is the Silver Spring Warriors lacrosse program. They are a strong program with a 20+ year history; they typically build strong teams from what we've experienced. Their website is pretty comprehensive to learn more about their program. Age groups are U6-U14 and they play in the SMYLA division  Registration closes around the middle of March.
   
   
3. Lastly, we also recommend you check out Bethesda Lacrosse Club rec program – Last year my then 2nd and 6th graders played in this league, and Joe and I were really happy with the experience (as were the boys!).  This league is different because it's an actual house rec league -- the Bethesda area has enough lacrosse players that they can roster enough teams to play each other.  All practices and games are in the Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville area. BLC also puts on a lot of clinics if your boys are looking for some skills practice.

Sandy Spring Athletic Association, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.  

PO Box 362 | Olney, MD 20830
info@sandyspringfalcons.org

EIN 35-2461796