FV alum leads Newark's only public school lacrosse team

I was pleased to see a former Frost Valley counselor - John Dudley - featured in an article in the New York Times: here.

The article says that John picked up lacrosse in Montclair, but actually he learned it (or at least significantly refined it) at Frost Valley. It was time when lacrosse was all the rage at camp, led by (among others) then-Montclair High School star player (and now active FV alumnus) Rick Cobb. John Dudley was one of many young African American kids at Frost Valley at summer camp in those days who learned what was then deemed a suburban and "all-white" sport. (Even today: "Some had never heard of lacrosse, much less seen the game played.")

John later became an FV summer staffer and is now, at 42, teaching in Newark and inspiring young boys to take up the discipline of athletics. John's team is Newark's only public school lacrosse team. "In his fourth season coaching at East Side, second on the varsity level, Dudley lists 36 players on his roster, 23 of them cradling a stick for the first time. There is plenty of room in this urban planter’s lacrosse universe for those willing to learn and to lose, often lopsidedly, at what has mostly been a suburban sport."

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Something else is interesting here. The New York Times article was written by a Frost Valley-affiliated guy. Here's Lisa Colton to explain: "another FV connection is that [the article] is written by Harvey Araton, who is the father of Charlie and Alex Araton. Charlie was my CIT last year and is a staff member now and Alex worked as a staff member a few years ago!"

when lax was king

Lacrosse was the rage at Frost Valley in the 70s, starting--I would say--around '72. Two contributing factors in particular: the influx of campers and staff from Long Island, where lacrosse has long been a dominant sport, and the emergence of Montclair High School as a lacrosse power. Maurice Penn and Rick Cobb, both from Montclair, pushed it hard and it began to appear on the activity schedules. Next thing you know, camp has bought dozens of sticks. Maintenance built some goals. Now there are regular staff games and everyone is watching, hoping to learn a few things about the sport. There's probably a generation of campers who came of age in the mid-70s who first picked up a stick at FV. This photo was taken in the late 70s in the main field--hardcourts would be to the left, laundry straight ahead (Marie Hess' jeep parked out front).

Dave King Jr. who has had a longtime passion for lacrosse, was first taught by Rick Cobb right here. Cobb was a Montclair High star and went on to play at Hobart College. Dave still plays in the "Vail [Colorado] Shootout" every year. This is the premier gathering of the best lax players in the country; they play by age groups and Dave plays for a team named "The Adidas Magic Wands."

Dave meets up with Rick Cobb (who lives in Boulder) when he is there. And so it goes on, the Frost Valley connection... in all kinds of ways. Lax being one.