Lacrosse Life on the Islands
The Trials and Triumps of Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard Youth Lacrosse
by Jonathan Sigal
When the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard enter most New Englanders' minds, they understandably picture summer homes and white sand beaches. After all, the island oases serve as vacation destinations for folks far and wide. But in relation to Mass Bay Youth Lacrosse League, their importance and role transcend such clichéd perceptions.
Nantucket Youth Lacrosse and nearby Martha’s Vineyard Youth Lacrosse serve as two island programs within MBYLL's South Shore, Cape, and Islands (SSCI) region. Like any other program, each has Classic teams (Nantucket also has a Select team with MBYLL), eager parents, coaches, and athletes who are longing to learn the intricacies of the game and play competitively across an eight game season.
But unlike other MBYLL programs, they are different in one striking manner: They're isolated from the mainland and have to cope with various
obstacles that other towns do not. Despite the inherently presented challenges, the programs have seamlessly navigated through every speed bump in an effort to create the best possible environment for their young athletes.
Perhaps nothing showcases the islands efforts better than Nantucket’s poignant decision to remain in MBYLL’s Select program. They could have left for a different league like other SSCI programs, but proved their loyalty and dedication to MBYLL and its philosophy in staying, despite not having a single "local" competitor in the geographic vicinity.
"Retaining Nantucket in our select league was very gratifying to us,” said Joey Picard, co-director of Mass Bay Select. “We knew they had options, some even more convenient, but they proved how dedicated they were to the league and our philosophy."
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