said. “there were no boundaries. it was the game in its purest form.”
Team Concept Roy Simmons Jr. could see the value for Syracuse’s
lacrosse program. Each of the Powell brothers, who played for Ventiquattro at Carthage (N.Y.) High, saw their dreams realized of playing for the Orange. When Mike was finishing his college career, Simmons joked with Ryan and Casey that he only recruited them so that the youngest brother would follow.
They all wore Syracuse’s jersey No. 22 first made famous by Gait, earned a combined 12 All-American selections and won four NCAA titles, four national player of the year awards, two Tewaaratons (to Mike), three MLL MVPs, one NLL MVP and played together with Team USA. Gretchen Powell didn’t miss a game. “You can tell their happy steps, when you see them make a move on the field and the reaction they have after that they are proud of themselves,” she said. “They are team players who care more about the wins then stats. They were leaders, and they wanted to lead to win.”
Spreading the Good Word “I see the game continuing to grow,” said Ryan Powell, who
teaches through Rhino Lacrosse and is founder of a new venture, Powell Lacrosse Sticks. “Passing, dodging, ground balls, scoring, hitting, team camaraderie, big saves, and amazing shots. These are exciting for kids, just as they were for me when I was a kid growing up playing in the backyard.” Ryan Powell lives in Fayetteville, N.Y., about 12 miles from where his parents, now retired, live in Cazenovia, N.Y. Mike and his girlfriend, recently relocated from Florida, live in town, too. Gretchen is in Carthage, where it all started,
a mother of four, and youngest sibling, Mason, the same age as her oldest, is in college and playing club ball. The game is life. “I drive around the Syracuse
The Powell family (from left): Mike, Ryan, Susan (mom), Gretchen, Mason, Larry (dad) and Casey.
area and see tons of goals and lax walls in backyards,” Ryan Powell said. “But I very rarely see kids in the backyards using them. What happened to sandlot games? I’m not saying that the next generation of players is not going to be successful, but the players that focus on getting better first will succeed, and the players that focus first on getting recruited will not reach their maximum potential. Have fun, compete, and train.” That’s the Powell way.
Anyone. Anytime. Anywhere.
SPEED LACROSSE BRINGS A BACKYARD FEEL TO ANYWHERE, EVEN THE BEACH
In the spirit of the small-sided, backyard-lacrosse approach that defined the Powell family, Casey Powell has launched a new 3-on-3 initiative called Speed Lacrosse. “It’s how the Powells became the Powells,” he said. Played on a 40-by-20-yard court — or even on the beach, as it was Sept. 19-20 during the first annual World Lacrosse Beach Tournament and Festival — the game is billed as a way to break down the barriers of entry to the sport, make sampling the sport simple and promote box-type skills that have become so prevalent in the field game. In a non-stop flow of action with automatic change of possessions after each goal, Powell says players average 10 times as many touches as in a traditional game — and in half the time and in a space the third of the size of a full field. Only a stick is required. The ball is more like a tennis ball. Speed Lacrosse, which can be played from the youth to adult level, falls in lockstep with an athlete development program being cultivated by US Lacrosse that will focus on implementing age-appropriate training and resources that aligns with the approach of the United States Olympic Committee for several other sports.
“Our motto is anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Powell said.
laxmagazine.com October 2015 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 37
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