Fire Lacrosse Club

The Fire Lacrosse Club was founded in the Fall of 2005 and fielded its first competitive team in Spring 2006 as the Tampa Bay Fire.  At its inception, the objective was to provide elite-level Tampa Bay area high school and middle school lacrosse players an opportunity to compete during the off-season months and to maximize the development of their individual skills, knowledge, and attitudes.  During this period, the club experienced unprecedented success in teaching lacrosse players through its Player Development System, and from this recognition, the Club grew geographically in Florida and beyond as well as programatically.

Due to the reputation of the Fire Lacrosse Club, the organization was invited by Sarasota lacrosse community leaders to expanded its programs and services into the market.  The market expansion in 2011 was followed by further geographical expansion in 2012 with the start-up of the program in Rochester, NY. 

The 2012 season was marked by two innovative programmatic "firsts": the Fire lacrosse Club became the first elite lacrosse club in the United States to integrate indoor (box) lacrosse training with its field program; and secondly, the Club started one of the first elite indoor lacrosse teams in the country.  These innovations will undoubtedly position Fire players for some of the most advanced and comprehensive player development experiences anywhere in the world.

The "Fire" name was selected because of the unique relationship between the sport of lacrosse, the Tampa Bay area, and the rich history and lore of the Native American Indian in this part of the State.  The Calusa Indian tribe, indigenous to the region, used the word "Tampa", meaning "sticks of fire" in their native tongue, to describe the high concentration of lightning strikes that the region historically received every year.  The Calusa term was also interpreted by other historians to mean "the place to gather sticks".

Both interpretations uniquely interconnect the shared Native American history of the Tampa Bay region, the sport of lacrosse, and the establishment of the Tampa Bay Fire, reflecting the values and principles behind our team name.  The term also reinforces the essence, spirit, and style of our team play, while encouraging the distinct personal characteristics of players chosen to compete for the Gold, Silver, Red, White, and Black teams.

The Fire Lacrosse Club provides the environment and opportunity for players with advanced skills to compete at the highest levels of their age group, and seeks to accelerate skills development, game knowledge, field sense, and attitudes about competition and sportsmanship, while showcasing talents at select competitive tournaments and national college recruiting events.

Each team competes in approximately 7-10 tournaments per year, and while the coaching staff structures the learning experience to optimize overall team performance, emphasis is placed on individual player development, not wins and losses. 

Selected players display an uncommon commitment to the team and each other and understand that their optimal development can only be achieved through consistent and intensive participation in practices, clinics, tournaments, and leagues strategically scheduled throughout the 7-month season. 

To facilitate and maximize players’ development, the team only considers events and experiences that promise to maximize the teams’ stated mission.  Coaches selected to oversee player training and development meet rigorous standards including a history of playing the sport at a competitive level, successful coaching experience that reflects an ability to develop player skills, strong ties to the Tampa Bay lacrosse community, and a stated commitment to consistently support the goals and objectives of the team.