Luxembourg Lacrosse Men’s National Team roster released
Luxembourg Lacrosse is delighted to confirm its roster and coaching staff participating in its first ever Federation of International Lacrosse tournament, the Men’s Lacrosse World Championships scheduled to take place in Netanya, Israel from the 12th to 21st July 2018. The team will compete against forty-seven other national lacrosse teams consisting of newly established national lacrosse programs, such as Bulgaria and Chile, as well as more established countries. The team’s preparation is in full swing, with the first training camp occurring last November.
Roster (Updated: 8th March 2018)
The 20-player roster representing Luxembourg is composed of Christoph Snaga, Coleman Ritts, Gregory Ritts, Henning Schmidt, Hugo Coelho, Jacky Liu, Jeff Schaul, Kim Giovagnioli, Linus Fohr, Max Rubin, Michel Kreins, Nick Smith, Nick Beattie, Patrick Barbier, Pit Bingen, Reiland Domingue, Richie Jegen, Soren Salvatore, Sylvain Darroman, and Yves Audrimont. The players will be supported by an international coaching and support staff:
- Head coach Khristopher Scott (Canada)
- Offense coach Andrew Barber (Canada)
- Defense coach Drew Pollock (Canada)
- Assistant coach Rob Ingham Clark (UK)
- Sports therapist Samantha Wisbey (UK)
While the roster is set, interested players holding a Luxembourg passport remain encouraged to join the team immediately, independent of recent experience. Any and all players can email management@lacrosse.lu for more details. Holding a current Luxembourgish passport by 1 June 2018 is mandatory.
Fundraising
The team is currently financed entirely by players contributions. With respect to fundraising, a collaboration agreement with a large public agency will be signed in the coming days to co-finance some equipment. We also thank the Banque Internationale a Luxembourg for a contribution and the organizers from the Luxembourg marathon for providing the team with a fund-raising opportunity at its next event. The team is still currently looking for sponsors an interested companies or individuals should contact us at contact@lacrosse.lu
Luxembourg the newest member to compete in the world of Lacrosse
Henning Schmidt, General Manager of the Luxembourg National Lacrosse Team: “This is a very special time for our sport and our players, as they will achieve a lot of ‘firsts’ during their time in Israel. The results are nowhere near as important as the structure we now create for future teams competing in international men’s and women’s tournaments. We are presently finalizing talks with our women’s head coach and will begin a campaign for a women’s Lacrosse team to compete in the 2019 European Championship. The organization and structure created by this men’s team is the blue print for all future teams. The guys know this and work hard to make this the best team it can be. We are the smallest European country competing at the World Championship and we look to represent our local players and clubs.”
Khristopher Scott, head coach of the men’s national team: “The coaching staff and myself realize that this year’s tournament is a once in a lifetime experience for many players and nations. As the inaugural coaches of Luxembourg, we are deeply honoured to be able to represent Luxembourg and help lead a group of men that are excited and doing everything they can to get prepared. The World Championships and Lacrosse in general, represent a special community. For Luxembourg to be part of that ever-growing community is special and I can safely say that this experience is something none of us will ever forget.”
Pit Bingen, President of the Luxembourg Lacrosse Federation: “The expectation (for the World Championships) from the Luxembourg Lacrosse federation is that we prepare our players the best possible way and surround them with professional coaching and support staff. The players should most of all come back safely and enjoy this incredible event in Israel. The main challenge is to create a team culture and competitive mindset in such short time, with players that have just started to learn and love this sport.”
Outlook
For the next 12 months, Luxembourg Lacrosse has planned events for the national team, the club teams, and for new players and the general public that wants to discover lacrosse. In mid-May, the entire coaching staff will arrive in Luxembourg to prepare the national team. After the World Championships, a refereeing camp is planned to develop this crucial and lacking competence locally.
In autumn, the representatives of the Federation of International Lacrosse plan on visiting Luxembourg and host a development camp with professional coaches coming from the US. This event will be open to the general public.
Follow us on Social Media
We invite all readers to please follow our team on its journey to the World Cup on Facebook (facebook.com/LuxembourgLacrosse), Instagram (@luxembourglacrosse), or Twitter (@LaxLuxembourg). For anyone who would like to play a new sport, get in good shape whilst playing a fast and furious game – we welcome all beginners and experienced players to join us for our practices on Fridays from 19h30 onwards. Please contact us on contact@lacrosse.lu details.
Contact:
Pit Bingen, President Luxembourg Lacrosse, pit@lacrosse.lu, +352 621 558 531
Photo: Coaches, management and players of Luxembourg Lacrosse meeting at the LaxCon conference in Baltimore (USA) in January 2018. From left to right: Pit Bingen, Drew Pollock, Andrew Barber, Nancy Reiland, Reiland Domingue, and Henning Schmidt.