Cal Ripken is named keynote speaker at 2009 US Lacrosse National Convention

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/9/08

Baltimore is known for three things: crabs, lacrosse and Cal Ripken Jr. Attendees of the 2009 US Lacrosse National Convention in January will get to experience at least two out of three of those things first-hand.

Ripken, a Baltimore-area native and youth sports trailblazer, will be the keynote speaker for the Jan. 16-18 convention, sponsored by Adidas. The convention will be held in Baltimore at the Baltimore Convention Center and is considered the largest educational and networking opportunity for lacrosse coaches and officials in the world.

Ripken’s work with youth baseball has broken the mold for leagues and programs world-wide. He has defined the structure and importance of youth sports at the grassroots level by using the platform of baseball. Presently, over 700,000 youths (5-12 year olds) play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.

Over the years Ripken has become a best-selling author. His past works include The Only Way I Know, an autobiography; Play Baseball The Ripken Way, an instructional book for parents and coaches; Parenting Young Athletes The Ripken Way, a guide for parents to help them keep sports fun for their kids; and his two latest works: Get in the Game, Eight Elements of Perseverance that Make the Difference, his first foray into the self help/business world; and The Longest Season, a children’s book that teaches kids how to learn from difficult experiences.

Ripken will address the 2009 US Lacrosse National Convention on Friday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Over 5,000 coaches, officials and lacrosse enthusiasts are expected to descend on Baltimore in January. Registration for the 2009 US Lacrosse National Convention will be open on US Lacrosse’s website, http://www.uslacrosse.org, on Monday, September 15.

Those who register before October 15 will get an early bird discount of 35 percent off the regular on-site registration fee of $100. Convention goers can also connect with other attendees on US Lacrosse’s Convention Community site before and after the event.