Rochester will partner with Rhino Lacrosse and The Blaze Upstate Lacrosse Club to expand the game locally.
The National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks announced a partnership today with Rhino Lacrosse and The Blaze Upstate Lacrosse Club to grow the game of box lacrosse in the Rochester area.
Bolstered by a staff that includes former Syracuse and NLL star Ryan Powell, local lacrosse legend and Knighthawks Hall of Famer Tim Soudan, and current Knighthawks players, the Rhino Blazin’ Box Development program will offer true box lacrosse and serve as the feeder system for the Jr. Knighthawks.
“We are very excited to partner with the Rochester Blaze and the Rochester Knighthawks to provide the best box lacrosse experience ever offered in Rochester,” said Rhino Lacrosse president Ryan Powell. “We will use our Rhino Blazin’ Box Development program as a feeder to the Jr. Knighthawks team. I truly believe this partnership will bring box lacrosse to the area in a very powerful way – sky’s the limit!”
“I am really excited about our partnership,” said Blaze founder and director Tim Soudan. “Box lacrosse can be a critical part of the development process for young lacrosse players. I am excited to work both with the Knighthawks guys and with Ryan Powell.”
Rhino Blazin’ Box Development, which is open to boys in grades five through 11, will begin Thursday, Nov. 10 at Your Sports Depot (856 Route 441 in Walworth, NY). The training session for all groups will run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The program includes seven training sessions, which will take place on Nov. 10 and 17, and on Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.
The final practice, on Dec. 29, will be hosted at Connors & Ferris Field at The Blue Cross Arena. Players will all receive a ticket to the Knighthawks’ home and season opener, and participate in the pregame tunnel team. The Knighthawks will host the Toronto Rock that night at 7:30 p.m.
“The two organizations we are partnering with are top-notch,” said Knighthawks player Brad Gillies, who will serve as one of the coaches. “The partnership can only benefit the growth of the box lacrosse game in the Rochester area, which is a major priority of the Rochester Knighthawks. These programs will give local kids the best box lacrosse experience in the area and make them better all-around players.”
“The Rochester Knighthawks have made it a priority to partner with local organizations that provide valuable services to the Rochester community,” stated Knighthawks Director of Sales Nate Snyder. “This partnership with both Rhino Lacrosse and the Blaze Lacrosse Club is the perfect example of the focus our company has to build and support top tier programs in our area. We are also very excited to partner with the brand new state-of-the-art facilities at Your Sports Depot, as this provides us a permanent home that we have been searching for in the Rochester area.”
In January, the Knighthawks will select three Jr. Knighthawks teams from the Rhino Blazin’ Box Development program to play in a tournament at the PeeWee, Bantam and Midget levels. Through the partnership with Rhino Lacrosse and Blaze, the Knighthawks’ coaching staffs will include former Knighthawks standouts Tom Emmick and Bill Meagher, Knighthawks transition man Brad Gillies and other current Knighthawks players. Other coaches will include NLL prospect and former Albany goalie Blaze Riorden, and highly-respected local lacrosse veterans Mike Riorden and Jon Hand.
“Partnering with Rhino Lacrosse and the Rochester Knighthawks puts the upstate lacrosse community on the map as a force in youth box lacrosse,” said Riorden. “We as coaches feel that small space development is crucial to developing the best overall lacrosse player possible. We are pleased to be part of this great partnership.”
For more information on Rhino Lacrosse, please go online to www.rhinolacrosse.com