Ahwatukee Foothills on lax coaches' speed dials

When all-star lacrosse teams go looking for elite players, Arizona -- and especially Ahwatukee Foothills -- usually isn't on a coach's speed dial.

But when Scott Hochstadt was looking for one player to fill out his boys under 13 elite all-star team roster he gave Ahwatukee Dragons coach Matt Rakowski a call.

Hochstadt is a former college All-American and founder of the Starz organization, a lacrosse platform for recruiting in the western United States.

"We had started an Ahwatukee Starz last spring," Rakowski explained. "When I was talking with Scott he said they were putting together an under-13 team to play in a high level tournament this summer in Vail (Colo.). He said they had one spot open for a guy who was pretty good and asked if I could recommend anyone."

Rakowski called Akimel A-al Middle School sixth-grader Anthony Abbadessa and told him to pack his bags, he was going to Colorado.

"Anthony had a phenomenal tournament and was one of the best players on the field," Rakowski said.

A few weeks later Rakowski got an e-mail from Hochstadt.

"Scott was putting together another West Starz team for a high-end tournament in California and wanted some of the best fifth- and sixth-grade players we had," Rakowski continued.

"I recommended five kids and thought he'd come back and say he had only one of two spots. Instead, he invited all five."

Abbadessa, who had already played on an elite all-star junior hockey team in Canada earlier in the summer, was packing his bags again along with classmate David Zingale and Altadeña Middle School athletes Preston Ames, Chris Schafer and Tate Tompkins.

"Basically," Rakowski said, "all five were invited based on how well Anthony had played in the Vail tournament."

The team finished third and of those five, three made the all-tournament team.

"From what I heard all five could have made the team," Rakowski said, "but they were almost apologetic because they felt they couldn't take five kids from one area. My disappointment was that I couldn't recommend more because we have kids who can play at that level."

After the tournament, Ahwatukee Foothills was on the lacrosse map outside of Arizona.

"What was really good for us was the feedback we got," Rakowski said, "and that was that we have a pretty good model as far as how we're teaching our kids. They can play at a high level and they can play together."

Rakowski's Dragons, a youth team of players from kindergarten through fifth grade, is geared toward introducing players to the sport.

"In the third through the fifth grade we focus more on getting kids starting to play, enjoying it and telling friends," Rakowski said. "We tend to spend more time playing and limit the amount of structure and drills in favor of learning to play in a more organic way."

The middle school program is a prep to move on to high school club lacrosse.

"We have a great group of eighth-graders this season," Rakowski said, "but our seventh-graders are really going to be part of that first wave of kids coming into a high school program with a significant amount of experience under their belts."

Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe both have established club teams playing in the Arizona Youth Lacrosse League.

"When these (middle school) kids hit the field as freshmen they'll be in the best position to have an impact on varsity programs right away," Rakowski said.

Registration for the middle school Lightning and Storm teams, as well as the Dragons program, is available online at www.eteamz.com/AhwatukeeLacrosse.