Garden City Business Leaders Support Hempstead PAL Lacrosse

The Hempstead PAL lacrosse team of fourth, fifth and sixth grade players celebrated the conclusion of its sixth season in the Nassau-Suffolk County Police Athletic Lacrosse League with an awards ceremony at the Lincoln Park sports facility in Hempstead on Saturday, June 17.

This year’s Tigers completed a .500 season under Coach Alan Hodish, a former lacrosse and football coach at Hempstead High School who has coached youth lacrosse on Long Island for many years. He is an attorney with offices in Garden City.

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Photo: The sixth annual James C. Metzger Award was presented to Ja’mir Andrews. With Andrews from left: Coach Alan Hodish, Rob Johnson (Andrews’ uncle), Lako Adams (Andrews’ mother), Chris Vaccaro of
Hofstra University, Village of Hempstead Mayor Don Ryan and Coach Ray Mills.

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This season, the coach was supported by Coach Ray Mills and Coach Bernard Williams. The program operates under the direction of Ruth Roberson, Hempstead PAL administrator, and the PAL Director, Detective Darryl Aikens.

“We have a very diverse selection of players as our roster consists of African-American and Hispanic players,” said Coach Hodish. “In addition to our players, we had excellent parental support all season. We started the season with 27 players on our roster and we finished the season with 26 players.”

The team is supported by several benefactors, including James C. Metzger, founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group of Garden City, a leading insurance services and estate planning company in the New York metropolitan area. Metzger is a former lacrosse standout player at Half Hollows High School East in Dix Hills and at Hofstra University.

“Jim has been with us since our inaugural season,” added Coach Hodish. “He has been a great supporter of our diversity program. In the eye of the Hempstead PAL lacrosse program, Jim Metzger is our Mr. Lacrosse. Throughout our existence, Jim has been a great supporter and generous benefactor to our program.”

Season Awards

Every player on the team received a participation award. Special awards also were presented to various team members.

The James C. Metzger Award was presented to a player for “his strong work ethic and improvement made throughout the lacrosse season.” This year’s award was presented to Ja’mir Andrews.

The Michael J. Piegare Award was shared this season by Jordyn Davis and Jakail Stith. The award was established in memory of a Cold Spring Harbor High School and Pace University lacrosse player to honor a student-athlete who “best displays the character and outstanding attitude that was demonstrated by Michael Piegare in athletics and throughout the course of his life.”

The following additional awards were presented to individual team members.

• The Mr. Hustle Award: Christian Shouder
• MVP Defense Award: Za’hir Travers
• Rookie of the Year: Brandon Williams
• MVP Midfield: Jailyn Pinkard and Josh Garrett
• MVP Attack: Dawson Willis
• Tiger Award: Brandon Brown-Waring
• Don Ryan Coaches Award (named for the mayor of the Village of Hempstead): was shared this season by Tyler McTaggert and Myles Austin
• Bell Ringer Award: Dwayne Meadors
• Academic Allstars: Jonathan Davis, Matthew Douglas, Jakai Stith and Ivory Rudolph, Jr.