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News
Letter from the Commissioner Dear Friends, I just love this time of year. It’s the start of the spring lacrosse season. Many high school teams have just begun to practice, while many college teams have already competed in several games. One of the things that I look forward to at this time of year is reading the lacrosse box scores in the morning paper or online. One can easily find the names of many present and past BELAX players. This will mark the 8th year for Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club (BELAX) serving the Maryland lacrosse community. It has been my pleasure to direct the organization while providing opportunities for 1000’s of lacrosse players and coaches. Today, I am proud to announce that Ron Gurnsey will direct Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club, and I will assume the position as Club Commissioner. Ron Gurnsey is no stranger to the lacrosse community or to BELAX. He has been committed for many years to coaching the youth players in the Maryland community. I met Ron 8 years ago. His son Eric, currently at UMBC, was on the same club team as my son Jared. We bonded as friends, as did Eric and Jared. Ron has continued to support BELAX with his time and expertise. For the past 7 years, Ron has been a part of Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club. As the sport of lacrosse continues to expand, it is only fitting I pass the torch to someone else that is deeply committed to serving the lacrosse community, ensuring the well-being of our youth and high school student-athletes while continuing the traditions that have earned BELAX such high praise and distinct reputation. This coming weekend, over 10,000 people will come to M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore to watch college lacrosse. Maryland, Duke, Johns Hopkins and Princeton will compete in a nationally televised lacrosse double-header. Starting in the goal for Princeton will be freshman, Tyler Fiorito (McDonogh). Tyler is just one of the many BELAX alumni that will take to the athletic field representing their college this lacrosse season. We are proud of Tyler and all of the players that have come from the BELAX organization. Take a look at the BELAX Alumni list on our website. There are 100’s of players that have made the successful transition from high school to college and NCAA lacrosse. BELAX is not just a club lacrosse team. It is a community lacrosse organization for players, coaches, parents and families to share common interests, make new friends, develop lasting relationships, and learn new things. I encourage you to become and stay involved in BELAX. This summer, we have several high school and alumni teams. As for me, I will continue to provide my time and efforts to helping BELAX offer the best product value for their players and parents. In the meantime, you can bet that I will be reading the box scores this spring! My very best regards, Joel Franklin, Commissioner
High School: Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club (BELAX) Provides High School Players with a Connection to NCAA & Club College Lacrosse
Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club (BELAX) is now in its 8th year and has been heralded as a premier club lacrosse program in the Baltimore Washington D.C. area. The club has assisted over 100 player’s attain their goals of playing for NCAA collegiate lacrosse programs and many more with academic scholarships by educating parents and players in the recruiting process. For a list of 2009 commitments you can select the link 2009 commitments and select the 100 player’s link for all BELAX Alumni that have made the transition to college and NCAA lacrosse. The lacrosse club was founded by Joel Franklin in 2001 and has grown to be one of the most respected programs in the country. BELAX prides itself on selecting the most talented players and pairing them with the best coaching to develop their skills, while preparing them for the next level. According to its founder, “BELAX is not just a club lacrosse program. It is a family that cares about their players, parents, and coaches.” Each year the club sends their teams to top tier recruiting tournaments that provide players and parents with opportunities to become part of the lacrosse culture while exposing them to the college admissions and to college lacrosse coaches seeking recruits. The unity established during this process and player maturity becomes an everlasting tie to the sport, families, and to the club organization. According to BELAX Director, Ron Gurnsey, “The winning attitude and family atmosphere at BELAX is what keeps players coming back each year. BELAX develops a culture within the program that benefits the parents and players. The secret is in the extra activities that we organize to bring all of the families and players together. The unity that develops off the field spills over on the field. The bonds between players are lasting and we see strong examples of this each year as our alumni players return to their roots to play for our alumni teams.” As lacrosse clubs continue to grow and tournaments expand, Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club (BELAX) is determined to insure they provide the best product value for their players. Partnered with Level 2 Sports insures that there is an educational and academic component that better prepares players and parents for the college admissions and athletic recruitment process. Members can create and update their academic and athletic profile with links to game clips, add their GPA, and extracurricular activities that college coaches often look for in their recruits. As BELAX enteres its 8th year serving the Maryland lacrosse community, it will continue to provide a high level of support in the lacrosse club community and will continue to strive to exceed their lofty goals in order to better serve their participants.
For additional information about Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club (BELAX) visit www.laxelite.com
Brian Duncan Joins Lax Elite Lacrosse Clubs as Director of Youth Player Development for BELAX!
Brian Duncan has joined Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club as Director of Youth Player Development and U 18 Team Coach. He was the 2004 NJCAA National Coach of the Year, 3 time MD JUCO Coach of the Year ('04,'05,'07) and 4 time Region XX Coach of the Year ('04,'05,'06,'08).
In his first five years at CCBC Essex, Brian has taken his team to 3 National Championship Games and 4 Final Four Tournaments, has developed 3 JUCO Players of the Year and 34 All-Americans, and has had 45 players accepted to DI, DII and DIII NCAA schools since 2004.
Coach Duncan's expertise and passion for the sport have earned him high regard among players, parents and coaches alike. The philosophy at Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club is to provide our players with a challenging and rewarding lacrosse experience. Lacrosse programming at BELAX is designed to help players more easily transition to the next level. A quick glance at our alumni list highlights the many players that have followed the BELAX path to the NCAA.
Ross Albers Named BELAX Elite Select Head Coach 
Ross is a former alum of Bucknll University where he played for 4 years. He has been Coaching at BELAX for the past 4 seasons and we are pleased to announce that he will be returning to lead the U-18 Red team once again. He brings leadership, dedication, passion and enthusiasm for the sport to the Lax ELite program which insures that our BELAX U-18 program will continue to provide an excellent recruiting opportunity for NCAA hopefuls. Ross is currently employed at Travelers Insurance and is pursuing his law degree at the University of Baltimore. Campbell in 3rd year as CELAX Director and Head Coach for U-18 Gold 
Colin Campbell is the Director of Chesapeake Elite Lacrosse Club. Colin has been with BELAX since its inception and has provided exceptional coaching, dedication, and enthusiasm to the Lax Elite program. Colin and Lax Elite Lacrosse Clubs have assisted over 100 lacrosse players to make it into NCAA lacrosse programs.Colin has developed a well organized and disciplined club program at Chesapeake Elite Lacrosse Club and is known for developing very competitve Lacrosse teams. His knowledge of the game and ability to educate his players while developing strong team dynamics has made him an enormous asset to our program.
Hometown resident Matt O'Neill from Annapolis, MD named CELAX U-18 Blue Head Coach
 Colin Campbell made the decission to name a local Chesapeake area player as the new CELAX U-18 Head coach. Matt having grown up in the area knows the local talent scene in Anne Arundel county and is excited about being close to his hometown ties. The Senior year captain, Midfielder, and Attackman played at Annapoilis High School from 1999 - 2002 for Coach Campbell. Matt went on to play at St. Mary's College of Maryland from 2002 - 2006. Matt was a Senior Year Captain and received the Athletic Directors Award, Coaches Award, and Short Stick Defensive Middie award. Currently Matt is playing for Portside Lacrosse Club in the American Lacrosse League as a Long Stick Midfielder.
BELAX hires current Baltimore Lutheran School Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Bill Zopp to coach BELAX Elite team in 2009.
Coach Zopp had been with CCBC Essex since the fall 2001 before joining the
Coach Zopp has been a part of the Blue Hen Lacrosse Camp, Hotbeds Lacrosse Camp, Workhorse Lacrosse Camp, and Knights Lacrosse Camps.
Prior to working with Coach Duncan at CCBC Essex, Coach Zopp coached under Randy Mercer at
Coach Zopp enjoyed a successful college playing career at CCBC Essex and
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