Former England Lacrosse board member, Ron Balls, has been awarded the Lifetime Achiever Award by World Lacrosse to commemorate more than 40 years service to the development of the sport around the world.
The honour, the highest bestowed by World Lacrosse, comes as Ron steps down from his role as Secretary General of the world governing body after four successful years.
Prior to his role as Secretary General, Ron spent eight years as the Finance Director on the international federation Board of Directors.
Ron, who was instrumental in establishing the Federation of International Lacrosse — known today as World Lacrosse (WL) — was honoured with the Lifetime Achiever Award by World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern, during day two of the organisation’s Virtual General Assembly over the weekend.
The Lifetime Achiever Award is given to select individuals in recognition of extraordinary service to the international federation and lasting contributions to the global growth of the game.
As WL Secretary General, Ron helped lead the effort to gain recognition for the international federation with organisations such as the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and, in November 2018, provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
In addition to his service to the Board of Directors, Ron served as Men’s Competition Chair, where he played a lead role in the planning and delivery of numerous World Championship events and helped expand opportunities for athletes to compete at the highest levels of lacrosse.
In the pre-FIL days, he was also the Secretary/Treasurer of the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) during two periods: 1975-78 and 1990-94.
Ron initially got involved in lacrosse after a school friend introduced him to the game, joining Buckhurst Hill LC and going on to play at County and South of England level.
He organised the competitive league structure in the South of England for 33 years between 1969 and 2004 and served on the England Lacrosse Board from its inception in 1997 until 2016.
Prior to that, he was on the board of the men’s organisation in England (English Lacrosse Union) and was a prime mover of the merger of the men’s and women’s organisations into a single governing body.
World Lacrosse President, Sue Redfern said: “World Lacrosse would not be where it is today, nor what it is today, were it not for the extraordinary contributions and commitment of Ron Balls.
“I cannot think of a person better-suited to receive our most prestigious honour; Ron has left an indelible imprint on our international federation, and generations of players, coaches and officials will continue to benefit from his lasting contributions.”
England Lacrosse would like to congratulate Ron and wish him all the best for the future!