As the story goes, Jackie Pitts, a member of the U.S. women’s national lacrosse team, was sitting on a hill looking at a 1974 international women’s lacrosse game alongside Maggie Boyd, a former member of the England women’s national team and the founding president of the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations. The conversation was simple: was there enough interest to hold a world tournament for women’s lacrosse?
“She had contacted all the countries that were then playing and said, ‘What do you think? Could this World Cup thing work?’ ” Pitts told USA Lacrosse Magazine. “We ended up deciding that we wanted to have a World Cup, or at least have an international lacrosse association for the promotion of lacrosse, and the first major project was to have the World Cup.”
Pitts would coach the U.S. women’s national side from 1979 to 1987, winning the inaugural 1982 World Cup and winning silver in the second World Cup four years later in suburban Philadelphia.
Pitts died a few days ago, and a lot of legacy and history went with her. She was responsible for advancing the game in several countries, notably Japan and Czechia as well as the United States. She coached and taught physical education at Hockessin Sanford School (Del.) for nearly 60 years, exposing hundreds of young women to the sport.
But it was the vision of Boyd and Pitts which came to fruition, with players from all over the globe, playing in large stadiums, competing for a world title, and developing cross-border friendships that have lasted decades.
I wish she would have had a chance to witness the inaugural Sixes women’s lacrosse tournament at Los Angeles 2028.
