SURREY, ENGLAND – Israel midfielder Sarah Meisenberg has been honored by the Federation of International Lacrosse with the Heart of Lacrosse Award, for her dedication, leadership, and outstanding contributions to the development of the sport in Israel.
Since making Aliyah in 2013, Meisenberg has been tirelessly dedicated to developing girls lacrosse throughout Israel, creating youth programs and cultivating athletes, including several of her teammates who competed on the Israel women’s national team for the first time at the FIL Women’s World Cup this year. Sarah also helped facilitate the inclusion of U-19 girls lacrosse at the Maccabiah Games — the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition featuring 10,000 athletes — this summer. The girls lacrosse competition marked the debut of lacrosse in any form in the Games.
Meisenberg, who currently resides in Ashkelon, has played an integral role on the Women’s national team — she’s appeared in every game for the blue-and-white since the program’s inception in 2012, through the 2013 FIL Women’s World Cup, before captaining Team Israel at the 2015 European Championships and the 2017 World Cup.
Earlier this month, Ashdod LC head coach Arnie Mazer was honored by the European Lacrosse Federation with the Spirit of Lacrosse Award.
Mazer, a regular Israel masters player who is based in Tel Aviv, helped create the Bill Mazer Lacrosse Scholarship earlier this year to support the development of emerging Israeli athletes who have been identified as strong prospects to succeed in the box game. Mazer currently serves as head coach of Ashdod LC in the Israel Premier Lacrosse League (IPLL).