Boston, MA – The road to Major League Lacrosse travels through Worcester, Baltimore, Charlotte, Irvine, West Chester and Denver. In October 2015, Ray Schulmeyer, President of the Warrior World Series of Youth Lacrosse, announced the five states that will host Regional Qualifiers for the Championship Event to be held July 2-4, 2016 in Denver, CO. The five regions, broken down geographically to North, South, East, West and Midwest, will each host a qualifier in April.
“We have created the most fair and transparent method to identify the best teams in the country,” said Schulmeyer. “Any U13 boys team meeting the eligibility requirements will have an opportunity to advance, including rec teams, town teams and club teams. This format will provide all teams an opportunity to play the best teams in their region. A successful weekend for any of these great teams could result in a trip to Denver.”
The locations and dates of the Regional Qualifiers are listed below:
North – Worcester, MA; April 2-3, 2016
East – Cedar Lane Regional Park, Bel Air, MD; April 9-10, 2016
South – Mecklenburg County Sportsplex, Charlotte, NC; April 9-10, 2016
West – Orange County Great Park, Irvine, CA; April 2-3, 2016
Midwest –Voice of America MetroPark, West Chester, OH; April 16-17, 2016
Four of the five cities hosting Regional Qualifiers have the luxury of being in close proximity to a MLL team. Athletes competing for an opportunity to play at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the Championship Game in July will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the excitement of playing in MLL cities and venues. These young lacrosse players could be the next generation of professional athletes.
“When we started Major League Lacrosse 15 years ago, I wanted to give young lacrosse players a professional league they could aspire to play in and stars they could aspire to one day be,” said Founder of Major League Lacrosse and World Series of Youth Lacrosse, Jake Steinfeld. “All of these players have grown up with the MLL and the WSYL is where their journey to success starts. Participating in the World Series will be the ultimate experience for all youth lacrosse players and their families.”
A handful of MLL players will take part in coaching teams in the 2016 WSYL Tournament.
“We are excited to have Team 24/7 Lacrosse represent Charlotte and the Southeast Region at the WSYL,” said Charlotte Hounds defenseman Ryan Flanagan. “As an MLL player I am competing at the highest level in the world every summer. It is really cool to see the kids I coach and work with every day have the opportunity to compete against some of the top players in the world for their age group.”
Charlotte is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and will be hosting the South Regional Qualifier this April.
“I love what the World Series of Youth Lacrosse is doing at the youth level,” said Flanagan. “ I am looking forward to the impact it will have on Major League Lacrosse this summer and in the future.”
Teams advancing through the Regional Qualifiers will compete against each other and select international teams that will be participating in the Championship Event. More information on Regional Qualifiers, including the states in each region, directions and registration information can be found at www.worldseriesofyouthlacrosse.com.