As our sport continues to flourish at the youth and high school levels a lot of players continue to play well beyond college. Summer leagues and tournaments offer great opportunities for this. As time passes and a player gets older where do they turn if they wish to keep playing and not go up against college/high school players in their prime?
Local lacrosse player/organizer Paul Roda was kind enough to take a few minutes and share with us some of his experiences on how he found the sport later in life and what Masters Lacrosse (typically ages 30-35 and over) is like.
(INTERVIEW AFTER THE JUMP)
When did you first start playing lacrosse?
I’m a relative newcomer and certainly a late-comer to the sport; I began playing 6 years ago. For the wonderful opportunity to get involved, I’d like to thank Bill Marks, Phill Bates, Chris and Kenny Snyder as well as Stefan Striffler. Each of them played a part in getting me on my first team in my first summer league (with most players being HALF my age!). I’d also like to thank the gracious young guys on that first team that welcomed me (“cool, dude” “wish MY dad played”) and gave me lots of playing time and direction; they were nothing short of great about the whole experience.
What drew you to the game?
I was looking for a new physical activity, something fun and exciting. I had never watched lacrosse until my son went to a clinic for beginners when he was in 5th grade. That first day I saw older adults throwing and catching and I was hooked; I wanted to join in because it looked like so much fun. I inquired about forming some kind of playing opportunity for older players such as myself. Dallastown lacrosse coach Phill Bates was the first person I spoke with about it and he seemed receptive to the idea. Because I considered him an “insider” of the game, his reception of the idea lent it credibility. I moved forward and have never looked back.
Can you describe what Masters Lacrosse is?
Masters Lacrosse is age restricted to players either 30 or 35 years of age and older; it varies. In addition there is Grand Masters (45+), Super Grand Masters (50+) and Ultra Grand (55+).
How long have you been playing Masters Lacrosse?
Not long after I began playing, I organized pickup lacrosse for adults and extended the invitation to some high school players so that we would have enough guys to have a game. During that spring and summer, several older players expressed an interest in putting together a Masters team from the York area. When I found that we had enough players to possibly field a team, we put together the York Thunder masters team. After that first year, we merged with an existing Harrisburg club run by a good friend of mine, Stefan Striffler. That team was Meltdown Lacrosse. We merged the two clubs to form Fighting Amish and have been playing as that club for the past 3-4 years. For the first year or two, I arranged individual games with clubs from Allentown and the Philadelphia area. That has now evolved into monthly mini-tournaments with a handful of masters clubs from PA and Maryland; it is easier to pick one day per month and arrange to have a few teams there so that each club gets at least 2 games in that day. Over the past two years, we have drawn a good number of Fighting Amish players from the Norrisville, MD area.
What age group(s) do you typically see in Masters tournaments and leagues?
You will get the occasional player under age 30 which is disclosed to opposing teams out of courtesy, but the majority of players in this area’s Masters program are in their late 30’s to late 40’s. A few are my age (turning 55 this month) but not many are older.
What are some of the differences between Masters Lacrosse and younger level lacrosse?
The speed of the game is much different (slower) with the older players. There is solid game IQ, due to experience, among some of the older players who grew up with the game and played competitively in their youth at the higher levels, either in college or even Baltimore-area high school. On the downside, the Masters players have more conflicts with time commitment due to work and family obligations; this can make it difficult for some of them to make every game.
What are some of your favorite parts of the Masters game/tournaments?
It produces a wonderful sense of camaraderie, among, as well as across, teams. Masters games are always followed by tailgating. Although lacrosse is indeed growing, it is still a relatively small family, a brotherhood, especially among older players who do not pick up the sport in droves; there are not as many new faces. Because of this, all the masters players are familiar with each other and we enjoy getting together after games. This element makes Masters games a social event as well as an athletic event for the participants.
How long have you been going to the lake placid tournament?
The 2014 event was the fourth consecutive year my son and I made the trip.
How many local (Harrisburg Area) guy’s head up with you?
This year 3 came along with my son and me. For two of those three, it was their first trip to Placid. There were three masters teams represented in our house with each of those teams in a different Masters age bracket; 35+, 38+ and 50+. My son played in U18. He has played each of the 4 years we've come up to Placid.
What were some of the highlights of this year’s tournament?
For me, the highlight was having more guys from back home come up with us and I think that number will grow next year because the tournament is such a great experience. Not only do we get to play but we get to watch some of the best lax players in the country playing in several age categories. You see alumni teams from Hopkins, Cornell, Brown, Syracuse to name a few. At any given time, there are 6 games to choose from at the main field location (there is an additional field complex within minutes of the main location) so you can look for the game that interests you most and plant your folding chair along the sideline and watch.
How do you see the masters game growing over the next 5-10 years?
From what I can see, they will need to create older age brackets because players still want to stick with the sport. This year, the oldest division at Placid was 55+ but in prior years, I saw 60+. Denver had a 60+ age group and I see that bracket growing as players age but keep on taking the field. I would not be surprised to see a 65+ age group down the road.
What are some ways for players to get involved with different masters teams, league, tournaments?
I can only speak from my experience and what worked for me; a few years ago, I wanted to experience the Laxtoberfest in Annapolis. There were not enough players from our local masters club who could commit to the event, so that eliminated entering our team. I contacted the event organizer to put my name in a pool for any team needing a player in the 45+ age group. That worked; I landed with Philly Eagles Masters for that particular tournament and have also played for them in tournaments in Newport, RI and Denver. It was through another player on the Philly Eagles team at Newport that I got hooked up with my Lake Placid team, the Down East Lax Pros which consists of players from Maine and elsewhere in New England. I have played with them each of my 4 years going to Placid. And talk about the small world of lacrosse; my first day warming up with the team, I engaged in conversation with the guy I first started throwing with. It turns out he had lived in York at one time and knew many of the players from Central PA!
How much longer do you plan on playing?
I will keep on playing until I am physically unable to. I have healed through torn tendons and cartilage and keep coming back. The game is that much fun and the guys are that great.
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