Coach Gives More Than Time to Build Worcester Lacrosse Program

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Coach Harry Jones has had to use his connections in the lacrosse community to provide equipment for some of his players.

You might think that drawing students from several different high schools would give a team a competitive advantage, but Harry Jones knows that is not always the case.

“There are definitely a bunch of challenges,” Jones, the coach of Worcester’s combined high school lacrosse team said. “People think that since we get players from a bunch of different schools we must have more talent, but a lot of the kids don’t know each other, they don’t get to hang out, and they all have to find different ways to get to practice from a bunch of places. So, it’s a challenge.”

Building Chemistry

And it’s not just Jones that understands how hard it is to develop team chemistry. Dan Wert is a standout senior defensemen that has played under Jones since he began coaching the team. Wert is a captain this year, and knows that the better teams in the region are all on the same page.

“You have to be able to create some sort of team chemistry,” Wert said. “Between the seven different schools we come from, we don’t all get to talk to each other, and we don’t all get to hang out. The great teams that we’ve played, I’ve noticed, all have really good team chemistry, and it’s just tough for us to get that.”

The Warriors have not won a game since the opener of the 2006 season, but Jones thinks he has the program moving in the right direction in his second season. Sitting at 0-6 this season, it is hard for people on the outside to see the improvement, but Jones points to an increased roster size and closer games this year as proof that the program is taking a step forward.

“We had 16 kids on the team last year, and then two of them got injured,” Jones said. “Now we have 32 players, and we’ve been spreading it through word of mouth. I ask my players what their friends that are athletes are doing if they’re not playing a spring sport. If they’re just hanging out, I tell them to come out for the team.”

A Lack of Funding

The Warriors are coming off a near-win against Northbridge and a competitive game against Leominster, but their challenges go beyond camaraderie and logistics. The program is drastically underfunded, leaving Jones and his players to find creative ways to get pads, sticks and balls. The players just received their practice equipment this week, five games into the season.

Students from all over Worcester come to Foley Stadium for practice and games.

“I have zero budget,” Jones said. “The kids and I bought that stuff. Luckily, I had a friend that could get us a deal on equipment, and the kids have been great. If one kid has a second stick, he’s willing to let someone else that doesn’t have one use it. We also have two awesome volunteer coaches that played here. They give their time and want to see this program move forward.”

Little Experience

But, for now, the program is not there. The team also features many younger players, even carrying a pair of eighth graders on its roster, and Jones has to spend the majority of his early practice time teaching the basic fundamentals of the game.

“I would say more than half the kids on the roster have never played lacrosse before they got here,” Jones said. “That gives us such a small window, since we only have like two weeks to practice for the start of the season. We have kids that are seniors and good athletes, but we have to teach them the rules and how to use a lacrosse stick.”

Jones knows that his team is no longer getting blown out, but also knows that there is still work to be done. He credits his players for coming to practice everyday and working hard to get better, and Wert says that is all the players can do right now.

“Everyday we try to improve,” Wert said. “You know, we’re getting better and more competitive. We’re just taking it day-by-day.”

Key Players

While the team has yet to win a game, there are still bright spots. Senior Alex Elkins has led the team in scoring with 12 points (7G, 5A), and has picked up a team-leading 30 groundballs. Junior Matt Genkos leads the midfield, and has accounted for 10 points (7G, 3A) and 22 groundballs on the year. Freshman James Bowler has showed a ton of promise this year, scoring 4 goals, and the team is looking forward to his development in the coming seasons.

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