Florida’s First Summer League for College Players has Arrived!
Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in Uncategorized.
Matt Doyle, head coach for the FSU Seminoles, was amazed when he asked his players at the end of the season who would be playing summer lacrosse. No one raised their hand. Back in Doyle’s home town of Long Island, NY, summer collegiate leagues are very common and full of players wanting to work on their skills during the off-season. “I want my guys playing lacrosse over the summer, and this league will give many college players in Florida an opportunity to do that.”
Doyle complements his sponsor, Mastro Subaru, for believing in what he is trying to do. “They are true fans of the sport and understand that the growth of Florida lacrosse is exploding right now. We are working together to make sure that college players will have summer opportunities to improve their game.”
Pete Mastro is just as excited as Doyle about this new league. Thank you Pete for taking the time to answer a few questions:
What made you partner up with head coach Matt Doyle of FSU in creating this league?
“Did I mention we are from Syracuse..lol. We met Matt at a local FSU camp and hit it off. He mentioned that he was surprised when he asked his team at FSU if they were playing summer ball and no one said they were. Having heard this same thing from parents of younger brothers of college players that play with our boys, we understood completely. There are no leagues for these boys in Florida. There are local adult leagues which we support, but no collegiate leagues. He had been saying the same thing we have been hearing for a few years now. He presented us with a great plan and we were behind it 100%. We also have a personal reason. My nephew will be playing in college (he recently committed to a D1 program) and my son is an aspiring college player. We hope when they come home they will have a league in place to play.”
Are you surprised that there are currently no summer leagues in Florida for college players?
“We have heard about the lack of leagues for many years now. When Matt mentioned it to us it was not a surprise. Sitting around for hours at tournaments with other parents from our clubs it has been discussed frequently. No one really thought there was a need for a collegiate league a couple years ago. Times are changing, you are seeing more and more players from Florida playing in college now. As more Florida players join the college ranks there will be even a greater need for them to have a place to play in the summer.”
Mastro Subaru has been sponsoring lacrosse teams and lacrosse leagues in Florida for some time now. What makes you guys get so involved in the game of lacrosse?
We have been involved in lacrosse since our boys started playing. As we got to know the community and saw there was not much support for the sport, we started getting involved with our local clubs. The lacrosse community is a
terrific group. We have met a lot of lifelong friends and great families along the way. Lacrosse also is a perfect fit for our Subaru brand. It is very popular up north, and like lacrosse, is growing very fast down in Florida. It’s a great match and makes sense to us. My brother and I played football and soccer and knew nothing about lacrosse. My nephew started playing in the 4th grade. His passion for lacrosse encouraged his cousins to play and they haven’t stopped since. We also opened an Orlando (Mastro Imports) location and they are supporting lacrosse there as well.
How popular do you think this summer league will be?
As lacrosse continues to grow at a rapid pace, more and more players will be looking for places to play. We believe it will be well received. There are currently adult leagues here in Tampa but a collegiate league may bring some of
the talented players out that are looking to improve their skill and test themselves against other college players. As the number of recruited players in Florida grows, they will need a place to play when they come home. Yes we believe it will do well!
Will you be bringing cars to the fields for players, spectators and parents to look at?
Yes, we definitely plan on it. We think it would be a great opportunity to show Subaru’s latest products.
Players can expect 7-10 games, which will be played twice a week in the evenings from mid-July through mid-August. 3 regions are available: Tampa, Orlando and Boca Raton. Ages 18-25 will be accepted (including recent 2014 grads). Players can either bring their own team (13-20 players), or sign up as free agents. Free agent players will be assigned to a team. All registered players must have a current adult US Lacrosse membership (www.uslacrosse.org). The cost per team is $2,000, and the free agent fee is $140 per player. The fees cover referees, fields, jerseys, and administrative costs. The website will post win-loss records and stats. There will be playoffs and a championship game for each region.
For more information and to register, visit www.ffnlacrosse.com. Please check the website frequently for updates and new information!
