Jessica Livingston was an All-American Lacrosse player from Sweet Briar College, Virginia. She has loved the game since she first saw it played as a freshman in college. Her passion and love for the game combined with good coaching and some natural skills led her to excel fairly quickly. She was named 1st team all-conference and captain of her team in her sophomore year. She was selected to play for the IFWLA Virginia and South teams. After graduating she moved west to Arizona where she realized that the time was right to expand the sport of girl’s lacrosse in Arizona. Besides, she missed the game!

Currently, she is Head Coach of Chaparral High School (State Champions ’05, State Runner ups '06), Head Coach and player of the Arizona Storm (post-collegiate team), and Founder of Desert StiX since 2001, Arizona’s first youth league for girls. She has received considerable recognition for her coaching and leadership abilities including being named 2005 and 2006 AGLA Coach of the Year. In 2007 she also received two prestigious awards, 2006-2007 PWSA(Phoenix Women and Sports Association) Community Leader of the Year Award and 2007 YWCA Sports Leader Award.  She is featured in the new book "The Lacrosse Training Bible" .  She also coaches several camps around the country. Jessica serves in leadership capacities with both the state and national Lacrosse organizations.   You may have even seen her in the latest New Balance commercial “For Love or Money.”

To contact coach Jessica Livingston        email: jessica@azgl.com 

Cell phone: 602-315-4481

 When did you get involved in lacrosse and why?  I have known about lacrosse for many years. I have a nephew who plays lacrosse in the Seattle area and I have traveled to see him play on the Starz level. I was introduced to girl’s lacrosse in 2007 by a family friend who played for the Chaparral Firebirds. At the same time, my oldest daughter started to play in the AZGL program. She started out as a Pixi Stix, and is now a Junior Stix. I started to coach lacrosse in 2008. I have been through the US Lacrosse Level 1 Coaches program and I am very close to me Level 1 certification. I plan on getting my Level 2 certification when the program is ready.

What do you love about the sport?  I love the fact that the sport is very faced paced, but also requires a fine-tuned skill set to play. Just about anyone can throw the ball, but it takes lots of practice to learn how to catch, cradle, and execute plays. It is both a team and an individual sport. The individual has to have the skills to better the team.

 What is your background playing, if any?  I do not have a background in playing lacrosse. I think it is actually an advantage, because girl’s lacrosse is much different than boy’s lacrosse, so I did not have to go through the “retraining” of my mind and skill set.

 What do you enjoy about coaching and/or officiating?  I enjoy watching the excitement in the girl’s faces when they learn something new, when they score a goal, or when they are praised for properly executing one of the skills we taught them.

Why do you think girls should play lacrosse?  I think that every girl should try lacrosse because it helps develop several important areas in their lives. 1. Any athletic activity is good for the body. 2. Helps develop hand-eye coordination. 3. Gives girls a sense of belonging to a team. 4. Is truly a kick-butt sport.

When did you get involved in lacrosse and why?  I loved it from the first time I picked up a stick as a freshman in college.  My roommate played on the lacrosse team and introduced me to the game.  I was so hooked that I left the baseball team and walked on to the lacrosse team.  Two years later, I was forunate enough to be named team captain.

What do you love about the sport?  I enjoy the physical, as well as mental, demands of the game.  Both team and individual contributions are necessary.

What is your background playing if any?  I played at St. Vincent College, a Division 3 school in Pittsburgh, PA.  My position was center midfielder and face off specialist.

Why do you enjoy about coaching and/or officiating?  I enjoy watching these young ladies blossom in so many ways through the game.  Lacrosse builds strength in many areas including, confidence, discipline, fitness, decision making and social interaction.

Why do you think girls should play lacrosse?  It can change your life for the better! 

email:  mcole4@cox.net

I learned to play lacrosse in Stuart, Florida during middle school.  My friends and I were tired of keeping statistics for the boys and begged our headmaster for our own team.  The following season I was playing lacrosse! I continued to play at Saint Edward's high school in Vero Beach.  In college, I received her B.S. in Nutrition and Food Sciences at Auburn University where I was actively involved in playing for the Auburn University Women's Lacrosse program.  I earned Auburn Women's Lacrosse Most Valuable Defensive Player from 2004 to 2006 in addition to the Southeast Women's Lacrosse League (SWLL) Best Defensive Player in 2003.  In 2007, I completed my first year as the head girl's lacrosse coach at Nathan Hale high school in Seattle.  In the Summer of 2007 I co-coached Seattle Rainz summer high school team.  I think girls should play lacrosse because it is a great opportunity to learn a rapidly growing sport, staying healthy, commitment, and meeting girls from other schools.  I fell in love with lacrosse because it was the first sport I had done, besides cross country and horseback-riding; that taught me the team dynamic, which helps you in every area throughout life.  I enjoy coaching because it is great to give back to the community and the sport of lacrosse and I love to help spread lacrosse!

email: toniann.panetta@gmail.com

 Raised in the wild by a pack of wolves on the windy plains of Wyoming I had the opportunity to observe the Native Americans playing Lacrosse where I fell in love with the sport the first time I saw it from behind a sagebrush. I was excited when my daughter wanted to play, and lacrosse has quickly become my favorite sport for girls. Lacrosse offers an opportunity for anyone who wants to play to be included in the game. With so many players on the field, the speed of the game requiring frequent substitutions, and the finesse of the different positions, there is a place for everyone in lacrosse. I have been involved at an administrative level in Little League for over 8 years (apparently therapy doesn’t help everything!) and when I was asked if I was interested in bringing some of that experience to AZGL, I jumped at the opportunity. I selfishly coach because I enjoy getting to spend time with the girls and to watch the improvement of each player. I believe that all sports are an opportunity to be a youth developmental program utilizing that sport. There are amazing life lessons to be learned by playing team sports. Plus what other sport do you get to run hard, use your body to defend or attack, block shots, intercept passes and occasionally get yourself dirty…all while wearing a skirt!

email:  noynrs@cox.net

Why do you think girls should play lacrosse? I think girls should play lacrosse because it's continuously growing and we are always in need of more players, coaches, and officials! Lacrosse is one of the fastest team growing sports in the U.S. and it has elements from soccer, basketball, and hockey. It's about coordination and agility--size doesn't matter! It's a great place to make new friends and meet new people and while lacrosse is a challenging and fast-paced game, it's a game that you can play for many years beyond college! 

 email:  tricia.platten@kimley-horn.com

I was involved in competitive soccer when I had heard about lacrosse from one of my friends.  After a few sessions in the summer with Jessi, I immediately fell in love with the sport.  I played in her Fall Ball league and joined the Chaparral JV team in the 8^th grade.  Lacrosse is such a quick moving game.  You have the freedom to do anything, such as dodging the defenders and learning trick shots.  There are always new techniques to learn in lacrosse.  The fun never stops!!  It makes me so happy to see lacrosse spread throughout Arizona.  I get such a thrill from teaching young girls about the sport I love.  Officiating not only informs the girls on how to play, but it helps me better understand the game as well.  When it comes to lacrosse, I just can't get enough!

email:  madison@pohlearchitect.com

Lacrosse is the best sport that I have ever played! A big part of why I love lacrosse is because of the people I get to spend it with. As a freshman, I had the choice of either playing basketball or lacrosse. This decision was very difficult for me to make. However, I soon realized that I enjoy lacrosse more, and the girls on the team are always fun, nice, and welcoming. The sport of lacrosse allows the players to be open with one another. You are able to easily move around the field at different speeds. Also, I never forget the feeling I had when I made my first goal. Not only does lacrosse keep me in shape, but it has allowed me to meet new people. I have met some of my best friends through this outstanding sport. When I started coaching girls lacrosse I really enjoyed the environment I was surrounded by. The girls are all laughing and having fun. It is also a huge plus that every girl on that field has determination to become a better player. Watching the girls improve with a smile always on their face is the reason I love coaching.

email:  makenna@pohlearchitect.com

 I play for Chaparral Lacrosse and I think lacrosse is the best sport for girls because it gives them an opportunity to be part of a team, making amazing friends, and play a game that is not only SUPER fun and competitive, but also incredibly fierce (in a good way!). There’s a certain satisfaction that can’t even be described when you win the biggest game of the season or score your first goal in a game that makes all of the hard work completely and wholly worth it. Every girl should have a chance to feel that and that’s why I coach because I love watching the girls improve and feel that sense of accomplishment when they realize their progress.

email:  ipbaselvell@cox.net

Hi my name is Kelsey Biggs. I am a coach of the Junior Desert StiX  league. I got involved with lacrosse my sophomore year of high school and have been a fanatic since. I have always wanted to play lacrosse because my older brother and his friends would always play. I grew up with lacrosse. I think it’s an amazing sport. What I love about lacrosse is how you can relate it to other team sports. I love how lacrosse is unique and high paced. I played three years of lacrosse in high school and decided to coach to gain new experiences. What I enjoy most about being a coach is seeing my girls improve every practice and seeing them grow into better lacrosse players. I think every girl should have the opportunity to play lacrosse because it can be used in other sports, it builds team unity, its fun, and it’s a great learning experience.

 I first started playing lacrosse my freshman year because it was a new sport that seemed open to players of all levels of skill and athleticism. Two years later I made the national team for Arizona and was named an Academic All-American by the end of my junior year. I have been coaching Desert Stix since the fall session of 2007 and love every moment spent with my girls. Whenever they grasp a new concept and take their game to a new level, I know I'm at the right place, doing the right the thing.

Every girl should play lacrosse because it builds a sense of team and self while challenging their mind and bodies