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US Lacrosse and Major League Lacrosse Join Forces on Sportsmanship

April 24, 2014 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release

BALTIMORE, April 24, 2014 - US Lacrosse, the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse, and Major League Lacrosse (MLL) are joining forces in 2014 to promote safety and sportsmanship in lacrosse. Together, the two organizations are collaborating on messaging and initiatives that will stress the importance of these ideals among players, coaches and spectators at all levels of the game.

Full page ads focused on safety and sportsmanship messages are running in Lacrosse Magazine throughout the 2014 MLL season, and new monthly and year-end sportsmanship awards for players and teams have been introduced by the MLL in 2014. The league will recognize one of its franchises as the sportsmanship team-of-the-month in May, June and July, and will also honor a sportsmanship team-of-the-year and sportsmanship player-of-the-year at the conclusion of the 2014 season.

"By working together on these priorities, we hope to further educate and inform players, coaches and spectators about the importance of safety and sportsmanship in our game and how these concepts are integral to the continued and responsible growth of the sport," said Stephen Berger, men's game director at US Lacrosse and a player for the MLL's Boston Cannons.

"At the MLL we have always been committed to promoting safety and sportsmanship," said David Gross, commissioner of Major League Lacrosse. "As we continue to work to unify the sport, partnering with US Lacrosse will further help us educate fans, coaches and players on the importance of these key aspects of the game."

As part of the campaign, audio and visual public service announcements featuring MLL players will be utilized during broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and on several regional broadcasts, as well as through online properties owned by both US Lacrosse and Major League Lacrosse.

Additionally, US Lacrosse will be on-site at the MLL All-Star Game on June 26 in Boston to continue promotion of its 'Compete with Class - Honor the Game' campaign. This year's game will feature an all-star team of MLL players competing against Team USA, which begins its quest for a world championship in July. Information and tickets are available at majorleaguelacrosse.com/all-star-game .

Players, coaches and fans that would like to support the safety and sportsmanship initiative are encouraged to 'Take the Pledge' by visiting uslacrosse.org/competewithclass . Free and easy to complete, the online pledge demonstrates a commitment to supporting the spirit of the rules and the ideals of safety and good sportsmanship.

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