Made with Xara

                                                                           Sandy Walker   Born in Philadelphia, PA    May 11, 1952   Middle child of 5 (the troublemaker). Raised in Wayne, PA Went to Radnor Junior High School, with Sally Wilson Owen;  taught Home Economics by Sally’s mother, Jane Wilson.  Sally and I played lacrosse together in 8th and 9th Grade, coached by Mrs. Marge McCone.  Sally played goalie and I played 2nd Home.  Sally could catch, and therefore save, and would then pass the ball to me, and when our coach said to go down and score, I would because I could catch Sally’s long lobs, and outrun everyone to the goal.  After we would get ahead, we would let others pass and shoot, but if we needed to score again, Mrs. McCone would tell Sally to pass to me and for me to score.  I think that Sally had the record for saves and assists as goalkeeper.  I would venture to say that no other goalie in the history of women’s lacrosse could claim that combination of saves and assists.   Radnor Junior High was undefeated those years. That was also when I also started working for Mrs. Jen Shillingford (former US Field Hockey goalkeeper, then President of USWLA, and USFHA, Chair of the Department at Bryn Mawr College, NCAA Committee member and member of International Olympic Committee) who lived across the street from me in Wayne and ran the Philadelphia Lacrosse Camps with Sue Lubking.  I believe that PLC taught more than 50,000 girls how to play lacrosse over their 25-year history.  Jen Shillingford went on to run Merestead, Vermont, where I also worked, picking up balls, and fixing plumbing, and waitressing, or whatever else I was called to do.  I credit Marge McCone and Jen Shillingford for giving me a great start in lacrosse.   I came to understand what a great privilege it was to be coached and mentored by those great souls early on in my lacrosse playing days.  They set the standard for me both in terms of expectations, seeing what was possible, learning how to reach for it and most importantly good sportsmanship.   I went on to play lacrosse at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, where Ms. Margo Cunningham (a former US Field Hockey player) coached me.  I played 2nd Home and we were undefeated my senior year, which was a big deal for Baldwin, which was known more for its gifted intellectuals than its gifted athletes.  I graduated from Baldwin in 1970 at the top of my game, or so I thought, and thinking that I would always play lacrosse and always 2nd home.   Then I went to Wilson College, in Chambersburg PA, where the 2nd Home was already on the US team…hmmmm…none other than Connie Burgess Lanzl, Class of 1972.   So I switched positions to left defense wing, of course. And played collegiate lacrosse for Wilson for 4 years (graduating in 1974), but also Central Penn Association, South District and the US Squad.  I made the US Squad in 1971, US Reserves in 1972, and US Team in 1973 and 74.  In 1974, I was named to the US Touring Team that went to Great Britain tour in 1975.     In 1972, I was on the South team, along with Connie Lanzl, when we beat Philadelphia for the first time ever, and then never again.   The National Tournament was at Dickinson College.  Connie’s mother and mine came to the games, and cheered us on at the sidelines in the pouring rain.   They were there without adequate rain gear, so ended up putting on big brown trash bags for protection.  It was a hysterical sight to see those two unabashed fans on the sidelines, and that image remains as vivid as if it were today. My coach was Kathy Heinze for Central Penn, South and US Squad. Kathy is one of those people who profoundly impacted my life. I could not overstate her influence on my lacrosse, but it goes way beyond lacrosse. And she is one of the few people who to this day, 32 years later, I will still do whatever it is that she tells/asks me to do (and much to my mother’s chagrin, my mother is not in that group). I retired from playing lacrosse after the 1975 tour due to two bum knees, torn lateral meniscus that two surgeries bought me time to get through the tour, but did not fix. Subsequently I went on to sit on the US Selection Committee, and qualified as a District Umpire for a few more years while in the East. .                                                                                   NEXT