Lyndhurst resident Jim Donovan is proud to be among the newest members of the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Donovan is seen here with his wife Maria and sons Campbell and Aiden. Donovan was one of eight people inducted into the Hall of Fame last week.
By Jim Hague
Observer Sports Writer
When Jim Donovan entered Columbia High School in Maplewood in the early 1980s, he knew he wanted to be involved in sports, but he didn’t know which one.
Incredibly, Donovan, now a long-time resident of Lyndhurst, chose lacrosse.
“The high school had a long tradition of lacrosse and I already had a lacrosse stick,” Donovan said.
That’s how a Hall of Fame career began.
As it turned out, Donovan became a member of the Columbia team that won the state championship in 1982. He then went on to play two years of lacrosse at Ashland College in Ohio, then returned to his native New Jersey to play lacrosse at Kean.
“I was an okay player,” Donovan said. “I played club lacrosse until I was 30.”
But Donovan’s biggest contribution to the sport came as a coach and administrator. He got involved as a coach in the youth lacrosse program in Maplewood in 1989.
“It was like a feeder program for the high school,” Donovan said.
Donovan remained involved in youth lacrosse in Maplewood until 2003, when his older son, Campbell, was born.
Donovan was also involved heavily in lacrosse, as the president of the North Jersey Junior Lacrosse League.
“Lacrosse programs were popping up all over the state,” Donovan said. “I was always being asked by a group of fathers here and there how to start a lacrosse league.”
When Donovan started his reign as president, there were 16 youth lacrosse teams in New Jersey.
“Now, we have 20,000 kids from third through eighth grade playing,” Donovan said. “It’s the largest boys’ youth lacrosse league in the country.”
Donovan also helped to get grants from the United States Lacrosse Association to run clinics in areas like Jersey City that are looking to introduce the sport to interested youngsters.
And last year, Donovan brought the sport of lacrosse to Lyndhurst for the first time.
“We have both boys and girls playing, learning lacrosse,” Donovan said. “We have about 40 boys and 30 girls. It’s primarily instructional for now.”
The Lyndhurst lacrosse program had one game against Florham Park and next year, there are plans for as many as five games.
Last week, Donovan’s tireless efforts were rewarded as he was one of eight inductees into the 17th annual New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Donovan received his award at the Mercer Oaks Country Club in Princeton Junction.
“It’s very humbling,” Donovan said. “It was pretty cool to get up in front of all these people that I looked up to admitted, like Mike Cleary, my assistant coach at Kean, Bob Kirko, who has been around the sport forever and Hawley Lawterman, who has been at Kean forever. He was the one who originally gave me the coaching bug.”
Mike Springer, who was a fine player at Don Bosco Prep and later played at Syracuse and professionally in Major League Lacrosse, and Craig Buckley of Fair Lawn were inducted along with Donovan.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Donovan said. “I was in awe. I saw the people in front of me and there were a lot of guys I played with, played against and watched play.”
Donovan received the phone call about his induction a few months ago.
“I have to admit that I was pretty shocked,” Donovan said. “The guy who called me is a good friend of mine and I didn’t believe what he told me. I thought it was a joke, because my friend is a good practical joker.”
But it was true. When the kids in Lyndhurst convene for lacrosse practice in a few months, they can say that they have a Hall of Fame coach.
Donovan has resided in Lyndhurst with his wife, Maria, and sons Campbell and Aidan since 2000. Aidan is an aspiring lacrosse player.
Donovan was asked about the growing popularity of lacrosse.
“I think it’s something new and different,” Donovan said. “We’re giving kids in Lyndhurst the opportunity to try something different. The beautiful thing about lacrosse is once you pick up the stick, you always want to have it with you. Then, you learn to catch and cradle the ball and you want to do it more. The sport keeps growing and growing. It’s very exciting.”
And it’s great for Lyndhurst to have such a decorated coach to teach the youngsters of the township the ins and outs of the sport of lacrosse.
