Youth Lacrosse Fills Fields at ULA Opening Weekend

By Lauren Winfrey

CORTLAND, N.Y. -  Young lacrosse players took over the fields at SUNY Cortland this weekend. The Upstate Lacrosse Association's (ULA)Shane Lynch Memorial Opening Weekend is considered one of the biggest lacrosse events in the country. Named for the LeMoyne College coach from Liverpool who died of cancer at 28, the weekend provides a large platform for lacrosse players to experience playing teams in the region that are new to them. 

Nike Team/ LIDS Team Sports serves as one of the many partners of the ULA and the Opening Weekend. Nike Team/ LIDS Team Sports representative Patricia Mussi credits Onondaga Nation for introducing the sport of lacrosse to the Central New York area.

Central Square v. Dryden 3rd and 4th graders

“Onondaga Nation is where it all began. A lot of the reservations are the ones that brought lacrosse into this region, and [the sport] has expanded across the country because of them,” Mussi said.

Mussi also finds the ULA’s incorporation of all athletes, despite their skill set, pertinent to the organization’s ability to develop young talent.

“[The ULA] prepares these kids for school... [the organization] incorporates everybody and I think that's key, Mussi said. "Whether the players are lower level or higher level, they all play together." 

The organization's overall all goal is to help produce the collegiate and professional lacrosse players of tomorrow. The effort to produce tomorrow's best, starts with training today's beginners. Central Square ULA Coordinator Pat Wallace is very familiar with this process. In addition to serving as a ULA coordinator, Wallace also assists with coaching the Central Square 3rd and 4th grade team. 

"[The kids] like coming down here and playing on these fields. This is a great way to start the season," Wallace said. This is a big atmosphere for these kids, it's a lot bigger than just a normal game at school grounds."  

Wallace agrees the exposure to other athletes and varied skill sets really works to the advantage of his young players. 

"From now on we'll be able to build off this [experience] and progress through the rest of the season," Wallace said. "We'll be able to go back to practice and fix some of the problems we had during the game, and exploit some of our strengths." 

Wallace's coaching philosophy echoes the ULA's longstanding premise of lacrosse: play hard, play fair, respect others, and honor the game.

Video report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIIFZQdxqFY&feature=youtu.be

Pat Wallace interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBWWuWdEr0&feature=youtu.be