Two years ago, the leaders of Waltham Youth Lacrosse and MetroLacrosse had an idea. The idea was to create a day of festivities to bring together two youth lacrosse programs with the objective of growing the sport with a fun and enjoyable event. After some discussions, the plan was put into effect and the Friendship Games event was born.
Waltham Youth Lacrosse invited MetroLacrosse to their fields and the two leagues spent the day scrimmaging each other. But, at halftime, the teams were mixed together, which allowed the kids to play as friends instead of as opponents. Also, thanks to the non-competitive atmosphere of the event, the kids were able to learn new techniques and skills. More importantly, the event was established to let the kids enjoy themselves.
“This is just for fun,” said Eddie Villafane, who is the vice president of Waltham Youth Lacrosse. “This is literally to put smiles on kids’ faces and let them enjoy [the sport]. We just let them run and [have fun]. It is not competitive. If you miss a pass, you miss a pass. It does not matter.
“It’s like a pickup game, but we are all wearing equipment. The whole point of it is to have fun and grow the game. Do not worry about the score. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to smile and meet new people.”
Villafane first discussed the idea with Pat Cronin, who is the program director at MetroLacrosse. Villafane spent several years coaching within MetroLacrosse, and knew he wanted to do something to help give back to his former league.
“I just wanted to get involved,” said Villafane. “I coached MetroLacrosse and I know there is a great community there. These kids haven’t had the chance to leave the city and play. We wanted to be part of something to help [them out].”
Based in Chelsea, MetroLacrosse has had some difficulty in the past scheduling games for their teams, and a lot of the athletes are still very new to the sport. This event allows the less-experienced MetroLacrosse athletes to experience what is like playing with others and learn from the kids in Waltham.
Fast forward two years, the Friendship Games has become a huge success for both programs. This year’s event was held in May and, despite the rain, everyone had a good time. The age group expanded this year, with kids from third grade all the way up eighth grade participating in the games. The rain did cause the celebratory barbeque to get canceled, but it did not stop Villafane from giving an inspiring speech at the end of the day. He explained the concept of the lacrosse family and why it is important, then passed out cleats to the MetroLacrosse kids, many of whom did not own a pair and were playing in sneakers.
While the main goal of the event is to let the kids have fun and learn, Waltham Youth Lacrosse’s idea of giving back to another community and establishing a relationship is equally important. The MetroLacrosse kids will remember this event forever, thanks to the generosity of Waltham Youth Lacrosse.
Furthermore, Waltham Youth Lacrosse and MetroLacrosse will be making the Friendship Games an annual event. It has done a lot to advance the relationship between the two program, and the leaders of each program are excited to continue the tradition next year.
The Friendship Games:
The Special Bond Between Waltham & MetroLacrosse
by Matt McGuirk
20 The Scoop / Summer '18
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