In the fourteenth edition of “Legends of the Game” I have found an article on Alan Lewthwaite. The article is from the inaugural program of the Boston Bolts of the Original National Lacrosse League circa 1975.
That impression is exactly Lewthwaite’s goal every time he gets on the floor.”I don’t back down from anybody … period. You can’t in this game. I’m not a policeman, but there are those times when you’ve got to take someone to the cleaners to give your club the upperhand”, the burly rearguard says.
A testimony to the force behind a Lewthwaite check is his selection of sticks for a night’s battle. The Bolts giant utilizes sledge hammer handles in molding the shaft of his sticks. “I find a normal stick that I like and fiberglass it to the sledge shaft” Lewthwaite explained.Lewthwaite is delighted by the prospect of playing pro lacrosse. “I think that the switch over to full fledged professionalism should be a tremendous boost to an already great game. For the first time we as players can really dedicate ourselves to the game.”
“The National Lacrosse League is a super operation”, he adds. “We’ve been treated first class from the opening of training camp. I’ll tell you, there was some awfully keen competition at the camp in Peterborough. There is no doubt in mind that our club is something that the people of this great sports town can easily relate to. This is a club that if it stays healthy will give the Nations Trophy Championship a real shot”.
For Al Lewthwaite the search for the limelight could be natural. For an athlete of his size, his coordinated skill with the stick as a quick hard hitting defenseman is remarkable.
He is a man to watch.
From the Canadian Lacrosse Association…
Lewthwaite developed his box lacrosse skills in the Royal City’s Sapperton district, but by age 15 he was considered too big to continue playing at the juvenile level. Instead, he lined up with the New Westminster Junior B team that captured the 1966 Canadian championship in Port Arthur. With the Senior A Salmonbellies in 1967-he was not yet 17 years old-he scored two goals. After the 1968 Minto Cup series, he played a pivotal role in the Salmonbellies National Lacrosse Association professional championship victory over Detroit. In 1969 Lewthwaite was 6’3″, 230-lbs, fleet of foot, a deadly shooter, a natural playmaker and rib-crunching checker. At the age of 18, he became a permanent member of the Senior Salmonbellies, registering 87 points in his first 27 games. Between 1970 and 1974, Lewthwaite and his teammates captured three Mann Cups in four trips to the Canadian championships. In 1975, the upstart pro National Lacrosse League team in Boston drafted Lewthwaite in the first round, but traded him to the Long Island Tomahawks where he accumulated 140 points in 47 games; however, he also seriously injured his knee. After one season as co-coach of a Senior B team, he took over the coaching reins for the Salmonbellies in 1978. Over the next 21 years, Lewthwaite held similar positions with Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby and Maple Ridge.
Alan Lewthwaite was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991.
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
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