Updated: Lacrosse Working toward Inclusion at the 2028 Olympics
A resident of Sudbury, Massachusetts, Michael Koenig is an experienced tech-based sales professional who most recently served as a regional vice president with Gartner. Prior to living in Sudbury, Michael Koenig attended Hobart College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was a member of the school’s JV lacrosse team.
Although lacrosse was played at the 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games and as a demonstration sport in 1928, 1932, and 1948, it has since been absent from the Olympic program. However, there is a grassroots movement to have the sport approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The IOC is already committed to testing new sports at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as it will reintroduce baseball and softball and welcome karate, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. The sport’s supporters, meanwhile, are anticipating IOC recognition for lacrosse later this year, and it has already been accepted as a sport by the World Games, which has added it to its 2021 event in Birmingham, Alabama.
Moreover, the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency policies and joined Sport Accord in hopes of earning IOC recognition and, eventually, Olympic inclusion. The FIL also hired Jim Scherr, who has spoken openly about the organization’s desire to see lacrosse competition held on the biggest international stage.
It’s February which means the college season is once again starting in full force. Who will be the next set of champions to represent the United States in a future Olympiad!
