PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Donna Rose, the mother of Salem lacrosse head coach Emma Rose, has been posthumously selected as this year's winner of the US Lacrosse Homer R. Schwartz Chapter Leadership Award. Rose, a strong lacrosse advocate who served for over 10 years in multiple leadership roles with the South Florida Chapter of US Lacrosse, was nominated for the award by fellow members of the South Florida Chapter.
Rose became the seventh recipient of the award, which was created in 2014 to recognize a US Lacrosse chapter leader who embodies the same qualities of passion and dedication that Homer provided as a longtime US Lacrosse chapter volunteer.
As part of the South Florida Chapter's leadership team, Rose served as secretary of the executive board and later, as the chapter's diversity & inclusion chair. She was founder of South Florida's first Urban Lacrosse Alliance team, providing lacrosse opportunities to underserved students.
In addition, Rose planned and coordinated the chapter's All-American banquets, and assisted in the chapter's grant process. She also coordinated coaches and officials' certification clinics, and secured US Lacrosse Soft Stick Grants to help introduce lacrosse as part of the physical education curriculum in Broward County schools.
Apart from her official duties with the South Florida Chapter, Rose worked continuously to help grow the game throughout the region. She is credited as being the catalyst in establishing eight high school programs, three middle school programs, three club programs and one youth program. She often coached these teams when no other coaches could be found.
Salem's Emma Rose has followed in her mother's as a service member in the Winston-Salem and Triad lacrosse community. Rose conducts several lacrosse camps and clinics in the area, in addition to working with recently established high school lacrosse programs in the Triad.
Additionally, Emma Rose worked with Fields of Growth International, serving as a blogger for the World Lacrosse Foundation in Kampala, Uganda, Africa in May 2016. In that position she taught lacrosse and various team sports at the Hopeful School. Along with organizing events, she also conducted repairs and maintenance at the school.
"I approach being active in lacrosse as not continuing my mothers work, but continuing the commitment to the community," said Emma Rose. "Additionally, I can help elevate young women, which my family has done for years, and I am honored to be a part of the tradition doing such passion-driven work."
Previous winners of the Homer R. Schwartz Award
2014: Jim Old, Hampton Roads Chapter
2014: Tamara Boots (posthumous), St. Louis Chapter
2015: Harry Jacobs, Long Island Metro Chapter
2016: Don Aiello, Northern California Chapter
2017: Clark Bell, Michigan Chapter
2018: Scott Growney, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter