Shanghai lacrosse takes the field

There are few more American sports than lacrosse, but the game might soon have a new, Chinese face as the international league throws its weight behind new Shanghai men's and women's teams in hopes of preparing them for the World Games in a couple of years' time.

Building momentum

Mike Elefante, an expat who has been pivotal in developing the American Indian sport in Shanghai, currently coaches Chinese students on a local university-aged club team.

“For three years we’ve been struggling, trying to build a Shanghai Lacrosse League to compete internationally,” he says. “It’s only now that we’re moving in that direction at breakneck speed, we have about 200 players in Shanghai."

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Even today, three years since its incubation in select Chinese universities, spectators who walk by Tongji University, where the local club teams practices, stop to gawk at the odd sport.

“To bring lacrosse from obscurity to light is all up to us,” says Huang Fatao, the team captain.

During practice it's easy to make out Daniel Zhang, Shanghai’s first lax leader and one of the team's earliest players, yelling “Learn it, love it, live it,” to his protégés during practice.

Unlike football or basketball, other imported sports that have won Chinese popularity, lacrosse had few takers, initially.

Three years ago, Shanghai Lacrosse didn't exist, and now China joining the World championships in 2014 hardly seems like a distant dream.— Mike Elefante, Shanghai Lacrosse organizer

“People look at you strangely when you mention lacrosse,” says Zhang. “I’ve gone to universities to promote the sport, but there were very few who are willing to try it. It used to be tough to recruit new students. Although it's not easy today, it's getting easier.”

Elefante points out that one of the biggest issues for students is purchasing the expensive gear.

“Each set of men’s lacrosse equipment costs around US$300 dollars and is almost impossible to locally source,” he says. “Presently, the students rent equipment, but demand often exceeds supply.”

“Lack of equipment has kept many from taking up the sport,” says Huang. “It’s dangerous to play without, at a minimum, protective head-gear."

"Lacrosse is one of the fastest sports on two feet," he continues, "and we love it so much that many of us throw caution to the winds and play without gear. That’s how much the sport means to us, but we know it's a bad idea.”

Making it to the big leagues

Elefante’s efforts finally paid off when the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) agreed to assist the Shanghai team with its future endeavors, in hopes of getting Shanghai Lacrosse onto the world lax stage.

“Our mission includes developing the game in emerging countries,” says Tom Hayes, director of development for FIL. “We consider China as an emerging country where we feel the game can grow. I have already approved Shanghai Lacrosse’s request for equipment.”

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The Shanghai team recently applied for an FIL membership, and is currently awaiting approval, which Hayes says, “will enable FIL to provide support like equipment grants, coach development clinics and an invitation to all our sponsored events.”

“I would expect that we would see Shanghai team representing China in our events in the near future,” he continues. “At a minimum, we'll hopefully see them at the 2013 Women's Senior Championships or 2014 Men's Senior Championships.”

Women take the field

Our mission includes developing the game in emerging countries. We consider China as an emerging country where we feel the game can grow. — Tom Hayes, Federation of International Lacrosse, director of development

“The women’s lacrosse team,” Elefante says, “is stronger than the men’s, as they’ve been practicing longer.”

The estrogen-pumped team trains under Bonnie Coles, an international school teacher who wanted to share her home sport with locals.

The fastest girl on the team, Mandy Wang’s core aspirations lie not in China, but in competing internationally.

“We have foreign coaches and attend international training camps with Japanese teams which have made us pretty competent,” Wang says.

“Playing internationally would be a barometer to test our own skills as players," she continues. "A huge part of the thrill is also to see what real lacrosse is beyond China's borders and witness the world's top lacrosse teams in action.”

International play

What’s encouraging is that the Shanghai men’s team will finally gets to lock sticks in their first international tournament in June.

“Our focus is being well prepared for the upcoming games, taking place on June 4 and 5, where we play against the Japanese,” says Huang. “They’ll fly in from Japan, just to compete with us. We are inching towards our ultimate goal -- the 2014 Lacrosse World Championship with great velocity.”

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“The lacrosse fervor somehow finds you in Shanghai,” affirms Elefante.

“Federico Galperti, who’s been involved with starting two teams in Italy and played for the Italian National Team at the World Championships in Manchester last summer, has recently joined us," he continues.

"Three years ago, Shanghai Lacrosse didn't exist, and now China joining the World Championships in 2014 hardly seems like a distant dream.”