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Big fish: Frisco makes splash with coaching hire
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
With the Frisco boys lacrosse team winning the Texas High School Lacrosse Association Division II championship last season, the Lady Raccoons might soon see the same kind of success.
That’s because Frisco has landed Lellie Swords, a former head coach at the NCAA Division I level, as the new head coach of its girls team.
“The Frisco school district is second to none,” Swords said. “That combined with the housing affordability and the high growth of girls lacrosse and the [Frisco Lacrosse Association] overall made the decision quite easy.”
The new Frisco coach remained with the Lady Bearcats for the program’s first five years and built up a formidable program in the Big East, leading the Lady Bearcats to their first win in school history on March 7, 2008, against Saint Mary’s.
Swords also stressed the importance of academics to her players.
Every member of her 2012 team earned a GPA of 3.0 or better and the team also posted a perfect Academic Progress Report score in 2008.
“Having [Swords] choose Frisco as her new home is a testament to Frisco being named as the Best Place to Raise an Athlete in [Men’s Journal Magazine],” said Jim Gandy, President of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation. “This is one reason why more businesses are selecting Frisco as their corporate headquarters.”
Swords also encouraged her athletes to become active members of the community, varying from volunteering time to visiting the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. This past season, the team had dedicated 691 hours volunteering, including 198 hours throughout the week of spring break.
During her playing career at James Madison, Swords was a four-year letter winner and a member of Team Toyota. In 1997, she transitioned into coaching with an assistant job at George Mason.
The following year, Swords accepted a position at powerhouse Cornell and remained there for three years before joining Johns Hopkins as a defensive coordinator and associate head coach.
“I’m excited to have another successful program in Frisco,” said Maher Maso, Frisco mayor, “and even more excited to have a coach of Swords’ caliber helping our youth develop to the next level in a sport they’re passionate about.”
The stop at Johns Hopkins eventually led to a head coaching position at Cincinnati in 2007, where Swords would remain until this year when her and her family relocated to Frisco.
“Having travelled throughout the U.S. during my lacrosse career, I’ve never seen anything like the city of Frisco,” Swords said.
The FLA was founded in 2009 by Jason and Desiree Gildea for the benefit of the boys and girls in Frisco and surrounding neighborhoods. The organization has received acceptance to the Frisco Sports Council as one of the core youth sports organizations in Frisco with the focus on teaching the game of lacrosse and the importance of integrity.
FLA has girls teams beginning in the second grade and up to the high school level, while the boys teams start in first grade and continue through high school.
“In addition to our highly successful season, [FLA] is the fastest growing league in the state of Texas,” said Jason Gildea, president of the FLA and defensive coordinator of SMU.
The association has dedicated practice and game fields at BF Philips Park in Frisco and plays games throughout the Metroplex. For more information, visit www.friscolacrosse.org.
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