Deep Dish Lacrosse- Now Serving Your Community

As the sun set over Nazareth Academy on the evening of June 4th, 2012 Deep Dish Lacrosse (DDL) was hosting their first registration night for boys and girls in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago. In the open house format, parents and players were able to meet their coaches and learn more about the tournaments and camps that lie ahead of them this summer.  Deep Dish is a start-up program that has a singular focus on the deep development of its players.  With lacrosse being the statistically fastest growing sport among American youth, DDL is looking to enrich the already well-established presence of lacrosse in the Hinsdale and surrounding townships.

Jake Padilla, the Executive Director of Deep Dish Lacrosse is no newcomer to the area.  His father, Jose Padilla, founded the highly successful Western Springs Lacrosse more than a decade ago.  Jake played his college ball at division 1 Hobart College.  Jake states "I have been the fortunate recipient of a great lacrosse background and I want to return that knowledge to my community."  Jake hopes to take boys and girls teams to two tournaments and has numerous camps and clinics already planned for this summer.  "The difference of Deep Dish Lacrosse from other programs around Chicago" says Jake "is that we focus on small groups with a great concern for quality outcomes in leadership and character amongst our players."  Jake and Deep Dish Lacrosse seem to have created a buzz around town in and out of lacrosse circles.

In the face of economic uncertainty Jake has managed to hire experienced local coaches for his teams and camps.  Drawing on the already well-established talent in our area, DDL has a staff peppered with the newest and locally bred talent.  Jake noted Lyons Towhship stand-out Matt Sammarco, former High School All-American and product of Western Springs who plays at division III powerhouse Nazareth College in Rochester, New York as one of his staff members.  Moreover, Jake mentioned that "I am in continual contact nationally with one of the most prominent names in the game, Mitch Belisle, who is interested in connecting with what we are doing here."  Mitch plays professionally for the Boston Cannons and is the Director of Marketing at Trilogy Lacrosse, the largest club lacrosse program in the country.

As the evening wrapped up in the cafeteria of Nazareth Academy the DDL staff concluded with noting that this is just the beginning of growing into a perennial program in the Southwest suburbs.  Players and parents, alike, were excited about the information they had heard.  It seems that DDL is here to serve the local area for many seasons to come. 

"Deep Dish is unique in our quality approach.  We're small becasue we want to be small.  It allows us to focus on sculpting elite players and teams.  Above all, being small provides us the opportunity to develop and maintain the integrity and character of our program"-Jake Padilla

Find more on the web at www.ddlacrosse.com