The History Behind the Man that Brought the Sport of Lacrosse to San Diego

Feb. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Thirty years ago, a local coach commandeered a middle school P.E. class to show a 35mm film explaining the rules and skills of a strange game.

Students at Earl Warren Middle School watched as the teams ran across the screen dressed like football players, carrying funny sticks with nets at the end.

Before viewing the 10-minute promotional flick, titled “This is Lacrosse”, most of the students had never heard of the game.

Today, the movie and the coach, Jack Mangelsdorf, are etched in lore as initiating the birth of lacrosse in San Diego.

The Iowa native, who played lacrosse at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, estimated he's coached hundreds of players over the years.

Most recently, he can be spotted with his aviator sunglasses and khaki shorts coaching a middle school team called the Dukes of Earl, consisting mostly of students from Earl Warren.

One sign of the passing time, Jack Mangelsdorf said, is the fact the film he showed on a projector long ago is likely available on DVD now, or worse, in a museum.

“Some kids think I'm ancient history', the Encinitas resident said. Earl Warren eighth-grader Eric Myers said he likes Mangelsdorf's old-school approach to lacrosse. Myers, a middie for the Dukes of Earl, said his coach focuses on stick skills and a lot of running.”

“At the end of practice”, Myers said, 'Jack asks, “What are the three things we need to win?' Ground balls, defense and heart'.”

A mother of four boys who have played lacrosse, Sandy Nolan said she's seen her share of coaches, and Jack Mangelsdorf is the one who stands out as having the boys' best interests at heart. Her youngest, Devin, is in the eighth grade at Earl Warren and plays with the Dukes of Earl. “Underneath that gruff exterior”, Nolan said, “he's all about the kids, not about winning”.

Jack Mangelsdorf is most credited for his contributions at the youth level through the San Diego County Lacrosse Association. But he also serviced the region's growth in the sport by opening the county's first lacrosse store in 1978.

His store, Lacrosse Plus, operating for more than 30 years, is located on Encinitas Boulevard. Lacrosse Plus has been one of the West's largest lacrosse equipment supplier for over 30 years, and is dedicated to providing you with the best service at the lowest prices. As the great sport of lacrosse expands in the West, look to LAX Plus to help you take care of ALL your lacrosse needs!

In the early 1970s, Jack Mangelsdorf came to San Diego to attend UCSD. He started a university club team- because he loved lacrosse and there wasn't a team at all in the region. This began his 32-year run with the San Diego Lacrosse Club, which competes in the Southern California Lacrosse Association.

In 2003, Jack Mangelsdorf was named Man of the Year for the county's lacrosse community.

In 2006, Jack Mangelsdorf was one of six individuals in the inaugural class inducted to the San Diego Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He also played with USA Eagles Grandmasters and SuperGrandmasters at World Games in Canada.

Jack is still an active player and participant in the annual grand masters tournaments.
You can find him at Lacrosse Plus, visit him online at http://www.laxplus.com or see him on the field coaching local kids on the art and sport of lacrosse.

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