Help us find someone who screams, I’m a Game Grower, with not only their words, but their actions. We want to reward all of the best Game Growers nationwide with your help! Besides, who wouldn’t want to help their friends win a sweet new set-up from Easton Lacrosse?!

Last month’s winner, Claudette Wilmot, won a brand new stick thanks to Easton Lacrosse, and your friend could be next!

A Call for Nominations

Do you know someone who’s doing everything they can to Grow The Game in your area? We are currently accepting nominations for the June 2013 Game Grower of the Month. If you know someone who you think deserves this honor, please fill out the form below with the person’s name and the reason you are nominating them for Game Grower of the Month.

More about the GTG Award

During a period of time in which we’ve seen the accelerated growth of lacrosse both in the United States and across the world, we believe there is a real need for rewarding the efforts of true game growers. Lacrosse has been growing in participation for the past decade and the GTG Award is meant to celebrate people who are making it happen while maintaining principles that improve local communities both on and off the playing field.

Integrity, leadership, service, and community are core to the mission of LaxAllStars.com, and it is our hope that the GTG Award will inspire others to give back by recognizing those that already do!

Tweet #GrowTheGame

And again, we are so happy to have Easton on board!

- The LAS Team

“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
~Author Unknown

While the NJCAA oversees most of the junior college athletics in the country, there are enough Junior and Community Colleges in California, and the state is big enough, to have their very own athletic association, called the California Community College Athletic Association, or the CCCAA.

While the CCCAA has not officially endorsed lacrosse, and the CJCLA is not part of the CCCAA, this is a huge move for the West Coast as many more players will be able to continue their careers in college, new players can be introduced to the game at another level, and it could eventually turn into an excellent feeder program for local MCLA teams.

An interesting note about the CJCLA is that they will compete in the Fall semester, instead of the Spring, and for a number of reasons, this is a truly interesting move.

First off, it follows in the footsteps of Diablo Valley College, which is the first JuCo program in California. DVC has run their seasons in the Fall, and they have found that this works well for the students, so the other teams are following their lead.

The second big opportunity that a Fall season presents is for kids who wanted to play MCLA lacrosse, but didn’t have the grades. By spending a fall semester working on academics, and playing lacrosse, it gives local kids a second chance to make it in to a 4-year college.

At the VERY least, it gives another growing swath of the lacrosse community another outlet for competition and improvement, and we always love to see that!

Diablo Valley will not be the only team in the CJCLA either. American River College and Santa Rosa Community College are also slated to have programs this year, and schools like Cuesta College have also shown interest. As long as clubs or programs are recognized by their school, they can join the league.

I got in touch with Matt Blamey, the President of the CJCLA, and he had this to say:

I am very passionate about the junior college athletics mission. There is a huge demand in California for high-level lacrosse at the junior college level. We are working hard to create the foundation and follow the lead of Diablo Valley College. In a very short time, the dominoes will fall and we will see competitive JUCO lacrosse programs all over the state.

When it comes to expanding JuCo, Matt knows what he is talking about. He was the founder and first coach at Northern Virginia CC, one of the newer NJCAA programs back East, which was also the first JuCo program in all of Virginia.

Here is a short excerpt from the Press Release on the CJCLA website:

The primary goal of the CJCLA is to give junior college players a virtual-varsity athletic experience during their junior college years and assist those same student-athletes in fulfilling their dreams of moving on to the 4-year institution of their choice. By providing student-athletes with a regular-season structure, championship tournament, and individual accolades, the CJCLA will give junior college student-athletes an opportunity to continue to compete in the sport that they love while furthering their education.

The official CJCLA season will run during the fall semester, with the first CJCLA championship weekend to be held in December 2013 at Diablo Valley College in Concord, CA. More information will be posted to the CJCLA website (www.cjcla.org) as details are made available. Any interested prospective CJCLA programs are encouraged to contact the CJCLA board directly at info@cjcla.org.

Contact for information:
Matt Blamey, President
California Junior College Lacrosse Association
mblamey@cjcla.org
www.cjcla.org

I’m thrilled to see the establishment of this league, and I hope the CCCAA considers officially adding lacrosse in the near future. I would also LOVE to see some sort of All-Star game, or friendly match up, between the NJCAA and CJCLA down the line. Extra exposure for the JuCo game is great, and the JuCo Report is now a year round post!

Grow The Game!

Main Photo Credit: Gilda Rottman

There isn’t a better Grow The Game story out there. Well done Mary! Well done Highlands High School Lacrosse! Well done Teach For America!

If YOU have a First Seasons story you want to share, hit us up with an email!

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Many things in this world are culturally specific. From language to food to social customs, the uniqueness of the people and places around us is what makes traveling so much fun. However there are also certain things in life, a smaller number to be sure, that span nearly any and all world cultures – smiling when you are happy, the word “taxi”, etc.

Lacrosse, as I recently found out, might actually be better suited for inclusion in the latter category. The North American-dominated sport is growing internationally and next summer it is anticipated that there will be 40 countries represented at the World Games in Denver.

This Summer, I  have traveled to Germany with a group of students to help grow the game. We traveled to four different cities (Frankfurt, Berlin, Hannover, and Cologne) to conduct youth and coaches clinics (and do some sightseeing) in hopes of doing our part to spread the good word of lacrosse.

Germany has a vibrant youth and adult lacrosse community already, dating back to the early 1990’s when they fielded their first men’s national team. But not unlike the new pockets of talent in the US, youth lacrosse in Germany is outgrowing the number of quality coaches and officials who can provide the framework for the game.

Thus, we embarked on a trip to do our little part.

The clinics in Germany were like any youth clinic in the US – drills to develop basic skills, a progression of activities that built upon the previous drill, and finally a game or short-sided scrimmage of some sort to let the kids run and have fun. The clinics in Frankfurt, hosted by the SC 1880 club, were great. Approximately 70 kids over two sessions came to the field as novices, and hopefully many of them left with an itch to play this new sport.

The men’s team clinic in Mainz, a university town outside of Frankfurt, was a great opportunity to see the hard work and discipline of men who were still learning the game. They played as hard is if it were the championship game, and it was just a normal Monday night practice for them.

Attending the German Youth Championships in Hannover was a great experience as well. As one American player stated, “this feels just like a summer tournament at home,” and it did. The multi-field venue provided opportunities to watch games all day long, the congregation of teams in various locations where they staked their claim to the little bit of shade between fields was no different than the pop-up tents manned by parents at the Summer Sizzle in Baltimore. The atmosphere was filled with energy as the boys teams would support their club’s girls team and vice versa.

I must also remark that the level of sportsmanship between and within clubs was incredibly high.

The level of talent was varied, with clubs from Berlin and Hamburg distinguishing themselves from the others – obviously drawing from a larger talent pool and benefiting from more experienced coaches. Over 40 players attended our clinic for the U12 players, an age group that the national federation is hoping to include in next year’s season.

The most interesting aspect to the entire trip, the clinics and tournament included, was that the atmosphere always had a decidedly “lacrosse” feel to it. What does that mean? Aside from the expats who spoke English and reminisced of lacrosse in the States, the culture and energy of the events was no different than at home.

Little kids from various teams shot on empty goals between games. Older players listened to music or flirted with players from other teams. Some parents stood back in the shade while others hovered over their kids on the steaming turf to make sure that everything went as (they) planned. Some players wilted after 30 minutes and others were only just getting started after 2 hours of training.

Kids are kids, and lacrosse is lacrosse.

Likewise, and more interestingly, the vocabulary of the players and coaches was also no different. To stand on the sideline and simply listen to the game would likely give you an indication that you were in Germany, however much of what was said was in English. One young girl from Hamburg, who not only plays for their U16 team but also for their women’s team (she was perhaps the most talented player at the tournament) talked with me about how players don’t want the game to be translated. They don’t want the rulebook or the gear or the coaching terms to be translated into German. They want to use the English terms.

I asked her why she felt that way and she said that it’s more true to the game. She said that lacrosse is lacrosse, and that since it’s originally a North American sport (although technically a French term) she felt that it was somewhat disingenuous to translate terms like “slash” or “dodge” into German.

Let me quickly add that this girl is fluent in German, English, Russian, and is taking Latin and Ancient Greek at her “gymnasium” (school). So she knows a thing or two about language.

I found it interesting that there really is a universal language of lacrosse. Yes, the game itself is pretty much the same (some international rules are different than NCAA, although they’re closer now with the NCAA changes) but so is the structure surrounding it.

Whether you’re in Germany or in the US or likely anywhere in the lacrosse world: kids love to just play and rip on cage, helicopter parents will always hover, and a “butt end” is still called a “butt end” – even in German.

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Mark Schindler is the Founder and Program Director of Nexus Lacrosse. A product of the nationally recognized St. Paul’s School (MD) lacrosse program and the current varsity head coach at Mercersburg Academy, Mark has committed to restoring the foundation of the current lacrosse market by establishing Nexus;  a new enterprise designed to provide premier, developmental lacrosse opportunities for elite pre-varsity players.

Based upon a foundation of traditional lacrosse principles that includes fundamentals and discipline, Nexus Lacrosse and its programs is focused on providing college-level skill, technical, and tactical development for players who currently play at the highest level within their age group. 

Visit www.nexuslacrosse.com online, and make sure you follow Nexus on Twitter and Facebook!

The May 2013 Game Grower of the Month is…

Claudette Wilmot of Bull Bay, Jamaica

I met Claudette for the first time last month when I was given the opportunity to travel to Jamaica, thanks to my new friend Chuck Richardson and the Fields of Growth organization. I was only on the ground there a total of eight days, but before writing any further, I must say the experience truly changed my life.

Claudette, or Maggie as almost everyone calls her, welcomed Chuck and me into her home simply because of Chuck’s affiliation with Fields of Growth and our intention to volunteer. From the first time I met her, I could sense the warmth of her heart. She is a woman of the utmost character, carrying with her very strong beliefs, yet she is also incredibly open minded – all in all, a genuine human being. She is one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life, which is why this award is so special to me.

But don’t just take my word for it. Spend a few minutes speaking with Harry Holden or Joey Blount, two of the first people to set foot in Jamaica with Fields of Growth to help grow the game. The way those two talk about Maggie and her family, including her husband Billy Mystic, makes it all clear. Harry and Joey both lived at the Wilmot’s home, known as Jamnesia, for several months on end, and it won’t take you long to recognize what an incredible impact this experience has had on them.

Growing the game in Jamaica was one thing, but being able to meet people like Maggie, Billy, Harry and Joey, and experience the culture of this great country was the cherry on top of my amazing adventure.

If you would like to support the growth of lacrosse in Jamaica, please consider volunteering with Fields of Growth or becoming a GTG Member of our website. Proceeds from your GTG membership will go to Jamaica Lacrosse and LaxAllStars.com’s efforts to Grow The Game.

We recently sent Maggie a few questions to learn more about what she’s doing to help grow the great sport of lacrosse in Jamaica. Below are her answers word for word.

LAS: Can you describe the state of lacrosse in your area?

Maggie: The game is in its gestation period, it’s just being introduced by Jamaica Lacrosse Association with support from Fields of Growth and the Jamnesia Surf Club and the Wilmot family. Kevin Dugan sent the first four FOG volunteers (Charlie, Peter, Harry and Alex) and they introduced the sports to Kingston College, then St George’s. Kingston College was chosen because our boys attended KC. Also it was in proximity to three other schools. Our initial objective was to introduce the game to two boys schools and if we could go into two selected girls schools. We also wanted to introduce the sport to St. Andrew High School for girls as our daughter attended that school.

By the end of their tenure the four volunteers had established the lacrosse training program in KC using gear and equipment donated Abyssnyah the wider lacrosse community to equip the teams. KC provided storage and St. George’s was challenged to find space so the gear had to be transported. I made a deal with the volunteers and they shared the cost for repairing my old Suzuki Samurai which Harry drove, thus earning his PHD (Pot Hole Dodging). The long term volunteers left at the end of the school term and Kevin returned with a group of 14 short term volunteers.

With school on holidays for December Jamaica Lacrosse / Field of Growth with help of 14 short term volunteers conducted training sessions in Riverton City Kingston. Riverton City borders the municipal site and residents face social discrimination. Parents were very appreciative of the efforts of the volunteers and children were highly motivated by the experience.

The 2013 program resumed with the return of one volunteer from the December 2012 short term trip and two of the pioneers from the inaugural mission. They carried on the high school Programme in KC and St. Geores, as well as coaching in Riverton City youths on Saturdays. Also they began coaching youth in the communities served by S Corner Clinic a non-government organization on Sundays.

Recently lacrosse was introduced to Holy Trinity High School. KC and St. George’s boys schools played a friendly demonstration match. Children are very excited about this new sport. Jamaica’s first lacrosse summer camp will be held July 2013.

In what ways are you involved in growing the sport in your area?

As a catalyst to enhance the development of the sports. I selected the initial two schools and made contact with all the coaches. My husband, who is a public figure, has endorsed the efforts and has orientated sports persons of national renown, to be directors of Jamaica Lacrosse. He organized a meeting with the national body that puts on school sporting championships for different age groups. I also help to provide access to transport and reduce rates on accommodation, mentor volunteers by providing advice or helping to strategically plan the intervention, and to evaluate the social impact of the intervention and to be culturally relevant.

What is the biggest obstacle for lacrosse growth in your area?

The sport is expensive and as youth grow, they out grow equipment – outside of the normal wear and tear. The Lacrosse community is willing to donate but the shipping and customsq fees are expensive . Also the needs of the High School Program differs as those youths are older mostly older that the children from S Corner and Riverton.

If each school had a coach and their own equipment they could train everyday. As it is coaching needs and equipment create obstacles. Long term volunteers are needed. Someone who can coach for the school year, as it is a coach who gets to know the kids and build their trust and then go. Each school must have the capacity to carry out the program. I worry about impact and scope sustainability. Jamaica has a sports college and the graduates are employed as sports teachers. We need to get into the college. If we build the sport will there be long term commitment from sponsors. Piping cost will be a big obstacle.

How did you get involved with the sport? Who taught you the game?

I don’t play at all. I am involved because Kevin Dugan of Fields of Growth asked us to get involved.

What has been your biggest accomplishment when it comes to growing the game?

I have been working with developmental agencies for over 30 years. My experience mobilizing communities, implementing projects and networking with agencies at all levels have been of benefit. For example the connection with Holy Trinity was made easier because I know the principal of the school and she is aware of the work I do as a Parent Trainer and Trainer of Trainers. She was the principal of another school that I worked with due to my part time work at the S Corner Clinic. I trained their teachers and parents. The intervention with S Corner Clinic is possible because of my position there as Youth Community Education Specialist with responsibility for sports and education programmes. The support of the S Corner staff was rallied to enable FOG / Jamaica Lacrosse to have a friendly contest between Riverton and S Corner. I think however my biggest accomplishment is the insight I bring and my experience at strategic planning.

Who or what inspires you most to help grow the game?

My husband Billy asked me to help. Plus it’s about serving kids.

What is your favorite thing about our sport? What has drawn you to lacrosse the most?

The spirit of service and dedication to the sport that I see in Kevin and the volunteers.

Do you have a favorite lacrosse team? Favorite player(s)?

I have no favorites because all I know are the volunteers from FOG. We get a mix of jerseys and gear donated from various teams but I have no idea of the status of these teams. I am just happy they choose to help and that’s all the status I need.

What do you do outside of the sport?

I am secretary of the Jamaica Surfing Association, I work part time at S Corner Clinic, am a parent trainer and member of the Parent Partners Caribbean, Coalition for Better Parenting. I also am a Social Worker and Special Educator and Rehabilitation Coordinator and an advocate for persons living with disabilities.

If you could change one thing about our sport, what would it be and why?

I wish the equipment were less expensive.

Congratulations, Claudette! A well-deserved honor. Keep growing the game!

As a small token of our appreciation, we will be sending Claudette an Easton Prize Pack to use as she sees fit. Know someone who should receive next month’s award? Fill out the Nomination Form form today!

If your photo gets chosen for our Photo of the Week, we’ll hook you up with your very own LaxAllStars.com Prize Pack courtesy of the The Lacrosse Shop. To submit your photo, simply click the link and send it in to us!

David literally only has one hand, his right, but that has not stopped him from becoming a pretty incredible lacrosse player. And no, I don’t mean he’s become an incredible lacrosse player considering he only has one hand, I just mean that he’s become an incredible lacrosse player.

Via that video you can see what I mean! He may only have a right, but he’ll dodge to his left as well. He is great at finessing the ball into the net in tight, finishes lefty AND righty, and delivers crisp and accurate passes. What’s not to love about David’s play on the field?

HUGE props go out to David, and his teammates at Mandeville. Awesome stuff from The Sportsman’s Paradise!

Photo Credit goes to Jonathan Rossi, and you can see more of his work here, at www.JonathanRossi.com. Here are three shots of David tearing it up this past year.

For another truly inspiring lacrosse story, check out Miles Moscato’s Playing the Hand You’re Dealt.

Billy Bitter is DJing the event, and professional players like Max Seibald will be in attendance, and looking to mingle a bit. Want to get up close and personal with some stars? Tell Max how to beat Denver? Well, here’s your chance!

There will also be some giveaways, prizes (lacrosse related and not), and a very good time had by all. You could win a gift certificate to a top NYC restaurant, a duffel bag from Hudson Sutler, or a number of other memorabilia pieces. In the end, this event serves to connect the NYC lacrosse community, and will help fund future efforts by CityLax to Grow The Game in the five boroughs.

Tickets are still available for purchase, and if you’re looking to have a great Wednesday night in the City, this could be your key to kicking it off right! If you’re a first time UBER user, you can also get a $20 discount. Not too shabby!

It’s going to be a great night of lacrosse in NYC, so get involved and help out CityLax, all while treating yourself just a bit.

Next week, I will follow up with a story on the first year team that I was coaching in Brooklyn this Spring… but this series can’t end with Mary and me!

So I’m putting the call out there to new programs from across the country, and around the world, to submit stories about their first year (or their first years) out on the field.

I don’t expect every story to be a story of pure success, and it is almost never about the wins and losses. I’m looking for real stories, not just Disney movie type tales, and I want to help you share it all with the world.

What went right? What went wrong? What did you learn?

If you played on, coached, reffed, or watched a first year team in 2013, I want to hear about it. Check out Mary’s post from yesterday, and use it to get started. Check out my post next week, and give it another shot. You just might surprise yourself.

Please submit your First Season Stories to LAS via out Tipline!

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I looked at the group of boys – so individualized, and seemingly unconnected to one another. Sweaty from our first conditioning practice, some proclaimed that they had never really run before, and that they had never lifted weights. So, this is where we started.

In late October, the Highlands High School lacrosse team had 15 ultra-basic Brine sticks, a few real lacrosse balls, some tennis balls, and one lightweight goal. These were the first, among many, generous donations throughout the season, but I’ll be the first to admit that I felt like I was in over my head.

I had never been a head coach. I had to put aside the years of particulars learned in women’s lacrosse, which had been drilled into my head, and replace them with men’s lacrosse rules and regulations. I was dealing with a rag-tag group of boys, who actually have very different stories and backgrounds, but who many people lump into one hushed category: low-income.

Only a few had been athletes before. Several were more accustomed to a skateboard and donned lip piercings and gauges at our first practices. Many started the season without any athletic footwear. For a number of them, it had been a long time since they’d passed all of their classes in one semester. Some worked for the local grocery chain, others at McDonald’s, or in construction with parents. I had no idea how this was going to happen.

Of course, I didn’t know the San Antonio lacrosse community. And I didn’t know these boys.

We enjoyed our little fall-ball practices. We worked on getting to know each other, on getting in shape, and on figuring out who was really serious about seeing this through. Meanwhile, I felt like I was drowning under everything that had to get done, as well as my newfound realization of the responsibility I had to these boys. We had a few setbacks but finally settled on a wonderful assistant coach who was willing to completely volunteer time and experience, as well as a conditioning coach out of Austin.

I was not ready for this season. I kept thinking that I shouldn’t have jumped into this so blindly. So why did I?

In retrospect, that answer easily surfaces and becomes so clear: Whether I was conscious of it or not, every decision I made had to do with these incredible boys, and what I was so sure this unique and addicting sport could give them. I continued to think that maybe we should cancel our games and just practice and learn this year – while simultaneously being dumbfounded by the fact that things had progressed so quickly that we actually had a legitimate game schedule in year one.

What it comes down to is this: these boys – they are something special. This is group of athletes that changed lives. And everyone wanted to see them get a chance.

When we came back from our break in January, we were officially pressed for time. Before I knew it, the hundreds of dollars in league fees were due, I was writing bylaws, the boys had to cough up $35 big ones to be US lacrosse members, and we still had basic sticks, and no pads. Our first game was on February 2, and we didn’t have but a few “real” sticks. My boys had never set foot on a field with lacrosse lines, nobody had played with a d-pole yet, and my goalie still couldn’t take legitimate shots. He didn’t have a helmet, let alone everything else.

Suddenly, and in large part thanks to our district coordinator, who simply decided this whole Highlands Lax project would come to fruition, positive things started happening. Reagan High School gave us our first 8 hand-me-down helmets and $1,500 – they paid our dues so that we could actually be a team. Their coach always wanted to help for the good of the game.

St. Mary’s Hall handed us $1,400. Texas State University partnered with us, let us meet with their team after their season opener, and conducted a huge donation drive for us. My new lacrosse-enthusiasts got bags and boxes of equipment handed to them from their new role models – college lacrosse players.

New Horizons Lacrosse out of Austin leased us full sets of equipment for free. TMI High School gave us nearly 15 sets of pads, and literally let us clean out their equipment closet. The San Antonio lacrosse community, I’m convinced, is the best around. They mentored me, my kids, and welcomed us all. (Editor’s Note: I literally cried when reading and editing this.)

In terms of our team, Micheal Williams was the catalyst. I had never met the tall, lean, hyper-energetic junior with an afro, but he bounced into my classroom in September with the idea that I could teach him and a few boys how to play lacrosse this year. I never thought I’d see him again when I asked him to scout out interest, but he came back with 22 signatures on a piece of paper.

He turned out to be a pretty solid defenseman, deciding that he would try to get at least one “yard sale” every game (that became his favorite phrase, and I think he actually reached that goal). Everything snowballed from there as we all worked through finding transportation, never playing a home game, getting sponsored jerseys, playing on a small, fire-ant infested dirt field, trudging through the grades, work schedules, court dates, and broken family problems.

Let me be clear – the respect I have for this group of young men knows no bounds. They have to fight, tooth and nail, for every shadow of a privilege they receive. These boys had to go back to their homes that most people I grew up with would consider well within the definition of poverty. Several guys couldn’t pay the US lacrosse membership fee, so we worked out a payment schedule.

Most of these kids don’t go home and live comfortable lives. My athletes work. They go to court. They enlist in the army straight out of high school because it is an excellent option. They eat chips for breakfast and drink soda for lunch. And there are much tougher situations than that. But here’s the catch – they have more heart, pride, and guts than any group of kids I’ve ever met.

The boys on this team fought for everything they got out of this first season, even with life throwing so many things their way and piling the baggage on. They proved that something truly positive can come out of this community directly. I still don’t know how aware they are of what exactly they have accomplished.

Needless to say, I think a lot of people – myself included – saw this team as an underdog. Nobody thought we’d come away from this season with a win, and certainly not two. From our perspective, our first one could not have been more beautiful. I remember looking out on the unseasonably chilly day and having an epiphany. These “hard” guys with the sponsored jerseys from a local cement company – they had become lacrosse players.

They boys had fallen in love with the game. I have never felt more connected to this game than when I watched them see what their efforts had accomplished. This team decided to build something for themselves, and it’s been glorious. They made something completely their own, and students who never would have even recognized each other in the halls found themselves together, on this distinctive field, playing this historic, yet historically affluent, game.

I think back to one of our very first information sessions, where I told them a bit about the sport and showed them some exciting lax highlights clips on YouTube.Before they knew the game, before they felt the sweat, before the pride of winning and the lessons of loosing, before the transformation in leadership and kinship… they walked out of my classroom yelling “Highlands Lax! Highlands Lax!”

They had literally just learned, minutes ago, that the abbreviation for lacrosse was “lax.” Yet they had already decided they were going to make something that nobody could take away from them. I am humbled and blessed to have been a part of what they created.

I’ll say it again: these boys changed my life and their own. They have always had a harder life than mine. They have opened my eyes to real grit, resilience, sportsmanship, and success. They are to be admired, and they don’t even know why yet. Welcome to the game, Highlands. I hope it does as much for you as it’s already done for me.

For a short video on the Highlands Lacrosse Team, check out KABB Fox in San Antonio.

Help us find someone who screams, I’m a Game Grower, with not only their words, but their actions. We want to reward all of the best Game Growers nationwide with your help! Besides, who wouldn’t want to help their friends win a sweet new set-up from Easton Lacrosse?!

Last month’s winner, Jamie Plunkett, won a brand new stick thanks to Easton Lacrosse, and your friend could be next!

A Call for Nominations

Do you know someone who’s doing everything they can to Grow The Game in your area? We are currently accepting nominations for the May 2013 Game Grower of the Month. If you know someone who you think deserves this honor, please fill out the form below with the person’s name and the reason you are nominating them for Game Grower of the Month.

More about the GTG Award

During a period of time in which we’ve seen the accelerated growth of lacrosse both in the United States and across the world, we believe there is a real need for rewarding the efforts of true game growers. Lacrosse has been growing in participation for the past decade and the GTG Award is meant to celebrate people who are making it happen while maintaining principles that improve local communities both on and off the playing field.

Integrity, leadership, service, and community are core to the mission of LaxAllStars.com, and it is our hope that the GTG Award will inspire others to give back by recognizing those that already do!

Tweet #GrowTheGame

And again, we are so happy to have Easton on board!

- The LAS Team

“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
~Author Unknown

US Lacrosse, and the US Lacrosse Foundation, is also doing their part to GTG, and their most recent focus has been on Empowering Lives Through Lacrosse. They released a new promo video last week, and it’s definitely worth a watch:

The video focuses on some of the teams and initiatives that US Lacrosse is involved with, but the general concept is clearly one of community, and supporting each other. Whether you go the vertical route of moving up or trickling down, or the sideways route of direct help, it makes a difference. Get inspired, and stay involved, however you can.

Now without further ado, the April 2013 Game Grower of the Month is…

Jamie Plunkett of Berlin, Germany

Jamie is a frequenter on LAS and is very involved with the Box Lacrosse scene in Germany, to the point where many said without him it may not exist! He has helped the German Team, Deutschland Adler, the European Lacrosse League, and many other German lacrosse tournaments. We were told he also coaches the Berlin team and is never afraid to help someone out when it comes to 1 on 1 coaching.

Jamie is a huge advocate for the game in Germany and has done so much to help Grow The Game abroad, congrats Jamie!

Congratulations to Jamie Plunkett, LaxAllStars.com’s April 2013 Game Grower of the Month! To reward Jamie for his efforts, Easton Lacrosse will be supplying him with a Stealth HS Head and his choice of the Stealth Scandium+ Shaft or the Stealth RS Ultralite Shaft.

Recently, we sat down with Jamie to learn more about what he’s doing to help grow the great sport of lacrosse in and around his current residence of Berlin, Germany.

LAS: Can you describe the state of lacrosse in your area?

JP: Although lacrosse in Germany has been around for 20 years, upon arrival I was surprised by how underdeveloped the sport is across the nation as a whole. Sure there are pockets of greatness, but generally the attitude towards lacrosse is not one to yield exponential growth. In Berlin, there are 3 different clubs that have lacrosse: Berliner Hockey Club has a men’s team, Victoria has a men’s and women’s team and our club, SCC-BLAX has a men’s, 2 women’s, girl’s and boy’s teams.

In what ways are you involved in growing the sport in your area?

I coach both the men’s and youth boy’s teams for SCC – BLAX (Berlin Lacrosse). I hold camps throughout the year for field and box lacrosse in a variety of places, most recently, Finland. This past summer, I established the first German Indoor team to compete internationally in the European Lacrosse League (ELL). The Deutschland Adler Lacrosse Club (DALC) competed and won the ELL title. My main goal with the DALC is to send the first German Indoor team to the next World Championships in Buffalo 2015.

What is the biggest obstacle for lacrosse growth in your area?

Lack of knowledge of lacrosse throughout the general population, which makes it hard to attract new players and in turn makes it hard to get new members and to grow.

How did you get involved with the sport? Who taught you the game?

I played hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the summer like the majority of the kids from Peterborough, Ontario. In the winter we would go for a skate on the lake and train for hockey and in the summer we would take shots on the net against the barn. From early on my dad always coached my house league lacrosse and all star teams. As I got older, my knowledge and skills were acquired from playing with older guys, like my brother.

What has been your biggest accomplishment when it comes to growing the game?

Winning the ELL with the Deutschland Adler in our first season.

Who or what inspires you most to help grow the game?

The guys that have been playing field lacrosse that have now started to play box lacrosse and have re-ignited their passion for the game.

What is your favorite thing about our sport? What has drawn you to lacrosse the most?

The community and camaraderie are my favorite things about the sport. I haven’t been drawn to lacrosse. Growing up in Peterborough, it’s just what we did.

Do you have a favorite lacrosse team? Favorite player(s)? 

No, I don’t have a favorite team. I just enjoy watching box lacrosse. My favorite player is my brother, Lindsay Plunkett, because he has always challenged me to be the best player possible.

What do you do outside of the sport? 

Travel Europe.

If you could change one thing about our sport, what would it be and why?

Separation of field and box. They are two different sports that need to have different governing rules and bodies.

Congratulations again, Jamie! A well-deserved honor. Keep on Growing The Game!

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for Growing The Game in your area? Click here to fill out the Game Grower of the Month nomination form. What an incredible year it has been in the lacrosse world!

During his time at Post, Joey helped lead the Pioneers to two national championships (2009, 2010), then he joined the coaching staff for a year. For five seasons, Joey dedicated himself to helping his college lacrosse team succeed. Now he’s a long-term volunteer in Jamaica, where he’s mentoring young athletes and introducing lacrosse to Jamaicans of all ages. And his alma mater has dedicated itself to helping him grow the game.

Way to go, Post.

Music by Billy Mystic.

Joey Blount, former All-American LSM at C.W. Post University (’10)

Day 2 featured an eye-opening trip to Riverton City, a trash dump town just West of Kingston. As soon as we got there, the children embraced us with open arms. Of course, they were already familiar with the game thanks to Joe, Harry and Kevin’s previous efforts in the community, but that didn’t stop them from showing extreme excitement for another opportunity to play.

As soon as we arrived, the kids took Chuck and I on a tour of the town which eventually led to a stop at a bridge that connects the town to the actual trash dump. Beneath the bridge, was a free flowing creek, providing the perfect jump off point for the kids to show off their stuff. I collected some video of the kids doing cannon balls and horsing around in the water, which I’ll share at a later time.

Afterwards, we headed back to the St. Patrick’s Foundation facility, where we attended a local church service featuring a guest pastor from Nigeria. Surprisingly to me, the locals quickly accepted our attendance at church, encouraging us to introduce ourselves, sing along, and interact fully throughout the service. The pastor’s sermon was incredibly powerful – he was so loud, animated, passionate that it was hard to notice the long length of his speech. Meanwhile the music at the service was unlike anything you’d ever hear at the churches most of us normally attend. Featuring an electric keyboard, lots of repetition, and constant interaction with those around us, it was a fun experience – certainly something I’ll never forget.

Following the church service, we headed to the storage unit (a large rail storage container) and started loading equipment into the van. From there we headed to the field, a nice empty space surrounded by local homes and a street where community members drove by and noticed the game regularly. Just as we arrived to the field and the guys started distributing equipment, a heavy rain began to fall. I waited the rain out under the cover of our van’s rear overhead door, which gave me time to get to know our drivers, TK and Kirk (two local Kingston guys).

As the rain slowed, a little girl named Nikoli I had met in church showed up to check out what we were doing. We didn’t have any girls sticks this time around, but that didn’t stop her from trying on equipment and asking me to teach her how to pass and catch. She’s a netball player, and from what I’ve learned so far this week, girls who play netball are incredibly athletic. Nikoli loved the game so much that she requested to join us at the event Fields of Growth is throwing on Saturday… We’ll be bussing the boys from Riverton to S-Corner, a field located a few miles East in the community of Oaklands, at which time kids from both communities will get to come together and scrimmage against each other for the first time ever.

After our time in Riverton, we packed up and headed to Oaklands for another session of coaching and introducing the game to new children in the community. Following that, we drove in to downtown Jamaica for patties, a Jamaican specialty similar to a calzone in looks, but much, much different… If I could eat a patty every day for the rest of my life, I’d be more than okay with that. After that, we headed back to Jamnesia, where we’re staying, to shower up, hit the ocean, and relax the rest of the evening.

Above you’ll see photos from both Riverton City and Oaklands, and I’ll have a ton of cool video content to share once I return to the Unitied States. We spent 4-6 hours at each location, so you can image how embedded we were able to get in each community. I look forward to seeing all the kids I met again on Saturday, and I’m hoping to snag some interviews with a few so I can show you how much our sport is truly catching on here in Jamaica.