FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENEW YORK—The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) has appointed Rob Gross, of Buffalo, N.Y., as chair of education and training. Gross will head a newly created committee responsible for coordinating training and development for men’s and women’s officials and coaches.
Rob Gross
“I am grateful to FIL Technical Director Don Blacklock, and the entire FIL leadership for their confidence. I am looking forward to the challenge, and I’m excited about the possibilities.”
— Rob Gross, FIL education and training committee chair
Gross, 47, said he is enthusiastic about the new role. “I am honored to have been selected for this opportunity. I am grateful to FIL Technical Director Don Blacklock, and the entire FIL leadership for their confidence. I am looking forward to the challenge, and I’m excited about the possibilities.”
As a men’s official, Gross has been on the field for several major FIL events including the Under-19 World Championship (2008), the FIL World Championship (2010), and the FIL Indoor World Championship (2011). He also officiated the European Lacrosse Federation (ELF) Field (2012) and Indoor Championships (2017). He is an official for the NCAA, Major League Lacrosse and National Lacrosse League. Gross has officiated four New York state high school championship games.
In addition to his field experience, Gross is a US Lacrosse certified trainer and observer and a clinician for the Lacrosse Referee Development program (LAREDO). He was the US Lacrosse international officials’ representative from 2012-2016 and was the lead clinician for the first international LAREDO training in Denver, Colo. in 2014. He was named referee-in chief for the 2016 European Lacrosse Federation (ELF) field championship.
As a coach, Gross’s 25 years of experience extends beyond lacrosse. He has served 12 years as a head coach of American football at the high school level and three as an assistant at the college level. He also has coached basketball.
Don Blacklock
“I’m truly excited that we have appointed Rob in this new role,” Blacklock said. “Rob has a wealth of knowledge as an educator, coach and official in lacrosse and other sports. I am confident that he will have a big impact on how we educate and train our key stakeholders in the game. Rob will initially focus on officiating and then concentrate looking at other opportunities across the organization to develop and improve our education and training at the FIL.”
Gross has a B.S. in broadcast journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and an M.A. in secondary education from Canisius College. He is in his 19th year as a teacher of English language arts and journalism at the high school level for the Lancaster Central School District in Lancaster, NY.
Gross lives in Buffalo, N.Y. with his wife, Ann Peterson.
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For more information contact: Don Blacklock, FIL Technical Director, at Don Blacklock.
