First Loveland Lacrosse player (girls or boys) to play Division I
by David Miller
LOVELAND, OHIO - “Her mother, Kim, and I are extremely proud of her. She quickly fell in love with the game of lacrosse five years ago and worked extremely hard to achieve her goal to play Division I lacrosse,” said Art Jarvis, father of Katie Jarvis when learning about his daughter's verbal commitment to play for the
University of Cincinnati. Katie Jarvis will be the first Loveland High School lacrosse player (girls or boys) to play at the Division I level. “She easily works 18-20 hours every week on lacrosse skills and conditioning,” said her father. She does this while carrying an 3.8 GPA in school.
“I chose UC because I really liked the coaches and the girls on the team, “ said Katie Jarvis. “Also, I really liked how close it was to home, but I still can live on campus, yet be away.” She said she also “really” wanted to play Division I lacrosse, and wanted to be challenged both on the field and off. Jarvis said she feels UC would meet both goals. “UC has such a wide variety of majors. I have a few interests at the moment for majors, and UC has programs in all of them.” She said lacrosse first caught her attention when her brother started playing when she was in 6th grade, and she wanted to try it. This year will be her 5th season.
“We look forward to watching her excel at UC under coaches Lellie Swords, Lo Schwarzmann, and Christy Finch,” said Art Jarvis.
UC Assistant Lacrosse Coach Lauren Schwarzmann said that she is delighted Katie Jarvis is getting some attention, but could not comment further because, “Unfortunately, per NCAA rules, we are not allowed to give you any quotes about Katie or our program.”
In her sophomore year at Loveland High School, Jarvis won the Tiger Award (offensive MVP), and First Team All-State. She was 6th in Ohio for Assists (34) and 22nd for total points (21).
Last season, she again won the Tiger Award (offensive MVP). She received the Varsity MVP Award, and was named to 2nd Team All-District. She was 10th in Ohio for total points (75), 11th for assists (27), and 15th for goals scored (48).
Marc Verhoef, the Assistant Coach of Loveland Girls Lacrosse said that Katie is a very team oriented player. “Over the past two seasons she has led the team in assists, consistently passing up shots she could have taken and involving her team mates by passing to them for goal scoring opportunities.” He said that even though Jarvis was one of the team’s best shooters and had the most opportunities to score, she led in assists. He said that Katie possesses a unique passion for the game, and has worked “incredibly hard” to bring her game up to NCAA Division 1 caliber. “Coming from a school which is a virtual unknown in girls lacrosse and being offered a Division 1 lacrosse scholarship says much about her work ethic and lacrosse skills. Katie is the very first recipient of a college lacrosse scholarship to come out of the Loveland Lacrosse Club.” Verhoef also commented on how much Katie has contributed to the community. “For the past two years she has organized Shootin for a Cure, a breast cancer fund raising lacrosse tournament.”
Glenn Namian used to coach the Lakota West Girls’ Lacrosse team and is now a "non-parent coach" for Loveland. He was also the driving force behind Katie in setting up the Annual Shootin’ for a Cure tournament, said Art Jarvis. Namian said he watched Katie play since she was a Freshman at Loveland High School, three of those seasons as an opposing coach with Lakota. “I told my players that she played hard, was always around the ball, and when she had the ball was not afraid to make a difference.” He said that Jarvis has grown and matured, has shown leadership, and a selfless team oriented approach. He said that Jarvis has a very intense desire to do her best and implore her team to work hard. “That she was recruited to play in college came as no surprise to me.” Namian is glad she will be at UC, so he can see her play from time to time.
Namian said that what impressed him most about Katie Jarvis was how she reached

out to him for ideas and help when she was putting together a tournament to memorialize her grandmother, Rita Berlage. “She communicated as an adult, she had a vision, and all the drive and determination to make it work. And it did.” The Rita Berlage “Shootin’ for a Cure” tournament has had two very successful events and has raised significant funds that were donated to Cancer research said Namian. “As a coach, the measure of a player in not always about the game, it includes intangibles such as character, 'coachability', and depth. Katie is a very impressive young woman with a bright future.”
Jarvis has also played volleyball since 5th grade and still currently plays for Loveland High School. She played basketball since 2nd grade, but decided not to last year so she could concentrate on winter lacrosse. She was on the high school power lifting team as a junior and got first place in her weight class. Coach VerHoef said that she continues to play lacrosse during the summer months against national quality competition.
Katie's Varsity Volleyball Coach, Mary Luning said in a college recommendation letter, “Katie’s personality is so easy to coach, no attitude of being better, just a kid who loves what she does and wants others around her to appreciate the pleasure and privilege of being able to compete. She knows when things are to be taken seriously and when you can lighten up.”
Loveland High School Basketball, Head Coach Steve Sears said in a recomendation letter to prospective colleges for Jarvis, “Her speed and agility are far above most girls her size and age. She commands respect from teammates without demanding it. Her abilities as an athlete will make her a compliment to any program.” Sears describes Jarvis as a model citizen in the community that can be counted on to make the right choices and decisions as it relates to being a representative of her college program. “She is an excellent student athlete.”
Namian, the former Lakota coach said that Katie represents her team, her school, her community, and her family well. “I am glad I have had the chance to be a part of her lacrosse experience.”
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