During any given spring weeknight, stadiums are packed with cleat-clad athletes and cheering fans eager to watch one of the most popular sports in Dublin. In recent decades, athletes cradling, checking and dodging down the field are playing lacrosse.
Nancy Rothacker
Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, with roots tracing back to the early 1600s, according to USA Lacrosse. It originated among various Indigenous communities, each with its own style of play, and it was especially popular in regions including the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and American South. Traditional games could involve hundreds of players and last for days, often serving as major community events.
The sport gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but play mostly occurred in the Northeast region. According to Lacrosse Ohio, the game of lacrosse was introduced to central Ohio in 1970, when John Galipault Sr. created the first team at Worthington High School. Upper Arlington followed suit in 1972, but it wasn’t until the early 1980s that Dublin established a team.
Finding its footing
Nancy Rothacker
Although Dublin City Schools were not the first to implement the sport, its high school teams have become a dominating force throughout the state.
In 2021, Dublin Coffman girls’ lacrosse team won the first State Championship of any girls’ lacrosse programs in Dublin. The boys’ team at Dublin Jerome High School has dominated the Midwest region for years, competing in the D1 State Championship in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, taking home the winning title three of those years.
Andy Asmo was the head girls’ lacrosse coach at Dublin Jerome for seven seasons, leading the team to two state championships and three championship appearances.
“I had a great staff, and a lot of kids that really loved the game,” Asmo says. “And we still have that at Dublin Jerome right now.”
Asmo grew up in Upper Arlington, home to generations of lacrosse talent, but he didn’t pick up the stick during his school years. When Asmo began coaching at Dublin Grizzel Middle School, he was a novice to the sport. However, he was drawn to the joy the game brought to the players he watched.
“That’s the piece that I appreciate the most – how much enjoyment you get as a young man or young woman for the sport all the time,” Asmo says. “Not just in games, but also in practices.”
Ohio State Athletics
Asmo’s team went on to win a state championship during his tenure as coach before he transitioned to Dublin Jerome in 2017, but he attributes a large part of the team’s success to a strong youth foundation.
“We have that base at such an early age with really solid youth programs and really good middle school coaches,” Asmo says.
Through all stages
Ohio State Athletics
When Nancy Rothacker began coaching at the Dublin Youth Athletics group in 2009, there were only about 40 players. Now, the program teaches more than 200 players.
Rothacker has been volunteering with the organization for 16 years and she now acts as DYA Girls Lacrosse Director.
Unlike kicking and dribbling, lacrosse fundamentals can be challenging to learn even after a year or two of practice. DYA’s teams start as young as kindergarten, but at these age levels, Rothacker emphasizes the importance of enjoying the game rather than perfecting it.
“My goal for every athlete that comes out is to want to come back and play – it’s about having fun,” Rothacker says.
Although players may not be able to nail down passing and throwing until middle school, youth development is a core reason behind the success of Dublin’s high school programs.
“We have three high schools here with very good teams in the area,” Rothacker says. “So that’s kind of neat that we’re fielding all of these high schools. We’re fueling them.”
D1 Dubliners
During Rothacker’s time with the organization, she has seen numerous players grow from beginners to D1 athletes.
Kate Tyack is a sophomore at The Ohio State University, where she plays attack for the Women’s Lacrosse team.
She played in all 17 games during her freshman season and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Before her collegiate career, she was named a USA Lacrosse All-American in 2023 and was awarded Ohio Capital Conference Player of the Year as a high school senior.
Tyack grew up playing for DYA, where her dad was her coach and taught her how to throw and cradle. Then, she moved on to play at Dublin Coffman, where she was the Team Captain and the Offensive MVP.
“One thing I learned (at Coffman) is the importance of teammates,” Tyack says. “I think at Coffman, I really bonded with a lot of girls… creating that sisterhood really helped me to seamlessly transfer over into Ohio State because it’s the same thing.”
Ohio State’s program consists of athletes from across the country, and many spots on the roster consist of Ohio natives. Gone are the days when D1 teams were made up of East Coast players – local players are proving to be just as talented.
“I think lacrosse talent has always been in the Dublin area and in the Midwest,” Tyack says. “It’s just that now people are realizing (it).”
