On Saturday, December 16th, the LaserSharks box lacrosse club will host a new box combine for their 2018 team. If you don’t know already, the LaserSharks are an American men’s travel box team run by PJ Martin, and they play in tourneys and events all around the country throughout the year. The LaserSharks‘ new combine serves as both a tryout for the ‘Sharks, but it also presents an amazing opportunity for any good field players who want to learn the box game, or take their box game to the next level.
LaserSharks Box Combine
The box combine will be run by Randy Fraser and Alex Turner, two guys with a ton of pro and high level box lacrosse experience. Fraser is a former two-time assistant coach for Team USA, two-time USA U19 Head Coach, an 11-year NLL Veteran, coached in the NLL for four years, and is the founder of the Boston Box Lacrosse League. Turner is the current Philadephia Wings Director of Operations, played in the WLA for 8 years, and is a 7-year NLL Veteran.
The two men will run the show, and along with some other talent evaluators, they will select a LaserSharks “A” team, but they will also provide feedback to players on what they can do to continue to improve. In the future, the goal is to get NLL coaches and GMs to attend as well, not only to provide feedback but to also scout out potential talent.
I got to check in with Alex Turner about the Combine, and he provided some excellent additional perspective and insight:
“PJ Martin has worked really hard putting together a solid group of guys to take to high level tournaments. The LaserSharks have faired well at the events, but the LASNAI tournament brings a complete new competition level, as teams and players have grown up playing the game and understand the nuances of box lacrosse. Our plan for the combine is to implement box systems and increase the box lacrosse IQ of a stellar group of athletes, to compete for the LASNAI tournament title. With expansion in the NLL a lot of jobs will be available in the next couple of years and many of the LaserShark player are knocking at the door. Hopefully, they can take something away from the combine to better prepare them for tryouts in the future. Most of the players at the combine are also involved in youth lacrosse. In order to grow the box game and develop competitive high level talent the youth coaches need a better understanding of the game. I’m very excited to be a part of what the LaserSharks are doing and encourage anyone to make it out to the combine.”
If you’re interested in box lacrosse, want to play a lot more, and do things the right way, you should really consider going to the LaserSharks Winter Combine. We know these guys well, and it’s going to be a great experience, with plenty of opportunities to learn and improve.
Combine Info
Date: SATURDAY, December 16th, 2017
Location: Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak Rd, Voorhees Township, NJ 08043
Cost to play: $125, includes jersey
Time/Format: Two sessions – 2pm to 5pm and 7pm to 9:30pm. Total 5-5.5 hours of combine and evaluation sessions featuring drills, strategy, and one hour of scrimmage per session.