In the summer of 2007, Josh Blumenthal was playing an exhibition lacrosse game against the Bermuda National Men’s Lacrosse Team. His team struggled to generate offense, and Blumenthal found himself talking to Bermuda’s goalie.

Blumenthal, the 2006 Miam-Dade County Coach of the Year, was coaching lacrosse at the Palmer Trinity School, a prep program in Miami, and one of his players was of Bermudian descent. Blumenthal asked about connecting this player with Bermuda’s team.

As it happened, Bermuda needed coaches for its Under-19 program, so in the summer of 2008 Blumenthal—who was a member of the URI club team that won a Pioneer League championship—became an associate head coach for Bermuda’s coach, Steve Michel. In addition, two of Blumenthal’s Palmer Trinity players joined Bermuda’s team.

Last July, the team competed at the 2008 International Lacrosse Federation Under-19 World Lacrosse Championships in British Columbia, Canada. The fledging program did well, tying for second place in its division and finishing 10th overall.

Blumenthal will again be an assistant with Bermuda at the 2010 ILF World Championships in Manchester, England. “Coaching is always a lot of fun, but doing it at the international level is the most unique experience I’ve ever had in lacrosse,” he said.

Blumenthal is now an assistant coach on Coach Gordon Purdie’s staff with Division II Adelphi University. Purdie was Blumenthal’s prep school coach, and he and Scott Shemenski are the coaches who have shaped Blumenthal’s approach to the game.

It was Shemenski who gave Blumenthal his first coaching job as the junior varsity coach at Bishop Hendricken High School. Shemenski died shortly after, and Blumenthal honors him through the Scott A. Shemenski Memorial Foundation, which holds annual lacrosse and golf outings for charity.

“His death made me see the game in a whole new light,” Blumenthal said. “I love to win; however, there are more important things in life, and many of those lessons can be realized through this sport.”

—Shane Donaldson ’99