John F. Kennedy, 35^th President of the United States


Transition, as defined in The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "change". The world has experienced many changes in the last decades and so has international lacrosse world. The ultimate goal for the sport of lacrosse is to become an Olympic sport again. When the sport of lacrosse was last an Olympic event, it was in 1908, St. Louis, Missouri. That was 101 years ago!

The 2009 World Cup will mark many transitions in the world of women's lacrosse. The most exciting change is the growth in participation at all levels. Specifically, the number of the teams entered to play in this forthcoming 2009 World Cup has more than doubled. From an average of 7.2 teams in the past 7 World Cups, this year's World Cup has 16 nations competing. The new nations are predominantly from the European countries (Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands) and attending a World Cup in their own "backyard" is a positive situation as they prepare to compete in their first World Cup competition.

The most important change at this event will be the transition of the Governing Body from the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Association (IFWLA) to the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). After three years of studying the process of by which a new international governing body could be formed, the unification of the men's and women's International Federations' was completed in August of 2008. During these three years, many discussions were held between the Unification Committee and the IFWLA and International Lacrosse Federation (ILF). The result was a smooth legal transition adopting the ILF corporate status in New York and the renaming of the new governing body to the Federation of International Lacrosse.  

To ensure the upcoming World Cup would be adequately supported in leadership, an "Executive Board" was created from the officers of the IFWLA, who have all "been there and done that" at past World Cup events. While they will provide the guidance for Czech Republic to help them prepare and actually run the event, the three new leaders of FIL will be on hand to gain valuable experience on event management, thus providing a transition for new FIL leaders.

Also changing are the many "new looks" of the FIL. A new logo is in the final stages of design and will be very visible at the World Cup. A new web site is being launched which will carry all international lacrosse news and links.  

The host country, the Czech Republic, is also experiencing a transition to the highest level of event operations. There have been many successes for Czech Republic lacrosse in hosting Prague Cups and European events. However, the 2009 World Cup marks the first time that the Czech Republic has hosted a World Cup. They are ready for the challenge and excitement of hosting such a prestigious event.

As we approach the first Federation of International Lacrosse world event in Prague, let us all be reminded of the history and tradition of the game of lacrosse. These traditions will carry on through the transition of a new governing body. We shall continue to honor where the game has come from and look forward to many transitions into the future.