Anne Benedetti

Anne Benedetti, raised in Cambridge, excelled early on at a range of sports, but it was during her university years that she was introduced to the game of lacrosse. Canada’s national summer sport was a perfect fit, and the start of Anne’s journey to successfully compete at the international level.

Anne established her record for winning during her school years when she was a stand-out at softball, speed skating, basketball, and soccer. She played basketball with the Kitchener Boys Youth travel team, and in high school was a point guard for the Cambridge Basketball girls’ travel team. Twice she was named to the Kitchener-Waterloo Record district high school all-star basketball team, plus three times to the all-star soccer team. In six years with Cambridge Basketball, she competed regularly at the Central West Ontario Region meets. In short track speed skating, she won her first Ontario championship title in 1985, and again in 1987.

As a student at Queen’s University, Anne tried lacrosse, which soon became her chosen sport. From 1998 to 2000, she captained the team, and as head player and coach, lead her squad to back-to-back Ontario University Athletics titles. Anne’s performance during her first season with the Queen’s team landed her on Team Ontario, where she played from 1998 until 2006.

In her final season at Queen’s, she was the league’s top scorer, a conference all-star, the league MVP, and earned the title of Queen’s Journal Athlete of the Year.

Anne was just warming up. Starting in 1999, she played for seven years as a mid-fielder on Team Canada, including at the World Cup in England. Recognized as a role model for young women, she was named in 2000 to the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity.

While pursuing her athletic career, Anne was also busy studying law at Western University. She again served as player and head coach, this time with the Mustangs lacrosse team. In 2003, Anne was named Western’s outstanding female scholar athlete.

In 2002, Anne combined her passions for sport and law when she was selected to be clerk for the Ad Hoc Court of Arbitration for Sports at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Her role was to assist staff in running the court, and aid the arbitrators with any legal or procedural questions arising during the Games.

In 2004, Anne was invited to study at the University of Oxford where she obtained her Masters of Law degree. True to character, Anne joined Oxford’s Lacrosse Blues, helping them win the British Home Nationals. She also toured with the British Universities Sports Association National Lacrosse Team and was named player of the year for the Oxford varsity team.

From 2007, Anne served for six years as a board member of the Government of Canada’s Sport Dispute Resolution Centre.

Anne Benedetti is recognized for her outstanding contributions as a skilled player, a winning coach, a game official, and especially for creating opportunities for younger generations of lacrosse players. Called to the bar in 2004, she practises law in Toronto.