Page 41 - May-June-July Life In Naples

Lacrosse is a relatively Coach Queener is a former NCAA men’s lacrosse standout
new and growing sport in
the State of Florida. Collier
County is fortunate to have
many coaches and supporters
of youth lacrosse who call its quickly becoming a local ambassador for the sport. Coach
sunny shores home. These
include Ed Calkins who
won an NCAA Division
I National Championship
with Princeton University.
Calkins served as the
Chairman for the US
Lacrosse Foundation from
2010-2015. During his
tenure as Chairman he was
instrumental in helping the
Foundation make significant
strides towards reaching its goal of raising $15 Million for a new national
lacrosse center in Sparks, Maryland. Calkins is also a past president of
CCLA and a lacrosse coach for the league.
When asked about why lacrosse is growing so rapidly in popularity in
Naples, Calkins comments that “the sport’s growth is a combination of
what the sport offers - a fast-paced, high scoring, game - along with its
overall increased popularity and visibility across the country. ”
Recently Collier County’s Gulf Coast High School scored big with
the addition of Brett Queener as their varsity boy’s head lacrosse coach.
Life in Naples | May • June • July 2016
at the University at Albany – SUNY and a current goalie
for the Florida Launch of Major League Lacrosse. Coach
Queener has hit the ground running by organizing clinics
for local youth players through his 23 Lacrosse club and
Queener is joined in his efforts to grow the game locally by
other area coaches like Trent Carter who has coached the
Barron Collier High School boy’s lacrosse team for several
years and also runs a local youth lacrosse travel program
called Madlax.
One thing is for certain, there can never be too many
qualified lacrosse coaches at the youth level. This means
that if you are reading this article and you have experience
at the youth, high school or college level either coaching or
playing lacrosse, the Collier County Lacrosse Association
would welcome your assistance coaching at the youth level. If
you would like more information on how you can help with
youth lacrosse in Collier County please contact Mark Klym at
mrklym@gmail.com.
Boys who are interested in playing lacrosse in Collier
County should go to www.collierlax.com or email Mark Klym
at mrklym@gmail.com to find out about their spring, summer
and fall programs for beginning to advanced players.
Girls who are interested in playing lacrosse in Collier County
should go to www.napleslacrosseclub.com for more information
on their programs for beginning to advanced players.
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