Grow the Game: The Next Level?

There is a big movement in lacrosse that’s been around ever since I have known about the sport all to do with growing the game. GTG or grow the game is all about enthusing other people to try out the sport, raising the sports profile and increase overall popularity. It is a widely practiced idea in all levels of USA based lacrosse with professional teams and youth teams touring the country. Whilst the majority of attempts are focused on gaining popularity in the States, there has been a particular shift in focus to making the game more accessible internationally. Laxallstars.com frequently play host to a number of articles on the global effort with recent articles on Jamaica, Czech Republic, Turkey, Thailand, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong… you get the point. Also, Easton Lacrosse, in association with laxallstars is rewarding those people, each month, which have gone above and beyond.

Easton supporting Game Growers.

Unfortunately, the UK doesn’t feature much at all in any of these articles or the ‘grow the game ideology’. We appear to be in some sort of attendance to these tournaments in Europe but don’t host one of our own, at least not one that’s renowned for bringing people together from across the globe. There is, of course, the slow inevitable small growth over time that is born out of the sport having quite a good foothold here but still so many people are missing out on the true ‘beautiful game’. Why aren’t there stronger efforts in the UK? Has lacrosse here reached it’s full potential? Has our game grown?

As I have said, I understand that lacrosse in the UK has a good foothold and clubs will always pull players in their local area contributing to small growth. On the other hand, students unwilling to try something new cap growth at a university level. The next step from here would be to bring lacrosse to the masses and put it in the public eye. Everyone will have his or her own opinion on how to do this most effectively but I look to another American sport with a large enthusiastic UK based following, American Football.

American Football, much like lacrosse, is a minority sport with participants/teams few and far apart however the fan base in UK is huge. It’s extremely televised in the USA and broadcast across Satellite TV; the UK population was able to buy into the NFL experience when they started bring games over to Wembley Stadium in 2007. Every one of those matches is a sellout event that showcases the sports elite battling it out in London. I think that an event similar to this would launch the sport into the public eye.

There is no reason why lacrosse can’t imitate the NFL’s UK success. If it is batted off and mockingly advertised as Quidditch as I often hear from my friends and family then its success will be limited.  However, if the MLL or even LXM Pro tour added UK dates and it was advertised precisely as the sport it is (ei. The game with all the hits of American Football, the speed and tempo of basketball and the technique/stick finesse of Hockey) then I’m sure many newcomers will flock to watch this awesome game. People would be willing to go see a professional game, as they know that they would get to see a great sporting event. With the MLL season opener this Saturday anything like this is unlikely to take off this year.

MLL starts up on Saturday 27th April

Ideally, a plan of action like this would be fantastic if it could be implemented within the next few years so as to piggyback off the London Olympics that inspired a passion for watching sport. The MLL has the benefit of being arguably the sports top-most level and increasingly more accessible. It features on CBS sports, ESPN and for the first time 15 games will be streamed on Youtube. This will allow fans to follow teams pre and post UK match dates drumming a strong team support. I managed to become an avid supporter of the New York Lizards through a passion bordering upon obsession for lacrosse. The key will be to make it easier and simpler to follow the game here in the UK.

England may be firmly seated as European Champions (in both men’s and women’s game) with Wales, Scotland and Ireland close behind but as the greatest lacrosse nation outside of Canada and the USA we still have plenty of growth left in us.

 I’d love to see this in London one day.

This is my idea but what do you think would generate more enthusiasm for lacrosse?