The Boston Box Lacrosse League is hosting a Pro Box Prospect Camp on September 23rd and 24th at the South Shore Sports Center in Hingham, Massachusetts. This is a great development for any and all American box players, looking to make the jump to the next level (the NLL!), or at least take their game to the next level!
Randy Fraser will be running the show, and putting the players through their paces, and I can’t think of a better guy to handle these responsibilities. Not only does Randy have a ton of experience as a professional box player and coach, but he’s also run NLL combines before, and has put on training camps and clinics for all levels of player, from novices to top notch professionals. He knows his way around a box, and on top of all that, he knows what it takes for an American to see success in the NLL, because he’s done it.
For a couple of years, we were seeing a distressing trend of less American players in the NLL, but recently, it looks to be reversing to some degree, and more guys are getting into training camps, and making rosters. In addition to great leagues like the Boston Box Lacrosse League, a prospect camp like this one outside of Boston is the kind of thing that will help this new trend continue.
Who is going to be the next Tommy Schreiber or Kieran McArdle? Who will be the next Greg Downing or Mitch Belisle? Is there another Brett Manney lurking in the Boston shadows somewhere? The Boston Prospect Camp could be their stepping stone!
Chuck Jaffe, who runs the BBLL with Randy Fraser, had this to say about the event:
“As our league has evolved and put more players into NLL training camps, Randy and I have been asked by our pro contacts about how to identify and develop more American prospects, and we think the combine is a first step to doing that. Plenty of guys are interested in making the transition to box – the league hears from dozens of Americans every year – but they have little high-level experience playing real box. We’re hoping to find more players who could quickly move to the indoor game.”
We couldn’t agree more! Props to Randy and Chuck for stepping up here for both the league, and for the players. Great stuff!
There is a big movement right now in the US to Grow The Game, when it comes to box. Between the BBLL, Dallas, Colorado, Philly, Baltimore, and a host of other leagues and teams, the game is becoming more and more popular. Add on the LASNAI, and the box scene in North America outside of Canada is starting to boom. Heck, you’re even seeing really impressive growth in Canada in places like Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. And when it comes to Europe, box is starting to really take off as well. I love it when a plan comes together!
The event is free to participants, but attendance is being strictly limited.
Players hoping to be invited to fill one of the remaining spaces can contact Jaffe and Fraser at bostonboxlax@gmail.com.
Here are the details:
What: Boston Box Lacrosse League Pro Prospect Camp
Where: South Shore Sports Center (55 Recreation Park Drive, Hingham, Mass.)
When:
Session 1 = 1 – 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23
Session 2 = 8-10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24
Session 3 = 1 – 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24
Who: Run by Randy Fraser, former Boston Blazers player, coach, general manager, head coach of Team USA U19 team
Cost: Free, but participation is limited to invitees, and space is limited, and dwindling.
The Boston Box Lacrosse League is the premiere adult men’s league in New England. The BBLL plays a fall-winter season and a summer league on Tuesday nights at South Shore Sports Center in Hingham. For stats, standings and more information on the league, go to BostonBoxLax.com. The league posts announcements and commentary on Twitter and can be followed @BostonBoxLax.
Good luck to all the players, and a big thanks from the box community to Randy and Chuck for putting on this great new event.
