Salford’s only lacrosse team is appealing for younger players to join the ranks, saying youth is vital to the survival of the sport in the North West.
Boardman and Eccles Lacrosse are fighting to keep the sport’s relevance in the face of clubs closing and merging across the region.
The Honorary Secretary and Fixture Secretary of the club Oliver Forbes Leith, 51, says the sport needs to attract new players from an early age.
Forbes Leith said: “In the Northwest, there are quite a few clubs that have folded in the last four or five years or have been forced to merge, so I’d say its level but it’s fighting very hard to survive.
“The juniors are the absolute lifeblood, without the junior’s section and without bringing in juniors every year, you’re going to fold.”
Forbes Leith emphasized the importance of this method as sports like football tend to be more attractive sports to play for kids.
He said: “You’ve got to get them when they are young, obviously lots of parents want their kids to be the next David Beckham, their next meal ticket.
“Then there is peer pressure on the kids when they do something different, at the club, our youngest training sessions go down to five-year-olds, six-year-olds.”
According to Statista.com, 44.7 percent of 11- to 15-year-old kids, and 31.4 percent of five- to 10-year-olds play football monthly in the UK, making it the most popular sport to play in the area.
Boardman and Eccles Lacrosse, based at Monton sports club have also got a schools programme, where they put coaches in schools around Salford to encourage them to get involved with the sport, a programme running for six to seven years.
Forbes Leith said there was a lack of support for lacrosse, leading to big changes within other clubs in the Northwest of England as recent as last week.
“Another club last week have merged, two other clubs have merged last week, Ashton have not been able to put a team out this year, it is slowly dying in the Northwest.”
However, Forbes Leith mentioned how easy it is to get involved in the sport.
He said: “In junior football, they look for a certain type of athlete, whereas lacrosse can accommodate anybody of any athletic stature or limitations.”
• Anyone that wants to get involved can find out more information by visiting their website or on their Facebook page
Recent Comments