Josh Kelly is looking to build a pipeline for future field lacrosse players in the north.
The North-Central Zone 8 team Kelly will coach at the BC Summer Games in Surrey, July 19-22 consists of almost half of the players being underage compared to the rosters other teams across the province will have. The age category for field lacrosse players is 14- and-15-year-olds but the Zone 8 team will have nine 13-year-olds among its 19 players.
"It's a good experience for everybody to go and try the game out," said Kelly. "We've had lots of people come forward to play this year. I'm hoping we can spark some interest and maybe get a few more people interested."
Numbers were low when registration began, said Kelly so they opened it up to 13 year olds.
Kelly played field lacrosse himself when he lived in the Lower Mainland but has found the opportunities lacking in the north. With the experience the 13-year-old players will get this summer, Kelly said it could bode well for the future.
"it may make it a little bit harder this round for us just because the kids are younger and certainly a few of them are going to be smaller than the kids that are two years older then them," said Kelly. "But two years from now when the next summer games roll around the 13-year-old kids are going to be the ones who will be the 15-year-olds, hopefully they'll be able to lead the team the next time around and have a bit more of a base to build upon."
The players on the Zone 8 team are from Prince George, Mackenzie, Quesnel, Williams Lake and 150 Mile House.
Kelly's past experience as a player comes in handy in teaching a group of boys where all but one of them have never played field lacrosse in a league before.
"It's definitely a lot different for the kids," said Kelly. "There has been a few small practices that have gone on in the past on weekends where the kids go out, run a few drills and play a game."
Colton Springer of 150 Mile House played in a field lacrosse league but the other 18 players have only played in box lacrosse leagues.
"There's a lot of different rules and a lot of habits from box lacrosse don't necessarily carry over to field lacrosse," added Kelly.
The two styles have different positioning and skill sets but the biggest difference is the size of the field - box lacrosse takes place in a hockey-sized arena while field lacrosse is played on a soccer field. In the box game players want to keep running to keep up with the fast-turnaround game. It's a different story on the field.
"If you're running yourself around all the time you'll get tired," said Kelly. "It's good to make the ball do more of the work."
The team pulls out of Prince George on Wednesday night, arrives in Surrey on Thursday and is tentatively scheduled to play two round-robin games Friday, a crossover game Saturday and, if all goes well, play for medals Sunday.
