Youth Lacrosse Player Wins Award From Garden City Insurance Exec

The Hempstead PAL lacrosse team of fourth, fifth and sixth grade players recently celebrated the conclusion of its seventh season with its second best record (7-1) in the Nassau-Suffolk County Police Athletic Lacrosse League.

“More than half of the players never picked up a lacrosse stick until March of this year,” said 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.

Several benefactors, including James C. Metzger, have created the program’s solid foundation. The founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group of Garden City, Metzger is a former lacrosse standout player at Half Hollows High School East in Dix Hills and at Hofstra University.

Each season, the James C. Metzger Award is presented to a player for “his strong work ethic and improvement made throughout the lacrosse season.” This year’s award was presented to Josh Garrett.

_______

Photo: The recipient of the James C. Metzger Award is Josh Garrett. Pictured with Garrett are, from left, Village of Hempstead Mayor Don Ryan, the award winner’s father Jerome Garrett and Coach Alan Hodish. Courtesy of Hempstead PAL

_______

“Jim has been with us each season,” added Coach Hodish. “He is a booster for lacrosse on Long Island at all levels and he supports diversity in the game and bringing the fun of lacrosse to youngsters who might never have the chance to play.”