Exclusive Review: Lake Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament
LacrosseAllStars.com had the opportunity to travel to Nevada and check out the Lake Tahoe Lacrosse Tournament. Remember our motto: We here at LacrosseAllStars will always tell it to you straight and never pull any punches when it comes to finding the best places to show off your game.
Here is the good, the bad, and our final verdict.
The Good:
- Location: Lake Tahoe is a great place to hold any tournament because it has everything a good summer vacation needs; sun, water, and great places to stay. It’s also close enough to Reno for people to fly in and out without much issue (45 min drive).
- Competition: The competition at the tournament was impressive. Every team played to win and, for the most part, every game was competitive. Looking around the field was equally eye-opening, with players from a variety of levels participating. Some of the great programs from all across the country were represented.
Here is an unofficial tally:
MLL (Pro) - LA Riptide
DI - Denver, Princeton, Cornell, Navy, Brown, Notre Dame, Ohio St
DII - Notre Dame De Namur
DII – Salisbury, Haverford, Hamden-Sydney
MCLA – Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Arizona St, Sonoma St, Colorado St, Virginia Tech, Boise St, Cal Poly, UCSB
High School – Torrey Pines, St. Ignatius
Other – USA West
- Community: Having played lacrosse for almost 10 years, I always loved the camaraderie I felt with other lacrosse players, no matter the age or talent level. This idea of lacrosse as a “brotherhood” was on full display in Tahoe, with players from all across the country swapping stories and shooting the shit. I can’t even begin to count the number of people I got to know, from old guys talking about playing with wood sticks to guys playing in the MLL, everyone was friendly and loved talking about the game.
- Perks: The tournament fee includes “adult beverages” on-site for the Friday and Saturday games, starting around 2:00pm. This was great because it helped encourage all the teams to stick around the fields and watch other teams’ play. This usually turned into a raucous, loud atmosphere and some good natured jeering that made even summer ball seem important. Additionally, the tournament sponsored party at Crosby’s was a big hit. The party included free beer and food for all the teams and gave all the players a chance to mingle and swap lacrosse stories from around the country.
The Bad:
- Field Space: Space is at a premium for the 16-teams in Tahoe. The two fields used for the Men’s tournament were in truth more like 1 ½ fields. The lower one was approximately full sized while the upper field was at best 60% of a normal sized lacrosse field. I affectionately dubbed the upper field “The Thunderdome” because people were being lit up like cheap cigars when they tried to dodge to cage. Also, the lack of real fences around the fields helped litter the surrounding bushes and rivers with millions of lacrosse balls. Dented cars were an ordinary sight around Tahoe all weekend.
- Wildfires: Nevada is a dry place and many of the games on Sunday were plagued by a thick layer of smoke from nearby fires. This was outside of the tournament’s control but was hard to deal with on top of the already thin air up in Tahoe.
- Construction Around the Field: Another factor that was outside of the scope of the tournament, but local construction crews were out in force on Friday. On at least 3 trips to the field I was stuck in traffic for over 10 minutes waiting for a truck to re-pave part of the street. It’s a minor complaint, but inhaling tar fumes in 90 degree heat was a miserable experience.
Mr. Blue Sky’s Final Verdict: 9/10
Overall a great summer tournament. The organization was spectacular and the free beer and lacrosse atmosphere made for an enjoyable weekend.
See you next year, Tahoe!
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posted by Mr. Blue Sky
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