George Vlahos is a standout goalie on the ADVNC San Francisco and NDP ‘24 team committed to play at the US Naval Academy starting in the Fall of 2024.
George vividly remembers the first time he played lacrosse. “One day, in first grade, my dad took me down to nearby Julius Kahn (in the Presidio of San Francisco) playground and gave me a stick to play catch with. As soon as I picked up that stick, it felt different and natural. It quickly became something that I loved.”
“I remember that like it was yesterday,” said George’s dad, Bill Vlahos. “We walked down to the playground and I brought George his first stick. I was shocked he could throw and catch that well in 1st grade. I just couldn’t believe it. It was pretty clear right away that he might have an aptitude for it.”
George loved being in goal at an early age.
George had played a few other sports at that early age, but lacrosse became his main passion very quickly. “I remember I started doing All West Camps after school at the Marina Green,” George said. “I loved the culture and the passion that the coaches taught us. It was all about Respect, Attitude and Effort (RAE). I had played soccer, basketball and baseball before. But lacrosse was the perfect combination of those for me.”
Bill Vlahos is a San Francisco native who played lacrosse at St. Ignatius back when the team practiced and played at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park. He also played club lacrosse at UCLA. “But I never pushed George into lacrosse,” Bill said “He gravitated to it naturally."
George found his way into playing goalie early on. “I was in a scrimmage in 2nd grade,” George recalled. “The other goalie got hurt and they needed someone to step in. I volunteered, and it was a huge adrenaline rush right away. I wasn’t really expected to save the ball every time, but I liked the challenge of trying to save it every time. It felt natural to me and I fell in love with it.”
George came up through the Wildcats program, a combination of young players from Stuart Hall and Town School. He later played for the Riptide and then for another travel program in San Francisco. In 7th grade, he played for ADVNC for the first time, on the World Series of Youth Lacrosse team. Then, he was asked to play for the ADVNC San Francisco team as a guest player for Coach Mo Ryan.
“Playing for ADVNC was so fun and competitive,” George said. “I realized how much talent was in the group and also what a great community it was. I knew then that I wanted to join ADVNC full time for the competitive play and for the great culture.”
“George switched over to ADVNC from another program and it was a great decision,” Bill Vlahos said. “They do everything right. It’s a really well run business. Chris Rotelli and ADVNC has a great platform that helps kids get better and have fun which is the most important thing."
Vlahos is a rising senior at St. Ignatius.
A rising senior at St. Ignatius, George has continued with ADVNC full time to this day. He eventually joined the NDP team, and that led him to his college recruiting process. In addition to his ADVNC coaches the SI coaches, especially Coach Packard and Coach Langkammerer, taught him the importance of discipline, mental toughness and fortitude…critical qualities in any good goalie.
“When it came time for George’s recruitment, we did everything that Chris Rotelli suggested,” said Bill Vlahos. “He exactly followed Chris’ process. George was open to DI, DIII and MCLA Programs. He made a list of fourteen DI schools to start with. The Naval Academy wasn’t on that original list but he he had an open mind which I think is very important.”
“Shortly after that, I was at a Goaliesmith Camp,” George said. “Coach John Orsen (Navy’s Defensive Coordinator) was there, and he saw me have a really good day at that camp. He called me and told me he’d love for me to come to Annapolis for a visit. I knew that Navy was a big commitment. So I did a ton of research before my visit.”
George was extremely impressed with the US Naval Academy on that visit. The Navy coaches were extremely impressed with George. Head Coach Joe Amplo called George two days after that visit and officially offered George a spot on the Navy team.
“I’m super proud of George,” said Bill Vlahos. “Him wanting to serve our country. I’m just happy he found a situation he’s so excited about and that he found such a great college for him.”
“I just knew Navy was right for me,” George said. “I fell in love with Navy. There’s no place in the country like it. To serve my country and continue the sport that I love, it is the place for me. Right after I committed, I called Coach Rotelli, and thanked him for everything he’s done, and he said that he’s so happy for me, but also that I have to keep getting better. That’s the type of coach he is.”
“When we were at Navy for George’s recruiting visit, I was talking to Coach Amplo (Joe Amplo, Navy’s Head Coach)” Bill Vlahos said. “He said when his staff saw George at the goalie camp and said how good he was, the first person he called was Coach Rotelli and asked what kind of kid George was. He said that Chris Rotelli has never given him a bum steer. I will never forget that.”
Bill & George Vlahos at the ‘22 DI National Championship game.
With the recruiting process behind them, the Vlahos’s look back on their journey with ADVNC. “When we first considered ADVNC, we knew it was going to be a pretty long drive from our home in San Francisco down to Atherton for practices,” said Bill Vlahos. “But I never thought it was that big of a chore. I really enjoyed our time together in the car, and looking back, now that he drives himself, I miss it.”
“The ADVNC practices are worth the drive,” said George. “There’s this energy at ADVNC practices. With so much talent on the field, everyone wants to one up each other and we push each other. We chirp and talk some trash, but we encourage each other and push each other to keep getting better. You’re in the heat in Atherton, and there’s just a competitive edge to try and make each other a perfect player.”
George grew up admiring the play and attitude of former St. Ignatius goalie Mac Gates who recently completed a great career at Hofstra. George said that watching Gates play at SI inspired him. George has this advice for young players who aspire to follow in his own footsteps. “You’ve got to do something to get better every single day,” George said. “Play with a chip on your shoulder. You have to go to work. Taking shots, doing the ladder, lifting or running. There were so many points in my career where I felt like I had such little time to get better. But you always have time to get better. Just focus on small improvements each day.”
Bill Vlahos has this advice for parents of young players who aspire to become great lacrosse players. “In our house, lacrosse was never a means to an end, It has to be for the love of the game,” he said. “Don’t focus on just getting to DI. Focus on getting better every day, the enjoyment of competing and most important enjoy the relationships and friends you make, If you play D1, D2 or MCLA at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter that much. What is important is that you are at the right school for you. That’s the great thing about ADVNC. It is a community of great families from all different schools. And ADVNC really cares about all the kids having the best possible experience.”