The Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County, which wrapped up on Dec. 31, drew favorable reviews from coaches, spectators and vendors.
The event featured 73 pre-collegiate lacrosse teams from 15 states, including Canada, which made the trek to Wesley Chapel to compete in the three-day tournament.
The warm Florida weather was a pleasant feature for many out-of-state spectators who spent several hours outdoors, watching lacrosse at the Wesley Chapel District Park.
(Photos courtesy of NDP Lacrosse)
“It’s a good time of the year,” said Rod Hidusky, who drove from Roanoke, Virginia, to see the tournament. “The weather’s been real good. It’s a little chillier up there (in Roanoke).”
While Hidusky acknowledged, “parking was tough,” he said the event was well organized.
“I think the fields are really good,” Hidusky said, noting the fields are marked and well maintained. “They’ve got some vendors and stuff, so it’s a pretty good time.”
Todd Anderson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said the experience is great for youth lacrosse players being able to compete against opponents they’ve never seen before.
“It’s pretty neat for them being able to play kids from all over the country,” said Anderson, who supported the Bucks County Select 2020 lacrosse team. “We’ve played (teams from) Florida, Virginia and Minnesota. It’s been great having these teams from all over the place.”
In between games, lacrosse players and their families relaxed and tailgated under tents set up throughout the park. Others visited the playgrounds or checked out vendors selling lacrosse gear and apparel.
Evan and Tara Jones, who invented a lacrosse ball resurfacer, traveled from Roswell, Georgia, to sell their product at the tournament.
The idea for their product, “The Ballscratcher,” was created about four years ago when they grew tired of purchasing new lacrosse balls every few weeks for their two sons.
The Jones family, who travels to about 30 lacrosse tournaments across the country every year, enjoy the convenience and setup at Wesley Chapel.
“Having all the fields in one location is wonderful for vendors and also for families, so they’re not having to drive in between schools or parks and stuff,” Tara said. “I know from traveling across the country doing this, the setup of having everything under one location helps tremendously. We love it.”
Evan said the more a lacrosse ball is used, the more stains it gets, causing it to lose its grip and feel.
“The kids hate ’em because they shoot differently,” Evan said about discolored lacrosse balls. “Imagine if you had nothing but dead tennis balls that you’re practicing with, and you went out in a game and got a (new) one.”
The invention, which they introduced at the tournament three years ago, ended up cutting the Jones family’s spending on lacrosse balls in half.
“We spent about 50 bucks a month on balls, and so we were tired of spending it,” Tara said. “For coaches, a case of balls is about $180. That’s money that could be used for fields, coaches, uniforms and equipment.”
Having a large number of lacrosse teams and families at the tournament has allowed the Joneses to get beneficial exposure for their product.
“People like to touch, feel and see it, especially with a lot of Internet stores that carry our product,” Tara said. “They don’t believe it until they see (it).”
In addition to fans and vendors, the Tournament of Champions was convenient for coaches.
From a coach’s perspective, the tournament’s schedule was easier to maneuver after event organizers introduced a mobile app that provided updates on scores, opponents and game locations in real-time.
“It’s honestly one of the cleanest tournaments I’ve been to,” said Pasco Lions Rising Stars head coach Chris Burke. “They have your entire schedule, and they have your standings. …I was able to break down the standings and go, ‘OK, we’re either playing these guys or those guys the next game because it’s the playoffs,’ and that was because of the mobile app.
“The information that you’re getting is a lot better, rather than running and trying to find a guy in a green shirt, saying, ‘Hey, I need to know where we’re (playing) at.’ I was able to do that on my phone on the sidelines and tell (players) immediately.”
The tournament’s competition level impressed Burke, who’s also a junior lacrosse player at Saint Leo University. Catching Burke’s eye in particular was the unique style of play from Canadian youth lacrosse teams.
Canadian teams typically play box, or indoor lacrosse with six players, as opposed to playing outdoor field hockey with 10 players, making it an adjustment for both Canadian teams and their opponents.
“Canadians usually play more of a box aspect, so they’re really good in close quarters,” Burke explained. “They’re stick handling is really good. Most of the time they don’t switch hands. …They’re impressive, because in a box environment, it’s a smaller field, so they have to be aggressive; they have to always be sprinting. It’s really a different type of athlete rather than field, you’ve got a bigger environment, and you’ve got guys going all over the place.
“Whenever you get a very diverse environment like this, you’re going to get better.”
In between preparing for games and coaching, the tournament also gave Burke the opportunity to try to lure some players to join the Saint Leo’s lacrosse program.
“I saw a couple of kids, and I texted my coach; I was like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to be here,’” Burke said. “I’ve been meeting with kids the whole time, saying, ‘Hey, where are you playing? You’re a senior, non-committed? I’ve got a home for you.’ ”
Published January 6, 2016