Lacrosse legend Kyle Harrison will be joining the newly created program, once again proving SPIRE’s commitment to finding top-level talent to guide and lead student athletes on their journey to success.
Kyle’s collegiate and professional career has spanned more than 20 years, and he is one of the most recognized and influential names in the sport. He is a 9-time All-Star and two-time member of the US National Team. During his college career, Kyle was a 3-time NCAA All-American at Johns Hopkins University. In his 2005 senior season, he led the Blue Jays to an undefeated record and claimed the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Kyle also took home the 2005 Tewaaraton Award as the top player in all of college lacrosse and was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. He retired from playing professionally following the 2021 season and continues to serve as the Premier Lacrosse League’s (PLL) Director of Player Relations and Diversity Inclusion.
“Seeing SPIRE in person is so much more amazing than just seeing it in pictures. It’s truly one of the best facilities I’ve ever seen,” Kyle explains. “The opportunity to attend SPIRE, challenge yourself academically, and push yourself athletically to reach your potential is an incredible possibility. I can’t wait to help build the SPIRE Lacrosse program, and I’m proud to be an ambassador.”
Harrison’s influence at SPIRE will reach much further than his role as ambassador. His established Team Eighteen programs will bring elite players to SPIRE to use the world-class training facilities and resources and create more exposure for the athletic academy’s lacrosse program, set to debut later in 2022. He will be supporting SPIRE by bringing camps and clinic events to the campus and connecting athletes and the lacrosse community to SPIRE through social media.
Kyle’s background gives him a unique insight into the skills he will rely upon to represent SPIRE and help develop the lacrosse program. “Johns Hopkins University gave me the foundation I need to excel at SPIRE, including time management, prioritization, work ethic, goal setting, sacrifice, and commitment to team. These are the life skills students learn at SPIRE every day, and I would have loved the opportunity to learn them in high school.”
Kyle will be working with SPIRE’s Director of Lacrosse, Lelan Rogers, to develop the training programs and momentum to make its student athletes and the academy itself stand out in one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation.
Coach Rogers is excited to be working alongside Harrison, explaining, “A standout player at Johns Hopkins and in professional lacrosse, Kyle brings experience from the highest levels of lacrosse to SPIRE Academy. His leadership and character are exactly what we are looking for in helping guide us to the levels we seek to achieve. We look forward to building a relationship that helps both Kyle, Team Eighteen and SPIRE Lacrosse reach our goals.”
When thinking about the future of the lacrosse program at SPIRE, Coach Rogers explains, “My vision for our lacrosse team is to find student athletes of the highest character and leadership qualities that will build SPIRE Lacrosse into one of the premier programs in the nation in a very short time. Student athletes who seek both individual development and team development will be the foundation of our Academy and Lacrosse Program.”
Kyle was amazed at the facilities at SPIRE. “Seeing SPIRE in person is so much more amazing than just seeing it in pictures. It’s truly one of the best facilities I’ve ever seen.” He goes on to add, “The opportunity to attend Spire, challenge yourself academically, and push yourself athletically to reach your potential is an incredible possibility. I can’t wait to help build the Spire Lacrosse program, and I’m proud to be an ambassador.”
the addition of influential and respected athletes like Harrison ushers in SPIRE’s new era of continued expansion and growth. Alongside newly announced sports offerings such as wrestling, launched in 2021, and an upcoming women’s basketball academy, lacrosse is a key piece in SPIRE’s continued evolution as an elite international athletic academy.