A day for the Malverne Mohawks

The Malverne Mohawks competed against Baldwin last Saturday morning.

Rossana Weitekamp

Bernadette Russell preps for Malverne Lacrosse Day last week. She was helped by Michael Ruddick and Frank Landers, both of whom have coached for the Malverne program.

Rossana Weitekamp

• 
• 

Last Saturday, nearly 300 lacrosse players from all over Nassau County descended on the athletic fields of Malverne High School for Malverne Mohawks Lacrosse Day, an event featuring 12 hours of lacrosse games, food, bouncy houses, a dunk tank, free t-shirts and more — all held on the Malverne sports fields.

“It’s just a day of giving back to the community, and all the families that participate,” said Bernadette Russell, who started the Malverne lacrosse program with her husband Charles nine years ago. “It’s a dedication for the kids to be at the practices – lacrosse is more extensive than other sports, so it’s just a way to give back to them,” she said.

The Russells started the Malverne Mohawks Lacrosse Club when they couldn’t find a lacrosse program for their own children, and wanted to share their passion with their kids. They kicked off their new venture with only one team of 11 boys in 2007. Today, Malverne Lacrosse has 11 teams with over 230 players in grades 1 through 8. The program is also part of the Nassau Police Athletic League, and the Malverne teams compete against other villages and hamlets throughout the county from March through June.