Anyone who’s ever known Brooks Sweet in the context of lacrosse can attest to what he means to the sport. In 2008, when Sweet and I attended US Lacrosse Convention in Philadelphia together, we literally couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without somebody stopping to chat with him. It was crazy. I felt like I was with a Hollywood celebrity.

And in our industry that’s exactly who Sweet is, an inspiring figure to many.

I first met Brooksy, as he’s called, in 2007, when he was a sales executive for STX Lacrosse showcasing new equipment to the Poly Prep School in Brooklyn, N.Y., where I was coaching part-time. Being a provincial, New York–raised fan of Syracuse lacrosse greats such as the Gaits and the Powell brothers, I didn’t know who Brooksy was.

Dan Mirsky, the school’s head coach, nudged my elbow. “That guy over there is Brooks Sweet,” he said, “a big-time All-American at UMass and member of Team USA in 1982.” That got my attention.

Later that year, Brooksy became head coach at Poly Prep, and I was promoted to be his assistant in charge of defensive personnel and goalie development. I saw the opportunity as a way to help Brooksy fill in the gap and understand kids from the urban environment of NYC. That working relationship became the foundation to fully learn the game from one of the greats to have ever played it.

Unlike me, Brooksy was a country kid. A native of central New York, he was a standout player at Ithaca High School. He then spent two years playing at the junior college level at SUNY Farmingdale on Long Island, where he was a junior college All-American in 1976 and 1977.  Soon after, he went to UMass, where he became an All-American in 1979, led the nation with 61 goals and represented UMass in the USILA North-South All-Star game his senior year.

In 1982, Sweet starred for the U.S. national team that won the gold medal over Australia in Baltimore. He scored seven goals in Team USA’s 22-14 gold medal win over Australia, earning All-World honors and being named the world championship’s most outstanding attackman. “I had the game of my life,” he said.

After a brief stint playing and coaching lacrosse overseas in Australia, Brooksy became one of the youngest head coaches in Division I when he landed the job at Boston College. His coaching style was very direct. Brooksy demanded that his players get better during each practice and game.

Sweet brought the same mentality to Poly Prep when he arrived in 2008. It was exactly what we needed to become the team to beat in our league. During one particular practice, after the offense wasn’t executing a play from his clipboard, Brooksy ran into the locker room and returned onto the field with a helmet, stick and pads on. The sight may have been funny at first, but when the ball was in his stick, he made sure his lesson plan was fully grasped. It was inspiring to witness the demonstration.

John Moser, a former Poly Prep parent and current CEO of CityLax, said of Brooksy, “He came to Poly Prep and everything changed. He brought an enthusiasm and expertise that changed my son’s lives.”

The once-overlooked Poly Prep program emerged with winning seasons each year and a New York state title in 2011.

“That year, Poly Prep played a level of lacrosse that had not been seen in the NYC Ivy League before,” Moser said.

"Throw the ball to Brooks. You're bound to get an assist."—@UMassMLacrosse and #USAMLAX legend Brooks Sweet. Story: https://t.co/mXTvcLRE9e pic.twitter.com/HN4SrRD9EB

— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) September 22, 2017

During one NCAA championship weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., I met Sweet’s former UMass teammates and roommates, Peter Schmitz and Harry Conforti. They told some great stories.

“Brooksy, a diabetic, was in a insulin-induced semi-conscious state prior to a game against Williams,” Schmitz said. “After the necessary insulin adjustments, Brooksy lit up the scoreboard with seven goals and no ill effects.”

There’s that number again. Seven.

“It seemed like everything was going right for him that night,” Conforti said of Sweet’s seven-goal performance a few years later in the world championship.

Sixteen of the 23 players on that U.S. team are in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Sweet will become the 17th when he is inducted Saturday in a ceremony hosted by US Lacrosse at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.

Bill Beroza, Team USA’s Hall of Fame goalie, joked about Sweet’s penchant for putting the ball in the back of the net. “He’s a goal scorer, not an assist man,” Beroza said.

At one of our earliest meetings over dinner during our first year of coaching together, I showed Brooksy a personal portfolio of 25 lacrosse-themed drawings and asked for his feedback. His response was very positive. That first set of artwork eventually became what is now my business, The Art of Lax. I also asked him that night if I could do a drawing of him in his Team USA uniform, because he was the most famous lacrosse player I knew on a personal level.

After finishing the piece, titled “Brooks Sweet: Player of the World,” I made a few reproduction prints and asked Brooksy to sign mine.

“Your name could be in the Hall of Fame one day,” I told him.

Sweet already had been enshrined in the New England lacrosse, NJCAA lacrosse and UMass athletics halls of fame.  He responded with his sharp, central New York accent, “I sure don’t know if I’ll ever be in the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, but I’ll definitely sign one for yah, partner.”

Eight years later, it’s official. Congrats on your Hall of Fame induction, Brooksy. You most certainly deserve it.

Doug Knight, Leslie Blankin Lane, Jim McDonald, Laurette Payette, Casey Powell, Jill Johnson Redfern, Brooks Sweet, Robyn Nye Wood and Don Zimmerman will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in a black tie-optional ceremony Sept. 23 at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md. For more information, visit uslacrosse.org/hof.