24th Annual Greenport Lacrosse Shootout sponsored by the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation
July 29-30, 2017
Greenport High School, Greenport NY
The 24th Annual Greenport Lacrosse Shootout sponsored by the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation and the Nassau County PAL was held at Greenport High School in Greenport NY on July 29 and 30, 2017 with more than 4500 players, coaches, parents, officials, sponsors and vendors in attendance.
Participants in this year’s festival included 52 youth boys teams and 19 girls youth teams from PAL and other community clubs from Long Island and Connecticut all playing in “friendly “round robin-type tournament games. In addition 10 post-high school and college men’s lacrosse teams participated in the Greenport Shootout Championship Tournament.
“This year the Greenport Shootout is dedicated in honor of Jim Howell, a member of the LIMLF and PAL Board of Directors “ said Harry Jacobs, Chairman of the LIMLF. “As a chapter of US Lacrosse, the governing body of lacrosse in our country, the mission of the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation is to foster and promote the game for all in the Metropolitan New York and Long Island areas. Jim has given so much of his time, energy and leadership for the benefit of lacrosse for so many years that it is only fitting that we dedicate the 2017 Shootout in his honor. Each year the Greenport Shootout gets better and bigger thanks to Jim’s efforts many years ago in bringing the Shootout to Greenport” said Jacobs.
Throughout the weekend the sidelines of the expansive and well-groomed athletic fields of Greenport High School were lined with canopy tents, tables and chairs providing a “tail-gate party” atmosphere for the players, coaches and family members.
The Greenport Shootout also serves as a fund raiser enabling the LIMLF to award scholarships to high school players, to assist community programs and officiating boards, sponsor programs for children with special need and clinics for coaches and players.
This year the LIMLF awarded $1,500 individual scholarships to two Greenport high school students. Toni Esposito received the Jill Howell Memorial Award and Jonathan Webster received the First Lieutenant Joseph J. Theinert Memorial Award. In addition, six $1,000 scholarship awards have been awarded to outstanding lacrosse student-athletes from Nassau and Suffolk Counties and New York City.
The 2017 Shootout Committee of this year’s festival was co-chaired by Harry Jacobs, Mike Nelson and Billy Redman. Other members include Jim Howell and directors of the Nassau County PAL Youth Lacrosse Leagues, Sallie and John Phillips, Jack Schroeder, Mike Nelson, Hutch Vandershuyt, Barry Cohen, Alden Dykman, Joe Baccarella, Joe Kovar, Tim Drake, Greg Lane, Bob Cook, Rosalia Gioia, Eric Geringsward, Garret Wykoff and Frank Pelone.
In addition, the Shootout could not have succeeded without the assistance of Charlie Russo and members of Hope House who erected the safety nets and prepared the seven fields for the competition, Scott Howell and Carol O’Sullivan for providing the certified officials umpiring the games, the on-site trainer Rocco Nakouzli of LaxFirstAid Tri-State, Mike and Dorothy Thearle of South Bay Trucking, Steve, Chris Avazis of Arena Graphics, Ellen of Sunset Motel and Eric Geringswald for his work with scheduling and the Tournament Machine.
Special thanks go to the David Gamberg, Superintendent of Greenport Schools and his staff, the Greenport Board of Education, as well as the Mayor and other leaders and staff members of Greenport Village and the Southold Police and EMT personnel.
This annual event caps a very successful 2016-17 season for the Foundation highlighted by the Fourth Annual “Shootout For Soldiers” event held in July. Proceeds and donations from sponsors for this twenty-four hour non-stop lacrosse event for youth, adult, special needs, and armed forces veteran teams enabled the LIMLF to donate more than $152,000 to veteran support groups including the Rangers Lead The Way Fund, the Semper Fi Fund, the Gary Sinise Fund, Team RWB, the Long Island Air Force Association, and the Joseph Thienert Foundation.