Awards

Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence

On May 12, 2016, the TXLOA bestowed upon coach Sam Chambers of St. John's School an award named after him called the "Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence."

The wording on the plaque is as follows:

The Texas Lacrosse Officials Association (TXLOA) is honored to name its sportsmanship and coaching excellence award after Coach Sam Chambers of St. John's School.   This honor will be awarded annually by vote of TXLOA officials to a deserving lacrosse coach in Texas who has exhibited the highest standards of sportsmanship and coaching excellence both on and off the field and whose players have honored the sport of lacrosse by playing the game with the same highest standards of sportsmanship.

The members of TXLOA will conduct a vote each year to name the recipient(s) of the award.   The winners name, program, and year will be added to the large permanent plaque kept on display.

Announcement (4/17/2024)

Each year, the TXLOA by vote of the lacrosse officials selects a deserving lacrosse coach to receive an award that reflects the dual aspirations of team excellence and good sportsmanship.  This year, the TXLOA has chosen two deserving coaches instead of just one.   The TXLOA proudly awards the 2024 Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence to both the men's varsity head coach Mike Donnelly (Episcopal High School) and to the men's varsity head coach Nick Ignatiev (Bellaire Men's Lacrosse).   Congratulations, coach Mike and coach Nick on your selections as the 2024 recipients of this prestigious award.   Keep up the great work.

In the picture above from left to right: Blair Baroni (TXLOA senior official), Nick Ignatiev (Bellaire Head Coach), Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President), and Javier Garcia (TXLOA board member).  Picture was taken on May 27, 2024, at Bellaire High School for the Bellaire vs. Hawaii Preparatory Academy lacrosse game.

In the picture above from left to right: Drew Hewitt (TXLOA President-Elect), Mike Donnelly (Episcopal Head Coach), and Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President).  Picture was taken on May 17, 2024, at a post-season get-together of friends and colleagues at Little Woodrow's Bellaire.

Announcement (5/05/2024)

On May 5, 2024, the Patterson Award was conferred upon the boys' lacrosse program of St. Thomas High School.   Each year, the Texas High School Lacrosse League and the four Lacrosse Officials Associations in Texas (Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio) award one high school lacrosse program the Patterson Award, which is named in honor of Bob Patterson, former president and chief referee of the Southwest Lacrosse Officials Association.   The Patterson Award is selected by lacrosse officials and awarded to a men’s high school program for its “sportsmanship, quality of play, and honor brought to the sport.”  Congratulations to the entire St. Thomas lacrosse program (players, coaches, fans, and administrators) on your selection as the 2024 recipient of this prestigious statewide award.   Pictured below from left to right: Hayden Powers (St. Thomas head coach), Tim Bohdan (TXLOA president), and Jack Hundley (St. Thomas assistant coach).

Announcement (3/27/2023)

Each year, the TXLOA by vote of the lacrosse officials selects one deserving lacrosse coach to receive an award that reflects the dual aspirations of team excellence and good sportsmanship.   The TXLOA proudly awards the 2023 Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence to men's Varsity head coach Jim Warner of Clear Springs Lacrosse.   Congratulations, Coach Warner on your selection as the 2023 recipient of this prestigious award.   Keep up the great work.  Pictured below from left to right: Javier Garcia (TXLOA board member, Jim Warner (Clear Springs Lacrosse head coach), and Tim Bohdan (TXLOA president).

Announcement (4/12/2022)

Each year, the TXLOA by vote of the lacrosse officials selects one deserving lacrosse coach to receive an award that reflects the dual aspirations of team excellence and good sportsmanship.   The TXLOA proudly awards the 2022 Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence to men's JV head coach Mark Machado of The Kinkaid School.   Congratulations, Coach Machado on your selection as the 2022 recipient of this prestigious award.   Keep up the great work.

2022: Selective people identified in the picture above taken at the final JV game of the season on 4/19/2022: White long shirt/slacks - Chad Muir (Kinkaid parent and the 2021 winner of the award); Official standing - Javier Garcia (TXLOA board member); Official kneeling and holding the small plaque - Tim Bohdan (TXLOA president); Coach holding the large plaque and surrounded by his players - Mark Machado (Kinkaid JV Head Coach).

2021: Pictured left to right: Javier Garcia (TXLOA board member), Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President), Chad Muir (HYLAX), Drew Hewitt (TXLOA member).

Announcement (4/30/2020)

Each year, the TXLOA by vote of the lacrosse officials selects one deserving coach to receive an award that reflects the dual aspirations of team excellence and good sportsmanship.   The TXLOA proudly awards the 2020 Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence to boys' varsity head coach Michael Centra of The Kinkaid School.   Congratulations, Coach Centra on your selection as the 2020 recipient of this prestigious award.   Keep up the great work.

2020: Pictured left to right: Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President), Michael Centra (Head Coach, The Kinkaid School boys' varsity lacrosse and overall lacrosse program director).

Announcement (4/13/2019)

The TXLOA is proud to announce head coach Kevin Anderson of Strake Jesuit and head coach Tim Hilbe of Travis as co-winners of the 2019 Sam Chambers Award for Sportsmanship and Coaching Excellence.    The officials were unable to break the tie between the two top vote-getters, and the officials decided to declare two winners of the award.   The great sportsmanship and leadership exemplified by these two stellar coaches of lacrosse has been duly noted by those who officiate the game.   The officials of TXLOA are honored to confer this award on two such deserving recipients.   Keep up the great work, and congratulations to both of you!

2019: Pictured left to right: Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President), Tim Hilbe (Head Coach, Travis High School boys' varsity lacrosse).

2018: Pictured left-to-right: Michael Marcotte (TXLOA President), Brendan Hunt (Head Coach, Langham Creek Lobos Lacrosse), Tim Bohdan (TXLOA Secretary).   Photo taken on 4/22/2018 before the start of the THSLL Division-2 South City Championship Game, which was played at Rice University's soccer stadium.   The second picture shows a closeup photo of both plaques.

Patterson Award for the THSLL Program That Brings Honor to the Game

In 2020, the Patterson Award was conferred upon Atascocita Lacrosse.   Due to the shortened season, the award was given a bit late in the year due to the COVID pandemic, which prevented folks from gathering in the same physical location.   Congratulations to Atascocita Lacrosse.

Left to Right: Mike Alsobrooks (TXLOA Vice President), Tim Bohdan (TXLOA President), Taylor Brooks (Atascocita Head Coach), Heather Archer (Incoming Atascocita Club President), Kim Brusnahan (Outgoing Atascocita Club President).

On May 12, 2019, the Patterson Award was given to Strake Jesuit College Preparatory on behalf of the officials and the leadership of THSLL.   Each year, the Texas High School Lacrosse League and the four Lacrosse Officials Associations in Texas award one high school lacrosse program the Patterson Award, which is named in honor of Bob Patterson, former president and chief referee of the Southwest Lacrosse Officials Association.   The Patterson Award is selected by lacrosse officials and awarded to a men’s high school program for its “sportsmanship, quality of play, and honor brought to the sport.”

The 2019 winner was Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, which hails from the Texas High School Lacrosse League’s South Division in Houston.   This selection was based on Strake’s many years of excellence, both on and off the field, its administration, its wonderful treatment of officials, its classy fan base, its role model coaches, and its outstanding student athlete players, some of whom have graduated and come back to coach other lacrosse programs.   Strake Jesuit has long been a role model institution and a “class act.”   The Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) and the Texas Lacrosse Officials Association (TXLOA) is proud to announce Strake Jesuit as the winner of the 2019 Patterson Award.   Accepting the award on behalf of Strake Jesuit is Kevin Anderson, Varsity Boys' Lacrosse Head Coach.   Congratulations to the entire Strake Jesuit program.

Left to right: Mike Ormsby (Vice Commissioner of THSLL), Joe Donoghue (Commissioner of THSLL), Kevin Anderson (Varsity Head Coach of Strake Jesuit), Tim Bohdan (President of TXLOA), and Ken Singer (Senior Official of CTLOA).

Kevin Anderson (Strake Jesuit Head Coach) receiving the 2019 Patterson Award from Tim Bohdan (President of TXLOA), in McKinney, Texas, at the THSLL State Championship Finals on May 12, 2019.  A closeup picture of the Patterson Award trophy is shown below: