Grow the Game®

Hong Kong Lacrosse Team 2014 World Lacrosse Championship
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Hong Kong Lacrosse: Coaches of Today and Yesterday

Editor’s Note: Welcome Jordan Wong of the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association to the forum. Jordan and others from the HKLA will be dropping in from time to time to keep us update on all things Hong Kong Lacrosse!

Last November, the HKLA was proud to announce the hiring of Scott Browning and Travis Taylor to lead the Men’s and Women’s High Performance Programme (HPP).

The HPP is a new initiative from the HKLA and serves as a way to identify and develop elite lacrosse players and centralize their training in preparation for local and international competitions.

The HPP consists of potential athletes for the Men’s and Women’s National Teams, as well as the Junior National Teams. The hiring of Browning and Taylor is vital, as it provides the players with internationally experienced coaches who can bring them to the next level.

Scott Browning Hong Kong Lacrosse

Browning returns to Hong Kong as the Head Coach of the Men’s HPP after coaching the Hong Kong Men’s National Team to a 21st place finish at the 2014 World Championships in Denver. Prior to his tenure with the national squad, Browning has a decorated resume with over 40 years experience in the sport of lacrosse.

Included in his coaching resume, Browning has won two silver medals with the Canadian National Under 19 Team. The first as the Head Coach at the 2000 World Championships and the second in 2012 as the Assistant Coach in Turku, Finland. In his playing days, Browning represented the Canadian National Field Team at the 1990 World Championships.

With the hopes of cultivating the same success in Hong Kong, Browning hopes he can continue to have a meaningful contribution to the sport in Asia.

I am excited and honored to have this chance to continue working with the HKLA and to help grow and develop the game in Hong Kong and Asia. The people of the HKLA have been so welcoming and a real pleasure to work with. Their commitment and passion for the game is great to see.

Hired to coach the women, Taylor is also familiar with the international lacrosse scene. Growing up in New Westminster, Canada, Travis began coaching youth lacrosse in his hometown.

Since then, Taylor has coached the Dutch men’s field lacrosse team (2008, 2011), the Slovakian men’s indoor team (2011), the Welsh women’s senior (2008, 2009) and junior team (2012, 2014), and most recently served as an Assistant Coach for the Slovakian men’s field team (2014).

travis Taylor Hong Kong Lacrosse

Taylor states that after taking so many teams to compete in many different divisions, national and international competitions, he believes his experience has given him an appreciation for what is required for a team to be successful. He hopes to have his experiences translate into success for the Hong Kong players.

I believe the Hong Kong team brings together players with a wide range of sporting backgrounds and it will be important to identify and develop the individual skills, strengths and experience each player brings to the team, while building the team as a ‘family’. I believe I can help create a unified yet diverse group which can bring Hong Kong success for years to
come.

The future of Hong Kong Lacrosse looks very bright. Having the privilege to hire Browning and Taylor, the people of Hong Kong are very lucky.

To have an association and executive group that is so committed to growing the game for the
people of Hong Kong, I am thrilled to be a part of this, and encourage all the athletes to
enjoy their playing experiences now, and it is incumbent on them to contribute and give back
to the growth of lacrosse in the future,” said Browning.

Although the history of lacrosse in Hong Kong is relatively short, the foundation which has been created for lacrosse to thrive in Hong Kong can be attributed to many influential people, groups and countries.

Appreciation can be credited to many devoted graduates for their early development work to ensure lacrosse can continue to grow and allow for future public participation. Today, many of these local graduates may have retired from lacrosse but some continue to be involved.

As well, the HKLA needs to thank our friends and competitors from around the world; the Japan Lacrosse Association who continuously gave support and guidance, including sending coaches, referees and teams to HKLA events and clinics. The Korea Lacrosse Association for being a competitor and companion in the advancement of lacrosse. The Thailand Lacrosse Association for organizing numerous Friendly games and tournaments in preparation for
various competitions.

Finally, the coaches of today and yesterday. There are many voluntary coaches who have helped the HKLA who deserve a lot of the credit. Their dedication, inspiration and knowledge in lacrosse has brought Hong Kong Lacrosse to where it is today. We sincerely thank them for their contributions, otherwise there wouldn’t be lacrosse in Hong Kong.

With the new leadership of Scott Browning and Travis Taylor, the HKLA look forward to the next steps, building on the efforts of the past and the continuous promotion of the sport.