Nine lacrosse legends — Ryan Boyle, Charlie Coker, Kara Ariza Cooke, Rachael Becker DeCecco, Sarah Forbes, Cathy Reese, Paul Schimoler, Richard Speckmann and Matt Striebel — will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Oct. 19 at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md. These are their stories.
It never hurts to be surrounded by good people.
That’s one of the hallmarks of Kara Ariza Cooke’s Hall of Fame lacrosse journey. She’s capitalized on some great guidance throughout her career from some of the game’s best.
The pipeline started soon after Ariza Cooke, who grew up just outside Philadelphia, began playing the sport in seventh grade. By ninth grade, she had joined the varsity team at Penn Wood High School in Lansdowne and was being coached by Kathleen Geiger, a U.S. National Team player and future Hall of Fame member who was still early in her coaching career.
Recognizing Ariza Cooke’s athleticism and footwork, developed in part from her basketball background, Geiger crafted her into a dominating defender.
“As a coach, you know when you have a player who can do anything you need,” Geiger said. “Her skills transferred over well to playing defense in lacrosse. She could cover the whole field.”
A former Temple All-American, Geiger yielded a significant influence on her younger protégé.
“She helped me fall in love with lacrosse,” said Ariza Cooke, who earned high school All-America honors in both 1993 and 1994. “I always thought I was going to play soccer in college. Kathleen changed that.”
Eventually, Ariza Cooke settled on playing two sports in college, committing to field hockey and lacrosse while leaving soccer and basketball behind.
Virginia’s Hall of Famer Jane Miller, one of the coaches recruiting Ariza Cooke, encouraged her to play both sports in college. That made the decision to head to Charlottesville an easy one.
“I was fortunate to have options, but UVA was open to letting me play both sports and had several other two-sport athletes,” Ariza Cooke said. “It felt right.”
Miller ended up coaching Ariza Cooke for just one year, moving from the sidelines into full-time administration following the 1995 season. But fortune shined again as Julie Myers, who would become one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, moved from assistant to head coach in Ariza Cooke’s sophomore season.
In addition, two Team USA standouts and future Hall of Famers, Jess Wilk and Heather Dow, who own a combined eight gold medals, served as assistant coaches for Ariza Cooke.
“I have been extremely fortunate to have Hall of Famers surrounding me at every turn,” she said.
Ariza Cooke became a three-time lacrosse All-American for the Cavaliers and helped lead Virginia to national runner-up finishes in both 1996 and 1998. She twice earned a spot on the NCAA’s All-Tournament team.
“We had a championship mindset every year,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.”
Ariza Cooke was one of 55 players named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2002. Her collegiate success also opened opportunities for her on the international stage.
After trying out for Team USA in 1997 and missing out on making the squad, she returned to the tryouts in both 2001 and 2005 and earned a spot on the final roster. Ariza Cooke helped the U.S. claim gold in the 2001 World Championship, and the silver medal in 2005.
“I saw the U.S. National team as being the next step for me, the next goal to accomplish,” she said.
Ariza Cooke says that playing for her country, with and against the best players in the world, was the pinnacle of her lacrosse career.
“It added another layer that’s hard to describe,” she said. “I was inspired to play because it truly feels like you’re playing for more than yourself.”
Those that helped shape her career were still at her side and witnesses as Ariza Cooke reached her full potential.
“She was a great shot blocker and great one-on-one defender,” said Wilk, who played with Ariza Cooke on the 2001 and 2005 World Cup teams. “She could play at both ends of the field, but as a goalie, I always appreciated her defensive contributions. She brought a lot of positive energy every day.”
Geiger was a member of the 2001 Team USA support staff and recognized Ariza Cooke’s hard work and commitment to improving as a player.
“Seeing her go from being a 12-year-old girl who loves soccer to a world-class player was awesome,” Geiger said. “She went from being in awe of those players to being one of them.”
Ariza Cooke is quick to acknowledge the support that has now put the exclamation mark on her career with selection to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
“I’m beyond fortunate because of the people I’ve had around me,” she said. “I was surrounded by strong women who were making changes in the world. And now, they are my lifelong friends.”