With the second year of the England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme due to begin with two assessment days in October and November, we’ve spoken to some of the players who took part in the inaugural year of the Programme.
Rob MacLennan wasn’t aware of lacrosse until he started studying at university in Cambridge when he, as a fresher, tried lots of new sports and a friend invited him to try out mixed lacrosse. From here, Rob never looked back.
“I quickly grew to love the pace, intensity, and challenge of the new sport, as well as how welcoming and fun the club community was, and decided to properly commit to it just before the pandemic hit.
“As frustrating as lockdown was, having so much time on my hands meant I could do lots of wall ball and shooting practice, so by the time we were able to start playing matches again in my third year I was ready to hit the ground running and really feel my rapid improvement as a player.”
Before starting university, Rob was a serious fencer, representing Great Britain on the under-17 and under-20 World Cup circuit for four years. When he started his university studies, however, he was ready for a change.
“I got to the point where I felt a bit disillusioned with the sport and had hit a ceiling, and wanted a new challenge when I started university.
“In particular, I wanted to try a field sport, which I hadn't had the opportunity to do at a serious level before. Lacrosse ended up being a perfect fit, as most people hadn't started the sport before university so it was accessible for beginners and had a steep learning curve, especially for athletic and coordinated people transitioning from other sports.
“While a completely different sport, I found that there were a lot of transferrable skills between fencing and lacrosse. There’s a similar mix of explosiveness and endurance and the coordination from a fencing blade to a lacrosse stick made the physical transition relatively natural.”
Having exclusively played mixed lacrosse up until last year, hearing about the England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme made Rob try out the men’s game for the first time.
“It's something that I had increasingly on my mind, as I could see there wasn't a pathway to continue mixed at a high level after university or compete at an international level.
“After my team’s victory over Oxford City at the 2023 National Club Finals, Richard Gartside, who leads on the University Aspire Programme for England Lacrosse, approached me and asked if I would be interested in switching to men's and joining the Programme as he saw potential for me in the men's game. This was the encouragement I needed, and decided to commit to switching to men's and working hard to see what level I could reach.”
Interestingly, Rob found the transition from mixed lacrosse to men’s lacrosse just as big of a challenge as switching from fencing to lacrosse but that hasn’t stopped him committing fully to the game.
“I have really enjoyed the challenge of learning very different techniques and adjusting my muscle memory to suit men's rules.
“Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make the first two University Aspire training sessions as I was spending six months cycling across Africa. Naturally, I was quite nervous joining later on and sticking out like a sore thumb but I really enjoyed the training sessions and quickly felt part of the team ahead of the Lisboa tour.
“The intensity of the sessions and the collective desire to improve and push each other was a really exciting thing to be a part of. “
To end the inaugural year of the England Lacrosse University Programme, the 2023/24 cohort entered the Lisboa Cup in Lisbon, Portugal where they finished fourth. Rob thinks playing in a high-level competition like that was an incredible experience.
“The Lisboa Cup itself was a really great experience. While initally I felt very much in at the deep end, having the backing of the coaches that I deserved to be there gave me the confidence to really get involved and work hard on the pitch. Playing against international teams and clubs at that level was an awesome opportunity, and scoring against Italy Heritage was a particular highlight.
“Coming away from the Lisboa Cup I've been so motivated to improve my game and keep working towards higher levels. I have a long way to go but the University Aspire Programme and the support of the coaches has genuinely inspired me to keep working hard and have the belief that I have the potential to keep reaching higher levels in the game.”
Rob’s message for university students thinking about applying for the 2024/25 Programme is simple:
“If you believe that you have the potential and mentality to compete at an international level one day, even if you are far from being the finished product, then the University Aspire Programme is for you!”
The England Lacrosse University Aspire Programme aims to identify athletes who are not currently a part of any England Lacrosse programmes but have the potential to progress into the England Lacrosse Perform Programme.
To identify possible 2024/25 University Aspire Programme athletes, England Lacrosse is hosting two assessment days: the first at Bath University’s Odd Down Sports Ground on Sunday 27 October and the second at Nottingham Trent University on Sunday 10 November.
Each assessment day will include men’s and women’s sessions lasting approximately two and a half hours each with lacrosse coaching from experienced coaches from within the England Perform Programme.
Assessment Days
Sunday 27 October
Bath, Odd Down Sports Ground
Men's Assessment | 12:00pm - 2:30pm
Women's Assessment | 3:30pm - 6:00pm
Sunday 10 November
Nottingham Trent University
Men's Assessment | 11:00am - 1:30pm