Lacrosse in the Land of the Lakers
Here’s a piece I wrote on the emergence of local lacrosse as a great sport option for kids. In it, I get to talk to National Lacrosse League scoring champ, Shawn Evans.
A few excerpts:
Calgary Roughnecks star, Shawn Evans, is currently leading the National Lacrosse League in scoring. Again. The Peterborough Native cut his teeth in lacrosse playing for the Junior and Senior Peterborough Lakers and making life rough for teams in nearby Whitby and Brooklyn.
He is the only player in history to win Championships at the Junior, Senior, and Professional levels in the same year and has won 3 gold medals at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.
With a career like his, there are plenty of moments to look back on, and many people to thank as influences. And yet, his biggest influence remains his father.
“My dad was definitely my biggest push,” he remembers. “He’d give me pointers after each game on what I needed to work on and on what I could improve.”
For Evans, having a supportive family is a must for any young lacrosse athlete.
“Just being there to play catch or to help you learn skills is a big thing,” he says. “And having them cheer you on and believe in you.”
* * *
It is one of those ultimate cross-training sports. Take a look at the number of really great hockey players that came from a lacrosse background: Brendan Shanahan, Joe Nieuwendyk, NHL fitness guru, Gary Roberts…”
And then, of course, there is the Great One.
Wayne Gretzky has gone on record countless times stating that lacrosse made him a better hockey player – a ringing endorsement from one of the greatest athletes of all time.
