KB Home executive promotes lacrosse

Don Del Giorno is helping to make the Las Vegas Valley a good place to raise a family.

As senior vice president of land development and forward planning for KB Home, he ensures that home sites are ready for construction. After work, he volunteers as head coach of the boys' lacrosse team at Centennial High School, which participates in the Las Vegas Lacrosse League.

"Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport and making its way to the West Coast," Del Giorno said, noting that the game has been a part of his life since his childhood in Levittown, N.Y. "Lacrosse is played there as much as baseball."

The game is played with long-handled rackets with a pouch at one end that is used to catch or throw a small rubber ball across the field and into the opponent's goal. Each team has 10 players on the field at a time.

Del Giorno describes lacrosse as a rough sport that combines the speed of hockey and the field skills of soccer.

"It's a very fast game. It doesn't have the structure of football or the slow pace of baseball."

Del Giorno was a member of his high school's lacrosse team, then continued playing while studying at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he was named to the Ivy League's all-American team three times and served as team captain in his senior year. Del Giorno played another year in a club league in Long Island, N.Y., after completing his education, then virtually gave up the sport after moving to Las Vegas in 1979.

Although the Las Vegas Lacrosse League is not sanctioned by the Clark County School District, Del Giorno appreciates the school district's support for allowing league members to use campus facilities for practice. The league is totally self-supporting and receives no money from the school district.

Since the league was formed three years ago, beginning teams at Centennial and Palo Verde high schools, it has since expanded to include five high school and four middle school teams, as well as two girls' teams.

According to U.S. Lacrosse, an organization that governs league play, its membership has doubled to more than 60,000 in the past four years.

The sport's growth locally has been slowed only by a need for additional volunteer coaches, according to Del Giorno, whose son Danny plays lacrosse for Centennial. Keeping it all in the family is Del Giorno's wife, Cheryl, who assists team members and promotes the sport for both the school and the league.

"Don is a great motivator. The kids love and respect him," said Darren Gagnon, Centennial's assistant lacrosse coach.

Gagnon noted that despite playing for different teams, lacrosse players maintain a special bond, similar to that of fraternity members. Twenty players, all members of a local all-star team, are competing in a tournament this weekend in La Jolla, Calif.

So, when Del Giorno is not obtaining land entitlements; ensuring sewer, gas and water lines are installed; getting roads and curbs built; and securing street lights, he most likely be found practicing with his team.

The 14-year employee of KB Home said the company has been supportive of his efforts with the league.

"I do think it's not just about dollars and cents. It's about giving back to the community. It's about helping a lot of kids."

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