Wissahickon Lacrosse Club (aka "Wisslax " or "WLC") is a nonprofit Community program whose purpose is to introduce the great game of Lacrosse to children in Grades K-8 residing in Wissahickon School District and neighboring townships without programs.
Wisslax was founded by Mike and Lisa Washabaugh in 1999 when Upper Dublin's community program, Crooked Crosse Lacrosse Club, had grown so large it could not accommodate players from other townships.
Lacrosse has been played in the Philadelphia area for many years, but the game was concentrated mainly in Inter-Ac and Delaware County Central League High Schools. It was not until the late 1990's / early 2000's that the game's popularity soared to record levels, and youth programs exploded in areas where lacrosse was either not played or not played very well!
In 2003, Tom Gannon took over the program and has worked diligently to preserve the legacy started by Mike and Lisa. Wisslax programming has continued to grow at every level. One of the clubs greatest successes was the decision to start K-2 programs from scratch in 2006. This has helped feed our 3rd-4th program with healthy numbers of fundamentally sound players. Wisslax has also worked hard to offer many offseason opportunities for our children to play in the fall and winter when it doesn't interfere with other sports.
Wisslax is a feeder program for the Wissahickon HS Girls and Boys Lacrosse programs as well as many other local private schools. Wisslax alumni have been major contributors at WHS, GA, LaSalle, Penn Charter, Mount St. Joseph's Academy, and Gwynedd Mercy Academy. The first Wisslax class just graduated college in 2008! Players from our program have played collegiately at Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, Dickinson, and the US Naval Academy to name a few. Lacrosse has helped open doors for these kids, and with the reputation of PA lacrosse at an all-time high, our children have the opportunity to use this great game as a stepping stone to a fine education.
Wisslax has been fortunate to be the beneficiary of wonderful partnerships with the WSD Buildings & Grounds Dept. and the Lower Gwynedd Twp Parks & Rec folks. Without question, Wisslax boasts the nicest fields in the area. The Girls Program calls Wissahickon HS its home. The Boys Program has primarily used the beautiful Penllyn Woods complex as its home. With the continued growth we have been experiencing, look for more practices for the boys to take place at WHS in 2009.
