Hudson Lewis is a standout defenseman from the ADVNC NDP ‘24 team who will play DI lacrosse at the University of Vermont, starting this Fall.

Hudson is a native of Portland, Oregon, but lived in Boston when he was in Kindergarten. “I played in a local program back there when I was five years old, and I just fell in love with it,” Hudson said. “I loved it right from the start. It felt so alluring and very fun. To me, lacrosse is such a unique mix of other sports. It’s like football, in that you get to hit people. Defensively, it’s a lot like basketball. The field is bigger than basketball, just like soccer. It mixes these three sports in a unique and perfect way. Lacrosse just combines these sports and flows so well.”

Hudson’s dad, Evan Lewis, recalled those early days. “I remember that Hudson and those other players looked like little bobbleheads with all their gear and helmets on. For an active young boy, Hudson took to lacrosse immediately. The fast pace and physical nature was great for him. He absolutely loved it.”

Hudson also had a great lacrosse role model in his older brother Tatum, who is currently a sophomore midfielder at Vermont.

“It’s been incredibly fun to watch and be part of the journey that lacrosse has taken both Hudson and Tatum on,” said Evan Lewis. “The game can provide so many opportunities to learn and grow if you truly lean into what the “creator’s game” really means. Both boys have embraced that. The growth and maturity that we’ve seen in them as young men, because of the lessons they’ve learned on the lacrosse field has been amazing.”

After Hudson found passion for lacrosse early on, he became driven by improve. “I started playing on more competitive select teams in Oregon around 5th grade,” he said. “It seemed like my team always came up a little bit short. I hated that feeling of losing, so much. It made me want to work much harder. That has driven me to where I am today.”

“We talk a lot in our household about the importance of learning about how to show up in life through how we show up in the classroom and in our sports,” said Evan Lewis. “Lacrosse provided Hudson the outlet to succeed as well as fail, and then use those successes and failures to work harder and find ways to challenge himself to be better. It’s given him incredible drive that will translate to whatever he chooses to do in life.”

Driven by a tireless work ethic and a hatred of losing, Hudson kept getting better. He kept trying to find teams that stepped up his level of competition, and that eventually led him to Team Oregon. 

“When Team Oregon partnered with ADVNC, I was really excited,” Hudson said. “ADVNC was going to all the big tournaments on the East Coast. I was super pumped to be able to get to that next level with my game. I already knew some of the guys on that team, so I was really excited to play with them and make a super team. We made a lot of great memories together with ADVNC.”

“ADVNC NDP helped Hudson play with some of the top players on the West Coast and to play against the highest level of competition in the country,” said Evan Lewis. “NDP gave him the challenge and opportunity to raise the bar on his game, and to continue to improve and become the best defender he could be. That led to more exposure with college coaches and more opportunities to be noticed by top schools back East.”

Hudson credits his coaches at Jesuit High School, Bill Gleason and Mike Marcott for helping him over the years. “Coach Gleason has helped me a ton, ever since I was a little kid,’” said Hudson. “He and Michael Marcot, my coaches at Jesuit, have been fundamental to my growth. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

When September 1st rolled around, and college coaches could officially recruit Hudson, he leaned on ADVNC Founder & CEO, Chris Rotelli.

“Coach Rotelli called me right after September 1st and walked me through the whole process,” Hudson said. “He told me how to handle the college coaches and what were good questions to ask them. He shaped how I went about the entire process, and gave me really useful insight. He was a great mentor in that way. He also advocated for me when coaches would call him and ask about me. He supported me, and I’m very grateful for that. I got more opportunities with different colleges than I would have gotten had I not played for ADVNC.”

Hudson considered a variety of schools, but ultimately, he decided that Vermont was the place for him. “I fell in love with the campus and the team,” Hudson said. “Coach Feifs is an amazing coach. He told me that he was recruiting me as an individual, and not as Tatum’s brother. He made me earn my offer, and that is exactly what I wanted. I love how close the team is. They are genuine, hard working people.”

“We’ve had incredible coaches and mentors come into our son’s lives through lacrosse, and I think that’s why Coach Feifs was such a draw for Hudson and Tatum,” said Evan Lewis. “He’s created a great culture and leans into his players in a way that makes them want to be successful on and off the field. As parents, we are so excited for the lifetime of memories Hudson will get with his brother at UVM. It’s such a unique opportunity to play lacrosse at the DI level and be in college with your brother. This is something that Hudson really wanted.”

Looking back on his lacrosse journey, Hudson has this advice for young players who aspire to follow in his footsteps. “It’s not easy. It takes a lot of work. You can’t just go to practice. You have to hit the wall, and get up early and do footwork drills. You need to constantly ask your coaches what you can do better. Little things build into big things.”