games are short it can be difficult at times, but you want to make sure everyone has a great experience.” While he recognizes that the Jamboree is a fun event, he still likes to see improvement from his team throughout the day.
“You want to make sure that the players learn something from the experience, and they continue to grow their game,” he added.
David Cream, a coach of the U15 Shrewsbury team, also noted his relaxed coaching style during the Jamboree: “We like to keep it fun on
a day like today. The Jamboree is all about having fun; we’re more serious during the regular
season. We like to let kids play different positions; it’s a more low key day.”
Jack O’Brien, a coach of the Milton U13 Red team and Regis College lacrosse player, expressed that the Jamboree is a nice alternative to regular season games. “At the end of the day we’re not playing for a championship here," he said. "We realize players and their parents drove a long way, so we just try to let the kids have as much fun as possible and enjoy a different playing atmosphere.”
The players also seem to enjoy having the opportunity to play multiple games on one day.
Colby, a member of the Natick U15 Red team, cited the multiple games in one day as his
personal favorite part of the Jamboree" “My favorite part is playing a bunch of games back-to-back in one day. It really helps me improve my skills." The idea shared by players and coaches of having fun, getting better, and making it a "Jamboree to remember" fits right in line with the philosophy and goals of MBYLL.
Community
Something truly unique about the MBYLL Jamboree is that while it continues to serve as the largest Jamboree in the country, it still possesses a strong small-community feeling. The fields aren’t spread out over multiple locations, parking is conveniently located, and help from volunteers is always nearby. Doucette appreciates the centralization of the playing locations: “It’s always nice when I don’t have to park four miles away from the fields,” he said with a smile.
Unlike many other Jamborees or tournament, all participating teams hail from the same state: Massachusetts. However, the Jamboree matches up teams from the Bay State that would normally not get the chance to play against each other. O’Brien noted this as one of his favorite parts of the Jamboree: “The Jamboree incorporates a lot of different towns, different areas into one spot so it’s definitely cool to have the whole state come together and play the game.” He also added, “It’s fun to see all the skills that come out of the different areas of Massachusetts.”
In recent years, Massachusetts as a whole has been able to drastically elevate the skill, competition, and participation level to a point where the state can be heralded as one of the top lacrosse areas in the country. Dominic from Holliston U13 Black has noticed the increased talent pool at Fort Devens: “The games have gotten more challenging over the past few years, but I like it because it helps our team see how good we really are.”
The increased talent pool at the youth level has had a ripple effect across the state. With the amplified talent and participation rates in the MBYLL (exemplified by the Jamboree statistics) in the last 10-15 years, there has been a dramatic influx of high school and collegiate programs across the state. With this growth of the sport in the Bay State, a true lacrosse community has undoubtedly been formed.
The MBYLL Jamboree offers an annual reunion for the ever growing Massachusetts lacrosse family. Scott, a player from King Phillip Youth Lacrosse has eight years of lacrosse experience under his belt and has been a consistent returner to the Jamboree. Even after eight years, the excitement of Fort Devens has never dulled for him: “I’ve played in a lot of different Jamborees,
U15 teams from Melrose Youth Lacrosse and
Wachusett Youth Lacrosse meet in the Jamboree
12 The Scoop / Summer '15