On the first day of Trilogy’s Spring Break Training in Arizona, coach Bob Low of Groton School (Conn.), notorious for bringing an extra large staff including many former players, sought out coach Jamie Hanford of Greens Farms Academy (Conn.). “You don’t know me, but I remember you from your Darien days and always wanted you to play for me,” Low said.

The next day over lunch, Hanford, after learning of Low’s six-deep coaching staff, said, “Coach Low, I just realized, if I had played for you, I would still be here this week, except I would probably be on your coaching staff!”

With that funny comment, we all felt our world get smaller and our lacrosse community grow bigger.

At Trilogy, we create a lacrosse community at our events, even if for a finite time. The staff and participants share an experience that brings them closer together.

Playing in high school in northern New England, the spring break trip was my favorite week of the year. It combined my favorite sport with friends and warm weather. At Trilogy Spring Training, high school teams join us in Arizona to take advantage of sunny skies and plush green grass. In March, schools joined us from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado and Oregon. Although from different schools, they shared a similar experience in a common location, with similar objectives.

The community grows. Coaches from different schools connect and share notes. Teams root for each other against local Arizona teams. Players from different boarding schools reconnect with old teammates from middle school.  Others meet future college teammates.

In his address to all of the teams on opening day, Trilogy Lacrosse CEO Ryan Boyle said our goal for the week came down to three simple things: “to serve, to empower, and to respect.”  We are very fortunate to host programs that are led by high-quality people who share similar values and goals.

These ingredients, coupled with a great environment in the sunny Arizona desert, still make for my favorite lacrosse week of the year.

Dave Madeira is director of events for Trilogy Lacrosse.