Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/29/15
From Press Release
The HEADstrong Foundation™ is proud to announce the creation of the HEADstrong Lacrosse Club of South Jersey. This fall, HEADstrong will launch two divisions of the non-profit lacrosse club with locations in Pitman (HLCSJ West) and Absecon, New Jersey (HLCSJ East).
Both programs will initially consist of boy’s teams in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 graduating classes and will begin competing in fall 2015. HEADstrong has empowered Hofstra alum and South Jersey native Brad Loizeaux to lead HLCSJ West while Stockton University Men’s Lacrosse Coach Kevin Zulauf will be at the helm of HLCSJ East.
The new program will operate in a year-round format integrating fall competition, winter skill development sessions, spring community service and summer tournament play. Within the next few weeks both divisions will host open tryouts in effort to build their rosters.
HEADstrong South Jersey plans to take on much more than their opponents as they will be involved with fundraising efforts to help advance the mission of the HEADstrong Foundation™, a 501(c) 3 organization well known in the sport, committed to improving quality of life for cancer patients and their families.
HEADstrong South Jersey West will specifically target players from Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties, while the programs counterpart HEADstrong South Jersey East will target players from Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties. Tryouts are open to all players in the appropriate graduating year.
There will be a $40 tryout fee with proceeds supporting the HEADstrong Foundation™. All players are encouraged to register online in advance. Walk-ups will be accepted however online registration is preferred. All protective gear including mouth guard will be required for tryouts.
HEADstrong South Jersey West – Players from Camden, Gloucester and Salem Counties
Tryout Location: Total Turf Experience located at 614 Lambs Rd, Pitman, NJ 08071
Register Today for South Jersey West
Class of 2022 (6th grade): Sunday, August 30, 2015
11:30AM-1:00PM, Check-in will begin at 11AM in the athletic field parking lot.
Class of 2021 (7th grade): Sunday, August 30, 2015
1PM-2:30PM, Check-in will begin at 12:30PM in the athletic field parking lot.
Class of 2020 (8th grade): Sunday, August 30, 2015
2:30AM-4PM, Check-in will begin at 2PM in the athletic field parking lot.
A secondary tryout will be held on Sunday, September 13th if necessary (Rain Date)
HEADstrong South Jersey East – Players from Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland Counties
Tryout Location: Stockton University Multipurpose Athletic Field located on Pomona Road, Route 575 Absecon, NJ, 08201
Register Today for South Jersey East
Class of 2022 (6th grade): Sunday, September 13, 2015
8AM-9:30AM, Check-in will begin at 7:30AM in the athletic field parking lot.
Class of 2021 (7th grade): Sunday, September 13, 2015
9:30AM-11AM, Check-in will begin at 9AM in the athletic field parking lot.
Class of 2020 (8th grade): Sunday, September 13, 2015
11AM-12:30AM, Check-in will begin at 10:30AM in the athletic field parking lot.
A secondary tryout will be held on Sunday, September 20th if necessary (Rain Date)
Having played at Hofstra University, Nick Colleluori’s legacy deeply resonates with HLCSJ West General Manager Brad Loizeaux. Upon returning to his hometown, Loizeaux was determined to get involved with the game, focusing his attention on elevating the level of play and accessibility to the sport in the region.
Loizeaux played two years of high school lacrosse at South Jersey’s Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill before transferring to Wilmington’s Tatnall School where he was named captain of both the boy’s ice hockey and lacrosse teams. While attending Hofstra, Loizeaux was heavily involved with the HEADstrong Foundation and was named captain of Pride in 2013, awarded the CAA Commissioner’s Award as well as achieving Honor Roll. Loizeaux is incredibly enthusiastic about being selected to spearhead the HLCSJ West program.
“As a member of the Hofstra Pride and former teammate of Michael Colleluori and I witnessed the legacy of Nick Colleluori hard at work and continue to be inspired by his courageous battle. I experienced the selflessness and relentlessness of the Colleluori family and it is the upmost honor to return to my hometown to lead the HEADstrong charge in South Jersey. My hope is to energize the South Jersey lacrosse community, providing an unparalleled experience focused on developing the highest caliber athletes while teaching players the importance of sportsmanship, community service and giving back to the community and to the game. I look forward to sharing Nick’s life lessons and empowering those to take the field for the cause.” – Brad Loizeaux
Stockton University Men’s Lacrosse head coach Kevin Zulauf continues to be an ambassador in the sport for the HEADstrong Foundation.
Annually, Zulauf has his Osprey’s involved with fundraising initiatives to support the organization and participates in the Nicholas Colleluori Classic held each October. As a coach, Zulauf strongly believes in the importance of being relentless both on and off the playing field and each year members of the Stockton Men’s Lacrosse Team register to be part of the National Bone Marrow Registry.
In recent years, two of his players were successfully matched with patients and underwent procedures to potentially save their lives. Like Loizeaux, Zulauf has witnessed the explosion in game’s popularity in the market and realized that a lack of available localized resources, accessibility to instruction and experienced coaching has hindered the growth of the game at the Jersey shore points.
As a Stockton lacrosse alum now entering his 6th year as head coach for the Ospreys, Zulauf embraced the concept of developing an instructional based, competitive chapter of the HEADstrong lacrosse club on the campus of Stockton University in effort to grow the game and further the mission.
“It is a great privilege to be able to serve the HEADstrong mission while giving back to the lacrosse community through the launch of the HEADstrong Lacrosse Club of South Jersey. As the General Manager of HLCSJ East my hope is to foster the growth of the sport and elevate the level of play here in South Jersey. We are going to provide an incredible opportunity for athletes to learn the game, transition into confident and well-rounded students while making a real difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. We are thrilled to share our knowledge of the sport and provide a local outlet for youth lacrosse players to compete for a higher purpose.” – Kevin Zulauf, HLCSJ East GM
“We are very proud and excited to welcome both divisions of HEADstrong South Jersey to our family and look forward to furthering our mission through their achievements on the field and in the community. It is so heartwarming to know that our Nick’s vision continues to take flight and that both coaches and players felt inspired by our efforts to start a team with a higher purpose. We continue to be heavily involved with the South Jersey cancer community and the HEADstrong Lacrosse Club will allow us to strengthen our commitment to those dealing with the harsh realities of cancer. We wish to thank Brad Loizeaux and Kevin Zulauf for their relentlessness in getting these new programs established. We are so proud to have partners helping to advance our mission in South Jersey.” — Cheryl Colleluori, HEADstrong President and Nick’s Mom