Editor’s Note: The Uganda National Lacrosse team, “The Cranes”, will be the first ever African team to participate in the FIL World Lacrosse Championships, and they are looking for their first ever Head Coach!
Want to help lead the African Lacrosse Revolution in person? Want to get involved in a HUGE opportunity to Grow The Game? Then read the Press Release from Uganda below, and see if this is something YOU might be interested in!
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Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Lacrosse Union (ULU) is actively recruiting passionate and enthusiastic candidates for the head coaching position of the Uganda Cranes National Team. The Cranes will compete in the 2014 World Championships in Denver, CO. The Uganda Lacrosse Union was established in 2011 and is part of the Federation of International Lacrosse.
Over the past 18 months the game of lacrosse has developed rapidly as the ULU has established a 5 team
league that will expand to 8 in the next season. The ULU has held two national championship tournaments and hosted several international volunteers.
The head coach would be expected to work with the ULU Board to recruit an assistant coaching staff and to assist the board in their two year development plan in the lead up to the 2014 World Championships. The head coach will oversee an incredibly competitive tryout process and make the final decisions in selecting the 23 man roster.
Some international travel will be required in the lead up to the 2014 World Championships. The head coach will also be expected to work with the General Manager (GM) of the Uganda National Team in a variety of capacities to ensure all the logistics of bringing the first ever African lacrosse team to compete in the World Championships.
The head coach should have excellent written and verbal communications skills as the ULU projects a high level of media attention for the Uganda Cranes in both in East Africa and the United States. The head coach should be passionate about growing the game of lacrosse internationally and should have a specific interest in the power of sport to bring people together for positive social impact. The head coach should have a specific interest in the country of Uganda, it’s challenges and it’s incredible potential.
Interested candidates will need to submit a cover letter, resume and three references. The current team General Manager will present all applicants to the ULU board in Kampala. Interested applicants should contact Tyler Steinhardt, General Manager, Uganda Cranes National Team at (410) 842-5420 or tyler.steinhardt@fieldsofgrowth.org. For more information on lacrosse in Uganda please visit www.ugandalacrosse.com and www.fieldsofgrowth.org!
EN: This sounds like an incredible opportunity to make a big difference for some very passionate lacrosse players. We all talk about the game exploding, and how new countries are picking up the sport. We all hope for Olympic inclusion some day. Can you honestly think of a better chance to help than in Uganda?
UPDATE – See the following PRESS RELEASE from the ULU below:
STEINHARDT NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF UGANDA LACROSSE TEAM
Young American charged with bringing first ever African lacrosse team to World Championships
Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Lacrosse Union (ULU) is proud to announce the naming of Tyler Steinhardt as the General Manager for the Uganda Men’s National Lacrosse Team. Steinhardt was recommended by the ULU board to President Davis Kamoga who recently announced the appointment at the second annual King’s Cup Championship. Serving in this role, Steinhardt will be responsible for selecting, operating and bringing a team to the 2014 World Games in Denver, Colorado. A Baltimore area native who has played lacrosse throughout his life, Steinhardt was the 2011 Ugandan National Lacrosse Coach of the Year. Steinhardt’s chief responsibilities include the selection of the players and coaches, as well as handling all logistics including scheduling and transportation to the United States where they will spend three months touring, training and playing.
“Tyler immediately connected with the Ugandan athletes,” said Maurice Sserunkuma, Secretary General of the Uganda Lacrosse Union. “He had the ability to inspire while at the same time walking humbly with them. He is the right person to lead us to Denver in 2014.”
Currently, the Ugandan Lacrosse Union is represented by five club teams, with plans to expand to eight by the end of the year. The top 24 players will be selected from these teams to represent Uganda in the World Games. In addition, a cohort of Ugandan and American coaches will be working together to help coach the players, whose collective goal for the past two years has been to compete at the 2014 World Games. Lacrosse’s roots in Uganda can be traced back to the sports introduction by Fields of Growth International, a non-profit organization that has been critical in the development of the sport in the region. Fields of Growth has also been responsible for the creation of The HOPEFUL School, a collaborative project with a local community-based organization, in a nearby village, as well as microeconomic developmental projects in the area to bolster the economy. Last summer, in conjunction with Fields of Growth, twenty Americans visited Uganda to further develop lacrosse in the area and help the ULU continue to grow through the introduction of a National Championship Tournament known as the King’s Cup. Since that time, the ULU has established three distinct seasons; a traditional spring season with a league championship, a summer developmental training season that culminates in a national tournament and a fall seven on seven season. This fall the ULU will also launch their youth development initiative known as the Kampala Kids Lacrosse Academy (KKLA). This academy will be the ULU’s service initiative to the youth of Uganda. The idea for the KKLA came from the ULU players themselves as their league games began to draw crowds of street children from the neighboring slum communities that were fascinated with learning more about the new game.
Tyler Steinhardt is a Freshman at American University where he is studying International Studies as a member of the prestigious Global Scholars Program. Tyler is known in the lacrosse world for coordinating the Shootout for Soldiers, the 24-hour record-breaking lacrosse game in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. Steinhardt played lacrosse at the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, and currently plays club at American while coaching a local youth team.
“I’m both honored and humbled to have been selected to such a role, and am more than excited to become a greater part of the Uganda Lacrosse program. The Ugandan lacrosse team brings a wave ofnew energy to the world of lacrosse, and I can’t wait to unleash that passion, excitement and determination in 2014,” said Steinhardt.
The Uganda Lacrosse Union is currently looking for sponsors, supporters and anypassionate individuals wishing to support the program. If you are interested, please email Tyler Steinhardt at tyler.steinhardt@gmail.com or visit www.ugandalacrosse.com.
