Melvin Nicknamed 'Future' by Wet Bandits Lacrosse Team

On a team laden with talented Abington and Hatboro-Horsham upperclassmen, the Wissahickon freshman is who they call "Future."

The moniker is well-earned for Brooks Melvin, all 5-foot-5 and 120 pounds of him, as he's listed on the Wet Bandits Lacrosse team roster.

"I nicknamed him that," said Bob Ambler, head coach of the high school varsity roster of kids 17 and younger. "He's the future here, a talented kid. He has great instincts, great hands, and is tenacious. The other kids respect him."

This spring, Melvin earned a spot on the Wissahickon varsity squad, where he played on a 6-11 team with no stars outside of three-time, first-team all-American Conference selection Beau Gomez, who amassed 268 ground balls and 212 takeaways in his career.

On a lacrosse field since second grade, he participated on club teams with children his own age, and earned a spot on the Wet Bandits squad during fall tryouts.

Melvin, 15, has contributed to the team winning at last week's Lehigh Laxfest championship, and reaching the finals of the Meltdown tournament, held at Abington Junior High School. He has more than held his own at whatever position was needed.

"I'm learning a lot from the older kids like Ryan Ambler, and the game is a lot faster than it was in [the younger groups]. I really like it. I didn't know what to expect, but I'm enjoying the competition," he said.

His teammates like him, too.

"He's going to be a stud," said Ryan Ambler, the Suburban One League's National Conference MVP. "The best thing about him is that he's always improving and does the little things right. He's a joy to play with and be around."

Added goalie Travis O'Connor: "He's quick and shifty. He was a little jittery early, but has done really well. He's going to be a very good player."

Bob Ambler recognized this almost immediately. When his oldest son Colin, who coached Melvin on the U15 team, and Anthony Gabriele, the head lacrosse coach at Wissahickon, also offered high praise, it was an easy decision to bring him along.

Plus, Bob knew he had an older team that loved to teach and guide almost as much as he did.

"He holds his own, but we also have a great group of guys who nurture him," Bob Ambler said. "My son [Ryan] was 'Future' three years ago, and now he's the leader of the team. They've all welcomed Brooks in."

Melvin will likely play exclusively as an attacker during his sophomore high-school season, then be expected to lead the Bandits offense with Upper Dublin's Michael Rama, a junior-to-be.

"He'll be ready," Bob Ambler said. "He's a leader. He's a tempo guy and has the point guard mentality of where guys need to be. It's an enjoyable situation to watch him. He sees the field and has a fabulous lacrosse IQ."