November 6, 2008
By now, you know their names. You know how they played, how they coached and how they helped shape the game that we know today.
They've helped make lacrosse for us. But what made lacrosse for them?
In the November issue hitting mailboxes this week, Lacrosse Magazine presents our profiles of the National Hall of Fame's Class of 2008. The honorees will take their place alongside the game's greatest figures in the annual induction celebration, presented by Bollinger Insurance, on Nov. 8 in Hunt Valley, Md.
Join US Lacrosse today to start your monthly subscription to LM.
by Bill Tanton, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
George Tracy took a circuitous route to lacrosse in the first place, and then to get to the Naval Academy and ultimately to what he is now, a member of the National Hall of Fame's Class of 2008.
In today's world, the All-Americans and the national champions commonly have played the game since an early age, risen through junior leagues and then gone on to impressive high school achievements (which is why they get recruited to their colleges) and finally to outstanding careers in college.
Tracy learned the game "on the street," as he puts it, throwing a ball against a wall somewhere in his Baltimore neighborhood (that's still the time-honored way to learn stick handling) and then went to a high school, Loyola, that didn't even play lacrosse. He did play hockey there.
For many years now, Loyola Blakefield, the school's proper name, has been producing outstanding lacrosse teams and players who have earned every honor in the sport. But down on Bolton Hill in the 1950s there was little George Tracy out on the street, shooting on a wall, chasing errant shots down John Street and Bolton Street, and becoming increasingly fascinated by the game as he watched the high school and college games of neighbors like Mickey Webster (a Hall of Fame member since 1977) and occasionally traveling two miles up to Johns Hopkins to see championship teams.
Somehow, for George, it worked. Despite his meager resume of playing only with pickup teams and with a fledging Baltimore Lacrosse Club -- organized by a neighbor, Mason LeBrun -- who later coached at Boys' Latin School, Tracy enrolled at Hopkins. As a freshman he "saw some field time" but, perhaps more importantly, he learned the fine points from Hopkins coaches Wilson Fewster and Fred Smith (both Hall of Famers themselves).
But George wanted to go to the Naval Academy. He didn't qualify at that point, so he joined the Navy and went to boot camp at Great Lakes (Ill.). Then he attended Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) and played lacrosse under Cecil Perkins. The following year, he made it to Annapolis, was a member of the plebe lacrosse team, and flourished.
In lacrosse he accomplished it all -- All-America all three years, first-team twice; national champions every year under coach Willis "Bildy" Bilderback. Tracy says Bildy "trembled with excitement over lacrosse, but was actually low key -- never hollered at anybody." George treasures the learning experience he had under assistant coaches Dick Corrigan and Buster Phipps.
"George's single greatest characteristic was determination," says Corrigan, his Hall of Fame presenter. "His work ethic was marvelous. He was always a team guy, which is why he was the captain."
Tracy served in the Navy from 1963 to 1970 and did three tours in Vietnam. As a civilian, he has worked as a systems engineer mostly on the West Coast and in Texas. He and his wife Kay have three grown sons.
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Class of 2008: LM's Profiles
* Roberta Brennan: All Jokes 'Til Gametime
* Lyn Craunn: Craun-ing Achievement
* Pat Dillon: Clear Signals
* Tom Marechek: Hollywood Ending
* Chris Sailer: Playing for Chris
* Dom Starsia: The 'Frozen Rope'
* George Tracy: Street Sense
* Dick Watts: 'Pappy' Gets His Due
Nov. 6, 2008
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They've helped make lacrosse for us. But what made lacrosse for them?
In the November issue hitting mailboxes this week, Lacrosse Magazine presents our profiles of the National Hall of Fame's Class of 2008. The honorees will take their place alongside the game's greatest figures in the annual induction celebration, presented by Bollinger Insurance, on Nov. 8 in Hunt Valley, Md.
Join US Lacrosse today to start your monthly subscription to LM.
by Bill Tanton, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
George Tracy took a circuitous route to lacrosse in the first place, and then to get to the Naval Academy and ultimately to what he is now, a member of the National Hall of Fame's Class of 2008.
In today's world, the All-Americans and the national champions commonly have played the game since an early age, risen through junior leagues and then gone on to impressive high school achievements (which is why they get recruited to their colleges) and finally to outstanding careers in college.
Tracy learned the game "on the street," as he puts it, throwing a ball against a wall somewhere in his Baltimore neighborhood (that's still the time-honored way to learn stick handling) and then went to a high school, Loyola, that didn't even play lacrosse. He did play hockey there.
For many years now, Loyola Blakefield, the school's proper name, has been producing outstanding lacrosse teams and players who have earned every honor in the sport. But down on Bolton Hill in the 1950s there was little George Tracy out on the street, shooting on a wall, chasing errant shots down John Street and Bolton Street, and becoming increasingly fascinated by the game as he watched the high school and college games of neighbors like Mickey Webster (a Hall of Fame member since 1977) and occasionally traveling two miles up to Johns Hopkins to see championship teams.
Somehow, for George, it worked. Despite his meager resume of playing only with pickup teams and with a fledging Baltimore Lacrosse Club -- organized by a neighbor, Mason LeBrun -- who later coached at Boys' Latin School, Tracy enrolled at Hopkins. As a freshman he "saw some field time" but, perhaps more importantly, he learned the fine points from Hopkins coaches Wilson Fewster and Fred Smith (both Hall of Famers themselves).
But George wanted to go to the Naval Academy. He didn't qualify at that point, so he joined the Navy and went to boot camp at Great Lakes (Ill.). Then he attended Naval Academy Prep School (NAPS) and played lacrosse under Cecil Perkins. The following year, he made it to Annapolis, was a member of the plebe lacrosse team, and flourished.
In lacrosse he accomplished it all -- All-America all three years, first-team twice; national champions every year under coach Willis "Bildy" Bilderback. Tracy says Bildy "trembled with excitement over lacrosse, but was actually low key -- never hollered at anybody." George treasures the learning experience he had under assistant coaches Dick Corrigan and Buster Phipps.
"George's single greatest characteristic was determination," says Corrigan, his Hall of Fame presenter. "His work ethic was marvelous. He was always a team guy, which is why he was the captain."
Tracy served in the Navy from 1963 to 1970 and did three tours in Vietnam. As a civilian, he has worked as a systems engineer mostly on the West Coast and in Texas. He and his wife Kay have three grown sons.
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Class of 2008: LM's Profiles
* Roberta Brennan: All Jokes 'Til Gametime
* Lyn Craunn: Craun-ing Achievement
* Pat Dillon: Clear Signals
* Tom Marechek: Hollywood Ending
* Chris Sailer: Playing for Chris
* Dom Starsia: The 'Frozen Rope'
* George Tracy: Street Sense
* Dick Watts: 'Pappy' Gets His Due
