Brown State? Honoring a Tradition
By Brian Logue
Greg Shemitz
With the rapid expansion of college lacrosse over the past several years, there are a number of school names that might sound unfamiliar to lacrosse fans. But visitors strolling along the Henry A. Rosenberg Jr. Promenade at the new US Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md., might do a double take when they see one of the brick pavers along the path that will lead visitors to the main entrance of the IWLCA Building and overlooks Tierney Field.
Brown State.
It’s a nickname for the Brown University men’s lacrosse team that traces its roots back to the late 1960s and 1970s.
“It’s sort of evolved into the mindset and the attitude we play with,” said Lars Tiffany, the current head coach at Brown, and a 1990 graduate of the Ivy League school. “Blue-collar, edgy, tough. When someone plays Brown, we want them to remember what it feels like to play us.”
Growing up in LaFayette, N.Y., just minutes from the Onondaga Nation, Tiffany has always had a deep appreciation for the history of the game. An expanded National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum at the new site will pay homage to the Native American roots of the sport with several exhibits and interactive displays.
Tiffany wanted his alma mater represented at a place that will both honor the legacy of the sport and work towards building it for future generations, so he purchased a brick paver that will be etched with the words “Brown State” to support the US Lacrosse capital campaign.
“Though for me the reservations are the birthplaces of modern lacrosse, this headquarters will be the epicenter of our sport,” said Tiffany. “I’m proud of what US Lacrosse has accomplished, and I want Brown to be a part of it.”
US Lacrosse is set to move into the new facility in mid-May and the grand opening weekend is scheduled for September. If you’re interested in honoring someone or something special from your lacrosse experience, please consider this unique opportunity. More information is available here.
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