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?

My Love Story with Faceoff’s and the New York Lizards!

The MLL (Major Lacrosse League) is just around the corner with the first game facing off between the Denver Outlaws and the Charlotte Hounds on April 27^th. The game I’m excited to see is the New York Lizards’ (formerly Long Island Lizards recently rebranded) first match against the Boston Cannons. Anybody who knows me knows that I am a huge Lizards fan. Some of you are probably wondering how a guy that lives on the end of the River Thames and attends university on West Coast of Wales becomes such a fan of the lacrosse team operating out of the Big Apple!

Eagerly Anticipated!

It all started when I was first learning how to play the game and trying to find my place in the team. I wasn’t particularly good at anything in the beginning. I had some speed and athleticism about me, which I would put down to playing football (soccer) and athletics at school, this sort of lead me into a midfield role; after that I just had to practice with the stick. Over time it became apparent that I wasn’t a natural born shooter but better at distributing the ball. There are two positions where a good ball distributor can be useful; one is behind goal the second is at the face off X. It wasn’t until my first Welsh university trials (which collates all players from the Welsh Uni’s to form a team) that I tried my hand at a face off. I instantly fell in love with it. There was something about utilizing that controlled aggression and strength I had learnt whilst playing left back on my football team that really drew me in. I was definitely not good enough to start any matches yet but I was keen to learn and get better. This is the point where I truly became aware of, quite frankly, my favourite lacrosse player ever and the Long Island Lizards.

Greg “The Beast” Gurenlian

The player I’m referring to is the MLL leader with 230 face off wins of 2012, the “Beast”, Greg Gurenlian. When sifting through the Internet on face-off technique this man seemed to dominate all. I found some tutorial videos from another renowned face off guy, Chris Eck (Boston Cannons) and what he said made sense. I then moved on and found Mr Anthony Kelly explaining the basics and what he said also made perfect sense. It was only when I went to search for game footage of these other players did I see Greg Gurenlian. He seemed to be a common denominator in these videos, as the guy that regularly beats them! So whilst Chris Eck and Anthony Kelly know what they are talking about and are very good, it is actually Greg Gurenlian that puts the technique in to practice most efficiently. After watching interviews, footage of Greg in action and reading his blog it has given me an impression of an athlete with an extremely passionate work ethic and all round decent guy, as well as an absolute powerhouse on the face-off. If ever I was going to model my role in my team on a professional athlete he seems to be a solid choice. As such it was through following Greg that I watched more and more of the Lizards.

Just as an aside here, if you are looking to get better at playing a particular position or technique look to the pros, find a guy that you like and basically study them. If you can fully understand the mechanics or theory behind something then it’s only a lack of experience that can hold you back. You would have done all you can all that’s left is to practice.

For someone relatively new to lacrosse I was familiar with the big names in the game. If you google ‘lacrosse’ their names pop up pretty darn quick, players like Rabil, Harrison and of course the Powells. But I suddenly became aware of some awesome players that play an amazing game but hadn’t been elevated to this god like status, players like Max Seibald, Stephen Peyser and Brian Langtry. I found myself excited seeing these players take to the field. Perhaps it was an absence of a mega star player that made me like the Long Island Lizards, I fancied them as the strong underdog, last year my faith in them was rewarded by the 5-0 winning streak mid-season and making playoff’s.

Max Seibald turning on the jets!

This year I fancy them for the title. Not only do they retain most of the players that took them to the playoffs but they have Greg Gurenlian, who had a limited preseason training due a knee operation, this year he has been able to complete his full preseason training schedule. Furthermore, the collegiate draft and clever trades have been extremely kind to the Lizards gaining Rob Pannell, Mark Matthews and Stephen Berger. These new additions hopefully, can provide sustained firepower throughout those tougher matches. There will be some that know I have the Lizards vs Outlaws playoff match in mind when I talk about sustained firepower where the Outlaws, trailing 12-3 with 11:32 left in the third, came back to win the game. On the day, the Lizards couldn’t break the Outlaws’ ten goal run but maybe a change up in the roster will allow them to change their game play more fluidly.

Probably my most prized lacrosse possession… other than my spoons, of course.

2013 looks to be an interesting year for the New York Lizards and I can’t wait to see what the season brings.