A youth Lacrosse Team that was founded in Long Island, NY as a way to instill confidence in youth has expanded into South Florida
Everyone in youth lacrosse knows who the Titans are. In 2016 and 2017, the team main- tained an undefeated record in multiple age brackets. At last month’s Sunshine State Games, they won the Sunshine State Championship, defeating, among others, the Florida State Champions, Xtreme Lacrosse.
“It’s all about confidence,” says team co-founder Mike Evans, who coaches the Titans with his brother, Jamie. “Skills, speed, precision, knowledge and athleticism can be trained into a child, but confidence in lacrosse is crucial and its what many of the best players lack.”
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He and Jamie describe the work of instilling confidence in youth as a campaign. It’s a daily, weekly and hourly crusade that requires dedication and hard work from players, coaches, and parents. “Every training, every practice, every game, we work to show our players that dedication and hard work are the keys to making their dreams a reality, on and off the field.”
Beginning last year, coaches Mike and Jamie took a local group of Florida players, the Parkland Redhawks, under their wings. Using the Titans coaching program for beginners, the brothers first trained the team on the fundamentals of the game, then worked on motivating the players. The Redhawks would go on to win all but one of their games, defeating most of their opponents by double digit scores.
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“Ultimately, encouraging them the most to set goals and then strategizing ways to accomplish them builds confidence in youth,” continues Mike. “And when a youth is confident in his ability to achieve, the sky is the limit.”
Titans Lacrosse was founded in 2014 on Long Island as a fully sponsored travel lacrosse organization. Today’s Titans features several levels and age groups of paid teams, from 8-year-olds to Varsity, however, the original players were predominantly second graders who the Evans brothers had been coaching since Kindergarten.
As the program grew, the Titans began recruiting players from all over Long Island. By 2015, they were competing in tournaments and at invitational lacrosse events. Soon, they were traveling cross country for games. South Florida first saw the team at the Jingle Brawl Lacrosse Tournament in 2016. The Titans beat all six Florida Teams they faced, including the then-favorite, Empire Elite Lacrosse, for the championship win.
The astounding part is that the national program is entirely funded by the Evans broth- ers. The training, the uniforms, flights, hotels and transportation — over $250,000 in expenses are all provided free to players and their families. And the brothers intend to keep the national team free in 2018 and beyond.
Why? According to Jamie, “Not all families can afford to send their athletes cross country to compete. Growing up with a hard-working single mother, my brother and I can relate. We truly believe if a kid and his family are willing to invest their time and energy in turning the athlete into a champion, we’re willing to invest in them.”
Tryouts for the local Florida boys teams are August 20, 2017 at 2PM at America’s Got Soccer, Oakland Park, FL. All ages and all levels of skill are welcome.
Follow Titans Lacrosse on Facebook @uspalacrosse and Instagram @uspati- tanslacrosse. Video of the Titans in action are on Youtube.
