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| Gary (left) and Paul Gait |
Gary Gait and Paul GaitThe brothers Gait are to lacrosse what Michael Jordan is to hoops, innovators who kicked things up a notch, helping Syracuse win three consecutive national titles from 1988-90. Both played professionally for years and remain icons of the game. Paul is president of equipment maker deBeer Lacrosse, while Gary coaches teams in the National Lacrosse League and Major League Lacrosse and is president of NDP, a company that runs lacrosse tournaments to help match high school players with college programs.
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| Gross |
David GrossCommissioner, Major League LacrosseGross oversees the professional outdoor game, which this summer will expand from six teams to 10, heading west with new franchises in Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Along with founder Jake “Body by Jake” Steinfeld, Gross is building the league “one fan at a time” with a grassroots approach that emphasizes local clinics. Although MLL teams draw an average of only 4,000 fans per game, the league is being watched closely as a barometer for the health of the game played at the highest level in its truest form.
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| Jennings |
Jim JenningsCommissioner, National Lacrosse LeagueJennings is the leader of the bold, brash NLL, which recently sold new franchises in New York and Chicago and packs the house in arenas in Denver and Toronto to the tune of 17,000-plus per game. While the league has had its ups and downs with many franchise relocations and constant change, the NLL has been successful recently in targeting hockey owners to solidify itself. Franchise values since Jennings became commissioner have increased from $250,000 to $3 million.
David Morrow
President and founder, Warrior Lacrosse
A former national player of the year and national champion at Princeton, Morrow founded Warrior Lacrosse in 1993 and through innovation and aggressive marketing, quickly muscled in on established industry leaders Brine and STX. Warrior calls itself “original, young, energetic and unafraid of creating changes,” and change is just what Morrow and Warrior did to the lacrosse industry with the introduction of titanium sticks and edgy advertising. The game hasn’t been the same since.
Dave Pietramala
Head coach, Johns Hopkins University men’s team
As head coach of one of the glamour programs in Division I lacrosse, Pietramala restored Johns Hopkins to the top with a national championship in 2005, the school’s first since 1987. The Blue Jays have ended the last four regular seasons as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, and Pietramala, an All-American during his playing career at Hopkins, is a tireless advocate of the game at the youth level.
Steve Stenersen
Executive director, U.S. Lacrosse
As the head of U.S. Lacrosse, a 185,000-member association and governing body for the sport, Stenersen’s mission is to serve and support the growth of the game. The Baltimore-based organization has a $10 million operating budget for grassroots development, education programs, national events and other activities designed to get kids to pick up lacrosse sticks. Stenersen is credited by many in the game for improving the infrastructure required to extend lacrosse participation beyond its Northeast base.
