SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Even in the summer months, the grind never stops.
Lacrosse is a major sport in the Central New York area, with many athletes picking up the sport and continuing it through high school and college. However, once the college road ends, few go into the professional scene, and their playing days end before they know it.
One program the city of Syracuse created to give student-athletes an opportunity to keep up with the community and hone their skills is the City Lacrosse League, an independent summer league where anyone can sign up and join. The league runs from the end of May to mid-August, complete with a postseason tournament.
Founded in 2008, the league started with former collegiate athletes who wanted to continue playing in the offseason, and invited their friends to create the league. It gained major traction and support, with people all across Central New York traveling to Syracuse to play on a weekly basis.
The league serves two purposes: to bring teammates together and to keep athletes active. Trevor Wallace, director of the summer league, likes seeing both current and former teammates reconnecting with their favorite sport.
“It’s really cool to see different local high school players face each other — maybe they faced each other in college, maybe they played together in college — and they come back for the summer, haven’t seen each other in a year or two, and catch up and stay in shape to stay sharp for the summer,” said Wallace.
Many athletes know one another in the tight-knit lacrosse community, as the athletes in the league invite their friends from current and former teams. University of Albany midfielder Jake Moran heard about the league and invited his friends from college and semi-pro league, reuniting to hone their skills in the offseason.
“We all went Division I, everyone’s doing their own thing,” said Moran. “But then we all come back here and play on the same team or different teams, but it’s just good to see the guys coming out here, seeing how much better — or worse — they’ve gotten.”
The league not only allows for community and friendship, but also a way to keep conditioning and game skills at their peak for players. It’s important to stay in top shape for any athlete, and a casually competitive night once or twice a week is enough to maintain that shape.
“When you’re in college, you’re used to playing with a certain set of people, certain playstyles, but then you come out here and everyone’s completely different,” said Moran. “So you have to kind of change, in a way, and I think that’s very versatile. You could put that in your arsenal.”
Rain or shine, any weather is lacrosse weather. For more information about the league, visit the City of Syracuse website.