Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival is Back at Radnor

What started with 12 teams on a rainy mid-March Saturday afternoon 11 years ago, the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival has grown, much like its namesake.

The former standout Radnor goaltender suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury in the winter of 1999 from a sledding accident. But Samson has never let it curtail her boundaries, competing in rugby, tennis and basketball. On summer mornings, you can find her rowing on the Schuylkill River.

Just like Samson, the Samson Lacrosse Festival has been expanding to new heights. In 2004, a girls’ side was added. Since then, the festival has grown every year and raised over $1 million in funds to aid spinal cord injury research, raise the quality of life for people with disabilities and sponsor a number of adaptive sports teams. More recently, the festival financially supported wounded soldiers that have come home from Iraq.

This Saturday (April 30), 54 high school lacrosse teams (an all-time high) will be converging on Radnor High School, scheduled to play in games beginning at 9 a.m. through 4 p.m.

The highlight of the day comes at 1:30, when the No. 1 team in the country, Haverford School, against the No. 2 squad in the nation, Conestoga, the defending PIAA state champions. (See full schedule below.)

Conestoga happens to be coached by Samson’s brother, Brian.

The festival, spurred by the driving force of Fran and Murray Grossman, will feature 13 boys’ games and 14 girls’ matches. The event began as an effort to offset the medical costs Samson endured in her tragic fall 12 years ago.

In 1999, Samson was in her sophomore year at Middlebury College, which she led to a NCAA Division III national championship as a freshman goalie. She was named MVP of the title game. During winter break, she fell awkwardly while sledding with friends, causing immediately paralysis. Through time and great patience, Samson rehabbed, eventually returned to Middlebury to graduate, and went on to get her graduate degree.

Samson moved to Tucson, Ariz. in 2004 and returned to the area in August 2010, settling in Ardmore while serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Radnor girls’ lacrosse team, the two-time defending state champions.

When she living out west, Samson always made it back to the festival. Its impact, immeasurable to her, is now touching others.

“The most surreal thing for me is when I was with friends in a San Francisco airport and I saw a kid walking through with a Katie Samson Festival t-shirt,” Samson recalled. “That was a turning point for me. I’m still very active and I want to be competitive again. I don’t believe in limits. I play wheelchair rugby and there is a girl on my team that’s a pilot. Sometimes with disabilities, you sort of have higher goals for yourself.

“I met plenty of people through the past 11 years that teach you things about getting through daily life, and you find yourself learning more from people that were born with their disability that don’t know any different. They had confidence in their disability. For me, I’m not going to sit inside, but I’ve definitely slowed down a bit.”

Samson said it was important for her to move back to the Philadelphia area. She wanted to meet and thank the teams and coaches that will be playing in the festival.

“It’s so vital for them to know why we’re doing this,” Samson said. “I always try to advocate teachable moments. There might be a young girl who sees me in the wheelchair and might want to ask me a question about it. I want them to ask questions. It’s important to respond.”

Now thousands are responding in Samson’s name and listening to her message.

“The first year or two, I used to get emotional at the festival,” Samson said. “I still get emotional at the pre-fest party, with all the volunteers that put this together. They’re doing it because they love the day. None of the volunteers want it to end. It’s amazing.”

Game Schedule

Boys’ Games

Teams, times & fields: 

Hatboro-Horsham vs. Germantown Academy 9:30 a.m. Prevost

Great Valley vs. Tatnall School 9:30 a.m. Loop

Garnet Valley vs. Malvern Prep 9:30 a.m. Creek

Emmaus vs. St. Joseph’s Prep School 11:30 a.m.  Prevost

Penn Charter vs. The Hill School 11:30 a.m. Loop

Abington vs. La Salle 11:30 a.m. Creek

Conestoga vs. Haverford School 1:30 p.m.  Prevost

Harriton vs. Shipley School 1:30 p.m.  Loop

Downingtown West vs. Springfield 1:30 p.m.  Creek

Downingtown East vs. Brunswick School 3:30 p.m.  Prevost

Unionville vs. Salesianum 3:30 p.m.  Loop

Haverford vs. Archbishop Wood 3:30 p.m.  Creek

Radnor vs. Episcopal Academy 4:00 p.m.  Turf1/Enke

Girls’ Games

Teams    Time   Field

Abington vs. Shipley School 9:00 a.m.  Turf1/Enke

Penncrest vs. Agnes Irwin School 9:00 a.m.  Library

WC Henderson vs. Germantown Friends 9:00 a.m. Rowland

Springfield vs. Notre Dame Academy 10:45 a.m. Turf1/Enke

Boyertown vs. Friends Central School 10:45 a.m. Library

Harriton  vs. Unionville 10:45 a.m.  Rowland

Downingtown East vs. Archbishop Carroll 12:30 p.m.  Turf1/Enke

Garnet Valley vs. Baldwin School 12:30 p.m.  Library

Upper Dublin vs. Villa Maria Academy 12:30 p.m.  Rowland

Radnor vs. Bryn Mawr School 2:15 p.m.  Turf1/Enke

Methacton vs. Merion Mercy Academy 2:15 p.m.  Library

Conestoga vs. Episcopal Academy 2:15 p.m.  Rowland

Haverford vs. Germantown Academy 4:00 p.m.  Library

Penn Charter vs. The Hill School 4:00 p.m. Rowland