A Call To Arms – Nearly Two Seasons Later Followers of this web site might remember this article from December 2013, when the reality of the Florida Launch was coming to fruition: http://fln.mattplu.com/a-call-to-arms-prove-the-palm-beach-post-wrong/ Reading this now is kind of an interesting exercise, and frankly the powers that be weren’t particularly happy with what I wrote but the underlying gist of what I wanted was not debatable . . . make this franchise a success, both on the field and in the stands. Of course, this article was written with limited knowledge of the financial machinations of professional lacrosse and the issues involved with playing at FAU stadium so some of the numbers I wrote about here were not realistic given those constraints.  Those constraints are real in the current environment and for the likely foreseeable future but hopefully there will be continued growth in popularity and some of the MLL markets are seeing growing attendance and we are not the least attended franchise.  

  What is certainly true right now is that the franchise is starting to live up to its’ end of the bargain . . . putting an exciting and now winning product on the field to watch.  The turnover in personnel has sped up recently and the results are now in plain sight.  The combination of this transformative rookie class (trust me, it is . . . there is a possibility we will look back at this draft year in the future as the best drafted class in the league’s history) and second-year players, combined with the steady hand of a few key league veterans is working well now and the product will be a contender as early as next season. So now it is time for the fans to respond. While attending games there clearly looks to be a core audience that is showing up to many of the games and those that are attending less frequently but at least consistently.  But I have to say that given how many true lacrosse fans out there live in this area it is completely fair to ponder, and frankly ask why attendance is not going up.  The crowd is mostly a mix of parents and younger kids, with a definite gap in the high school level, based on what I see as I wander around the stands during the game (I tend to watch the game from the stands in the first half and wander down to the sidelines in the second . . . just a personal preference.  If you see me in the stands and just want to shoot the breeze on the local lacrosse scene I’m more than happy to do so!). To be fair, we all know that a lot of players have gotten involved with summer showcases, camps, travel teams, etc. But even if you are in that stage I still encourage you to get out to a game.  For many reasons. The excitement of seeing a team that is growing right before your eyes. The ability to expand your skill set if you are a player by seeing things done on the field that you might not have even dreamed of yet. Bonding with players who are not that much older than you and have already gone through what you are going through.  When the game is over they make a concerted effort to mingle with the crowd, signing autographs and taking pictures with you.  Don’t be afraid to ask them about their recruiting experiences and for a hint about what they are thinking on the field; they’ll all be happy to answer.  Not only the player interactions but the coaching staff deserves it too.  Three local high school coaches . . . no other franchise has that.  It’s a local scene all around. You might ask why I am writing this. I have a particular quirk here.  Due to my position as a writer for this site I can only openly root for one team in this state, unless Hobart moves its’ campus to the state.  If so, sorry to JU as the other D1 school if that happens but I’m sure Guy would understand . . . for a lacrosse fanatic like me that is pretty tough. That one team is this one . . . so seeing them prosper and win holds a special place for me.  Maybe if Orlando gets a team that would change.  Or Brian and I could carry on the lacrosse equivalent of our NHL rivalries.  

  There are over a THOUSAND high school varsity lacrosse players within EASY driving distance of the FAU stadium.  Nearly that many on the female side and plenty of youth players. There are SEVEN home games in a season. What’s the issue? Has the team marketed perfectly?  No. So what? How tough is it to go to the web site and pick a game, buy your ticket and get out there? Not at all. Here’s The Link:  Tickets   Lyle Thompson . . . the most talked about player of the past decade. Playing here.  

  Casey Powell, winding down his Hall of Fame career, one of the Top 5 MLL players of all time, to put it conservatively. Playing here.  

  Kieran McArdle, last year set the MLL record for goals scored by a rookie AND leading MLL this year in goals. Playing here.     Miles Thompson . . . a co-Tewaaraton Trophy winner. Playing here.     Tucker Durkin, MLL All Star defenseman. Playing here.     Do I need to go on? Connor Buczek . . . Ivy League Player of the Year Casey Ikeda, B1G Ten Defender of the Year Playing here.  As rookies. As is Pat Frazier, Joe LoCascio, Mark DiFrangia and Chad Tutten.   Roman and Cameron Lao-Gosney . . . twins who have made great strides this year. Playing here.                            Bobby Lawrence . . . having a great year on defense. Playing here.     Chris Mattes, who writes articles for FLN to help the younger players out . . . And all the rest.  Works a regular job, hops a plane to represent this area and flies back home 48 hours later.      

To give you an opportunity to see the best players the world has to offer. THE BEST PLAYERS THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER. That’s not a small thing. There are not a lot of events you can attend in this area where you can make that claim.  The Honda Classic?  A Tennis Tournament in Miami?  Homestead Raceway? Lebron is back in Cleveland.  Giancarlo is on IR. Ryan Tannehill?  Please. Aaron Ekblad . . . if you’ve ever heard of him. What are you waiting for?  

  A 3-game winning streak? Got that.   High-powered offense? Got that.   Improving defense? Got that.   What are you waiting for?  You’ll be pleased with what you see.   There is one home game left, on July 25^th, a Saturday night game. Come on out and see what you’ve missed.  It’s a heck of a show.  

There are other cities more than happy to take this team away. Be warned. It can happen.  Easier than you think.  Not saying the league is giving up on this location, but don’t let them even think about it! After all, it would be a shame if the only time the Palm Beach Post was right about anything in lacrosse was on their perception the team would fail to succeed here.

  A Call To Arms, Part II. You won’t be sorry that you came out.