Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Yeatman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started playing lacrosse in Annapolis, Maryland in 1969. I played and coached at the Naval Academy. I’ve been involved in lacrosse for close to 50 years. When the Navy moved my family and I from Brunswick, Maine to San Diego in 1994 there was no youth lacrosse. For two years I coached little league baseball in the Carmel Mountain Ranch program.
However, my preference was to be coaching youth lacrosse. So in 1996, I started the first youth lacrosse program in San Diego at Rancho Bernardo HS. We had 43 young boys from all over the county that were playing with old lacrosse gear sent from my original youth program in Severna Park, Maryland. The program grew from there.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Lacrosse is such an exciting sport that it was an easy sell to young athletes. Our program initially got most of its players at 12 years old. That’s when the paths on a baseball field go from 60′ to 90′ and the game is dominated by pitching. When an exceptional athlete stands in the outfield waiting for a ball to be hit 2 or 3 times a game he becomes bored. If that same player compares the excitement and enthusiasm of a lacrosse game, it becomes a compelling prospect for him to start playing lacrosse. We’ve had significant success showing youngsters just how fun and invigorating lacrosse is as a sport.
I soon realized that girls lacrosse was the next big wave to take off across the county. I added girls lacrosse so my two daughters had an opportunity to play as well. I’m glad I did as the girl’s sport has grown faster than the boys!
Pacific Lacrosse – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Pacific Lacrosse has been in existence since 1996. We have always focused on teaching the fundamentals of lacrosse in a fun and positive environment. We just completed our 22nd winter youth lacrosse clinic in San Diego last month. We are very proud of the impact that lacrosse has given young athletes from around San Diego County. There are scores of young players that began playing lacrosse in the annual program and have gone on to play at some of the best programs in the nation, including; Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Cornell, Villanova, US Naval Academy and West Point to name a few.
The clinics have expanded into summer and winter leagues for hundreds of high school players annually.
Additionally, Pacific Lacrosse hosts a summer lacrosse event that has grown in size each year since its inception. Last year the June “festival” included 175 teams (90 boys & 85 girls) from 9 western states. This family-run event has become a player and coach favorite and a regular on the summer circuit for many travel teams. One of the stated goals of the summer tournament is to stimulate the economy of Rancho Bernardo and surrounding communities. With over 10,000 people coming to our town for the three-day event, we’ve heard very positive feedback from local businesses.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am most proud of the impact that lacrosse has had on athletes in our area. All five of our children played lacrosse at the college level (USC, SDSU, Notre Dame, Maryland, Providence College). That lacrosse gives high school athletes an opportunity to attend colleges that they may otherwise not have been able to go to is a source of continuous pride. There are former players with college degrees that I’m certain would not have been able to go to college without the benefit of lacrosse.
I’m also proud to have been able to offer lacrosse to players at a fair and reasonable cost. Like many sports, lacrosse has seen an acceleration in prices that have left many families behind. Pacific Lacrosse has been focused on keeping cost for players down and has loaner equipment that allows players to try the sport without investing hundred’s of dollars on gear. Military dependents play for free and no player has been turned away for not being able to pay.
From the beginning, we have said that “we teach life’s lessons on the field of lacrosse.” Dedication, commitment, teamwork and respect are not always traits children pick up at school or in the community. We feel good about ensuring that the thousands of players that have participated in our programs learn traits that will (and have!) help them to succeed in life.
As a Naval Academy graduate and retired Navy Commander, it is important that we give back. Pacific Lacrosse programs have contributed over $100,000 to wounded warrior causes like Wounded Warrior Project, Travis Manion Foundation and Brendan Looney Foundation over the years.
Pricing:
- Clinic fees are $150
- Summer & Winter League fees are ~$150 per player
- Tournament fees are only $75 per player
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paclax.org / www.pacificlacrossefestival.com
- Phone: 858-245-0319
- Email: dennis@paclax.org
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