Aaron Jones' Lacrosse Reflections
By the spring of 1975, Coach Al Hodish organized a team to compete throughout long island against other communities. The towns that surround Hempstead were both largely white and lacrosse power houses such as Garden City, Lynbrook, Elmont, Baldwin, Sewanhaka, Levitt Town Division, Manhasset, and many others. In those communities kids began playing lacrosse as early as the age of five. But for Hempstead youngsters like me and others such as John Williams, Brandon James, Albert Walker, James Freeman, Kevin McClure, Egan Robinson, among others had no idea how long or how well the other communities had been involved with the game of lacrosse. We were driven by our love for the game and our will to win. By the end of the season, we were hooked. In those lacrosse communities surrounding Hempstead, white kids began playing lacrosse as early as the age of 5yrs old. But for us black Hempstead kids, ignorance was bliss. We had no idea how long or how well the other communities had been involved with the game of lacrosse. We were driven by our love for the game and our will to win. That nucleus of players bonded around a passion for lacrosse. By 1980 we had advanced to high school and became a dominate team competing at highest level of lacrosse in the region; more on Hempstead lacrosse history tomorrow.
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