Luxembourg Lacrosse has appointed its coaching staff for the upcoming World Cup in Israel. Head Coach Khris Scott will be supported by two more, equally experienced coaches: Assistant Coach and defensive coordinator Drew Pollock (Bishops University), Assistant Coach and offensive coordinator Andrew Barber (Bishop’s University). Added to the staff will also be Rob Ingham Clark from Welwyn, UK, who will serve as a Assistant coach.
- Coach Pollock currently resides in Lennoxville, QC and is the Assistant Defensive Coach and General Manager at Bishop’s University. He has helped teach and guide this group since 2009 and in 2011 his team and the coaching staffs efforts were rewarded when they won the CUFLA National Championship.
- Coach Barber currently resides in Toronto, ONT where he has helped with numerous teams at the minor, senior and University level. He represented Toronto in a historical Ontario vs. Quebec historical rematch for the Canada150th anniversary this past Summer.
- Assistant Coach Rob Ingham Clark is one of several volunteer coaches helping Luxembourg Lacrosse on occasion and makes his first steps into an international coaching career with Luxembourg Lacrosse, after he served as English Universities head coach in 2017.
Coach Scott knows both his Assistants from Canadian Lacrosse where they competed with and against each other on various occasions. The entire coaching staff bring a wealth of experience in field and box Lacrosse at all levels and age groups, creating a very effective complementary component to Head Coach Scott’s background in both North American and European Lacrosse. This group brings more than half a century of coaching experience to the table.
Andrew BarberCoach Scott described their plans for the very young and inexperienced team as “A simple and structured approach. Most of our players lack experience and complicated schemes are not going to give us the results we want. We want all players to understand the fundamentals of the game which will allow us to compete but also enjoy the experience of our countries first World Championship. On this approach we will build the next generation of Luxembourg players. Simple and Structured.”
Khris ScottThe management staff will consist of Henning Schmidt (formerly Hillcroft LC/London, UK) as General Manager, Linus Foehr (Maastricht Lacrosse/Netherlands) as financial manager and Patrick Barbier (St. Andrews University/Scotland) as equipment manager. Samantha Wisbey (Central London Lacrosse Club/UK) will be the team’s Sport Therapist and ensure sound preparation, injury prevention, injury management and help players with individual advice throughout the campaign. Further supporting the team is Stewart Begg, who will serve Development Officer for the Luxembourg National Team. His experience in international Lacrosse will help our team develop an effective and meaningful campaign before, during and after our stay in Israel.
Rob Ingham ClarkLuxembourg Lacrosse President Pit Bingen described the recent appointments as ‘very important in building Lacrosse in Luxembourg. The national team will help is create a stronger and broader base of knowledge of the game, fostering further growth in the future.’
On the issue of (non-)passport holders, General Manager Henning Schmidt clarified that a young team such as this will insist on a sustainable outcome – all players on the roster will have a meaningful relationship to the up and coming Lacrosse community in Luxembourg. Non-resident passport holders can and will compete for the team, but the program puts a big focus on all players’ commitment to growing the game. Henning added that all local events will be open to guest players from nearby club teams, inviting them to take part in this journey regardless of their eligibility. This is part of the wider development plan for a group of clubs from up to four countries in the wider Mosel region.
All of the players and the staff are very excited about the upcoming months. At a recent game in Trier, Germany, several national team players collected their club’s first win in a 8v8 competition and noted that there was a lot of work left to be done. The management staff echoed this and the next steps will be to get together for a training weekend on 18&19 November in Luxembourg.
It is only onwards and upwards for the team from here. Interested players can still join by registering through the link below. Please contact the team in case of any questions by email to contact@lacrosse.lu, or via the local club’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LuxembourgLacrosse/. http://lacrosse.lu/index.php/fil-mens-lacrosse-world-championship-2018-registration-form/