Jim Calder Builder Series


JIM CALDER 

Hall of Fame

Lacrosse Builder and Promoter

Written by Rad Joseph


 

Although born in Canada, Jim Calder was raised in New York state and played field lacrosse. Jim was very successful at Hobart college where he was an All-American player twice and a member of two NCAA national championship teams (1976 and 1977), along with being a four-year letter winner.

 

#12 - Jim Calder star field lacrosse player at Hobart

 


In addition, Jim represented Canada playing as a midfielder in the 1978 and 1982 World championships (where Team Canada won the gold medal in 1978). As a member of the 1978 team, Calder was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001.


Team Canada - 1978 World Champions

Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inducted 2001


Furthermore, Jim Calder has been inducted into the Hobart College Hall of Fame 2003 and the Toronto Beaches Hall of Fame.

After his playing days ended, Jim remained active in lacrosse as the program coordinator for the Ontario Lacrosse Association from 1981-83 and the World Lacrosse Games Associate Director in 1986.  He also served as the general manager for the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union from 1986-1995.

As a director and vice-president of the Statesmen Athletic Association, Jim was an active member of the SAA and the lacrosse community. A member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation, he was the driving force behind the first International Lacrosse Federation-sanctioned world indoor lacrosse championship held in Canada.

Jim was a member of the management team that launched the Toronto Rock into the National Lacrosse League (NLL)  

He is an author of lacrosse books: ‘Lacrosse – the Ancient Game’ and ‘Women PlayLacrosse – A History of the International Field Game; Tales of a Lacrosse Troubadour; and student workbook written in cooperation with Tewenhni’tatshon (Louis Delisle).

As a coach, Jim Calder became the Toronto Varsity Blues women's lacrosse head coach in May, 2018. He served on the Ontario Women’s Field Lacrosse (OWFL) executive committee for four seasons, having pioneered the sport in Toronto at both the club and high school levels. Calder founded both the Toronto Stars Girls Field Lacrosse club program, where he coached for seven seasons, as well as the Birchmount Park Collegiate team, guiding them to seven City of Toronto championship titles. Under his leadership, girl’s lacrosse in the Toronto District School Board experienced substantial growth.

In addition, Jim was an assistant coach at the intercollegiate level with the University of Massachusetts. Jim also played and coached in Melbourne at the club level. Furthermore, he founded and coached the Toronto Lacrosse Club.

In 1986, he was general manager of the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Men’s World Field Lacrosse Championships. In 2003, Jim served as co-chair of the first ILF-sanctioned World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Jim was also the manager of the 150th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration held in Montreal in June of 2017.

In the summer of 2024, once again, Jim Calder was a driving force. This time, he was the pivotal organizer of the event - ‘Lacrosse Day in Kingston”. The founding of Lacrosse Canada took place in Kingston on September 26, 1867 and Jim ensured the event was celebrated. At the time, he commented, “The founding of Lacrosse Canada on September 26, 1867, was important from a number of perspectives. It was the first Amateur Sport Governing Body in North America, and perhaps the world. It happened a few months after Canada became a Dominion and it signalled a desire of a young country to look inward as it developed its National Sport. It focussed on the historic game shared with the settlers by the original people - and using the domestic natural materials of wood and animal hides to create the equipment to play it. Its development provided a template for other games such as hockey and basketball to build on. The game has continued to bring people together as it returns to the Olympics 120 years after its last appearance (in 1908) and is played by over 100 countries world-wide”.

With over five decades of experience, in playing, coaching, managing and promoting lacrosse - without question, Jim has been a noted contributor to lacrosse. Jim Calder continues to be involved in the lacrosse community as he is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation.