“This is the [same] idea as the McDonald?s All-American [basketball] game,” said Gait, while at Towson University. “I think it is the right time. Lacrosse is finally at a state where you can find competitive teams from North and South and East and West.”

“I give full credit to the selection process to the experts, and that is Inside Lacrosse. They did the homework, they pulled it all together and it made it easy,” Gait added.

Gait and Kim Simmons, the current co-head coach at Bryn Mawr and former Georgetown women?s coach, chaired the men?s and women?s selection committees, respectively.

“My involvement goes back to my relationship with Under Armour, working with Kevin [Plank] and Under Armour since they first started getting involved with lacrosse,” Gait said. “I am just the guy that represents the committee and makes sure we get the right group of guys.”

Currently, Gait is the coach of an indoor lacrosse team, the Colorado Mammoth, the 2005 champions of the National Lacrosse League. He also runs club tournaments across the country and will be having a national high school club championship tournament in early August in Gettysburg, Pa.

“They are the best high school kids in the country playing together, it is awesome,” Gait said.

Katelyn Strasdauskas is headed to the University of Virginia next year and shares Gait?s take on the game. “It was a great opportunity, getting the people around the area that have the same love of lacrosse,” said Strasdauskas, a recent graduate of the John Carroll School.

“It gives recognition to people that worked hard and loved the game,” Strasdauskas said. She scored one goal for the girls south team.

Severna Park goalie Michael Gvozden put the tournament in perspective after the boys all-American Game.

“This is something I won?t forget, because you will never look out on the field [again] and realize that every player on the field is the best in the country,” said Gvozden, who was named the South team MVP.