Frisco, Texas July 11, 2012 – Lellie Swords, a former NCAA division I head coach, joins Frisco Lacrosse Association (FLA) as head coach of the girls high school team. As a four-year starter at James Madison (VA), Swords continued her lacrosse career with coaching stops at George Mason and powerhouses Cornell and Johns Hopkins before accepting the head coach position of the Cincinnati Bearcats, where she remained for five years building a formidable BIG EAST program.
Swords and her husband, Kyle—who played professional soccer in the A-League with the Hershey Wildcats and Charleston Battery—recently relocated to Frisco. “The Frisco School District is second to none; that combined with the housing affordability and the high growth of girls lacrosse and the overall made the decision quite easy,” said Swords. She continues: “Having travelled throughout the US during my lacrosse career, I’ve never seen anything like the city of Frisco; it’s progressiveness, dedication and huge pool of athletes.”
“Having Coach Swords choose Frisco as her new home is a testament to Frisco being named as the Best Place to Raise an Athlete in the April 2011 issue of Men's Journal Magazine. This is one reason why more businesses are selecting Frisco as their corporate headquarters,” said Jim Gandy, President of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation.
“Similar to Frisco’s growth, the Frisco Lacrosse Association has exploded both in size and popularity,” said Mayor Maher Maso. “I’m excited to have another successful program in Frisco 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.”
Swords’ Frisco girls high school team joins the highly successful boys team headed by Coach Jerry Tucker. The Frisco Boys team are the Texas High School Lacrosse Association Division III champions and move to Division II in 2013. “In addition to our highly successful season, is the fastest growing league in the state of Texas,” said Jason Gildea, president of the Frisco Lacrosse Association and defensive coordinator of the SMU Mustangs. According to Gildea, lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country, and no state is growing the sport faster than Texas.
About Lellie Swords
Swords was a four-year letter winner at James Madison University and a member of Team Toyota. In 1997, she transitioned into an assistant coach position at George Mason University. From 1998-2000, Swords was assistant coach at the highly successful Cornell University before joining Lacrosse powerhouse Johns Hopkins University as a defensive coordinator and associate head coach. From 2007 to 2012, Swords was head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats, where in addition to her success on the field, she was honored with multiple BIG EAST Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards. Swords lives in Frisco, Texas with her husband and three children.
About Frisco Lacrosse Association
Frisco Lacrosse Association (FLA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2009 by Jason and Desiree Gildea for the benefit of the boys and girls in Frisco and surrounding neighborhoods. FLA 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 from grades 2nd through high school, and boys teams grades 1st through high school. FLA is currently the fastest growing sports league in the state of Texas.
The association has dedicated practice and game fields at BF Philips Park in northwest Frisco and plays games throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. For more information, please go to www.friscolacrosse.org.