The Blacksmiths Luxembourg and Black Lynx Luxembourg attended the ambassador's residence in Luxembourg city for a Fundraising Gala for the teams.
The evening was full of stories as the athletes shared with guests their individual journeys with lacrosse. The Ambassador shared the story of how he and his son stumbled upon the sport after his son came to try-outs and have not looked back since.
Speaking with the athletes, it was clear to see that the sport had fostered an almost family-like atmosphere. “Although we are relatively new to the scene, we have been able to quickly develop a very unique and strong team spirit which makes coming to practice extremely fun,” said Lea Rosner, a member of the women’s Black Lynx Luxembourg team.
Going to the World Cup
“Sending a men’s team to the World Cup is a huge achievement by all players, coaches, and support staff – this group built and continues to build the foundations on which we look to establish top ten European men’s and women’s teams,” remarked Henning Schmidt, a member of the men’s team who also regularly heads practice for both groups.
During the event, Pit Bingen, co-founder of the Luxembourg Lacrosse Club, unveiled the team’s new uniforms in preparation for the competition in Israel. The new team jerseys feature the club’s logo and Luxembourg’s iconic red lion, and the country's light blue, white and red colours. The team is now fully equipped with matching helmets and gloves, along with a large red sports bag decorated with the team’s logo.
"I’m really excited about the gear! We’ve had access to some drafts and part of the equipment but now that we have seen it all “in the flesh” it is even better than we expected. Can’t wait to represent Luxembourg and rock the gear at the worlds,” said Hugo Coelho.
However, it was also clear that Israel is not the end for the two teams. “Once back, we will set our sights on the women’s team preparing for the European Championship in 2019 and to our club side competing in the Belgian Lacrosse League from September onwards” Christina Strauven, captain of Black Lynx Luxembourg remarked on the interest the women’s sport has been receiving. “We have been spreading the word about the women’s team on social media and recently it seems that each week I get a message from a new girl asking me if she can come practice with us – the answer is always yes! All levels are welcome – whether you are new to the sport or an experienced player, we encourage you to join us for practice!”
“Yesterday’s fundraiser was testimony to the hard work and genuine commitment of everyone. A very very big thank you to H.E. Gregor and Mara Schusterschitz for hosting us. We also thank all the donors for their help in taking our team to the World Cup.”
Readers can follow Luxembourg's teams on their journey to the World Cup on Facebook (facebook.com/LuxembourgLacrosse), Instagram (@luxembourglacrosse and @BlackLynxLacrosse) or Twitter (@LaxLuxembourg). For anyone who would like to play a new sport, meet some great people, get in good shape whilst playing a fast and furious game – beginners and experienced players are both welcome to join practices. For details, please contact the federation at email: contact@lacrosse.lu