54 Local High School Lacrosse Teams Participate in Annual Katie Samson Festival

RADNOR–What started with 12 teams on a rainy mid-March Saturday afternoon 11 years ago has certainly grown. In that regard, the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival has taken on what seems like the characteristics of its namesake.

The former standout goaltender suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury in the winter of 1999 from a sledding accident. Samson has never let it curtail her boundaries. She competes in rugby, tennis, basketball, and on summer mornings you can find her down on the Schuylkill River rowing.

Just like Samson, the Samson Lacrosse Festival seems as if it is expanding to new heights. In 2004, a girls’ side was added. Since then the festival has grown every year and raised over $1-million in funds to aid spinal cord injury research, raise the quality of life for people with disabilities, sponsor a number of adaptive sports teams and more recently lend in the financial support of wounded soldiers that have come home from Iraq.

This Saturday, an all-time high of 54 high school lacrosse teams will be converging on Radnor High School, scheduled to play in games beginning at 9 a.m. and ending with the last game at 4 p.m. The highlight of the day comes at 1:30 when the No. 1 team in the country, Haverford School, against the No. 2 in the nation, Conestoga, the defending PIAA state champions that also happened to be coached by Samson’s brother, Brian.

The festival, spurred by the driving force of Fran and Murray Grossman, will feature 13 boys’ games and 14 girls’ games. This marks the 11th annual event, which first began to offset the medical costs Samson endured in her tragic fall 12 years ago.

In 1999, Samson was in her sophomore year at Middlebury College, which she led to a NCAA Division III national championship as a freshman goalie, being named MVP of the title game. During winter break, she fell awkwardly while sledding with friends, causing immediately paralysis. Through time and great patience, Samson rehabbed, eventually returned to Middlebury to graduate, and went on to get her graduate degree.

Samson lived in Tucson, Arizona from 2004 and returned back to the area, setting in Ardmore in August 2010, serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Radnor girls’ lacrosse team, the two-time defending state champions.

But when she was across the country, Samson always made it back to the festival. Its impact has not only touched her, but is now touching others.

“The most surreal thing for me is when I was with friends in a San Francisco airport and I saw a kid walking through with a Katie Samson Festival t-shirt,” Samson recalled. “That was a turning point for me. I’m still very active and I want to be competitive again. I don’t believe in limits. I play wheelchair rugby and there is a girl on my team that’s a pilot. Sometimes with disabilities, you sort of have higher goals for yourself.

“I met plenty of people through the past 11 years that teach you things about getting through daily life, and you find yourself learning more from people that were born with their disability that don’t know any different. They had confidence in their disability. For me, I’m not going to sit inside, but I’ve definitely slow down a bit.”

Samson said it was important for her to move back to the Philadelphia area. She wanted to meet and thank the teams and coaches that will be playing in the festival.

“It’s so vital for them to know why we’re doing this,” Samson said. “I always try to advocate teachable moments. There might be a young girl who sees me in the wheelchair and might want to ask me a question about it. I want them to ask questions. It’s important to respond.”

Now thousands are responding in Samson’s name and listening to her message.

“The first year or two, I used to get emotional at the festival,” Samson said. “I still get emotional at the pre-fest party, with all the volunteers that put this together. They’re doing it because they love the day. None of the volunteers want it to end. It’s amazing.”

Boys’ Games

• Hatboro-Horsham vs. Germantown Academy 9:30 AM Prevost
• Great Valley vs. Tatnall School 9:30 AM Loop
• Garnet Valley vs. Malvern Prep 9:30 AM Creek
• Emmaus vs. St. Joseph’s Prep School 11:30 AM Prevost
• Penn Charter vs. The Hill School 11:30 AM Loop
• Abington vs. La Salle 11:30 AM Creek
• Conestoga vs. Haverford School 1:30 PM Prevost
• Harriton vs. Shipley School 1:30 PM Loop
• Downingtown West vs. Springfield 1:30 PM Creek
• Downingtown East vs. Brunswick School 3:30 PM Prevost
• Unionville vs. Salesianum 3:30 PM Loop
• Haverford vs. Archbishop Wood 3:30 PM Creek
• Radnor vs. 4:00 PM Turf1/Enke

Girls’ Games

• Abington vs. Shipley School 9:00 AM Turf1/Enke
• Penncrest vs. Agnes Irwin School 9:00 AM Library
• WC Henderson vs. Germantown Friends 9:00 AM Rowland
• Springfield vs. Notre Dame Academy 10:45 AM Turf1/Enke
• Boyertown vs. Friends Central School 10:45 AM Library
• Harriton  vs. Unionville 10:45 AM Rowland
• Downingtown East vs. Archbishop Carroll 12:30 PM Turf1/Enke
• Garnet Valley vs. Baldwin School 12:30 PM Library
• Upper Dublin vs. Villa Maria Academy 12:30 PM Rowland
• Radnor vs. Bryn Mawr School 2:15 PM Turf1/Enke
• Methacton vs. Merion Mercy Academy 2:15 PM Library
• Conestoga vs. 2:15 PM Rowland
• Haverford vs. Germantown Academy 4:00 PM Library
• Penn Charter vs. The Hill School 4:00 PM Rowland