Christa Hill has experienced much in her relatively brief lacrosse career.

As an eighth-grader in Richmond, Va., she stepped into the sport as a goalie to help her younger sister’s community team.

As an attacker at Farragut (Tenn.) High School, she helped the Admirals to a 6-2 start this season after a 10-9 campaign a year ago.

As a senior, she signed a national letter of intent in December to play at NCAA Division II Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., next year.

And as a daughter, two years ago she accepted her father’s challenge to join him in the East Tennessee Women’s Lacrosse Officials Association.

“He said, ‘You can do this with me,’” Hill said. “I thought it’d be cool. After the first couple games, I loved it. It kept me involved.”

But if not for support from US Lacrosse chapters, critical growth of officials’ ranks like Hill’s addition to ETWLOA may not happen as frequently.

The Tennessee Chapter of US Lacrosse demonstrated its commitment to addressing the nation-wide shortage of officials on a local level by awarding the ETWLOA a financial grant to cover costs associated with US Lacrosse-certified trainers instructing and observing local officials. The chapter also supported grant applications in West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee from those officials associations, according to chapter president Josh Scouten.

Christa Hill’s father, Drew, serves as the trainer for the Knoxville area. He’s a converted basketball official from the Northern Virginia area that ventured into women’s lacrosse officiating to help address “the gaping lack of quality officials as the growth of the game continues to outpace the supply of officials,” he said.

Drew Hill edits a newsletter to ETWLOA officials to help members stay current on rules, mechanics and procedures. Regular communications help officials stay in line with NFHS and US Lacrosse rules of play.

The family has moved a few times for work considerations, but lacrosse has remained a bond. Drew’s father, Robert, played at Navy, and daughter Emma got into the sport when the family lived in Maryland. Emma, who’ll graduate from Farragut a year early and play alongside Christa at Lee next fall, initially recruited her older sister to play.

Though playing may represent the end of the bond.

“She makes fun of me,” Christa Hill said of Emma’s opinion on the former’s role as an official.

Christa Hill, who officiates mainly middle school games, plans to continue officiating while in college.

“It’s one of the best jobs I could’ve gotten,” Hill said. “It doesn’t feel that much like a job. I’m involved in the sport I love. I’m watching players get better, and I’m helping the sport grow. Getting paid is just an extra bonus for me”

No word on whether Christa will make available some of her officiating income to Emma to help with college expenses next year.

Locally Grown

Georgia
Kennesaw State’s Emma Chorney was one of just two girls’ players nationally to earn a 2016 Michael Breschi Scholarshi — awarded to the son or daughter of a coach who works for an educational institution.

Eastern North Carolina
Deanna Lape, who used a US Lacrosse First Stick Program grant to establish a team at Brier Creek (N.C.) Elementary School, was featured on the cover of the March/April edition of 919 Magazine for bringing the sport and “the art of play” to the school.

Western North Carolina
The chapter hosted the country’s first Lacrosse Athlete Development Model coaching clinic in Charlotte and carried over lessons learned with local club and rec groups from Southpark Lacrosse, 24/7 Lax and Queens City Stars the following day.

North Florida
Fifty-two youth officials from five area high schools completed classroom and field training at Veterans Park in Julington Creek.

South Carolina
The chapter hosted the second combined US Lacrosse Coach Development Program Level 1 certification clinic for 46 coaches at Porter Guad School on Jan. 28. Plans are underway for a Level 2 clinic in the fall.

Tennessee
The chapter hosted several clinics focused on development of youth players age 5-10 and has prioritized officials education.

Gulf Coast Florida
The West Tampa Wolves, a US Lacrosse Soft Stick Grant recipient, provided a two-month Wolf Cub program that brought 33 new players age 8-12 into the game.

Orlando (Central Fla.)
The chapter hosted several clinics focused on development of youth players age 5-10.

South Florida
Miami Shores Lacrosse staged a free clinic for boys’ and girls’ players April 2 at Miami Country Day School and put on a presentation of the sport for two community schools, distributing more than 800 flyers.

Picture This

Keep it up
The Trussville (Ala.) boys’ lacrosse team played at Huffman, an inner-city high school team in Birmingham, Ala., on Feb. 17 and returned later in the week to donate new goals, sticks and balls, along with words of encouragement to keep up the good work on the field.

My USL Rep

Lou Corsetti, US Lacrosse Southeast Region

Corsetti, a Long Island native living in Atlanta, has been around lacrosse for more than 40 years as a player and coach. He was a four-time all-league attackman at Marist, where he also played football and set an NCAA single-game record for punt return touchdowns. He is a US Lacrosse Level 3-certified coach for the Atlanta Coyotes, past president of the Georgia Chapter and a Georgia Lacrosse Hall of Fame member. His son, Gordon, is the manager of men’s officials development at US Lacrosse.

How can US Lacrosse help grow the sport in your area? Contact Lou at lcorsetti@uslacrosse.org or 410-235-6882, extension 190.