BELGIUM LACROSSE GROWS WITH CANADIAN HELP

 By Jason Tasse jtasse@leevalley.com

In 2020, I embarked on an ambitious journey with the Belgium Men’s National Lacrosse Team to launch the program as the inaugural coach. It all began as a small, dedicated group of core players, and since we were launching during the pandemic, our early days were all about virtual connection. We held Zoom chats to go over lacrosse fundamentals, ran chalk-talk sessions, and built the foundation of our team entirely online for about a year.

When we finally launched the program in the latter part of the pandemic, it brought its own set of challenges. Travel and competition were tricky, but the core group of players showed incredible passion and commitment. They were the heart and soul of our efforts, and they won me over with how caring and dedicated they were.

From the start, our vision was about more than just immediate success. We wanted to bring the principles of Canadian lacrosse to Belgium, planting the seeds at the grassroots level. This meant we were playing a long game: building not just a team, but a strong foundation of lacrosse knowledge that would benefit Belgian players for generations to come.

Over time, that dedication paid off. The team that once struggled in its first tournament in Lille, France, is now a regular contender in championship games. Even more exciting, we had grown from a single 16-player squad into a program of 47 players, with two Belgian teams participating in the Lille tournament. Just this past year, we competed in our first world championship and won our first round-robin game against Mexico.

What has been truly remarkable for me is that I have learned as much from the Belgian players as they have learned from me. They immersed me in their culture, and I gained a deep appreciation for the Belgian way of focusing on long-term goals while celebrating every milestone along the way. This shared journey of mutual learning has made our progress even more rewarding.

As a Canadian coach, I quickly came to appreciate the esteem that the European lacrosse community holds for Canada lacrosse. I noticed many of my former teammates coaching other national programs across Europe, and the respect for Ontario and Canadian lacrosse was significant. In many ways, the European lacrosse community treats NLL players and follows Canadian lacrosse programs much like Canadians follow the NHL.

I want to personally thank Belgian lacrosse builders - Jonathan, Emile, Bruno, Jesse, Thibault, and Guillaume for all their support and dedication to building Belgian lacrosse, and for the privilege of inviting me along on this journey. Unlike many other programs, despite their formal relationship with the Belgian Lacrosse Federation, the team is entirely self-funded by the players. They are not only pouring their heart and soul into it but also every discretionary dollar they can, to build something truly wonderful.