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Get To Know Israel Lacrosse

The Summer of 2013 has been a special one for Israel Lacrosse so far, and with a number of events still to come, it’s high time the lacrosse world got to know one of its newer members a little more intimately. Israel Lacrosse was born in 2010, but 2013 is the year where it is taking its first BIG steps!

Right now, the Israeli women’s team is competing in Oshawa, at the women’s field lacrosse world championships, and they are definitely holding their own. The Israeli men’s team took on Turkey in a friendly match, and won that game. Much bigger than who won, the game marked the very first time a Jewish lacrosse team had played a Muslim team in international lacrosse IN ISRAEL and it was the first time Israel had hosted an International event, and as expected, the lacrosse community came together to support all the players involved. Truly a wonderful thing to see!

Let’s take a visual look at some of the recent goings-on in Israel via Larry Palumbo’s magic camera lens:

Israel Vs. Jewish USA All Stars

Lacrosse Clinic In Ashkelon

Israel Vs Turkey

Touring: Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Ein Gedi, and Kotel

I’ll get to a couple more big events planned for the rest of the Summer in a bit, but for now, let’s meet some of the people involved:

Scott Neiss – Scott has been the Executive Director of Israel Lacrosse since its inception, and has experience in the NLL, NALL, and MLL. He grew up on Long Island, and has been around lacrosse for much of his life. I got the chance to meet him in Prague, and he is as passionate about the game, and lacrosse in Israel, as anyone I’ve ever met. He tries to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult, and should be a positive force of leadership for years to come.

Howard Borkan – Howard is another Long Island guy, and he comes with a ton of lacrosse experience. To even scratch the surface would require another post. Read up on him here. Howard knows the game, loves it, and gives back whenever he can. I’ve seen it in action, here in NYC. His son plays, and the passion has definitely been passed down to the next generation. Any national team would be blessed to have a guy like this on their side.

William Beroza – Bill Beroza is the men’s head coach, and as a former three time member of Team USA, he knows a thing or two about International Lacrosse. He’s been involved with the game for decades, and is well respected, as well as being a member of both the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Brad McArthur – Brad will coach the Israeli box lacrosse team in 2015, and he brings a wealth of knowledge to the program. He believes in playing the game the right way, and playing within the confines of reality. He will do a great job of converting field guys to box, and if you’re interested in trying out for the Israeli box team, you should reach out to him directly at brad@lacrosse.co.il.

Upcoming Events

Men’s Field – 2013 Exhibition Schedule

Thu, Jul 4 at 7:30 PM – Israel vs. Turkey (Asheklon, Israel)
Sat, Aug 17 at 8:15 PM – Israel vs. Iroquois Nationals (Baltimore, MD, USA)
Sun, Aug 18 at 12:00 PM – Israel vs. Philippines (Baltimore, MD, USA)

Camps

One of the events Israel Lacrosse is staging is the Israel Lacrosse High School Invitational. The goal of this IS NOT a recruiting based camp.  This is a chance for players of the same culture to meet, discuss, and play together for the first time.

It’s all about bringing jewish kids together in a competitive setting under the best of conditions. Rumor has it Max Seibald will be there as well!

Overall

It looks like Israel Lacrosse is truly stepping up its game. Its women’s team is ripping it up, box is getting going, and the men’s team is playing quite a bit. Add in a vibrant and growing Israeli Lacrosse League, as well as a passionate and dedicate core group of players and staff, and the future looks brighter and brighter.