Editor’s Note: Earlier this week, we gave you the lowdown on playing lacrosse in Australia. It takes man (or woman) with a lot of confidence to just pack up and move down under for a number of months, so we thought you might like to hear from someone else who has made this trip. Welcome Phil Amidon to LAS, and hear his brief tale of lax with the Aussies!
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A job, a car, and a place to stay in Perth, Australia? Yes Please.
Lax too? Double down.
Ah, the junior year abroad experience. While I did not make it an academic sojourn, I made sure to take advantage of this cross cultural tradition, and I highly recommend the experience to any college age lax dude (or lady). If you can make it happen, do so, and you will not regret it for one moment.
Taking the lead from fellow Wesleyan player, Connor Wilson, I made contact with the Wembley Lacrosse Club in Perth, Australia and arrived at the start of the season in early July. We had practice twice a week and games every Saturday. The competition level was very high and the group of players at the club was top notch. We ran around and got dirty on the field and then had obligatory beers and cheers after each game session, regardless of which bench you had huddled around during the battle.
Photos courtesy Wembley Lacrosse Club facebook page.
I even got my own Wembley U-13 team to coach. And coaching the Aussie kids is a pure joy. They just love lax! Out of uniform, every player and family made sure that I was enjoying my time. They helped me find work at a local bar (not exactly high paying but every little bit helps!), hooked me up with four wheels (1983 was a hell of a year), and welcomed me into their homes. If nothing else, the Australians were extremely welcoming. But they were actually much more than just that!
Be sure to take advantage of opportunities like this to explore the world, learn a little bit about other cultures and, most of all, learn a lot about yourself. Lacrosse is a great vector (direction AND magnitude!) for embracing life. I cannot say enough good things about Wembley, and lax in Perth.
Thank you Connor for leading the charge, and thank you to all of Australia Lacrosse for giving me a chance to play some sport, meet new folks and do some incredible global exploration. Oh yeah, remember to watch out for the snakes and the sheilas…
GTG,
Pip