Over four weekend days in early June, 406 teams made their way down Jackson Road to the parking lots off Buena Vista Street surrounding the twelve-field complex known as Rogers Field in Devens, Massachusetts.
With the last remnants of morning dew evaporating with the rising sun, a small army of bleary-eyed players began peppering the outskirts of the fields, pulling their jerseys over their pads in between yawns as coaches erected colorful tents with town logos prominently displayed. Parents emerged from the adjacent lots armed with folding chairs, cups of coffee, and a carload of fulsome team spirit.
Eager merchants began stocking their shelves in the newly designated Vendors Village on the eastern perimeter. Head coaches checked-in to MBYLL headquarters where young staff members gathered for their assignments and EMLOA officials applied the first of many coats of sunscreen lotion.
And at 8:00 AM on the nose on the first of four action-packed days, twenty walkie-talkies came to life as Emma Johns, timekeeper of the Jamboree, informed the starters that the first game was beginning “in five… four… three… two… one.”
610 games later, as tents were dismantled and packed away, as food trucks and apparel vendors locked up their cash boxes, and as golf carts roamed the facility collecting cones and signs and rolls of netting, the newly installed irrigation system (somewhat unexpectedly) sprung to life cooling off the last remaining players frolicking in the sprinklers, sticks in hand, reluctant to say goodbye to their town teammates for the summer.
As the thousands of athletes who play in the MBYLL Jamboree made their varyingly long drives home to Wrentham and North Attleboro, to Chelmsford and Peabody, to Sterling and Brookline, and all points between, most if not all did so with immense satisfaction and pride in the completion of their spring season with goals set and (hopefully) met, countless victories on-and-off the field, and forged friendships through youth lacrosse.
The MBYLL Jamboree can be an emotional finale to the spring season. It is one last chance for athletes to try new positions. It is one last chance for athletes to meet their goals. It is one last chance to play alongside the kids they eat lunch with at school every day. The Jamboree ignites
The Scoop / Summer '18 29
Arlington Youth Lacrosse's Ryan Hill enjoys the
Jamboree with coach Greg Eccles
photo courtesy of Lori Hill
photo courtesy of Brian P. Smith
continued on page 30