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THE DIRECTOR |
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OWNER &
DIRECTOR
R U S S O L S E N
 Russ
Olsen is the Director of Great Western Lacrosse. He teaches Physical
Education in San Diego and is pursuing his Master's Degree at
National University. Russ is 45 years old and was one of the
founders of Great Western Lacrosse in 1984, along with his college
buddy, Tommy Hannum. They created the lacrosse camp as a school
project through the Physical Education Department in the spring of
1984. Over 2000 young student athletes have gone through the summer
training sessions. Many have gone on to very successful collegiate
lacrosse careers. In fact, in some years, more than half of the
Western Collegiate Lacrosse League's All-Stars were former graduates
of Great Western Lacrosse.
Russ himself has had a very successful lacrosse life. He began
lacrosse in 1979 when he was a sophomore at Novato H.S. in Marin
County, California. He was the starting center fielder for the H.S.
baseball team when he spotted the lacrosse team practicing one day,
on the other side of the home run fence. Day after day he would see
them in their black helmets and with their sticks, bashing into each
other and having big fun. One day when there was no baseball
practice, Russ went to the lacrosse practice and asked the coach if
he could try lacrosse. The coach suited him up in the appropriate
gear and sent him in. The rest of the players saw him as "new meat"
and beat the crap out of him. He never had so much fun. The
following year, Russ attempted to play both sports. He soon lost
interest in the slower sport of baseball so turned in his mitt for a
lacrosse stick permanently, in 1980.
That was all she wrote. He picked up the junior varsity MVP honors
his first year and the varsity's most improved player as a junior.
He finished his High School career as the varsity's Top Scorer and
the Teams' Captain. He was then recruited to San Diego State
University by then Head Coach, Mitch Fenton. Russ set a new school
record in scoring his freshman year with 98 points in a season. He
ended up second on the United States Intercollegiate national
scoring charts. He wasn't finished. The following year, along with
attack mate Carlo Maglione, accomplished an unprecedented feat by
both of them scoring 107 points each, during the same season. Russ
went on to take the Team MVP trophy at SDSU as a junior and a senior
as well as San Diego State's "Athlete of the Year" in 1985 & 1986.
Russ had the opportunity to play world caliber lacrosse. He played
in the 1984 Olympic Exhibition Lacrosse games in Los Angeles. He
graduated in 1986 with a Physical Education degree and started his
coaching career the very next year.
He began his coaching career at Patrick Henry where he took a team
from 1-15 to the State Championship.
 He
is the first coach in west coast history to win two state titles
with two separate high school teams. He did this is a three year
span (1995 with Patrick Henry & 1998 with Serra). He has accumulated
more wins as a coach that any other high school coach in San Diego
County history, winning his 150th game in the 1998 State
Championship game. That team was also ranked 17th in the Nation, the
highest ranking of any team in the west to this date.
He was asked by Warrior Lacrosse to go to Japan to teach the first
Lacrosse Camp in Tokyo in the spring of 1996 which was one of the
highlights of his lacrosse career. He spent 10 days in and around Tokyo teaching the most
enthusiastic young men in Japan. Their intense desire to learn our
great sport was overwhelming. He is currently the Head Coach at
Canyon Crest Academy HS in San Diego.
Below is a
listing of Russ Olsen's accomplishments as a player and a coach...
Russ
Olsen's Playing Statistics
1979 -
Most Valuable
Player Award at Novato High School J.V.
1980 -
Most Improved
Player Award at Novato High School Varsity,
League All-Star, Team's Top Assist man, H.S. All-American.
1981 -
Team Captain,
Team's Scoring Champion, League's Top Attackman,
League All-Star, H.S. All-American.
1982 -
San Dieguito
Lacrosse Club, Redshirt at San Diego State University.
1983 -
All-West
Coast Attackman, San Diego State Scoring Champion (98 pts),
Team's Rookie of the Year Award.
1984 -
All-West
Coast Attackman, San Diego State Scoring Champion (107 pts),
SDSU Team Captain, Member of the 1984 Olympic
Exhibition Team for
the Los Angeles Olympics.
1985 -
All-West
Coast Attackman, SDSU Team Captain, San Diego State Scoring
Champion (83 points), Team's Most Valuable Player
Award. SDSU Sport
Clubs Athlete of the Year.
1986 -
All-West
Coast Attackman, SDSU Team Captain, San Diego State Scoring
Champion (70 points), Team's Most Valuable Player
Award. SDSU Sports
Clubs Athlete of the Year. SDSU All-Time Scoring
Champion (348 points).
1987 -
Cuervo
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California
1988 -
Cuervo
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California
1989 -
Yogi's
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California
1990 -
Yogi's
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California,
State Runner Up.
1991 -
Yogi's
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-California,
California
State Champions, California Club Attackman of the Year.
1992 -
Yogi's
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California,
Southern California Champions, State Runner Up.
1993 -
Yogi's
Shooters Lacrosse Club, Team's Top Scorer, All-Southern California,
Southern California Champions, State Runner Up.
1994 -
Moondoggies
Lacrosse Club, All-Southern California,
Runner up in Southern California, Team's Top Scorer.
1995 -
Moondoggies
Lacrosse Club, All-Southern California, Top Scorer.
1996 -
Moondoggies
Lacrosse Club , All-Southern California, Top Scorer.
1997 -
Guinness
Lacrosse Club sponsored by Reebok, All-Southern California,
Team Top Goal Scorer, Southern California Champions,
State Runner Up.
1998 -
Guinness
Lacrosse Club sponsored by Reebok, All-Southern California,
Team Top Goal Scorer, Southern California Champions,
State Runner Up.
1999 -
Guinness
Lacrosse Club sponsored by Reebok, All-Southern California,
Team Assist Leader, Southern California Champions,
State Runner Up.
2000 -
Miller High
Life Lacrosse Club sponsored by Reebok. Southern California
Champions, State Runner Up.
2001 -
Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game, Fake Shot Champion.
RETIREMENT FROM CLUB
LACROSSE
2002 -
Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game, Fake Shot Champion.
2003 -
Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game, Fake Shot Champion.
2004
-
SDSU Alumni Game oldest attackman.
2005
- Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game, SDSU Alumni Game.
2006
-
Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game.
2007
-
Great Western
Lacrosse Camp Staff vs Camper Game.
Russ
Olsen's Coaching Statistics
1986 - Head Coach of the Pershing
Lacrosse Club
San Diego County Champions.
10 - 0 record
1987 - Head Coach of Pershing
Lacrosse Club
San Diego County Runner-Up.
(FALL)
9 - 1 record
-
Head Coach at Patrick Henry High School.
(SPRING) 1 - 13 record
1988 - Head Coach of Pershing
Lacrosse
San Diego County Runner-Up.
(FALL)
10 - 1 record
-
Head Coach at Patrick Henry High School.
(SPRING)
7 - 7 record
1989 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School.
8 - 6 record
1990 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School. City Division Champions,
San Diego County Runner-Up.
9 - 4 record
1991 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School. City Division Champions,
San Diego County Runner-Up.
11 - 3 record
1992 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School, City Division Champions,
San Diego County Runner-Up.
11 - 3 record
1993 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School. City Division Champions,
San Diego County Runner-Up.
12 - 4 record
1994 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School. City Division Champions,
San Diego County Runner-Up.
15 - 2 record
1995 - Head Coach at Patrick Henry High
School.
San Diego County Lacrosse League Champions,
California High School lacrosse State
Champions.
18 - 1 record
1996 - President of the San Diego
County Lacrosse Association. (did not coach)
1997 - Head Coach at Serra High School.
Runner up in the San Diego County Lacrosse League,
12 - 3 record
President of the San Diego County
Lacrosse Assn.
1998 - Head Coach at Serra High School.
San Diego County Lacrosse League Champions,
California High School Lacrosse State
Champions,
17 - 0 record
California State "Coach of the Year".
1999 - NOT COACHING.
2000 - Head Coach at Serra High School.
San Diego County Lacrosse League
5 - 8 record
2001 - Head Coach of Novato High
School.
Northern California
Junior Lacrosse League
15 - 6 record
2002 - Head Coach of Novato High
School.
Northern California Junior Lacrosse League
12 - 4 record
2003 - NOT COACHING. NCJLA Referee and
League Scheduler.
2004 - NOT COACHING. NCJLA Referee and
League Scheduler.
2005
- Head Coach of Canyon Crest Academy HS.
7 - 7 record
2006
- Head Coach of Canyon Crest Academy
HS. 18 - 1 - 1 record
2007
- Head Coach of Canyon Crest Academy
HS. 12 - 9 record
Ranked #9 in San Diego
CIF Varsity. Lost in first Round of Play-offs.
2008
- Head Coach of Canyon Crest Academy
HS. 12 - 9 record
Ranked #9 in San Diego
CIF Varsity. Lost in first Round of Play-offs.
***************************************************************
21 YEARS
231
WINS - 91 LOSSES - 1 Tie
.715 Winning Percentage
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Director's Office
Phone: (858) 240-7950
THE ORIGINAL WEST COAST LACROSSE TRAINING
CENTER
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