BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
John Grant Jr., one of the top professional
lacrosse players in the world, sees a tremendous effort being
put forth by the players, coaches and volunteers of the Greater
Sudbury Lacrosse Association.
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John Grant Jr., forefront, was in
town for his Pro Skills lacrosse Camp this week. |
When a top level player sees greatness, it
can only mean Sudbury is doing something right when it comes to
lacrosse.
Grant was in town all week running his Pro
Skills Lacrosse Camp at the McClelland Arena in Copper
Cliff.
Grant was a First Team All-Star in the
National Lacrosse League (NLL) this past season.
About 36 kids from the Greater Sudbury
Lacrosse Association (GSLA) took advantage of having one of the
best, along with three other high profile professional lacrosse
players, at their disposal.
Needless to say, Grant was blown away with
the level of competition he saw in Sudbury, considering
lacrosse has only been played for the last four years in the
Nickel City.
"The kids are a lot better than I expected,"
said Grant. "Right from Day One I wasn't sure how it would
work out because they have only been playing the game for four
years.
These kids learn fast. They have improved
vastly right from the first day. I can see they are throwing
the ball better, catching the ball better and have more
confidence."
Grant, who plays for the Rochester
Knighthawks of the NLL, didn't come alone. Grant brought
with him a wealth of experienced lacrosse players to help
co-ordinate the camp. Dennis Juleff, another Knighthawks
player, Eric Martin, a NLL player with San Jose, and Shawn
Wilkins, a former Knighthawks player, all joined in to help the
kids.
They brought the kids through the basics,
like throwing and catching, and progressed into more complex
drills involving offence and defence strategies.
"We are also teaching them the fun aspects of
lacrosse," said Grant. "We taught them stick tricks and brought
out a radar gun to measure the speed of their shots. We tried
to teach them every aspect of this game and stressed having fun
while doing it."
And the kids were listening.
Justin Palkovits, who has played lacrosse for
three years, is assured he will be a better player for
attending the camp.
"It was great because they showed us all
kinds of tricks and stuff they use in pro games," said
Palkovits. "They gave me tips on what I was doing wrong in net
and how I can improve. It probably will help me. If there's
another camp next year...I will go."
Doug Bennett, who has played for four years,
also benefited.
"It has been a lot of fun," said Bennett.
"They taught me how to shoot harder. I have become a better
player because of the camp."
Wilkins was also impressed with the level of
play displayed by the local products.
"For a group of kids who have only been
playing for four years, their skills are on par for where they
should be," said Wilkins. "They have a good man helping them
here in John Grant Sr. The kids are like sponges and are
willing to learn."
Wilkins encourages kids to stick with the
sport.
"If these kids keep playing, then who knows -
the sky is the limit for them in lacrosse," said Wilkins. "If
you have the skills, talent and work ethic, you will go
somewhere in this sport. That's just the way it is. A lot
of NCAA schools are looking for Canadian kids. It's a good
way to get a scholarship. I have done it, and there's no
reason these can't do it as well in the future."
Grant will be back next year for another
camp.
The kids will not have to wait long to test
their new skills.
Four teams from the GSLA will head off to
provincial championships, starting this weekend and into
August.
Peewees go to Whitby this weekend for the
Provincial D championships. Novices head to Whitby from Aug.
6-8 for the Provincial D finals. Bantams head to Kitchener Aug.
13-15 for the Provincial C championships. Midgets go to
Cornwall Aug 19-21 for the Provincial D championships.
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