During the winter of 1966, a group of faculty and students who were seeking an alternative to basketball started an intramural lacrosse program. The Thacher Notes explained that while that first season “served mainly to muddy the pants and fill the time of the team’s members,” the boys fell in love with the sport. One year later, Thacher’s team joined newly formed teams from Cate and Ojai Valley School and competed in California’s first interscholastic lacrosse games.
Depending on numbers, Thacher fields up to three boys’ lacrosse teams (Freshman, JV and Varsity) offering expert instruction and challenging competition for players of all levels, from those who have never picked up a stick before to those preparing to continue their careers in college. Each year, Thacher’s Varsity team puts together an independent schedule that includes many of the best team in the Southern Section of the CIF. In recent seasons, Thacher’s teams have enjoyed great success at all levels, and many players have extended their lacrosse playing days beyond high school to join the teams at colleges including Colby, Colgate, Dartmouth, Brown, Georgetown, Kenyon, MIT, Pomona, Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Montana, and the US Naval Academy.
Tim Sullivan arrived at Thacher in the fall of 2013 and his first full season as Head Coach of the boys lacrosse program began in the spring of 2014. Coach Sullivan brings a wealth of lacrosse experience at the highest levels of high school and collegiate competition. Prior to his arrival at Thacher, Coach Sullivan spent 8 years as defensive coordinator at his high school alma mater, Loyola Blakefield, a perennial powerhouse in Baltimore's vaunted MIAA Conference. During his tenure at Loyola, his team won three MIAA Championships (2007, 2008, 2013). Coach Sullivan was named the 2010 MIAA Assistant Coach of the Year, and many of his players have gone on to successful careers at top college lacrosse programs, including Duke, Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Virginia, Harvard, Penn, and Villanova. Prior to coaching at Loyola, Sullivan enjoyed a successful career as a defenseman at Princeton University under Hall of Fame coach Bill Tierney. During his four years at Princeton, Sullivan played in two Final Fours and was recognized as both a member of the 2004 NCAA All-Tournament Team and as a 2005 All-Ivy performer.
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.