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Barrack Academy moves to Friends Schools League, looks for girls’ coach

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By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/26/23

Jack Barrack Hebrew Academy is taking a big step up for the 2023-24 lacrosse season.

The Barrack Hebrew boys’ and girls’ teams will compete in the Friends Schools League after being a dominant force in the Penn-Jersey League. The FSL boys’ opponents will include eight-time defending Academy of the New Church – which was nationally ranked for some of the 2023 season and finished ranked #7 by PhillyLacrosse.com – as well as Westtown School, which finished the 2023 season ranked #11 by PhillyLacrosse.com

Both the Barrack Academy boys’ and girls’ teams won the last three Penn-Jersey championships.

The move to the Friends Schools League was announced in conjunction with the hiring of new Athletic Director Bob Dignazio, a Strath Haven graduate who became an all-conference defenseman at Kenyon College, and formerly the head men’s lacrosse coach at Beloit (WI). Dignazio spent the last five years as Director of Victory Event Series, a top lacrosse tournament and recruiting showcase company, as well as serving as an assistant AD and men’s lacrosse coach at the college level.

Dignazio is searching for a head girls’ coach for Barrack Academy, as well as an assistant boys’ coach. Adam Devlin is the head coach of the boys’ team.
Barrack Academy plays its home games on its on-campus turf field in Bryn Mawr.
Click here to apply for the coaching positions: https://www.jbha.org/employment
Dignazio provided a summary of the school’s move up to the FSL:
1) What was the idea to join the FSL first brought up, and by whom?
Dignazio: “Barrack Hebrew Academy was looking for a league that provided a strong athletic and competitive experience, consisted of schools with shared values and academic profiles, and had a geographic footprint that reduced our travel times for league games. The FSL matched our goals in these areas. We hope this will help us continue to develop our athletic programs and make a Barrack Hebrew Academy education even more attractive to families in the area.”
2) When was it announced that Barrack Hebrew would join the FSL? Was it effective as of the beginning of the 2023-24 school year?
Dignazio: “Barrack Hebrew Academy officially started FSL play in the 2023-24 school year, but it has been in the works for a while thanks to the efforts of administration and past athletic directors. The announcement was made last spring in conjunction with my hiring.”
3) What do you see as the biggest advantages of Barrack Hebrew belonging to the Friends Schools League?
Dignazio: “The biggest advantages for our students are the increased level of competition and exposure in all sports. We won more than 90 league championships in our former league affiliations, and the FSL provides a new challenge. We’re looking for Jewish student-athletes who welcome this challenge and want to be a part of something special.
“For lacrosse, our boys’ and girls’ varsity teams will play full schedules against a wide range of teams in the Philly area, from old Penn-Jersey rivals to a few PIAA teams and the new Friends School League schedule. We’re looking forward to the spring.”