Five members will be inducted into the Michigan Lacrosse Hall of Fame at a ceremony held Oct. 26. GLS will publish their bios, courtesy of U.S. Lacrosse, over the next five days.
Michael Mehall
Mike started his sports career by swimming in AAU, High School and College plus participated in several years of Club Fencing, his team sports activity didn’t come into play until his boys started growing up. He started with coaching soccer until his son, in the spring of 1998, informed him that he wanted to play Lacrosse at Our Lady of Sorrows. By the next year he was coaching Lacrosse.
In 1990 Novi Parks and Rec. Middle School team played their first game against Our Lady of Sorrows. This connection with Don Sill stimulated a collaboration to run several lacrosse camps. Mike became involved in getting the boys program into the Novi schools and later became Novi’s first Middle School Boy’s coach. Several of his players continued to expand their skills and played at the college level and coaching. During this time Mike also was the Middle School league coordinator and was on the executive board of the US Lacrosse Michigan Chapter.
In 1994, Mike’s son was looking for a place to play lacrosse, so he approached Catherine Cost at Farmington High School about using their fields for a community Lacrosse program. That year Mike continued coaching the Novi Middle School boys lacrosse team, plus a Farmington Community High School Boys team and a also got his start in the girls game by coaching a girls team. This was a busy spring for Mike.
The Community boys team had students from North Farmington, Harrison and Farmington high schools plus some players that went to private schools but lived in the area. The girl’s team consisted of students from the Farmington High Schools but also students from Farmington Hills Mercy. Mike continued coaching three teams for several years and later assisted coaches while doing administrator duties.
In 2000 Farmington Schools accepted Lacrosse as a Varsity sport. The Varsity status formalized the united team for both boys and girls. It also stimulated the development of a new team for Farmington Hills Mercy High School.
In 2003 Mike was elected president of the Michigan Women’s Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MWSLA). The responsibilities included working with the officials to coordinate team schedules and maintaining the league’s activities. In 2005 the MHSAA accepted lacrosse as a varsity sport and the Farmington schools’ athletic directors took over the management of the team activities. The MWSLA evolved to become a coach’s organization and the name was changed to the Michigan Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association. Mike continued as president of this group and was instrumental in its early growth and development.
During the six years Mike was president of these organizations, he was on the first MHSAA Lacrosse Committee before and after the inclusion of Lacrosse.
Mike is presently the Head Varsity Coach of the Farmington High School girl’s lacrosse team. His players have moved on to the college level and contributed in the development of both high school and college teams.
Mike is very proud of the number of his former players who have moved on and started a number of new lacrosse programs. These former players have started middle school, high school and college teams. He especially enjoys when a former player or their parents will stop him and thank him for teaching the child to honor and love the game of lacrosse. Mike has been called a Johnny Appleseed for the game of lacrosse in Michigan.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the bio of Tom Mitchell.