About Us
Background + Mission
Lacrosse in Memphis has been growing steadily over the past 30 years. As the national landscape of lacrosse has rapidly evolved, Memphis athletes have not consistently ascended to the highest levels of the sport as compared to other southeastern cities. Moreover, in recent years, many Memphis athletes have had to seek opportunities outside of Memphis to take the next step in their growth as lacrosse players.
Memphis Lacrosse Academy exists to teach lacrosse, inspire growth, and develop future leaders who will impact their teams, schools, and the world through transformational lacrosse experiences.
Meet Joe Cummings
Coach Cummings is the head lacrosse coach at Memphis University School. He also serves as the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management. Coach Cummings grew up in Baltimore, MD where he attended Loyola Blakefield. He was an Under Armour All-American and USA Lacrosse High School All-American. In college, Coach Cummings was a 2x All-American at the University of Maryland and was named ‘Male Athlete of the Year’ for the Terrapin Athletic program in 2012. He played professionally for three years before ‘retiring’ from lacrosse to focus on teaching and coaching. He has been coaching lacrosse for over a decade and was named USA Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2022 for South Carolina. Coach Cummings and his family moved to Memphis in 2022 to coach at MUS. Coach Cummings is a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College where he earned a Master of Education in Independent School Leadership.
“MLA has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it is something I have spent a tremendous amount of time thinking and praying about. In the end, I believe there’s tremendous freedom when you act according to what you believe. I believe the vision of this program and strategic plan we are unfolding will allow us to close the gap between Memphis and the hot-bed areas across the country. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done, but I truly believe the best is yet to come for lacrosse in Memphis!”
– Joe Cummings
– Joe Cummings
FAQs
Who is MLA's Director?
Joe Cummings
Who are the coaches?
Our coaches consist of current high school coaches who have college level experience as both players and coaches.
Who can be a member?
Memphis Lacrosse Academy provides lacrosse opportunities for players of all abilities and is designed for players in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade living in Memphis, TN and surrounding areas. Opportunities for each grade will vary depending on ability.
What programs do you offer?
Streamlined opportunities including camps, clinics, lessons, travel teams, and sixes leagues.
Where are your programs located?
All programs occur at Memphis University School