Lanetta Ware, a retired athletic director and coach at Hollins College (now Hollins University), is one of 11 women’s lacrosse coaches selected to receive a special honor on October 21 in Baltimore, Ms.
The award will be presented by The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLA). Ware will receive the award for her love of the sport, passion for teaching, and dedication to coaching.
Her efforts in coaching and in rule establishment was one of the driving forces in advancing women in collegiate athletics during the Title IX era.
The recent gold-medal success of the U.S. women’s national team is rooted in the work of Ware and the other honor recipients. The IWLCA Board of Directors worked with US Lacrosse to acknowledge these trailblazers in order to ensure that future generations will not forget their contributions to women’s sports.
Under Ware’s leadership, Hollins College was the Division II Virginia State Champions in women’s lacrosse in 1978 and 1979 and the team was the US Women’s Lacrosse Association (USWLA) Division II Runner Up in the National Championship in 1979.
Additionally, Ware co-authored and served as editor of the USWLA Umpiring Manual as well as the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Association Rules Book and Umpiring Manual.
She served as an official and as chairman of numerous USWLA and IFWLA tournaments and held numerous offices in both the USWLA and the IFWLA. She remains an honorary member of the Virginia Women’s Lacrosse Association, USWLA and the IFWLA.
She has been named to four halls of fame for women’s lacrosse: Hollins, the University of Richmond, US Lacrosse, and Virginia Lacrosse. The Virginia Umpiring Award for Service and Devotion to the game is known as the Lanetta T. Ware Award.
Ware now lives on a farm in Troutville where she raises beef cattle.
Other IWLCA trailblazers who will be recognized on October 21 with a plaque are Chris Sailer Trail, Pat Genovesee (William Smith), Tina Sloan Green (Temple), Caroline Hausserman (William & Mary), Kathy Heinge (USWLA), Carol Kleinfelder (Harvard), Gillian Rattray (Penn State), Sue Stahl (Old Dominion), Sue Tyler (UMD), Marge Watson (URSTNUS), and Judy Wolstenholme (West Chester).
The IWLCA Trailblazers will be recognized with plaques along Chris Sailer Trail, a walking path at US Lacrosse headquarters that honors the National Hall of Fame and Princeton University women’s lacrosse coach.
